Lord's Day 23

Sunday Evening Worship April 6, 2025

Rev. John Vermeer explains that faith as an instrument means that faith itself is not what makes us righteous before God, but rather it's the means through which we receive Christ's righteousness.

The sermon specifically addresses this in Question 61 of the Heidelberg Catechism: "Why do you say that through faith alone you are righteous? Not because I please God by the worthiness of my faith." In other words, our faith isn't valuable because it's impressive or strong enough to earn God's favor.

Instead, as the pastor explains, faith functions as the instrument that allows us to receive the justification Christ has already secured. The sermon emphasizes that even this faith is "graciously received by God's Holy Spirit" - it's not something we generate ourselves but is itself a gift from God.

The pastor makes an important distinction: faith is not "the ground of our justification" (the basis or reason for it) but rather "the instrument that allows us to receive our justification." This keeps the focus on Christ's work rather than our own spiritual performance, which the pastor identifies as a practical benefit because it prevents boasting and deepens our gratitude to God.