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Amen

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What does this mean? “Amen”

A Hebrew word which means firm, established, reliable; as an adverb it means surely, certainly, assuredly, or truly; at the end of a prayer it is a statement of faith and confidence — yes, it shall be so.

Called by the Gospel

Gospel

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What does this mean? “Gospel”

The Gospel is the good news that God sent his Son Jesus to take away the sins of the world or one of the first four books of the New Testament which recount the words, life, suffering, death, and resurrection of our Savior. The word gospel is sometimes used in a broad sense to include all the teachings of the Bible. This is our good news, the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Yours and mine!

Explore Bible verses emphasizing the Gospel

  • 1 Corinthians 15:3–4 – Defines the core message: Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection for sins.
  • John 3:16 – Explains God’s love and the promise of eternal life through faith.
  • Romans 1:16 – Highlights the gospel as God’s powerful message for salvation.
  • Ephesians 2:8–9 – Emphasizes salvation as a free gift of grace, not earned by works.
  • 2 Corinthians 5:21 – Explains the substitutionary atonement, where Jesus takes on sin so people can be righteous.

Sin is Our Problem

  • Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
  • The Penalty: The cost of that sin is death.
  • Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
  • The Provision: God provided a way through Jesus.
  • Romans 5:8: “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
  • The Promise: Believe and confess to be saved.
  • Romans 10:9: “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Jesus is the Solution

  • Romans 5:1: “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
  • Romans 8:1: “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

 

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The One who once said, “Come,” now powerfully says, “Go.”

Means of grace

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What does this mean? “Means of Grace”

When people love you, it’s good when they can find ways to express that love. It’s one thing to say “I love you,” and another thing to live it.

When someone in authority favors you, it’s good when they can find ways to express that favor. It’s good to be favored, but it’s even better to gain something because of that favor. When God loves and favors you, it’s not because you have met the standards he has set. The only standard that makes sense to God is perfection, and we don’t meet it. So when he loves us and favors us, despite our being unworthy, we have a special term for that love and favor. We call it “grace.”

How does God show us his grace? He does it by promising things to us and then delivering on the promises. The promises of God are the “means,” the way he shows us his grace, definitely and personally. It’s strange, but when we hear that “God loves the world” (John 3:16), we aren’t always sure that we are included. Did God send his Son for us, personally? We should be sure, but just to help us along, God applies the promises of his love personally to us in the sacrament of baptism (Galatians 3:27).

When we hear, “God reconciled the whole world to himself, not counting anyone’s sin against them,” (2 Corinthians 5:19), how can we be sure that our own sins are personally forgiven through faith in Jesus? We should be sure, but just to help us along, God applies the promises of his grace personally to us in the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper (Matthew 26:28). The means of grace are God’s promises in Word and sacrament.