continued from inside…

qualitative, a growth in relationships. Increase in

numbers is never a proof of the Spirit’s work among
His people.

Indeed, in Isaiah’s case his commission was to make Reformed Congregational Church
the church comparatively smaller, as the hearts of the
nation Israel were to be hardened and turned away
from God.21 The argument of size was one used in the
Reformation by the Catholic Church. They said to CD,
A R
Luther, ‘You can’t be right. You are so small, and we
are so big. You are struggling, we are successful.’
Luther replied that the Church is often a despised

C
minority, hence Paul quotes the promise, ‘Rejoice you
who are barren!’22 Luther goes on to say, ‘You may
have riches and wealth and prestige, but we have the
new birth, and the fruits of the new birth.’23 The

“… biblical faith is not what man brings to God, it is what God does in man.”
righteousness, joy and peace of the Holy Spirit is our
wealth, ‘the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts,’24
producing a harvest of ‘peace, patience, kindness,
The Reformation?
goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control.’25

I
This is a biblical church, it was the ordinary church of n 1564 the Roman Catholic Council of Trent told
the Reformation, and it is what we look to be. the world how it understood the gospel. Christian
justification, they said, begins with God seeking the
sinner. God must seek men first because of Original
Sin, that something in all men which doesn’t like God,
and prefers the way of wrong doing. God must not
Coram Deo currently meets only seek men first, but also help men on the journey
back to Himself. Since man is wrapped up in his sin he
at the Dana Point Youth Facility needs supernatural power and encouragement to do
34451 Ensenada Place what he ought. What is that? First he must believe the
Dana Point Harbor, CA 92629 gospel, that is, understand and give assent to what God
says about Himself and Jesus Christ. Yet believing isn’t
Sundays: 11:00 am enough to save. Man must do more than merely agree
Reformed Congregational Church

Wednesdays: 7:30 pm with God, by the Spirit’s help he must be sorry for past
sins, turn from present sins, and purpose to lead a new
Dana Point, CA 92629-4047

life in obedience to God. These things together are

faith and repentance, and through them a person is
made right - justified - in God’s sight.
Post Office Box 4047

21
Isaiah 6: 9-12
22
Galatians 4: 27 To this ‘gospel’ Luther and Calvin shouted
23
Luther, Commentary on Galatians ‘Anathema!’ Let it be cursed! Why? Because it makes
24
Romans 5: 5
25 salvation dependent upon what I do, my assent, and
Galatians 5: 22-23
Post Script: This is an exploration document, and not my submission to the Lordship of Christ. This is a
meant to represent any final doctrinal position for Coram gospel of works. However much the Holy Spirit aids
Deo Church.
© Copyright, 1995 by Anthony D. O’Sullivan continued on inside…
continued from cover… say that good works done outside a relationship with
man in his choice and intent, however little a man Coram Deo! God are valueless, and indeed sin. What Isaiah
contributes to the process, in the last analysis justification experienced was unusually powerful, and while we

M
is made to depend on my promise, or my faith before oses said one thing distinguishes the Lord’s cannot expect this as normal to the Christian life, this
God. people from all the other nations on the face of must to be ours in a smaller measure. Paul promised as
the earth, the presence of God.9 much when he defined the kingdom of God as
But biblical faith is not what man brings to God, it is ‘righteousness, joy and peace in the Holy Spirit,’15 and
what God does in man. Definitively it is God speaking, it This is what the Christian life is all about. Living before as John Wesley asked, how can these things be where
is to hear God’s voice.1 ‘Now he who spoke light into God. It is not a mental exercise, explorations in Christian they are not felt?16 A relationship in human society that
existence has spoken into our hearts.’2 ‘Abraham believed theory. It is not a moral exercise, being good. It is a is void of affections is no relationship, how can it be
God,’3 says Paul, not, believed in God. As Calvin points relationship, knowing God. ‘This is eternal life,’ said Jesus, any less with God?
out, because it is God speaking there is no possibility of
falsehood, uncertainty or ambiguity.4 So Abraham ‘did Church!
not waver nor doubt the promise… being fully persuaded
“…biblical faith is not
C
that what God had promised He was able also to hurch in the Bible was never an institution or
perform.’5 Luther said that the voice of God is so sure that
he would lay his life down upon it a thousand times over.
what man brings to organization but a living amalgamation, or as
Peter called us, ‘living stones.’17 There are two
Faith produces this kind of trust, because faith is
knowledge so real I can not but believe it. ‘Now faith,’
God, it is what God definitions of life in the world of science that we can
carry over into this Christian, communal, body. The
says the writer to the Hebrews, ‘is the substance of things
not seen, the evidence of things to come.’6 The world says
does in man.” first is the element of cooperation. An organism whose
cells don’t work together dies. John said that we should
that seeing is believing, but the truth is, faith is better put aside all claims to be spiritual if we don’t love one
than seeing! ‘that they might know You the only true God, and Jesus another.18 Jesus, said the presence of communal love
Christ whom You have sent.’10 The Bible makes some very would be the sign of a true church,19 not smooth
Thus the question the Reformers asked was not, ‘Have bold claims concerning the quality of this life. It is organization, slick presentation, nor signs and wonders.
you given your life to Christ?’ but ‘Has God revealed described by such words as ‘abundant,’ ‘full,’ ‘joyous,’ and This emphasis on love was chosen because this one
Christ’s life in you?’ Have you received the gift of faith? ‘glorious.’ Sometimes pictures are used, ‘abundant streams,’ thing is the root of all obedience; ‘in this is the law
Has the ‘light of the knowledge of the glory of God’ 7 ‘powerful rivers,’ ‘springs that don’t run dry,’ ‘well watered fulfilled.’20 As importantly, the command to love
shone in your heart? Such faith saves, and that alone. gardens,’ and ‘green pastures.’11 The presence of God represents the one thing we can not do in the flesh. We
therefore brings life to His people, but it is a life that can pretty much produce the form of obedience
This is the gospel of the Protestant Reformation and we primarily represents what God’s own character is like, holy. through shear determination, as the Pharisees
believe it is the gospel of Scripture. A person only is Perhaps the passage which best sums up what it is like for demonstrated, but the ‘power of godliness’ must come
justified who knows something of Charles Wesley’s the believer to live before God is Isaiah 6. The prophet was to us from outside. Thus in the same way that we live
experience, initially convicted of his sin,12 this was followed by the Christian life individually, we live it corporately, by
I felt my Lord’s atoning blood, forgiveness,13 and in turn gave way to obedience.14 Notice a relationship with God.
Close to my soul applied, the order here. God showed Himself to Isaiah before He
Me, me He loved, the Son of God, required obedience. This is another important teaching of The second principle that we can borrow from science
For me, for me, He died.8 the Reformation; that Revelation from God, comes before is growth. A baby that does not get any bigger is sick.
obedience to God. This speaks of the Christian’s duty to Thus a church that does not grow, is an unhealthy
know God above all, and of the danger of mere obedience. church. However, the growth the Bible emphasizes is
1
Hebrews 4: 1-7 This is not to say how we live is unimportant, but it is to
2 continued on back panel…
2 Corinthians 4: 6
3 9 15
Romans 4: 3 Exodus 33: 16 Romans 14: 17
4 10 16
Calvin, Institutes, 3.2.39 John 17: 3 John Wesley, Journals, July 31, 1739
5 11 17
Romans 4: 20-21 Psalm 23 1 Peter 2: 5
6 12 18
Hebrews 11: 1 Isaiah 6: 5 1 John 2: 9
7 13 19
2 Corinthians 4:6 Isaiah 6: 7 John 15: 12, 17
8 14 20
From the hymn, “O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing.” Isaiah 6: 8 Galatians 5: 14