Justified by Faith, Empowered by the Spirit
- Jonathan Balmer
- Jun 11
- 3 min read
" ...[H]ope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us."
“For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.”
“God shows His love for us that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
“For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.” - All from Romans 5:1-10
This is a sermon preview for the first week of our series on the Holy Spirit as Our Advocate, preached on and After Pentecost 2025.
Visit FBCM’s Church Center Channel to view video live stream (live) or audio version of sermon (published week after).
There are times when my own words are not good enough, and it is wiser to simply cede the metaphorical online microphone to someone who draws us into the happy mystery of the Gospel with a fitting word.
This week, we learn about the Holy Spirit's role in giving us up— Hope which does not put us to shame. Hope which looks like Christ dying for the ungodly. Come on Sunday to see what the Spirit might say to us through this message. Come to the church blog to see a fitting quotation from Lutheran Pastor Sarah Hinlicky Wilson about the implications of this very good Gospel:
Christ came not for the good. Not even for the ones who wanted to be good or tried to be good. Not for his well-meaning allies, not for the ones who remembered to say thanks. He came for the unrighteous, the sinners, the ungrateful, the evil, the lost, the condemned, the ungodly. In short: his enemies. The ones who don’t want to be saved at all, whether because they don’t think they need it or because they frankly prefer their sins to God’s company. Christ wanted so much to rescue and redeem his enemies that he became sin for their sake, a curse for their sake, and then simply offered his redemption as a gift, knowing full well that some wouldn’t want the full pardon and the steadfast love and the everlasting life, if it meant conceding their enemy status. Two thousand years later we are still stunned by the news and still haven’t figured out how to be a church that corresponds to its message. Because what could such a church be? Only a perpetual embarrassment. People selected chiefly on account of their disqualification to accomplish great things. A fellowship of such sinners that backbiting and betrayal are an inevitability. Ambassadors who constantly consider defecting to the other side. How can God expect to win more to His church with that kind of public relations campaign? Unless, of course, that is exactly the point.
A church that is comprised of sinners and enemies cannot be other than a church comprised of sinners and enemies!
In recovery, we hope; at war with the sin within, we hope; struck down daily and raised up again to new life daily, we hope. But a church that is really Christ’s church for Christ’s sinners and enemies is going to have to take that risk and suffer, as Christ did, the ungrateful and the evil and the ungodly. Certainly, if we are not continually naming, confessing, and confronting the sin, the wonder of God’s vast and shocking love will be lost. But it has to be love for a “true and not a fictitious” sinner. Nothing will ever convince us more thoroughly that salvation is God’s doing and not our own.¹
There is much more to say.
But for now, let "Amen" suffice.