In 1701 the pamphlet The School of Manners was published outlining the expectations of children's behavior at home, at table, in company, in discourse, at school, abroad, and among boys. The preface explains in part, "Parents expect that children under the Schoolmasters care, should be competently furnished, that of decent Carriage and Behaviour is no less necessary and ornimental, than universally demanded. Nor is it an unreasonable expectation in those, that unwillingly are at great expences for the good and wholesome Education of their offspring in good letters, besides the bare acquisition of learning, that they should understand something of ingenious and obliging conversation, to distinguish them from the unpolished and illiterate Rout, and honorably to grace their other excellent attainments..."

Chapter two outlines ten rules to observe while at church:

1. Decently walk to thy Seat or Pew; run not, nor go wantonly.

2. Sit where thou art ordered by thy Superiors, Parents, or Masters.

3. Shift not Seats, but continue in the same place.

4. Lend thy place for the easing of any one that stands near thee.

5. Keep not too long a Seat lent thee by another, but being eased restore it.

6. Talk not in the Church, especially in the time of Prayers or Preaching.

7. Fix thine eye upon the Minister. Let it not widely wander to gaze upon any Person or Thing.

8. Attend diligently to the words of the Minister, pray with him when he prayeth, at least in thy Heart; and while he preacheth, listen, that thou mayest remember.

9. Be not hasty to run out of the Church when the Worship is ended, as if thou wert weary of being there.

10. Walk decently and soberly home, without haste or wantonness.

The following Sunday School lesson was delivered earlier this month as a 2-part series on the grace of God. Part one introduced us to the topic and outlined the importance of correctly understanding justification by grace alone. Part two provided an illustration from the life of Martin Luther and exposed his inability to appease his conscience through his own righteousness. Part three focused on how many Evangelicals in our day want to eradicate the idea of God's wrath and sin altogether. Part four explicated the clearest expression of radical depravity as found in Romans 3:10-18 and concluded with the rhetorical question: In light of our total sinfulness, why do we not fear the almighty wrath of God?

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Perhaps an illustration first would help clarify this point. Every single human being, no matter the race, color, creed, religion, national origin, citizenship, sex, age, or disability falls into one or more of the following categories: husband, wife, or child. One might think that is a peculiar division but the statement holds true nonetheless. Someone who is neither a husband nor a wife is without question a child to someone.

With this classification in mind, I must now ask three rhetorical questions from Paul’s book to the Ephesians. Wives, have you submitted to your husbands as to the Lord (Eph 5:22)? Husbands, have you loved your wives as Christ loved His church and gave himself for her (Eph 5:23)? Children, have you obeyed your parents in the Lord, since this is right (Eph 6:1)?

Within the span of only thirteen verses Paul prescribes duties required of wives, husbands, and children—leaving no one out of the equation. He commanded his readers to submit, to love, and to obey, all pointing to Christ and the example He set forth to demonstrate how one is to conduct these things. So there it is in plain, unambiguous language—the duties required of women, men, and children. Yet, have we fulfilled these obligations perfectly?

Some might now be thinking, "But you don’t understand, my wife constantly nags me and refuses to submit to my authority." Or, another might respond, "How can I submit to my husband when he never helps me around the house. He is constantly doing his own thing, leaving me to keep the house and raise the children."

Be that as it may, the unloveliness of someone does not abrogate our responsibility and command to submit to God’s Word. Imagine how unpleasing we must be in the sight of God yet he loves us with an eternal love. Let me press on now to an every greater statement that carries more responsibility and far greater guilt.

We all remember from Sunday school the command to "love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind…and love your neighbor as yourself" (Matt 22:37–38). Love should proceed from us continually, with a love for God and for our fellow man. Yet, how many of us can say we have fulfilled this command—just since the time we awoke today? Could anyone living among us claim to have manifested a perfect love for the great Sovereign and Savior of the universe?

So it is easy to see from this perspective that no one does good, not even one. None seek after God and no one God loves perfectly, if we are to be honest. Even our greatest "love" and good works are imperfect and less than the Lord requires for salvation. The smallest amount of self-interest or self-righteousness nullifies the perfection necessary.

The question still stands. If we have not kept His commands perfectly why are we not terrified of His wrath? How many people have seriously considered this question in light of the knowledge of our known sins? How often does the thought cross the mind of the words of Isaiah when he saw the Lord sitting upon His throne? Remember his response was, "Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people with unclean lips" (Isa 6:5). Isaiah recognized that he was before a thrice holy God and he was not holy. The prophet recognized his own wickedness and understood that he did not belong in the presence of the Lord. He understand the nature of wrath as it logically relates to holiness.

So too we must realize that our Creator is a holy and as such, He must, out of necessity for who He is, demonstrate His righteous indignation against sin. Indeed, in light of our obvious transgressions, what makes any one of us think that we can even come before a righteous God? What makes us think we can pray to Him, sing praises to Him, or call upon His name? The Bible says that impure hands and unclean hearts are an abomination to the Lord, yet so many of us think we can do all of these things. With that said, how can we offer our prayers or sing praises to a holy God when His wrath may break out upon us at any time? How can we do that and not live in constant fear just as Luther lived for so many years? We know that just this very morning the impure thoughts on our minds, the rage that flared up within us when another driver cut us off or how we showed little patience with our children or our spouse, and yet, here many will go to church and look at God’s Word, offer prayers, and sing praises to His name. Are we simply apathetic towards the truth? Do we just not realize what it means to offend a holy God? Are we just not thinking about the ramifications of our actions before the Lord?

Be that as it may, the reason the Christian can come together, in spite of all the wickedness, is because of what justification means. The very reason a believer can do all of these things and not worry about God’s wrath pouring out upon him is because of the relationship that is established, and at the very foundation of that relationship is a simple word—peace. Paul tells us that we have peace with God, having been justified by faith (Rom 5:1). And because of that peace, that wellness of relationship, we can have daily communion with a thrice holy God when we are not thrice holy. But how can that be? How can a holy God establish a relationship with someone who is not holy? Can God merely wink at sin? Can He just dismiss our transgression? Is His anger pacified by our pitiful actions? Is the Protestant understanding of justification merely a "legal fiction" as some have charged?

Paul provides an answer to each of these questions when he finally gets to the good news in verses 21–24. After demonstrating the universal sinfulness of mankind, the apostle delivers the hope that each of us needs to hear.

"But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it—the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus."

Contained within these words is perhaps the clearest expression of the gospel message. This brief statement about salvation in and through Jesus Christ is a glorious truth that everyone needs to hear and is available as a gift by his grace because of the work of His Son on the cross at Calvary. Paul will later flesh out in chapter 4 what he briefly describes in these verses, but the thrust of his words are nevertheless compelling.

Every human being—Jew and Gentile—stands guilty before God, as there is no distinction in the sight of the Judge. Nevertheless, mankind is declared to be "not guilty" by his favor towards the guilty. This is a gift of free grace, a gift that knows nothing of debt as Paul will later describe in Romans 11:6 that grace cannot be mixed with works otherwise grace is no longer grace. Additionally, the apostle will explain in chapter 4 as to why works cannot be wedded with the concept of grace. Using the analogy of a laborer and a supervisor, Paul lays out the logical consistency of one that works and expects to receive what is rightly his. In the same manner, he argues that if one works towards his justification, it is then what is due and stands at open variance to the concept of free grace.

Just as there were many is Paul’s day that did not understand the reality of free grace, there have been many throughout the centuries that have likewise misunderstood this glorious truth. I want to read something to you from a man who did not understand the concept of biblical grace. Joseph Smith misunderstood orthodox Christianity and the idea of grace when he wrote in 2 Nephi 25:23, "For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do."

Why would anyone need grace if one were going to be saved after all he can do? That is not the message of free grace and that is not what Scripture teaches. Remember this simple truth about Christianity: God saves us, not after all we can do, but in spite of all we have done. God out of His loving kindness and mercy chose to redeem us from our wicked ways. We were all following after the prince of the power of the air, and despite all of that, despite wallowing in our own transgressions, God sent His Son so that He might save His people from their sins (Matt 1:21). Salvation is of the Lord (John 2:9).

And so we have seen that the one facet that separates Christianity from every other religion is the concept of free grace in man’s salvation. No part belongs to mankind; it is wholly monergistic from start to finish. Adding anything to the purity of the gospel message falls under the same anathema as articulated in Galatians 1. So we must be accurate in our belief and presentation of the gospel message lest we find ourselves on the wrong side of Paul.

We must remain faithful to Holy Scripture and must realize what our condition before God really is: helpless, hopeless, and in dire need of a Savior. Whatever the world may tell us, we have but one hope for salvation—and that one hope comes only by grace through faith alone in Jesus Christ. He paid the debt He did not owe, because we owed a debt we could not pay.

If you are still trusting in your own righteousness—you have not yet understood the necessity of grace. Grace is the only hope mankind has—grace and free grace alone.

The following Sunday School lesson was delivered earlier this month as a 2-part series on the grace of God. Part one introduced us to the topic and outlined the importance of correctly understanding justification by grace alone. Part two provided an illustration from the life of Martin Luther and exposed his inability to appease his conscience through his own righteousness. Part three focused on how many Evangelicals in our day want to eradicate the idea of God's wrath and sin altogether. 

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The process was long and painful, but Luther eventually came to realize the reason for his guilty conscience and the manner by which he could finally say that he was at peace with God. Luther finally came to understand his own fallen nature as outlined in the glorious epistle to the Romans.

I now invite you to open your Bibles, and we will look at the apostle’s words to see what he has to say concerning this paramount issue. After all, it is the Bible that will convict the conscience over and against any mere mellifluous words of exhortation. The Word of God has authority that binds the conscience of the believer and the one who professes a love for and commitment to the Scriptures must look to it and embrace what has been revealed. We must be careful so as not come to the Bible with a postmodern way of interpreting and say what we think the Bible means to us. Instead, we must believe in the clarity of Scripture and accept it is the final authority in all matters of faith and practice.

Turn with me, if you will, to Romans 3:10 where we will read through verse 18 for now. Before we do that, however, remember the arguments up to this point. That is, Paul demonstrated the universal sinfulness of all human beings—Jew and Gentile alike. The former possessed no genealogical advantage from being the offspring of Abraham in that they too stood condemned before God. All of mankind needed salvation.

The apostle started first by describing this reality especially since the Gentiles suppressed the knowledge of God and were given over to a reprobate mind and participated in all sorts of debauchery and vices. One could almost hear the Jews cheering on Paul in his condemnation and in his verdict of "guilty" before God, when in chapter two, the apostle turns his attention to the Jews and tells them that they are just as guilty and they also have merited the wrath of almighty God.

He stresses the reality that merely possessing the law does nothing for an individual, and further charges them with hypocrisy. There is universal Jewish sinfulness as well. In fact, the Jews are even more guilty because they were entrusted with the oracles of God and they failed to keep its demands. While they preached against stealing, they stole; while they said do not commit adultery, they committed adultery; they abhorred robbing temples, yet they robbed them. Paul asked at the beginning of chapter three: "Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are under sin (3:9)." Paul then draws from Psalms 14 and 53 when he delivered the most rebuking charge against mankind apart from grace. It is here, in verses 10 through 18 that Paul lays the groundwork for the radical depravity of mankind in his natural state. He says that both Jews and Gentiles are worthless and fail to seek after God. Consider:

"as it is written: ‘None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one. Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive. The venom of asps is under their lips. Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood; in their paths are ruin and misery, and the way of peace they have not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes."

That some are good people or that others seek after God is here refuted. Paul begins with the deplorable condition of natural man in that since the fall, "None is righteous, no, not one." But how many times have we heard someone say, "He is a good man," or "She is a good woman". Paul tells us it is the exact opposite. None are good, man or woman, Jew or Gentile.

And how often do we hear someone say he or she is trying to find God, that is, one is seeking after the one true God, attempting to find Him—as if God plays hide and seek with people. No, this is not the case. If one is seeking after God and does not find Him it is because that person is seeking after the god of his or her imagination.

After several more condemning statements establishing the inability of mankind to do anything righteous, he then moves on to an illustration about the tongue. Paul could have used any sin he could have thought of but there might have been some Jews or Gentiles who said, "Wait a minute, Paul. I have not committed that particular sin." So, what argument does the apostle employ? Here he chooses the sin of the tongue—a sin that no one can say he is not guilty of. Each and every one of us has committed this particular transgression and none of us is able to escape this particular condemnation.

Moving on to verses 15–17, the apostle draws upon Isaiah 59:7–8 where the sin listed is worse than the one previously spoken about. This verse talks about the sinful inclinations and deadly actions of mankind. Just as anger and murder ruled the day during Isaiah’s time, so too were these same actions taking place at the time of the apostle—and not much has changed since. But listen to why their "feet are swift to shed blood." Paul tells us the reason in verse 19, because, "There is no fear of God before their eyes."

When one views self as autonomous and ruling over his own body and passions, then he will fear no one. If one does not believe in a higher being and fears the consequences of his actions there is no logical reason not to act in one’s own vacillating self-interest.

With all of this is mind, however, Paul brings together this list of Old Testament passages in order to shatter and to obliterate the idea that man contains any amount of self-righteousness. We could look elsewhere in Scripture that comports with this idea of natural man being radically corrupted because of the fall but for the sake of brevity we must press forward in our lesson.

Now returning to this idea of a radically corrupted natured—if one does not properly understand his own sinfulness, there is no need for repentance, no need to turn away from one’s own selfish ways and no compelling reason to look for a Savior.

Just the other day I was speaking with a woman who expressed her joy that an unsaved loved one promised to attend church with her. Knowing what sort of church she attends, I asked her how many times she has heard the gospel preached in the eight months she had been in attendance. She paused, thought for a moment, and respond, "None."

None. In eight months of sitting through preaching and she had never once heard a message of sin and redemption. What good is it, then, if her unsaved loved went with her to church? How would he ever get saved if salvation comes through the preaching of the Word? How will this person ever see his true condition apart from the gospel message? Instead, he will continue in his own ignorance of the reality that awaits him if he does not turn from his current ways.

Listen to what Paul has to say after his condemnation in verses 10–18. We read in chapter 3:19, "Now we know that whatever the law says, it speaks to those who are under the law, that that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God." The person who is still yammering, "But I’m not that bad," is not ready for what the apostle is about to express. The one who does not recognize his own condition is not ready for the gospel message of hope. The one who still thinks he is a good person and just needs a little motivation here and there to continue in his own righteousness does not understand his desperate need for a Savior. The one who thinks he seeks after God and believes he will be found righteous before a holy God because he, himself, has performed so many good works will be utterly surprised when he is standing before the great Sovereign of the universe only to hear those dreaded words, "depart from me, ye worker of iniquity. I never knew you." The one who does not understand that he needs something outside of himself and that he needs and alien righteousness—a righteousness that does not come from himself—does not understand the Christian message. At best, that one, will, like Luther, continue in a state of bondage, persisting as a slave to his own works, attempting to placate an almighty God.

The irony, however, is that God will grant us the desire of our hearts—if that is truly what we want. That is, God will judge us according to our works if we truly believe that is how we can be justified. God will grant someone that wish, and the results will be eternally disastrous.

We continue in verse 20: "For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin." It was not until Luther cast off his chains of bondage from the treadmill of sacramentalism and good works that he finally understood what it meant to be at peace with God. It was not until he recognized that he stood condemned before a holy God and nothing he could do could change his standing before God could Luther safely rest in the arms of his Savior. Luther need more than what the Roman Catholic Church was offering. Luther was terrified of a holy God. Are you? If not, why not?

to be continued... 

I was at a gymnasium recently where I saw a Christmas tree with angel cutouts placed on gifts beneath the tree. Curious as to what they were all about, I walked over to see what was written on the images of the angels and was emotionally touched. Each piece of paper had the age of a child and a special request. The names and requests of the children had been provided by the Salvation Army. The first gift I noticed was a very lovely bicycle, and so I read the card. The name was given and then the request: a girl’s bike. Tears came to my eyes as I thought about the unknown donor who gave generously to an unknown twelve year old child to make this Christmas very special. I remembered the words of the Lord who said, "It is more blessed to give than to receive" (Acts 20:35).

Christ not only spoke those wonderful words but modeled them as well. The Bible says that while we were yet sinners Christ died in order to give those of us who believe in Him as Lord and Savior the gift of eternal life.

As you consider your Christmas gifts remember the words of Christ and His example. Also, consider the advice of other wise saints. Martin Luther said, "I have tried to keep things in my hands and lost them all, but what I have given into God's hands I still possess." C. S. Lewis observed, "I do not believe one can settle how much we ought to give. I am afraid the only safe rule is to give more than we can spare." That is good counsel. Place your resources into the hands of God and let the Holy Spirit direct you in your giving. Then, give more than you can spare.

Finally, give cheerfully. A mother wanted to teach her daughter a moral lesson. She gave the little girl a quarter and a dollar for church "Put whichever one you want in the collection plate and keep the other for yourself," she told the girl. When they were coming out of church, the mother asked her daughter which amount she had given. "Well," said the little girl, "I was going to give the dollar, but just before the collection the man in the pulpit said that we should all be cheerful givers. I knew I'd be a lot more cheerful if I gave the quarter, so I did." While we might smile at the story, it does have the ring of truth and so we must again remember, "It is more blessed to give than to receive."

The following Sunday School lesson was delivered earlier this month as a 2-part series on the grace of God. Part one introduced us to the topic and outlined the importance of correctly understanding justification by grace alone. Part two provided an illustration from the life of Martin Luther and exposed his inability to appease his conscience through his own righteousness.

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Now I started this anecdote by saying that one used to hear a story like this. Why would I say this? Why would one no longer tell the story of Martin Luther when discussing the issue of grace and justification? Well, I would tell you that by simply relaying a story about a young man burdened by his sins does little in a day and age when the wrath of God is rarely spoken of and the need for repentance is hardly preached.

In fact, there some scholars who are trying to do away with the concept of God’s wrath altogether. You might be thinking to yourself: How on earth can one simply dismiss this biblical doctrine? I would tell you there are several ways. One particular way, for example, is to remove the word "propitiation" as found in Romans 3:25 and replace it with the word "expiation". Now to most of us there really is no great difference between the words. After all, what are two Latin terms to most English speaking Evangelicals anyways? What is the difference and does it really even matter?

I would submit to you that it matters a great deal because of this—words have meaning and each of those terms means something specific. Expiation means "to make pious" and infers a removal of sin and guilt. While this is undoubtedly part of the work of the cross, it is not all. Propitiation is the other part of the equation. This carries with it the idea of placating or appeasing the wrath of God, making satisfaction, turning away wrath and reconciling a person to God. So as you can see, expiation, while part of the equation, does not adequately capture the entirety of what was accomplished at Calvary. Moreover, what amazes me about this particular debate is the implication of removing God's wrath. For the life of me, I cannot begin to figure out why some want to limit God by forbidding Him to demonstrate righteous indignation. Why do I say this? Consider.

Imagine for a moment that you return home from a long day of work, only to find that an intruder has breached your home and is attacking your family. What would be your initial reaction? Would you stand there, paralyzed with nothing but love and compassion for the very intruder who is violating the sanctity of your house and family? Would you be so overcome with love towards the assailant that you simply beg him to stop and to leave immediately? No, absolutely not. It is reasonable to assert that one would express outrage at seeing such an injustice and take appropriate action to rectify the situation. The natural response would be to fend off the assailant and protect the innocent. If ever there was one who witnessed such a tragic circumstance and failed to act righteously, no one would respect such an individual. In fact, we all would expect someone to take drastic measures in order to protect his family.

With that said, however, when we do not allow God to express a righteous anger and deny God the avenue to pour out his wrath upon those who have violated His Law, we are making God less than man. That is, when we insist that God cannot demonstrate anger against those who have dishonored the sanctity of His rule, then we are placing the Sovereign of the universe in a category below mankind. It is permissible for humans to react against great injustice and seek retribution so why should we not permit God to do the same? I would submit to you that the answer is obvious. 

Nevertheless, I suppose it is a moot point and there really is no need to concern ourselves with the subject of God’s wrath if sin is never preached in the first place. Who wants to be bothered with that sort of bad news anyways? Instead, all too often we seek to find comfort in knowing that we are "not that bad". We compare our lifestyle with our coworkers, our peers, our friends and family members, and other church attendees and we discover that we are just like the next guy--and that makes us at ease. It is comforting to know we fit in well with the world’s standard of right and wrong. When we subscribe to the world’s standards, of course, we will feel good about who we are.

In fact, if you want to know where our interests and priorities are I would encourage you to browse the shelves of your local Christian bookstore. If you truly want to capture the pulse of Evangelicalism in America today see what books are being published and which books made it in the stores. You will probably not be surprised to discover the mood in our society is ripe for literature that promises us wealth, health, and prosperity. I can almost guarantee that you would be hard pressed to find the Christian classics that inspired and blessed generations of faithful Christians.

Just the other day I viewed a sermon delivered by one of the best selling Christian authors of our day, a man whose audience numbers in the millions weekly. This particular message was from Paul’s epistle to the Ephesians—a book that is replete with the sobering view of man’s condition, a book that lays out our natural enslaved nature that follows the prince of the power of the air, and a book that takes into account God’s sovereign grace in saving us from our enslavement to sin. Yet, despite all of these great truths, never once did this Evangelist mention sin, the need for redemption, or the enslavement of our fallen natures. Instead, he delivered a message of greed. That is to say, he taught that God created mankind so that He could bless them. While this may contain elements of truth, it is disingenuous to give people a false hope of temporal blessings. God created us to obey His revealed Word—not to grant temporal blessings of every kind. People need the gospel message and not just empty words of promise.

We care more about the thought of feeling good and prospering than reflecting upon our own radical condition as revealed in Scripture. You see, we live in a world where many think there is only one sin—and that is the sin of making others feel bad or the sin of intolerance. No one wants to think of himself or herself as being a radically corrupted sinner. All too often we are lead to believe there is no such thing as right or wrong, just different. That, my friends, however, is a complete distortion of truth. The truth is worth proclaiming because it is the truth that will set us free. And if we are to be obedient to God and demonstrate our love to our fellow humans we will confront them with the truth. We will not allow them to believe, what we know to be, a lie.

Think for a moment back to the person who shared the good news with you. Imagine now where you would be if they had bought into this idea of plurality or relativism. Would you still be pursuing the evil intentions of your heart had not that person spoken out and proclaimed the gospel message? So why, then, should we think that we do not have a God-given mandate to participate in the great commission? What makes us believe that it is okay to keep silent?

to be continued... 

The following Sunday School lesson was delivered earlier this month as a 2-part series on the grace of God. Part one introduced us to the topic and outlined the importance of correctly understanding justification by grace alone.

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There was a time when delivering a presentation about justification and grace, one used to hear a story that went something like this: There was a certain university student traveling along the road, returning to his family during a sultry summer day in 1505. Suddenly, the sky became overcast; there was a shower, and then a tumultuous storm. The university student was knocked to the ground by a burst of lightening, and, fearing for his life cried out in terror, "St. Anne, help me! I will become a monk." St. Anne was the patron saint of miners, that being the chosen profession of his father.

Needless to say, the storm eventually passed and the twenty-one year old student survived the moment to fulfill the vow he made. The student resolved to keep his promise to become a monk, because it was in that moment in that treacherous storm that the single flash awakened this young man to the realization that there was a vengeful God who would pour out His wrath upon wicked creatures. So, like most other people living in the Middle Ages, this man knew what he ought to do—he must appease God’s wrath, and the best way to accomplish this was for him to keep his vow to St. Anne and join a monastery. He chose one of the strictest orders, the reformed congregation of the Augustinians, much to the chagrin of his father who wanted him to pursue a different occupation, preferably law, so that he would be taken care of later in life.

This young man took two weeks to get his affairs in order, said farewell to his family and friends, and presented himself at the monastery gates. There, he exhibited himself as a novice, or beginner, in which he was required to prostrate himself before the prior who asked him what he sought. To which came the reply, "God’s grace and thy mercy." Three more questions were raised in which the candidate was asked if he was married, if he was a bondservant, or if he was afflicted with any disease. After receiving satisfactory answers, the prior described life in the Augustinian community in which each were expected to adhere to a strict set of rules which included, begging, rigors of daily work, a scant diet, rough clothing, mortifying the flesh, and set prayers seven times each day, just to name a few.

For some time, this novice kept the rules as ordered. He performed all required tasks as necessary yet there was still something that afflicted his mind. Despite all the human efforts to appease the conscience through good works, and despite all the attempts to find peace with an angry God, this young monk remained troubled. He remained in terror of the holy.

This monk might have very well continued along the path he was pursuing if he had not been overtaken by another storm. This time however, it was a storm of a different nature—this storm was a spiritual thunderstorm that would not pass as quickly as the first one he encountered along the road in July 1505. The occasion was his first mass, which was deliberately postponed until a day was found to be suitable so his family and friends could attend.

The day soon arrived for this young priest to recite the introductory portion of the mass. This being the first time, coupled with the fact he has not seen his father for quite some time, inevitably added to his nervousness. He began with the introductory, "We offer unto thee, the living, the true, the eternal God." It was at these words, at the thought that he was standing there at Calvary, offering the one true sacrifice that struck terror in his heart and paralyzed him with fright. Unable to continue, much to his embarrassment and the humiliation of his family, he later recalled that at those words, the words in which he transubstantiated the bread and wine into the actual body and blood of Christ, he thought:

"I was utterly stupefied and terror-stricken. I thought to myself, ‘With what tongue shall I address such Majesty, seeing that all men ought to tremble in the presence of even an earthly prince? Who am I, that I should lift up mine eyes or raise my hands to the divine Majesty?...I am dust and ashes full of sin and I am speaking to the living, eternal and the true God."

The terror of a holy God smote him with a fear like none other. His tremors were augmented by the realization that he was "dust and ashes and full of sin". He was indeed a tortured soul and resolved to find peace through a more rigorous devotion to God. So, he starved him for days one end, flagellated his body until he bled, refused blankets and slept on the stone floor in the winter months, and even spent six hours on one occasion in a confessional booth. One could only imagine how much trouble an individual could get into in a monastery where one would need six hours to confess, but this only serves to illustrate that no amount of sorrowful words could placate his tortured soul. Despite all of his human efforts, however, there was no peace. His soul was restless because he still feared a wrathful God—he still did not know if he was an enemy of God or not.

By now I am quite certain you have guessed who the person is of which I speak. If you said, "Martin Luther," you would be correct. The pioneer of the sixteenth century Protestant Reformation was a man who, by all accounts, would have earned salvation—if ever there was such a thing. Indeed, he could have said with the apostle Paul that he too had confidence in his flesh in that he had done all that was necessary, from a human standpoint, to be in a righteous standing before God. Yet, Scripture says that "we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags, (Isa 64:6, KJV). Even what you and I think should be pleasing to God, they are, in reality, no better than "filthy rags". Luther sought peace through the commission of his own works and failed to gain the very thing for which he so desperately sought. But, that peace would never come until he one day surrendered to the biblical concept of justification by faith alone as he was reading through Paul’s epistle to the Romans. Luther never reached that condition where he knew he was no longer an enemy of God until he laid all he had at the cross and repudiated all earthly attempts to satisfy God’s wrath.

to be continued...

The following Sunday School lesson was delivered earlier this month as a 2-part series on the grace of God.  

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I have been asked to speak this morning on the topic of the grace of God—a subject that is contained on nearly every page of Holy Scripture from Genesis to Revelation. Indeed, this fundamental doctrine can be seen to have been demonstrated in the lives of God’s people since the creation of mankind in the Garden. One could discuss the myriad of ways in which God has demonstrated this undeserved merit so it is hard to narrow in on one specific aspect of grace for discussion. With that said, however, I believe the focus of grace for today’s lesson, in light of our recent studies in soteriology, should concentrate mainly upon grace as it relates to salvation. After all, grace is at the core of the gospel message and grace is what distinguishes Christianity from every other religion. In fact, I would submit to you that grace is the sum and substance of the gospel message. It is, at its core, the essence of the Christian faith.

If I were to ask you, "What is the chief difference between Christianity and every other religion?" You should be able to respond simply, "Grace". Every religion in the world—whether Islam, Buddhism, Taoism, or whatever other religion you can think of—preaches one simple concept: do, do, do. Granted, each of those religions will vary as to the details of what must be accomplished but they all are works-centric systems, whereas Christianity says there is nothing left to be done. There are no works left to be completed that can put a man in a righteous standing before God, because the only work that could satisfy God’s wrath has already been done in and through the life of Jesus Christ. Christianity is a religion of completion—there is nothing left to be done.

Because of this fundamental difference, it is important that we first properly understand the relationship between grace and salvation in order to get our theology right. If we do not understand that salvation is wholly of grace and our need for grace because of our natural condition then we cannot rightly comprehend what it is that God has done for us by grace.

Not only must we rightly comprehend what has been done for us, however, I would submit to you that it is essential we understand the apostolic message lest we adulterate the purity of the gospel. Remember that it was Paul who, after having taught the Galatians, was compelled to write to them and condemn them for "turning to another gospel". That is to say, there were some Judaizers who came into the church and were teaching that circumcision had to be added to the gospel message. How did Paul respond? He proclaimed the anathema—the curse of God upon all those who would dare overthrow the concept of free grace in salvation.

So as you can clearly see, it is vitally important that we understand what exactly the gospel message is and it is decidedly important that we get our theology right, lest we too fall under the anathema of Galatians 1.

Now I would further suggest to you that every religion can be classified by two categories: synergism and monergism. The former is simply a way of saying that man and God both work together to achieve a common goal, more specifically, the goal of salvation. God does His part; man likewise contributes, and together they achieve salvation. Standing at open variance with this idea is what is known as monergism. Monergism comes from the root, "mono—" meaning "one". And that "one" refers to God. That is, God alone awakens the spiritually dead, God alone regenerates, God alone removes the heart of stone and replaces it with a heart of flesh, and God alone preservers those whom He has called and justified and will ultimately glorify.

So it is of the utmost importance that we have a view of grace and justification that is monergistic—a view that is God honoring and does not leave room for one to boast, but more importantly, a view that is wholly biblical. We must carefully go through Scripture in order to ensure we embrace the biblical gospel and not hold to a message created by our own imaginations. It is important that we do not find ourselves on the wrong side of this issue, that is, on the side on which Paul’s readers found themselves. Let us, then, consider the importance of grace and how it relates to justification and why grace is even necessary for mankind...

to be continued...

The late American Evangelist D. L. Moody used to tell a story of trust. This one particular incident for Moody occurred while he was attending meetings in Mobile. While there, he visited a neighbor on a pleasant evening and the couple was sitting on the front porch enjoying each other’s company and beauty of the evening. After a time, a man stood and placed one of the children upon a ledge nearly eight feet in height and told the lad to jump. Unhesitatingly, the boy leaped into the arms of his awaiting father. Another boy was raised up and was told to jump. Without flinching, this boy also leaped without fear into the arms of the father. Then, the man picked up an older boy, this one larger and more sturdy than the previous two. He called up to the boy and told him to jump, but the boy failed to move. Suddenly, the boy was stricken with terror and started to cry. The man did everything he could to appease the startled child but it was no use. The boy refused to jump, despite the urges and pleadings of the man to do so. Curious as to why the first two boys jumped without hesitation but not the latter, Moody asked the man, "How was it that those two little fellows jumped so readily into your arms and the other boy wouldn’t?" The man responded simply, "The first two are my children and the other boy does not know who I am."

I am often reminded of this particular illustration of trust whenever I read the glorious words of the psalmist offering sagacious advice for what one ought to do when in time of need—that is, to place trust in the heavenly Father. Just as those two young boys placed their confidence in their father implicitly, the psalmist commands us to place our trust in the one true God. Specifically, we read in Psalm 62:8 the exhortation to, "Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us."

Authorship of Psalm 62 is attributed to David. More specifically, this "Thanksgiving Psalm" is also sometimes referred to as a "song of trust," that is to say, almost a praise chorus that is lifted up to God for His faithfulness, protection, and preservation of His servants. One could call this particular type of psalm a testimonial for all that the Lord has done by demonstrating a special favor to those who were undeserving. Trust is a key dimension of this psalm in general and verse eight in particular.

Trust in him at all times. David has witnessed the continual protection and deliverance from his enemies. Time and again he has found comfort in knowing that God has spared his life and preserved him from the danger of those who would do him harm. David was not unaware of the reality of the danger he faced so he placed his confidence in the one who always proved to be his Rock. Here David wishes to express his understanding with the people by instructing them in what to do—"trust in him at all times." The psalmist beseeches the faithful in the congregation with the expression, "O people," and urges them to follow him in his expression of turning to the Lord—not just in time of need—but rather, at all times. The foolhardy place trust in themselves while the wise understand that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Prov 1:7).

Pour out your heart before him. The metaphor employed in this phrase conveyed to the readers a way of properly conducting themselves before God. That is, the psalmist instructed the people to hold nothing back when beseeching God. Instead, they were to lay out all of their wishes and desires and present their prayers and petitions before the throne of grace. Charles Spurgeon noted in his Treasury of David that individuals are to, "Pour it out as water; not as milk whose color remains. Not as wine, whose savor remains. Not as honey, whose taste remains. But as water, of which, when it is poured out, nothing remains. So let sin be poured out of the heart, that no color of it may remain in external marks, no savor in our words, no taste in our affections." The main point the psalmist is making is to share with others that they should not hold anything back but should instead lay out their wishes and wants before God.

God is a refuge for us. Here is the reason why the Hebrew people were to trust in Him and to pour out their hearts before the Lord. Whatever He might seem to be to others, to David, God was the great shelter that provided comfort and rest for all. Notice here that the psalmist does not say to turn to other men—regardless of whether or not they are powerful kings, rulers, or someone else in the place of great prominence. The one who places his faith, hope, and trust in a finite creature will only ultimately find himself in a great state of disappointment. If one depends upon someone else that one will see a time when he is left victim to the vacillations and untrustworthiness that are inherent in all fallen creatures.

Neither was the psalmist, however, advocating turning to one’s own riches nor was he indicating putting trust in one’s own position. In fact, his phrase indicates the exact opposite. The idea presented with these words testifies to the fact that God and God alone is the one and only person upon whom individuals need and can depend. He is great enough to shelter those who seek refuge in Him.

These instructions of hope are then followed by the word, "Selah," a term that designates what was just said should be meditated upon in awe and respect for the preceding words. And when it is understood that the great Sovereign does all of these things for His children, it is enough to grant peace for being sheltered and taking refuge in Him. Today, however, the believer has another word that perhaps expresses a similar meaning, that being, "Amen."

read the rest of the article here...

FOX news recently reported that the Roman Catholic Church is currently in the process of promoting the Cause for the Canonization of Archbishop Fulton John Sheen. That is to say, there is a movement afoot for the Church to proclaim him a saint. For those who are not familiar with the late Archbishop Sheen, he was one of the first "Television Evangelists" to preach Christian values. His TV series, Life is Worth Living, aired from 1951-1957 and attracted a weekly audience of more than thirty million people. Faith, hope, and the love of God were three constant themes Archbishop Sheen offered a world terrorized by the new threat of nuclear war.

As I listened to the news report my heart ached as I heard a Roman Catholic representative explain how the Roman Catholic Church determines a saint. At least two qualifications must be met, he explained. First, a candidate for sainthood had to have performed a bonafide miracle. Second, there must be evidence of prayers being answered through one's intercession.

I can appreciate the concept of wanting to honor a good man, but at the same time I am appalled at how unscriptural the attempt is. If the Bible is to be the final authority for a Christian’s faith and practice then surely the Roman Catholic Church has totally lost its way in this matter. Consider the evidence.

First, men do not make or proclaim saints, God does and God establishes sainthood through the free gift of salvation by grace through faith alone. Ephesians 2:8-9 explains the process, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast."

Second, all those whom God saves are saints, according to the Bible.

• Romans 15:25, "But now I go unto Jerusalem to minister unto the saints."

• Ephesians 1:1, "Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus."

It would take page after page to cite all of the biblical references to conclusively establish the fact that in Scripture there is no special or distinctive class of saints in the Bible apart from those who have embraced Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

Third, the saints of God have but one Mediator and that One is Jesus Christ.

• 1 Timothy 2:5-6, "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time."

The only person who can and will answer prayer is Jesus Christ the Lord. There is no evidence that those in heaven who precede us here on earth have any power or authority to prevail with God any more than we who are here on earth. Just imagine, would you want to be bothered with the problems and distractions on earth or would you be too busy seeing God as He is, face to face, and too busy worshipping at the throne of the Lord God Almighty? 

Not only is it morally wrong for mortals to pray to those who have died in the Lord, it is an abomination prohibited by God. Yet, the Roman Catholic Church finds authority to pray to the dead by accepting some very questionable religious books called The Apocrypha.

• II Maccabees 12:43-46, "And making a gathering, he [Judas] sent twelve thousand drachms of silver to Jerusalem for sacrifice to be offered for the sins of the dead, thinking well and religiously concerning the resurrection, (For if he had not hoped that they that were slain should rise again, it would have seemed superfluous and vain to pray for the dead,) And because he considered that they who had fallen asleep with godliness, had great grace laid up for them. It is therefore a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from sins."

The Apocrypha was not accepted as canonical until the Roman Catholic Church officially and authoritatively declared it part of the Bible by the Council of Trent in the sixteenth century. The books were included by Rome as a reaction to the Protestant Reformation and in order to justify what is clearly prohibited by Moses and thus by God. (For a fuller discussion of the Apocrypha see an early blog here.)

• Deuteronomy 18:10-11, "There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer."

Since God does not contradict Himself it is obvious that the later teaching of the Apocrypha should be dismissed as spurious. Let God be true and every man a liar. The Roman Catholic Church does not and cannot make anyone a saint.

Dear people, come back to Christ. Speak to Him alone as the living Lord. Renounce all misguided practices contrary to Scripture and speak only to Him who ever liveth to make intercession for the saints (Rom 8:27), even Jesus Christ the Righteous One.

Peter preached one of the great sermons of the Bible on the day of Pentecost. It is recorded in Acts 2:22-36. Historically, Pentecost marked the Jewish Feast of Weeks that began fifty days after the Passover (Ex. 34:22; Deut. 16:9-11). It was also known as the Feast of Harvest (Ex. 23:16) on the day of First Fruits (Num. 28:26).

Originally the purpose of the festival was to commemorate the harvest of the corn. Leviticus 23 sets forth the sacred nature of the holiday and lists the acceptable sacrifices. As time passed the Jews began to associate Pentecost with the giving of the Mosaic Law. There was physical food for the body and spiritual food for the soul.

To reinforce the spiritual significance of the festival the Rabbis taught that the Law was given 50 days after the Exodus. There is no foundation for the teaching but it was accepted as truth. In divine sovereignty God took the Jewish Pentecost of commemorating Law and life and transformed the day into a Christian hour of power manifested by the visible presence of the Holy Spirit in the symbols of wind (Acts 2:2 cf. Ezek 37:9-14; John 3:8) and fiery tongues which divided and rested upon each person present.

This is the true baptism of the Holy Spirit promised by Jesus (Acts 1:5), anticipated by the disciples, and needed today. The purpose of this event was for the effective preaching of the gospel.

Peter, baptized or immersed in the Holy Spirit, began to preach. His first point is that what the people were witnessing was not drunkenness but the fulfillment of prophecy (Acts 2:16-21). Joel had predicted a time when God would shake heaven and earth in a mighty way. "This is the time," said Peter for a new age was unfolding from the past.

Having established the prophetic voice Peter moved quickly to his second main point found in the person of Jesus Christ.

• It was Christ who was causing these great events to transpire.
  
  
• It was Christ who was shaking heaven and earth.
  
  
• It was Christ who was turning the world upside down.

Concerning Christ, Peter has many things to say.

• As Jesus of Nazareth, Christ was a man approved of God. Confirmation of Divine favor could be found in the miracles of the Master. The people knew Jesus was from God for no man could do what Jesus did unless God was with Him. But what happened?
  
  
• Peter reminds his audience that they, by their voices and by their permission, took the Christ, they took Jesus of Nazareth and with wicked hands crucified and killed Him.
  
  
• That the crucifixion was according to the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God does not mitigate the wickedness of the deed. Despite the evil which men do God is still sovereign as Peter points out.
  
  
• "God," says Peter, "has raised Him up!" God has destroyed the chains that bound Christ. The birth pains of death are over. Why? Because it was not possible, it was not conceivable that sin, Satan, or the cells of darkness should hold Christ.
  
  
• Now David himself had anticipated the resurrection of Christ. Peter reminds the audience of that truth by quoting from Psalm 16:8-11. "I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope. For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore."
  
  
• That David spoke of someone other than himself, even Christ, is evident by the fact that David is still in his sepulcher (Acts 2:29).
  
  
• However, as a prophet and believing in the promises of God that an heir would always set on His throne (Acts 2:31) David predicted the resurrection of Christ. David foresaw that the soul of Jesus would not be left in the sphere of the dead, nor would his flesh see corruption.
  
  
• Because Jesus is alive He is worthy of being exalted even to the highest of heaven. And that is what God has done for His Son. Jesus has been exalted to be by the right hand of God in the place of power. The ascended Lord has received the promise of the Holy Spirit, which He has now shed forth on sent to His Church manifested by the stirrings of the present situation.
  
  
• Lest anyone believes that David was referring to his own personal exaltation Peter again reminds all that David’s body is still in the grave. David never ascended into the heaven’s bodily but he did say. Acts 2:34-35, "The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, Until I make thy foes thy footstool."
  
  
• In light of all these prophetic truths supported by verifiable facts and attested by supernatural events there is only one conclusion. The Jesus whom men crucified is both Lord and Savior.

The response for the audience that day was one of terror and conviction. Men and women finally perceived the great evil they had done. They had tried to kill the Lord of Glory. Someone cried out in despair, "What shall we do?" Then Peter said unto them, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call" (Acts 2:38-39). And there was gospel obedience. Acts 2:41, "Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls." My objective in reviewing the great gospel doctrine of the Ascension of the Resurrected Christ is to remind the Church of the absolute sovereignty of Christ over the affairs of this world. Jesus Christ is the King of kings who now rules from the heavens over the affairs of men. Of the Royal Reign of Christ the Church can be confident of the following:

• It is a reign of righteousness. There is evil within the kingdom of this earth but even sin is under the control of the Sovereign.

• It is a reign that is eternal. The Lord’s control over the affairs of the Universe is secure. No one will ever wrestle authority from Him.

• It is a reign that is mysterious. We do not know what all the Lord will allow or for what reasons but faith trusts the Sovereign.

• It is a reign over the material and spiritual. One day there will be a more visible manifestation of the reign of Christ. In the end the kingdoms of this world will become the kingdoms of God. Rev 11:15, "And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever."

The final sola of the Protestant Reformation we will be addressing is formally known as solus Christus or solo Christo, that is, through Christ alone. This phrase is used to summarize the belief that salvation is in and through Christ and that he stands as the only mediator between God and man. Part one addressed the purpose of the Law and Jesus' command to come unto Him. Part two touched upon the reality that many add works to the equation of justification. The following sermon was delivered in Nigeria last month as part of a conference on the truths of the Reformation. 

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The final sola of the Protestant Reformation we will be addressing is formally known as solus Christus or solo Christo, that is, through Christ alone. This phrase is used to summarize the belief that salvation is in and through Christ and that he stands as the only mediator between God and man. Part one addressed the purpose of the Law and Jesus' command to come unto Him. The following sermon was delivered in Nigeria last month as part of a conference on the truths of the Reformation. 

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Just as the invitation was extended to the Pharisees that day so long ago, it was also given to the Sadducees. The Sadducees were the liberal theologians of their day. What the Pharisees affirmed the Sadducees tended to deny. In particular they denied the bodily resurrection of the dead. They lived without hope of the future. They also denied angels and future rewards and punishment. They were the religious party of "no" during their generation which might be one reason they rapidly disappeared from history after the first century.

There are modern day Sadducees of course. We have liberal theologians in our time who deny the deity of Christ, the virgin birth, and the divine inspiration of the Bible. And yet, the invitation of Jesus still stands. They too can come to Christ for salvation and be forgiven of all their sins including that of skepticism.

There were other groups that Jesus spoke to during His earthly ministry. As the Lord invited Pharisees and Sadducees to come to Him so He invited the general population. Young and old, rich and poor, the educated and the uneducated alike were welcomed. Any one who was tired of striving or who had a burden could come to Christ.

What are you laboring to achieve? What is your burden? Are you trying to be good? "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one" (Rom 3:10). "But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away" (Isa 64:6). "Come to me!" is the gospel cry of Christ. "Come to me!" Are you skeptical of religion? Has the wisdom of the world given you reason for concern?

In some public educational systems and in private conversations there is a concerted effort to destroy religious faith in order to silence the condemning voice of conscience. But the Moral Law of God is not easily dismissed. Individuals who engage in inappropriate behavior find the activity burdensome after a while. Sin brings to the soul a heavy weight to bear. It is an invisible weight but it is very real. There is often a secret desire to have the burden of sin lifted.

Many years ago, in 1952, a young merchant seaman was lying critically ill in a Glasgow hospital in Scotland. A pastor from the Seaman’s Chapel went to visit the young sailor. After a few minutes of talking the minister put his hand into a briefcase for a tract, not knowing which one would be pulled out. In the providence of God the tract happened to be one based on the Pilgrim's Progress, the great allegory written by John Bunyan. The track had a color reproduction of Christian coming to the cross with a great burden on his back. The pastor showed the young seaman the picture and told him the story in brief. The pastor said that Christian’s experience had been his experience too. He said that when he came to the cross of Christ, his burden of sin rolled away and any sense of sin and guilt before God was removed. The young sea nodded his yes when the pastor asked, "Do you feel this burden on your back today?" The young seaman and the pastor prayed together. At the end of the prayer there was a smile of peace and assurance that lit up the face of the young seaman and then he said that his burden was lifted too! Later that night, sitting by the fireside with paper and pen, Pastor John M. Moore could not get the thought out of his mind. That day spiritual burdens had been lifted and the pastor started to write:

"Days are filled with sorrow and care,
Hearts are lonely and drear;
Burdens are lifted at Calvary—
Jesus is very near.

Cast your care on Jesus today,
Leave your worry and fear;
Burdens are lifted at Calvary—
Jesus is very near.

Troubled soul, the Savior can see,
Ev'ry heartache and tear;
Burdens are lifted at Calvary—
Jesus is very near.

Burdens are lifted at Calvary,
Calvary, Calvary;
Burdens are lifted at Calvary,
Jesus is very near." 

As Jesus spoke to the multitudes that day so long ago He spoke indiscriminately. Several years ago I received an inquiry as to whether or not the gospel should be offered to all or only to the elect. I was astonished by the question itself and surprised that such a debate among Christians was going on. Of course the gospel is to be offered indiscriminately for the servant is no better than the Master. We read in context in Matthew 11:7, "And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes." Generally speaking, whether there are multitudes there is a mixture of good and bad, saved and lost. To the multitudes Jesus spoke spoken indiscriminately making a sincere gospel offer. Our witnessing and our preaching of Christ must be general.

The story is told that one day a friend said to Charles Spurgeon, "If I believed like you do [about election], I wouldn't preach the way you do". To which Spurgeon replied: "Well, if the Lord had put a yellow streak down the backs of the elect, I'd go up and down the street lifting up shirttails, finding out who had the yellow streak, and I'd give to them the gospel. But God didn't do it that way – he told me to preach the gospel to every creature." Every person must be told about Christ for He alone is the Way, the Truth, and the Light.

Of course not everyone believes this. Some believe that the way of salvation is Christ plus baptism. I spoke to a Lutheran pastor who confessed that he believed when he was baptized as a baby he was converted. Salvation was now his to lose. Some believe that the way of salvation is Christ plus church membership. As important as the local church is, the church does not save. The Roman Catholic Church holds multitudes in psychological bondage by teaching them that the way of salvation is through the church. To be put out of the church through an act of excommunication is to be put outside the sphere of saving grace. To that we say, "no". Christ is the Way of Salvation. Christ alone.

"We have heard the joyful sound:
Jesus saves! Jesus saves!
Spread the tidings all around:
Jesus saves! Jesus saves!
Bear the news to every land,
climb the mountains, cross the waves;
Onward! ’Tis our Lord’s command;
Jesus saves! Jesus saves!"

Some people believe that the way of Salvation is Christ plus good works. But what does the Bible say? The Bibles says that it is "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost" (Titus 3:5). Good works are important. "This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men" (Titus 3:8). But when it comes to the matter of salvation, it is Christ alone that saves. And when Christ saves He does so as a single person. This is an awkward way of saying that there is only one Savior for some have been taught to believe that others can save such as Mary, the mother of the humanity of Christ. But Jesus Himself declared that He is the only way to heaven. John 10:9 reads, "I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture."

to be continued... 

The final sola of the Protestant Reformation we will be addressing is formally known as solus Christus or solo Christo, that is, through Christ alone. This phrase is used to summarize the belief that salvation is in and through Christ and that he stands as the only mediator between God and man. The following sermon was delivered in Nigeria several week ago as part of a conference on the truths of the Reformation.

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"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28).

For several years during the course of his long ministry at the Tabernacle in London, England, a friend would send Charles Haddon Spurgeon a text from which to preach. On the first Sunday of each year he would deliver a sermon on the text suggested. I have not been given a text to preach from but in the three lectures I have been asked to deliver I have been given a suggested outline which I have tried to incorporate in the message. The outline for this seminar is very short and very simple.

I. Christ: One Person

II. Christ: One Savior

III. Christ: One Redeemer

IV. Christ: One Mediator

The words of Jesus as recorded by Matthew were spoken to a generation full of people just like ours for human nature does not change. Technology changes and modes of transportation changes. Nations come and go on the political scene. Time marches on, but the fundamental needs of individuals do not change nor does the natural heart. Every person born is born physically alive and spiritually dead.

Every person that comes into the world is stained by original sin for in Adam we all die. Romans 5:12 states, "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned." When we sin we die, first spiritually and then, apart from regeneration, we die the second death. But there is hope for salvation when we hear the words of Jesus saying, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."

To whom was Jesus speaking? He was speaking to a large crowd that included Pharisees. The word "Pharisee" comes from a word which means "separated." The Pharisees had separated themselves from others in order to keep the Law of God. It was a noble objective except for the fact that no one has ever been saved by keeping the Law. What then was the purpose of the Law? 

The first purpose of the Law was to reveal the character of God who is holy, just, and good. Second, and closely related, the Law revealed God's intent for the behavior of mankind by revealing the character of God. God told Moses to say to the Israelites, "You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy" (Lev. 19:2).

At the very heart of the Mosaic Law, summarized in the Decalogue or Ten Commandments, there is the revelation of the character of God (Exod. 20:3-7). God is unique and worthy to be worshipped. God is life, faithful and true. He lacks nothing and is the provider and sustainer of all we need. Man was created to know the divine character and express it. 

The Pharisee’s said, "We will do it. We will keep the 613 provisions of the Mosaic Law. We will honor God." But they did not do that. Instead they became legalistic, self centered and adopted too high a view of themselves. They condemned others for not being as zealous as themselves. Pride filled their hearts. They had zeal for God but not according to knowledge. The harshest words Jesus ever spoke during His ministry were directed to the Pharisees. And yet, to the Pharisees Jesus said, "Come unto me." Some did come such as Nicodemus as per John 3:1-2. "There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews, The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him."

Perhaps you know of a modern day Pharisee. There are those who are religious but not righteous. They have much knowledge about the Bible and about God but have never come to Christ for salvation or for sanctification. Jesus says to such a sad soul, "Come to me."

to be continued...

Before tweeting became fashionable, John Calvin penned many pithy comments that reveal the depth of his theological mind and the soundness of his doctrine. Enjoy just a few of his remarks.

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"There is not one blade of grass, there is no color in this world that is not intended to make us rejoice."

"Seeing that a Pilot steers the ship in which we sail, who will never allow us to perish even in the midst of shipwrecks, there is no reason why our minds should be overwhelmed with fear and overcome with weariness."

"There is no worse screen to block out the Spirit than confidence in our own intelligence."

"God preordained, for his own glory and the display of His attributes of mercy and justice, a part of the human race, without any merit of their own, to eternal salvation, and another part, in just punishment of their sin, to eternal damnation."

"You must submit to supreme suffering in order to discover the completion of joy."

"We must remember that Satan has his miracles, too."

"Knowledge of the sciences is so much smoke apart from the heavenly science of Christ."

"It behooves us to accomplish what God requires of us, even when we are in the greatest despair respecting the results."

"God tolerates even our stammering, and pardons our ignorance whenever something inadvertently escapes us – as, indeed, without this mercy there would be no freedom to pray."

"However many blessings we expect from God, His infinite liberality will always exceed all our wishes and our thoughts."

"For there is no one so great or mighty that he can avoid the misery that will rise up against him when he resists and strives against God."

"All the blessings we enjoy are Divine deposits, committed to our trust on this condition, that they should be dispensed for the benefit of our neighbors."

"Wherever we find the Word of God surely preached and heard, and the sacraments administered according to the institution of Christ, there, it is not to be doubted, is a church of God."

"Every one of us is, even from his mother’s womb, a master craftsman of idols."

"No man is excluded from calling upon God, the gate of salvation is set open unto all men: neither is there any other thing which keepeth us back from entering in, save only our own unbelief."

"Is it faith to understand nothing, and merely submit your convictions implicitly to the Church?"

"I consider looseness with words no less of a defect than looseness of the bowels."

"Man with all his shrewdness is as stupid about understanding by himself the mysteries of God, as an ass is incapable of understanding musical harmony."

"Let us not cease to do the utmost, that we may incessantly go forward in the way of the Lord; and let us not despair of the smallness of our accomplishments."

"Though Satan instills his poison, and fans the flames of our corrupt desires within us,we are yet not carried by any external force to the commission of sin, but our own flesh entices us, and we willingly yield to its allurements."

"The torture of a bad conscience is the hell of a living soul."

"Original sin, therefore, appears to be a hereditary, depravity and corruption of our nature, diffused through all the parts of the soul, rendering us obnoxious to the divine wrath and producing in us those works which the scripture calls ‘works of."

"Augustine does not disagree with this when he teaches that it is a faculty of the reason and the will to choose good with the assistance of grace; evil, when grace is absent."

"For though we very truly hear that the kingdom of God will be filled with splendor, joy, happiness and glory, yet when these things are spoken of, they remain utterly remote from our perception, and as it were, wrapped in obscurities, until that day."

"Man’s mind is like a store of idolatry and superstition; so much so that if a man believes his own mind it is certain that he will forsake God and forge some idol in his own brain."

"Each eye can have its vision separately; but when we are looking at anything . . . our vision, which in itself is divided, joins up and unites in order to give itself as a whole to the object that is put before it."

"Hence that dread and amazement with which as Scripture uniformly relates holy men were struck and overwhelmed whenever they beheld the presence of God. Men are never duly touched and impressed with a conviction of their insignificance until they have."

"There is no work, however vile or sordid, that does not glisten before God."

"[A]ll men were created to busy themselves with labor for the common good."

"A dog barks when his master is attacked. I would be a coward if I saw that God’s truth is attacked and yet would remain silent."