Lord’s Day 24: Q&A 62-64: Imperfect Fruit

In some of the online Christian circles that I traffic in, there are a lot of people who express doubt in their salvation, usually because they feel especially convicted of their sin or don’t feel like they are living up to the standards that God calls them to. The response to them is always the same: if you are this concerned about your salvation, that’s actually a good sign; unregenerate people do not fret over the status of their salvation.

Even those of us who do not get this level of anxiety over our salvific status probably still feel inadequate from time to time. We feel that we aren’t doing enough for the Kingdom, or that others are doing better than we are. If the Kingdom of God is a Farmer’s Market stand, the ‘good fruit’ that we bear sometimes feels like it belongs in the trash.

This week’s Lord’s Day reminds us of two great truths: 1. Our good works have nothing to do with the attainment of our salvation. Rather, they are outpourings and signs of our saved status. 2. If we are in Christ, we cannot help but bear good fruit for the Kingdom, even though our fruit is imperfect.

Lord’s Day 24

Q&A 62-63

CONFESSION AND ASSURANCE

Lord our God, we try to act like good people. We try to be upstanding citizens. We try to do a good deed each day. We even do this in your name, but we confess, Lord, that we put our hope of salvation in our good deeds. We act as if our good works give us some magical better standing with you, or that they are the key to eternal life. We put our hope in ourselves instead of in you, our only Savior. Forgive us, Jesus, for not remembering that it is only your perfect sacrifice that allows us to be truly righteous before the Father. Forgive our pride, we pray, as we offer to you our sin-stained efforts to be good in this fallen world.

-time for silent confession-

Leader: Brothers and Sisters, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, has offered up the ultimate good work for our salvation, as he, perfect human and God, freely gave himself for us that we may receive God’s gift of grace. In Christ, our sins are forgiven, and we are able to strive to live lives of righteousness for the Kingdom of our God!

People: Amen! Thanks be to God!

PRAYER OF DEDICATION (OFFERING)

God, Creator of all, Giver of all, we pray that you would bless these tithes and offerings that we have given to you. Not because our generosity makes us better than others, and not because they give us a better standing with you. Not because our tithes and offerings are the means to our salvation, but we pray that you would bless them, even though they are imperfect gifts given by imperfect people. Accept our gifts to you, O Lord, as we know that everything is ultimately yours. We give you only what is already yours, but we give as an outpouring of the gift of grace you have given us, trusting that you will use these tithes and offerings to further your Kingdom, in our hearts, our church, our neighborhood, and throughout the world. Amen.

Q&A 64

CONFESSION AND ASSURANCE (Luke 6:43-45, John 15:5)

Leader: Jesus, we know that we belong to you as members of your body.

People: But sometimes we doubt our place in your Kingdom.

Leader: You have told us that if we remain in you, we will bear much fruit.

People: Our fruit doesn’t always look good enough to offer to you. It is often misshapen and moldy, more fitting for the dumpster than for you.

Leader: Forgive us, Lord, for our meager offerings.

People: Empower us, Spirit, to see our offerings of good works as you see them. Give us strength to persevere through our doubts and to rest and remain in you, O Christ.

-time for silent confession-

Leader: Friends, Jesus tells us that “No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit.” (Luke 6:43) If you are in Christ, it is impossible for you to not bear good fruit. Rest well in this assurance, that if you doubt the efficacy of your works, you are indeed in Christ, your sins are forgiven through Christ, and even works that you may feel are inadequate are signs of your faith and gratitude.

People: Thanks be to God!