Scripture is not only the great means of salvation and sanctification but also centers on the person and redemptive work of Jesus Christ. Christ must be at the beginning, center, and end of all our reading, study, memorization, meditation, preaching, and singing.the gospel is not only “the power or God to salvation for everyone who believes,” but it is also the greatest catalyst or incitement for our advance and perseverance in the faith (Rom. 1:16).

The Great Theme Of Scripture

True knowledge of God requires diligent study, sound teaching, and biblical fellowship. Without this foundation, growth in His will is unlikely.The goal is to enjoy the scriptures, to grow in the knowledge of God, and to be transformed by that knowledge.Paul Washer recommends study Bibles to help your study, such as Reformation Heritage Study Bible, the Reformation Study Bible, the ESV Study Bible, the MacArthur Study Bible.As you read the Bible, memorize key theological texts and verses that speak to your current needs.

Study The Scripture As A Daily Life Discipline

In our prayer life, we must avoid two extremes: praying by emotion alone neglecting scripture, or relying only on biblically written prayers. While both can have value, true prayer should be guided by scripture without rejecting the spirit-led, extemporaneous prayer.The Bible offers many model prayers, but above all is the Lord’s prayer (Luke 11), given by Jesus as a guide. It provides three key points of the backbone of Christian prayer and shows how we should pray with both structure and sincerity.

Learning Prayer From Christ

Daily Bible reading and prayer are often the most neglected disciplines in the Christian life—yet this neglect lies at the root of many spiritual struggles. Though believers affirm their importance, most admit to neglecting them. Why is prayer so difficult? Because our flesh resists it; secret prayer denies self-sufficiency, offers no glory to self, and directs all praise to God.Prayer invites us to witness God do far more than we ask or imagine (Eph. 3:20). As we rely less on the flesh and more on God, His power works in and through us. For this reason, prayer is a vital means of grace.

2. Prayer

According to Ephesians 4:12, ministers are given fir the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.A need of a local body to a christian cannot be exaggerated. In the context of a local church we are called to give and receive ministry for the edification of all.“not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭10‬:‭25‬ ‭ESV‬‬Hebrews 10:23-25, 1 Cor. 12:4-7, 1 Peter 4:10, Col. 3:16, Rom. 1:11-12

Communion Of The Saints

In other words, the third means of grace is the churches fellowship and outward practices commanded by Christ for the church to observe, which are baptism and the Lord’s Supper.The church here is used with reference to a local visible body of believers, committee to one another, shepherded by elder-qualified men, served by biblically qualified deacons, devoted to biblical exposition and prayer, holding to the ordinances, and practicing church discipline.Local church is not synonymous with a weekly Bible study, a parachurch ministry, or listening to one’s favorite preachers on the internet.

3. Ministry And Ordinances Of The Local Church

In New Testament there are two ordinances — baptism and the Lord’s supper.The doctrine of baptismal regeneration and the belief that Christ is corporally present in the bread and wine are errors. They are not means of saving grace.The Lord’s supper is a memorial to Christ’s death and resurrection and is to he practiced in remembrance of Him and as a proclamation, sign, and seal of His redemptive work on behalf of the church (1 Cor. 11:23-26).Baptism is a public identification with His person, His gospel, and His people.Elders must teach and act out the biblical view of ordinances.

The Ordinances

We must never forget that Jesus commanded that local congregations practice church discipline (Matthew 18:15-17) and understand the difference of church discipline from legalism. Church discipline was commanded by the Lord of love as a means of protecting, purifying, and leading His church to greater maturity.

Church Discipline

Apart the triune God Himself, the greatest and most indispensable gift that the Lord has given to the church is the Bible. There is no other source of inerrant truth regarding God’s person, decrees, works, will, and promises.“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”‭‭2 Timothy‬ ‭3‬:‭16‬-‭17‬ ‭ESV‬‬If we hesitate to affirm the Bible’s inspiration, inerrancy, or sufficiency, we forfeit a firm foundation for the Christian life.

1. The Scriptures

Means of Grace(media gratiae): the ordinary means of grace or the ordinary way in which God has decreed that Christians will grow in conformity to ChristMeans refers an action or system by which a result is brought about; a method.The most prominent and essential of these means are the 1) study of the scriptures, 2) devotion to prayer, and participation in the life and 3) ministry and ordinances of the local church.

Definition

The Bible is inspired, not magical—its truths don’t transfer passively. We must study it diligently to benefit from it.“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.”‭‭2 Timothy‬ ‭2‬:‭15‬ ‭ESV‬‬“Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. Do not neglect the gift you have, … Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress.”‭‭1 Timothy‬ ‭4‬:‭13‬-‭15‬ ‭ESV‬‬

The Study Of Scripture

The Bible must be central in public worship through reading, preaching, and singing. As Paul commands in 1 Timothy 4:13, we are to devote ourselves to the public reading and teaching of Scripture.We build on sand when we shorten sermons or readings to fit modern attention spans. Instead, we must patiently proclaim the Word until it transforms hearts. True biblical preaching is not about life tips but about knowing God, leading to faith, worship, and obedience.Singing in worship is also means of grace through worshiping with scripture and must align emotionally and theologically with the Bible.

The Use Of Scripture In Worship

The psalmist wrote, “Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You” (Ps. 119:11). The inverse is, “Your word I have not hidden in my heart, that I might sin against you.

To expose our self-sufficiency, we need only look to Jesus. Despite a demanding ministry, He excelled in prayer. He was a man of prayer. Day and night, Christ prayed.“For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily” (Col. 2:9), and yet He was also a real man, and as a man, He is our example. He drew His direction and strength from the Father through the Holy Spirit in prayer. How much more should we recognize the same need and devote ourselves to prayer!

Following Christ’s Example In Prayer

There are means or gifts that the Lord Jesus Christ has given to the church for its ongoing sanctification or growth in holiness.The scripture proves that salvation is monergistic; God is the author and agent of our salvation. However, with equal force the scriptures also teach that our growth in sanctification is synergistic. (Phil. 2:12-13)There is no room in biblical Christianity for apathy, a lack of discipline, or a “let go and let God” attitude.Our desire for the extraordinary should never lead us to neglect the ordinary means that God has given us to grow.

The Means Of Grace

the Lord’s prayer shows a balance between familiarity and reverence.God is our perfectly reconciled and loving Father with whom we can freely converse without fear of condemnation (Rom.8:1, Rom. 8:15). And yet, we must always remember that our Father is the King of heaven, the Lord of all, and deserving of our greatest reverence.This means that the Aramaic expression “Abba” understood and spoken as “daddy” in English is unfounded and harmful. Yes there is intimacy communicated in “abba” but without diminishing the appropriate reverence in father-child relationship. Our God is a Holy God.

Lord’s Prayer - Attitude Of Prayer

The Lord’s Prayer offers three core petitions to guide and shape our hearts. “Hallowed be Your name” is a plea for God to be honored as holy, set apart in our hearts above all else. “Your kingdom come” expresses our desire for His rule to reign in us and through the church as we surrender every part of ourselves. “Your will be done” calls for inward submission and outward obedience. With regard to the unbelieving world, we pray for the gospel to reach all peoples by God’s will, reconciling the world to God in worship and truth.

Lord’s Prayer - Individual Petitions

These three petitions seen above are a revelation of the heart or passion of Christ, and therefore they are to he the central passion of our lives and at the heart of all our praying as God’s people. In conjunction with the Lord’s prayer there are other more prayers recorded in the Bible regarding sanctification in general, illumination for understanding the scriptures, and guidance and power for the Christian life.This book and I encourage your diligent study to equip yourself with a relationship with God! These prayers are waiting to be found by you in the scriptures :)

Lord’s Prayer - Learning Prayer From Christ

Alongside personal Bible study, the faithful preaching of godly pastors in the local church is a vital means of grace. While nothing replaces personal study, neither can we replace the shepherding of pastors who know, love, and sacrificially serve their flock through the Word.It is also important to remember that even the greatest preachers are mere men who are capable of error and must be judged by the Word of God.Let's be like Ezra who prepared his heart to seek the Law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach (Ezra 7:10).

The Exposition Of Scripture

One of the greatest means of grace that God has given us is faithful and humble ministers of the gospel who bear the biblical qualifications of an elder and are devoted to prayer and the ministry of the Word (Acts 6:2, 4).All ministers have been called to biblical faithfulness and all will be judged accordingly. These qualifications are not options or something to “grow into” later, but a non-negotiable demands.1 Timothy. 3, 1 Cor. 3:12-15, 2 Cor. 5:9-10, James 3:1Yes it is true no one will be perfect and meet all of the standards of Christ, but it is never a pass for us to neglect the word.

Elder-qualified Shepherds

“But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.”
‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭15‬:‭10‬
This book shows three gifts of God he provided for growth in godliness.

Too often, Christians wait for some extraordinary move of the Spirit to correct all their spiritual ills. Although such a revival is possible, it is not the way God ordinarily grows His church. In The Essential Means of Grace , Paul Washer considers the three prominent gifts God provided for growth in godliness: the Scriptures, prayer, and participation in the life and ministry of the local church. Our desire for the extraordinary should never lead us to neglect the ordinary. Rather, let us devote ourselves to these ordinary means of grace in dependence upon the Spirit for an extraordinary conformity and usefulness to Christ. Table of Contents: 1.The Means of Grace 2.The Scriptures 3.Prayer 4.Repentance and Confession 5.The Church 6.In Defense of Simplicity

Definition

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Elder-qualified Shepherds

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