February 2016 - Eastwood Presbyterian Church

Volume 21 Issue 2 - February 2016
What Are Justification and Sanctification
By Guy Waters
The words justification and sanctification
have largely fallen out of use in Western culture.
Sadly, they are also fading from sight in the
Christian church. One reason this decline is
distressing is that the Bible uses the words
justification and sanctification to express the
saving work of Christ for sinners. That is to say,
both terms lie at the heart of the biblical gospel. So,
what does the Bible teach about justification and
sanctification? How do they differ from one
another? How do they help us understand better
the believer's relationship with Jesus Christ?
Justification is as simple as A-B-C-D.
Justification is an act of God. It does not describe
the way that God inwardly renews and changes a
person. It is, rather, a legal declaration in which
God pardons the sinner of all his sins and accepts
and accounts the sinner as righteous in His sight.
God declares the sinner righteous at the very
moment that the sinner puts his trust in Jesus
Christ (Rom. 3:21-26, 5:16; 2 Cor. 5:21).
What is the basis of this legal verdict? God
justifies the sinner solely on the basis of the
obedience and death of His Son, our
representative, Jesus Christ. Christ's perfect
obedience and full satisfaction for sin are the only
ground upon which God declares the sinner
righteous (Rom. 5:18-19; Gal. 3:13; Eph. 1:7; Phil.
2:8). We are not justified by our own works; we are
justified solely on the basis of Christ's work on our
behalf. This righteousness is imputed to the sinner.
In other words, in justification, God puts the
righteousness of His Son onto the sinner's
account. Just as my sins were transferred to, or
laid upon, Christ at the cross, so also His
righteousness is reckoned to me (2 Cor. 5:21).
By what means is the sinner justified? Sinners
are justified through faith alone when they confess
their trust in Christ. We are not justified because of
any good that we have done, are doing, or will do.
Faith is the only instrument of justification. Faith
adds nothing to what Christ has done for us in
justification. Faith merely receives the
righteousness of Jesus Christ offered in the gospel
(Rom. 4:4-5).
Finally, saving faith must demonstrate itself to
be the genuine article by producing good works. It is
possible to profess saving faith but not possess
saving faith (James 2:14-25). What distinguishes
true faith from a mere claim to faith is the presence
of good works (Gal. 5:6). We are in no way justified
by our good works. But no one may consider himself
to be a justified person unless he sees in his life the
fruit and evidence of justifying faith; that is, good
works.
Both justification and sanctification are graces
of the gospel; they always accompany one another;
and they deal with the sinner's sin. But they differ in
some important ways. First, whereas justification
addresses the guilt of our sin, sanctification
addresses the dominion and corruption of sin in our
lives. Justification is God's declaring the sinner
righteous; sanctification is God's renewing and
transforming our whole personsour minds, wills,
affections, and behaviors. United to Jesus Christ in
His death and resurrection and indwelt by the Spirit
of Christ, we are dead to the reign of sin and alive to
righteousness (Rom. 6:1-23; 8:1-11). We therefore
are obligated to put sin to death and to present our
“members to God as instruments for righteousness”
(6:13; see 8:13).
Second, our justification is a complete and
finished act. Justification means that every believer
is completely and finally freed from condemnation
and the wrath of God (Rom. 8:1, 33-34; Col. 2:13b14). Sanctification, however, is an ongoing and
progressive work in our lives. Although every
believer is brought out once and for all from
bondage to sin, we are not immediately made
perfect. We will not be completely freed from sin
until we receive our resurrection bodies at the last
day.
Continued on page 3
BART LESTER
Pastor
Rev. Bart Lester
Associate Pastor
Rev. Billy Joseph
Student Ministries
Rev. Billy Joseph
Church Administrator
Mr. Jerry Knotts
Director of Music
Seongho Choi
Organist/Pianist
Mrs. Frances Baker
Mrs. Carrie Carboni
Miss Virginia Perry
Children’s
Discipleship Team
Mrs. Sonja Hinton
Mrs. Lynn Grace
Church Secretary
Mrs. Lynn Grace
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Missions 2016
Eastwood World Mission Conference
February 27th Thru March 1st
Theme: Glory and Joy
Verse: 1 Thessalonians2:19-20
Our guest speaker:
State University. They now live in Montgomery Alabama and
have been serving with Common Ground Montgomery for 9
years. They were all members of Eastwood Presbyterian
Church before hearing God's call to help plant Strong Tower at
Washington Park located in the community where they had
already been serving for five years. Prior to joining the staff of
CGM Kevin worked in management at a major company in
Montgomery. While working and living in Montgomery the Kings
began to develop a burden for under-served neighborhoods
and high-risk youth and families who lived in these
communities. The Kings noticed a pattern of destructive life
choices, influences, systemic injustices and overall degradation
that clearly contributed to the detriment of neighbors in their
community. The Kings have devoted their lives to living and
being interwoven into the fabric of the Washington Park
community in West Montgomery to be a part of long-term
Gospel transformation.
Phillip Palmertree,
Senior Pastor
First Presbyterian Church
Kosciusko, Mississippi.
Coby and
PamelaMcGinty
Phillip Palmertree is in his eleventh year as senior minister
at First Presbyterian Church, Kosciusko, Mississippi. Phillip has
served churches in Macon, Mississippi (pastor, 1999-2005) and
Auburn, Alabama (asst. pastor 1994-1999). He is a native of
Jackson, Mississippi and a graduate of Mississippi State
University and Reformed Theological Seminary. He and his wife
Judy have been married for 24 years and have four children:
Nelson (21), Ruth Anne (19), Campbell (15) and Rachel (14).
Phillip counts it a joy to serve a congregation that has world
missions in its DNA. He has served as chairman of his
presbytery’s MTW Committee and has had on the field
involvement in gospel partnerships with works in Japan, St.
Vincent and the Grenadines, Russia, Romania, Peru, Mexico,
and Belize.
Kevin King
Common Ground
Montgomery
www.cgmlife.org
Kevin is a native of Mobile, Alabama. Nicole (his wife of 14
years) is a native of Chicago Illinois. Their daughter Kaiya Denise
is 13 years of age. Kevin and Nicole met and married while Kevin
was a student at Tuskegee University and Nicole at Alabama
Campus Ministry,,
South Africa
Coby and Pamela McGinty minister with the Student Y, a
reformed student ministry on the campus of University of Cape
Town, South Africa. Since 2007 they have combined their
passion for student ministry and their love of Africa serving this
world renowned university of over 28,000 diverse students from
more than 100 nations.
They met while at university, when they were not yet
following the Lord, and so understand the importance of this
pivotal time in the hearts and minds of students. They minister
through teaching Bible studies and practical life skills,
evangelism, discipleship, counseling, mercy ministry and
opening their home to students. The heart of their ministry is
“Teaching students to follow Jesus for life” and their goal is to
serve God by ministering to each student's spiritual, intellectual,
emotional and physical needs.
The University of Cape Town is the number one ranked
university on the continent of Africa, and these top students of
business, law, medicine, government, engineering, education,
and more are all future leaders. By impacting students' lives for
Christ this ministry is impacting the future of the African
continent and beyond as these students take the gospel home
to their families, communities, tribes and nations.
Their three children are: Calla, Lake , Liam .
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What Are Justification and Sanctification
Continued from page 1
Christ has won both justification and sanctification for His
people. Both graces are the concern of faith in Jesus Christ, but
in different ways. In justification, our faith results in our being
forgiven, accepted, and accounted righteous in God's sight. In
Wes and Nancy
Simmons
RUF Campus Ministry
Auburn
University
Wes is the RUF Campus Minister at Auburn University,
having previously served for 4 years as the RUF Campus
Minister at Carson-Newman University in East Tennessee, and
before that was on the Pastoral Staff of Second Presbyterian
Church in Memphis, TN. He is a graduate of Carson-Newman
University and Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando,
Florida. He is married to his best friend Nancy and they have two
wonderful daughters, Emily and Kate.
Mike and Robin
McMahan
Mission to the World
Zimbabwe
Mike and Robin McMahan grew up in Texas and met at
Austin College. Both accepted Christ through the ministry of
InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. Shortly after Mike’s
graduation, they married and eventually moved to the Eastern
Shore of Maryland, where they lived for 15 years.
Since 2001, they have served in Equador in both Guayaquil
and Quito and presently in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. Serving as part
of a church-planting team, they saw the need for ministering in
both word and deed. They pursued training at the Chalmers
Institute for Economic Development and learned to promote
small savings and credit groups among the poor in Guayaquil
and Quito. In 2010 Robin completed a master’s degree in
International Community Economic Development. Mike and
Robin are now working with the Presbytery of Bulawayo in
Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, working alongside the national church in
discipleship, mercy initiatives, and church planting.
They are currently on home assignment where they have to
raise $1,800 per month before they can return to Zimbabwe.
Pray for them and the people of Zimbabwe who are currently
going through a season of drought.
sanctification, that same faith actively and eagerly takes up all
the commands that Christ has given the believer. We dare not
separate or conflate justification and sanctification. We do
distinguish them. And, in both graces, we enter into the richness
and joy of communion with Christ through faith in Him.
Erika and
Vanderley Oliveira
Presbyterian
Missions In Brazil
Early in 2000, Erika Bezerra began working in a remote area of
the Amazon as a Presbyterian Missionary. Little, if any, religious
or medical influence was in the area known as Lake Carara.
Soon after visiting the villages surrounding the lake, Erika began
to make acquaintances. After months, those acquaintances
became friends who regularly talked with Erika about the Bible.
As her contacts grew, so did her personal life. She married
Vanderley Oliveira who agreed with her to continue the mission
work in the Lake Carara area .
Interest grew in the protestant faith and a small group of
early church members started meeting. Vanderley developed a
master plan for the new church and construction began on the
“mission house” where Erika and Vanderley would live with their
daughter Emmanuelle. Through contributions from Eastwood
and other churches, enough money was raised so that a church
building could be built on property donated by the son of the
earliest church members. Pray for their continued growth.
Matthew and
Shereene DeLong
RUF Campus Minister
for International Students
Auburn
University
Matthew Matthew grew up in Florence, KY
and attended Murray State University. After graduating with a
degree in Music Education in 2002, Matthew moved to Alabama
to serve at a Christian camp. During his time there, he felt called
to attend seminary, and headed over to Westminster Seminary
California (MDiv 2010), where he met Sherrene (MA Theological
Studies, 2011). Somehow, Matthew convinced Sherrene to
marry him, leave her large Indian family in southern California,
and move to Alabama with him. They were married on 9-10-11,
adopted their dog, Bhindi, three months later, and are excited to
welcome the nations at Auburn University together where
Matthew serves as the Campus Minister for International
Students, RUF International at Auburn University.
4
PILLARS
Women thein Church
Psalm 144:12
Pillars Points
Angie Stallings and Nancy Trumbull, Co-Chairs
February 10th - Art Party
Are you an artist, or a “wantabe” artist? Then this event is for you. A local
artist and art teacher, Barbara Grimes, will bring out the artist in each of us.
When: February 10th, at 6 p.m.
Where: Eastwood Fellowship Hall.
Cost: $25 for supplies, Snacks included (Make checks payable
to Barbara Grimes)
Registration Deadline: February 7th
To register, contact Nancy Trumbull at : [email protected] or
Angie Stallings at: [email protected]
All Eastwood members are invited to come and enjoy a night of painting,
fellowship, and family fun together.
February18-20th - Womens Ministry Leadership Training
The PCA Women’s Ministry Leadership Training will be held this February 18-20 in
Atlanta. You do not have to be in ministry or study leader to attend and be
encouraged! This training is intended for all women who encourage and equip
other women. In other words - all of us! Over this 3-day event, we will have the
opportunity to study the implications for women’s ministry in the book of Titus, as
well as choose from 20 different topical workshops, and fellowshhip with other PCA
women from our region. The cost is $275 which includes several meals but does
not include the hotel room, you must register for your hotel directly with the
Sheraton. Be sure to mention PCA Leadership Training for special rate of $95/night
plus taxes.
REGISTRATION DEADLINE: FEBRUARY 8TH
Details can be found at their website: pcacdm.org/lt2016. If you are interested or
have questions, please email Julia McNiel at: [email protected]
February 27 - Decorate for Mission Conference
Our Annual Mission Conference begins on
February 27 through March 1st.
If you enjoy decorating, we need your help. Pillars
needs volunteers to help decorate the Fellowship
Hall and tables. To sign up, contact Angie Stallings
at: [email protected] or Nancy Trumbull at:
[email protected]
Eastwood Christian School
A Ministry of Eastwood Presbyterian Church
by Suzie Rhodes, Board Member
Plans Being Made for 20th Anniversary Celebration
The Board of Eastwood Christian School has
announced plans to commemorate the 20th Anniversary of
Eastwood Christian School with a special dinner event on
Monday night, April 25th in Trinity Hall at Trinity
Presbyterian Church, 1616 South Hull Street. Please hold
this date on your calendar and make plans to attend.
We will celebrate God's blessing and provision during
the last twenty years, and will present a vision for the future
ministry of the school. Since 1996, hundreds of lives have
been impacted by this education outreach of Eastwood
church. God has been gracious and generous to allow the
continuation of this ministry, and we take the opportunity of
this significant milestone to give Him the glory! At the same
time, we ask for His hand of blessing to continue to be on
the school, and for His guidance and direction in the daily
affairs and long term decisions.
We are planning and praying for several hundred
people to join us on April 25th for this special evening of
celebration. Dinner is by reservation only, so plan now to
purchase tickets and join us for a wonderful evening!
Included in the program will be recognition of alumni and
significant people in the life of the school, greetings from
several groups, and entertainment by students. We will do
some reminiscing, and will receive important challenges.
You will not want to miss this special event. Watch for
more information in the coming weeks.
performances. On March 10th and 11th, the Drama
Department will once again bring a major musical to the
stage of Taylor Road Baptist Church. Under the direction
of David and Ruth Givens and David Miller, the 2016
Spring Musical will be “Les Miserables.” The students
have already auditioned and an outstanding cast is set.
Intensive practice has begun. Excitement is steadily
building as the students learn lines and songs, as
costumes and sets are planned and made, as the
producers begin to round up financial support and human
resources, and as the directors begin the arduous work of
assembling the characters and scenes into an enjoyable
ECS Premier of
and entertaining finished product. After hundreds of hours
are invested by all of these people, the only thing missing is
an audience! Please plan to come to Taylor Road Baptist
Every year since 2004, the Drama Department has Church on either Thursday, March 10th or Friday, March
performed a major Broadway musical in the spring. 11th to support these students and teachers, and enjoy the
Hundreds of students have participated throughout the school premier of “Les Mis”.
years, many garnering much critical acclaim for their
“Les Miserables”
Performances March 10th & 11th at Taylor Road
Baptist Church - You Don’t Want to Miss It!!!
5
Special Events
6
Art Party
February 10th
Are you an artist,
or a “want-a-be” artist?
Then this event is for you!
A local artist and art teacher, Barbara Grimes, will bring out the artist in each of us.
When: Wednesday, February 10th, at 6 p.m.
Where: Eastwood Fellowship Hall.
Cost: $25 for supplies, Snacks included (Make checks payable to Barbara Grimes)
Registration Deadline: February 7th
To register, contact Nancy Trumbull at : [email protected] or
Angie Stallings at: [email protected]
All Eastwood members are invited to come and enjoy a night of painting, fellowship, and family fun.
ALUMNI NEWS from Baxter Hodge
Dear School Family,
From time to time we hear back from our alumni a word of “thank you,” especially after they
have been complimented by a teacher or when their grades are pleasing to the eye. Baxter
Hodge, just reported that after one semester at The United States Military Academy, West Point,
he is ranked in the top 10% of the class. He asked me to pass along a thank you to the
Eastwood family.
Well done Baxter. Stay strong and stay focused. Eastwood family, stay strong and stay focused.
Go Warriors!
John Geiger,
Headmaster
FEBRUARY
Birthdays
2. Dennis Pritzel
3. Thomas Lester
Angie Stallings
4. Abby Grace
NEW MEMBERS
Please welcome Ed, Dinah and
Jefferson Thomas who joined the
Eastwood family on Sunday, January
17th, 2016.
Address: 322 Center Drive
Montgomery, Al 36113
Phone: 703-745-7318
Email: [email protected]
Sympathy
7
Love and Sympathy of the congregation
is extended to the family of Roberta Mae
Butler Holding, the grandmother of Bruce
Stewart, and mother of former Eastwood
member, Priscilla Stewart. Mrs. Holding
went home to be with the Lord January
15, 2016, following a heart attack and a
brief struggle with pneumonia. She was
85 years old.
DEACON of the WEEK
6. Billy Joseph
Feb 1-7..............Brian DeHuff
Feb 8-1....................Rick Joki
Feb15-2.............Bill Goehring
Feb 22-28..Robert Harrington
Feb 29 - Mar 6.......Bo Hodges
Libby Perry
9. Don Henle
Felix Pritzel
Geneva Pritzel
10. Hannah Crewe
Tom DeLoach
11. Aubrey Grace
12. Rene Chancey
Men’s
Fellowship
at the
Morrison’s
16. Hannah Marion
22. Catherine Bartley
23. Milton Hodges
26. Beth McDaniels
27. Bethany Marion
28. John Bennett Lester
And they
devoted
themselves to
the apostles'
teaching and
the fellowship,
to the breaking
of bread and
the prayers.
Acts 2:42
Eastwood Presbyterian Church
1701 East Trinity Blvd.
Montgomery, Alabama 36106
Schedule of Events
Sunday
8:30 a.m.
9:30 a.m.
9:45 a.m.
10:55 a.m.
5:00 p.m.
6:00 p.m.
ESL Class for Spanish Speaking Students
Coffee and Fellowship
Sunday School
Morning Worship Service
Missions Prayer Time
Evening Worship (Fellowship Hall)
Wednesday
4:30 p.m.
` 5:45 p.m.
6:30 a.m.
7:00 a.m.
Choir Vocal Touch-up
Sanctuary Choir Practice
Men's Bible Study/Tim Cantey (Missions Room)
Men’s Bible Study/Billy Joseph (Session Room)
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONCERNING THESE MINISTRIES CALL:
Church Office ........................................... 272-3103
Children’s Discipleship Team:
Sonja Hinton, and Lynn Grace............272-3103
Women’s Ministries (Angie Stallings)....... 312-2396
Student Ministries: Interim, Billy Joseph.............272-3103
Pillars Bible Studies
!0:00 a.m. And
6:30 p.m.
ESL Meets
Pillars Bible Studies
!0:00 a.m. And
6:30 p.m.
Communion
Undershepherd
Groups Meet
ESL Meets
Congregational
Lunch
Valentines
Day
President’s Day
Church Office
Closed
Diaconate Meets
ESL Meets
ESL Meets
Eastwood World
Mission Conference
Pillars Bible Studies
!0:00 a.m. And
6:30 p.m.
Session Meets
Pillars Bible Studies
!0:00 a.m. And
6:30 p.m.
Feb. 1
6:45 am - Men’s Bible
Study in Missions Room7 am- Men’s Bible Study
in Session RoomD Groups Meet
5:45 Choir practice
6:45 am - Men’s Bible
Study in Missions Room7 am Men’s Bible Study
Boys and Girls D Groups
5:45 Choir practice
Church-wide Art Party
6:45 am - Men’s Bible
Study in Missions Room7 am - Men’s Bible
Study in Session RoomBoys and Girls D Groups
5:45 Choir practice
6:45 am - Men’s Bible
Study in Missions Room7 am - Men’s Bible
Study in Session RoomBoys and Girls D Groups
5:45 Choir practice
PCA Women’s Ministry Leadership Training - Atlanta
Eastwood
World Mission
Conference Begins
LOVE IS... patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not
arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable
or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the
truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things,
endures all things. Love never ends.