I’m slowly reading through Dr Nick Needham’s 3 Volumes 2000 Years of Christ’s Power. At the end of each chapter are exerts from the writing of various people referred to in the main text. The name Calvin can be quite intimidating to new believers and I remember feeling a little of that myself. Yet Calvin is surprisingly easy to read. Young believers ought to be encouraged to read these great men of God. They are the Lords gift to the Church – let’s receive His gift gladly.
The following text is from Calvin’s’ Institutes of the Christian Religion.
To be justified in the sight of God, to be Justified by faith or by works. A man is said to be justified in the sight of God when in the judgment of God he is deemed righteous, and is accepted on account of his righteousness; for as iniquity is abominable to God, so neither can the sinner find grace in his sight, so far as he is and so long as he is regarded as a sinner. Hence, wherever sin is, there also are the wrath and vengeance of God. He, on the other hand, is justified who is regarded not as a sinner, but as righteous, and as such stands acquitted at the judgment-seat of God, where all sinners are condemned. As an innocent man, when charged before an impartial judge, who decides according to his innocence, is said to be justified by the judge, as a man is said to be justified by God when, removed from the catalogue of sinners, he has God as the witness and assertor of his righteousness. In the same manner, a man will be said to be justified by works, if in his life there can be found a purity and holiness which merits an attestation of righteousness at the throne of God, or if by the perfection of his works he can answer and satisfy the divine justice. On the contrary, a man will be justified by faith when, excluded from the righteousness of works, he by faith lays hold of the righteousness of Christ, and clothed in it appears in the sight of God not as a sinner, but as righteous. Thus we simply interpret justification, as the acceptance with which God receives us into his favor as if we were righteous; and we say that this justification consists in the forgiveness of sins and the imputation of the righteousness of Christ.
In regard to the use of the term with reference to the present subject, when Paul speaks of the Scripture, “foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith” (Gal_3:8), what other meaning can you give it than that God imputes righteousness by faith? Again, when he says, “that he (God) might be just, and the justifier of him who believeth in Jesus” (Rom_3:26), what can the meaning be, if not that God, in consideration of their faith, frees them from the condemnation which their wickedness deserves? This appears still more plainly at the conclusion, when he exclaims, “Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us (Rom_8:33, Rom_8:34). For it is just as if he had said, Who shall accuse those whom God has acquitted? Who shall condemn those for whom Christ pleads? To justify therefore, is nothing else than to acquit from the charge of guilt, as if innocence were proved. Hence, when God justifies us through the intercession of Christ, he does not acquit us on a proof of our own innocence, but by an imputation of righteousness, so that though not righteous in ourselves, we are deemed righteous in Christ.
The above quotes are taken from John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book 3, Chapter 11, Sections 1-3. They are from the freely available e-Sword edition.
Martin Downes
It never ceases to amaze how completely talentless singers will put their whole life on hold thinking they have any possibility of winning. For example the opening act – two sisters from Estonia (I think) had actually moved to Britain to be on the show – and to win it. When the awful truth dawns on them that they are going no further in the competition – it’s a moment of sadness to see their whole world come crashing down. But after the initial shock – ‘life will show them the way’ – they continue as ‘Dream Girls’ to singing stardom. Amazingly, they really believe it. They are not alone. Most of the acts are simply deluded.
If you are looking for a church home, we invite you to come to Woodland Presbyterian Church. We won’t plead, hassle, or bug you. We won’t twist your arm to become members. We aren’t out to run up statistics.
While still in Aberystwyth the 
It seems a given that we must convey to the unbeliever that something will happen to them that is felt, tangible, internal. I remember an old open-air preacher saying to me ‘it’s better felt than telt’. Conveying the Gospel through experience is better than doctrine, truth, objectivity. Is it? I do not believe so. All religions have an experience – based on lies. If Christianity is competing on those grounds it’s on a loser. Put very simply – the Gospel is True. It is Truth. Why should we feel the need to try and justify the truth through ‘the testimony’ as if we were saying ‘hey, look it works – it must be true’. False religions have testimonies of changed lives – even atheists could say ‘since I ditched religion my life is one of peace’.
Here’s a picture not often seen – a group of Christians by shear numbers blocking the road as they pour out of Church after worshipping the living God. Pastor Geoff Thomas of 
This was the Sunday of the 
What is so tragic about seeing them and their families is not in the way they dress but what the dress represents. The strict adherence to the law of God in order to obtain – or maintain – favour with a Holy God. I couldn’t resist taking the picture on the right of a Jew on his mobile phone outside the gift shop. They have the scriptures, they have the history, yet they will not have the Messiah – The Lord Jesus Christ. All of their works are so unnecessary when one has come to fulfill all righteousness – the demands of a righteous Holy God.
