Five Solas: Sola Fide (C.S. Lewis)

// October 31st, 2007 // No Comments » // Uncategorized

Date: 10.27.07

Topic: Sola Fide – By Faith Alone

Location: Dave Iula’s New Pad in Southeast Gresh-ortland

Address: 12356 SE Holgate Blvd, Portland, OR 97236

Reading: C.S. Lewis‘ Mere Christianity – Excerpt on “Faith” [download file]

Unbelief

Thoughts…

In Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis says that the foundation of faith is belief, and at its simplest form, belief is based on reason. (This may be C.S. Lewis’ unique perspective on it, but let’s follow that logic for now). To believe in Christianity, one must acknowledge and regard as true certain doctrines about God, Jesus, Humanity and Creation. Lewis was an atheist and came to belief in Christ later in his life. This explains his view that faith comes into our lives at the point when “man’s reason once decides that the weight of the evidence is for it.” He explains how unbelief rises up:

“There will come a moment when there is bad news, or he is in trouble, or is living among a lot of other people who do not believe it, and all at once his emotions will rise up and carry out a sort of blitz on his belief. Or else there will come a moment when he wants a woman, or wants to tell a lie, or feels very pleased with himself, or sees a chance of making a little money in some way that is not perfectly fair: some moment, in fact, at which it would be very convenient if Christianity were not true.”

We have all been in these situations. If you notice, Lewis first describes situations in which our faith is passively eroded by the environment we are in and the things that happen to us, and later, he gives examples where we actively participate in the rise of unbelief by pursuing fleshly desires and idols. He states: “Faith….is the art of holding on to things your reason has once accepted, in spite of your changing moods.” In his view, faith is a “virtue” that must be fed, a muscle that must be exercised in order to remain strong. As the passage below in Mark 9 conveys, unbelief is a natural state that exists as a result of our fallen nature. We are born with a spirit of rebellion, and the gift of Faith is a habit that must be trained. Without the necessary training and exercise, Faith can waste away as an unused muscle atrophies. He says that once you have accepted Christianity, and you “recognize the fact that your moods change, …some of its main doctrines must be deliberately held before you mind for some time everyday.” We see here that in order to feed the virtue of faith, one must engage in the spiritual disciplines on a regular basis, which means reading, hearing, studying and meditating upon God’s Word, praying, listening to sermons, journaling, communal worship, etc.

Passage…

Mark 9:14-29 (ESV)

Jesus Heals a Boy with an Unclean Spirit

14^(A) And when they came to the disciples, they saw a great crowd around them, and scribes arguing with them. 15And immediately all the crowd, when they saw him,^(B) were greatly amazed and ran up to him and greeted him. 16And he asked them, “What are you arguing about with them?” 17And someone from the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has^(C) a spirit that makes him mute. 18And whenever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciples to cast it out, and^(D) they were not able.” 19And he answered them, “O^(E) faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me.” 20And they brought the boy to him. And when the spirit saw him, immediately it^(F) convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. 21And Jesus asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. 22And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But^(G) if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” 23And Jesus said to him, ^(H) “‘If you can’!^(I) All things are possible for one who believes.” 24Immediately the father of the child cried out^[a] and said, “I believe;^(J) help my unbelief!” 25And when Jesus saw that^(K) a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, ^(L) “You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” 26And after crying out and^(M) convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse, so that most of them said, “He is dead.” 27But Jesus^(N) took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. 28And when he had^(O) entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” 29And he said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.”^[b]

Enduring Faith

Thoughts…

Once we understand that the battle is between Faith & Reason on one side and Moods & Emotions on the other, we become more and more able to tell our moods “where they get off.” And once we see faith as a virtue that must be fed, actively engaging the spiritual disciplines as if we were exercising a muscle causes us to grow exceedingly in relationship toward God, but we then hit another roadblock: Spiritual Bankruptcy. Lewis states that “the main thing we learn from a serious attempt to practice the Christian virtues is that we fail.” Through our own efforts, we all fall short of the Glory of God. We can never get away from the fact that we can’t repay our debt to God, because we either fall back into sin from time to time, or we white-knuckle it and do everything right, and inevitably this leads to prideful conceit, and pride is the greatest sin. Only then can we acknowledge that we are utterly hopeless apart from the empowering Grace of God to experience spiritual rebirth, put sin to death, and do ministry for God’s Glory and not our own. Lewis states:

“Then comes another discovery. Every faculty you have, your power of thinking or of moving your limbs from moment to moment, is given you by God. If you devoted every moment of your whole life exclusively to His service, you could not give Him anything that was not in a sense His own already.”

Enduring faith begins with acknowledging sin and our failure to meet God’s standards no matter how hard we try, and it is sustained by accepting one’s role as a Steward of the power that God has bestowed on us through His Grace. Lewis states: “When a man has made these two discoveries God can really get to work. It is after this that real life begins. The man is awake now.”

Passage…

Hebrews 11 (ESV)

By Faith

1Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of^(A) things not seen. 2For by it the people of old received their commendation. 3By faith we understand that the universe was created by^(B) the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of^(C) things that are visible.

4By faith^(D) Abel offered to God^(E) a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And^(F) through his faith, though he died, he^(G) still speaks. 5By faith^(H) Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God. 6And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God^(I) must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. 7By faith^(J) Noah, being warned by God concerning^(K) events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of^(L) the righteousness that comes by faith.

8By faith^(M) Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place^(N) that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. 9By faith he went to live in^(O) the land of promise, as in a foreign land,^(P) living in tents^(Q) with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. 10For he was looking forward to^(R) the city that has^(S) foundations,^(T) whose designer and builder is God. 11By faith^(U) Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered^(V) him faithful who had promised. 12Therefore from one man, and^(W) him as good as dead, were born descendants^(X) as many as the stars of heaven and as many as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.

13These all died in faith,^(Y) not having received the things promised, but^(Z) having seen them and greeted them from afar, and^(AA) having acknowledged that they were^(AB) strangers and exiles on the earth. 14For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. 15If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out,^(AC) they would have had opportunity to return. 16But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed^(AD) to be called their God, for^(AE) he has prepared for them a city.

17By faith^(AF) Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, 18of whom it was said,^(AG) “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” 19^(AH) He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back. 20By faith^(AI) Isaac invoked future blessings on Jacob and Esau. 21By faith^(AJ) Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph,^(AK) bowing in worship over the head of his staff. 22By faith^(AL) Joseph, at the end of his life, made mention of the exodus of the Israelites and gave directions concerning his bones.

23By faith^(AM) Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw that the child was beautiful, and they were not afraid of^(AN) the king’s edict. 24By faith Moses, when he was grown up,^(AO) refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, 25^(AP) choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy^(AQ) the fleeting pleasures of sin. 26^(AR) He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to^(AS) the reward. 27By faith he^(AT) left Egypt,^(AU) not being afraid of the anger of the king, for he endured^(AV) as seeing him who is invisible. 28By faith^(AW) he kept the Passover and sprinkled the blood, so that the Destroyer of the firstborn might not touch them.

29By faith^(AX) the people crossed the Red Sea as on dry land, but the Egyptians, when they attempted to do the same, were drowned. 30By faith^(AY) the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days. 31By faith^(AZ) Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she^(BA) had given a friendly welcome to the spies.

32And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of^(BB) Gideon,^(BC) Barak,^(BD) Samson,^(BE) Jephthah, of^(BF) David and^(BG) Samuel and the prophets- 33who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises,^(BH) stopped the mouths of lions, 34^(BI) quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness,^(BJ) became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. 35^(BK) Women received back their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. 36Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even^(BL) chains and imprisonment. 37^(BM) They were stoned, they were sawn in two,^[a](BN) they were killed with the sword.^(BO) They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated- 38of whom the world was not worthy-^(BP) wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.

39And all these,^(BQ) though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, 40since God had provided something better for us,^(BR) that apart from us they should not be made perfect.

Five Solas: Sola Fide (Two Enemies)

// October 26th, 2007 // No Comments » // Uncategorized

Two Enemies of the Gospel:

-         Idolatry
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCjHm9kzHBg]

-         Religion
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23LaK99PEko]

Five Solas: Sola Fide (Habakkuk)

// October 26th, 2007 // No Comments » // Uncategorized

Five Solas: Sola Fide…

Faith

[Habakkuk 2:4]

Get a print version of these notes

Habakkuk (his name means “embraced by God”) was a contemporary of the prophet Jeremiah, who may have been a personal friend, and wrote roughly 600 years before the birth of Jesus. His book is unique in that it does not address Israel, but is rather an intimate conversation between Habakkuk and God and resembles a journal in that regard. God in His patient kindness graciously responded to Habakkuk’s questions. The great King Josiah had died and the day was filled with great sin among Israel and God had chosen to send in the pagan army of Babylon to discipline His people for their sinful pride, and Habakkuk questioned the goodness of God and His plan. The great theme of Habakkuk is the topic of our study today, namely faith, whereby God’s people are to trust God and His goodness no matter what.

The Reformers defined saving faith in three parts. First there is notitia, or knowledge about the content of the gospel of Jesus as taught in the Scriptures. Second, there is assensus, or the intellectual acceptance of the truth about Jesus. Third, there is fiducia, or personal reliance and trust in Jesus and His gospel. Each of these is necessary for our salvation since we must first learn about Jesus, then accept the truth without hardening our hearts, and lastly personally trust Him.

This great theme of faith is woven throughout the Scriptures, and Habakkuk 2:4 in particular has been lit by God and exploded in the ministry of Paul who quotes it often, and also ignited the reformation as Martin Luther was born again by the Holy Spirit’s illumination of this verse.

Habakkuk 2:4 “See, he is puffed up; his desires are not upright-but the righteous will live by his faith -…
The preceding verse was spoken by God as a direct revelation to Habakkuk and juxtaposes the two kinds of people who have lived throughout human history. The first trust in themselves and their own ability to save and rule over themselves as mini-gods and idols who believe they can merit salvation by their own good works which are sourced in pride. The second trust in God and His ability to save and rule over them as a gracious God who gives us righteousness as a gift, despite our many sins and it is received in humble faith.

Romans 1:17 For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”

The Apostle Paul, after living many years as a proud and self-righteous man, was given eyes to see and a heart to love the truth of the gospel of grace. He walked away from his efforts to merit righteousness to simply embrace,  by faith,  the righteousness of Jesus Christ given to him as a free gift.

Galatians 2:16 …know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified.

Paul again juxtaposes the person who tries by morality or spirituality to be good enough to merit God’s salvation and the person who rightly trusts in Jesus, who lived without sin as a substitute in their place, died for their sin as a substitute in their place, and rose to conquer sin and give His perfection, forgiveness, and eternal life as gifts to those who trust in Him rather than themselves.

Galatians 3:11 Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, “The righteous will live by faith.” In this section Paul explains that the purpose of God’s law (His demands upon our conduct) are indeed good, but simply impossible for us to achieve because they require a life of perfection. So, God’s law reveals how sinful we are, how perfect Jesus is, and sends us running into His arms to trust in Him for our salvation.

Hebrews 10:35-39 So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. For in just a very little while, “He who is coming will come and will not delay. But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him.” But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved.

The author of Hebrews (possibly Paul) here again quotes Habakkuk 2:4, imploring those of us undergoing trial and doubt to continue our Christian life trusting Jesus until we see Him face to face.

Martin Luther
Luther was a pastor and professor of theology who had believed that salvation, or loving relationship with God, was something that we must work hard to earn and merit. Subsequently, he spent much of his life agonizing about his thoughts, words, and deeds all the while keenly aware that he was continually imperfect. He denied himself many worldly pleasures in an effort to seek to pay God back through suffering, and spent so much time confessing his sins to a priest that some considered him lazy and attempting to evade work. But, Luther’s brilliant legal mind was simply being consistent with his faulty theology and painfully aware that an imperfect person will forever be unfit to be in the presence of a perfectly holy God.

And then, the same Spirit that inspired the writing of Scripture illuminated Luther’s understanding of Habakkuk 2:4 as quoted in Romans 1:17.  He says, “There I began to understand [that] the righteousness of God is that by which the righteous lives by a gift of God, namely by faith. And this is the meaning: the righteousness of God is revealed by the gospel, namely, the passive righteousness with which [the] merciful God justifies us by faith, as it is written [Habakkuk 2:4] “He who through faith is righteous shall live.” Here I felt that I was altogether born again and had entered paradise itself through open gates. Here a totally other face of the entire Scripture showed itself to me…”
And God ignited this understanding to fuel the reforming of the church and continues it’s work in our church today as part of the movement birthed some 2600 years ago in the little book of Habakkuk by the God who gives faith.

[Adapted from: "Habakkuk, Part 1: Faith", a Mars Hill Church sermon by Mark Driscoll, Feb 2003]

Five Solas: Sola Fide (Lewis, McGrath, Hitchens)

// October 26th, 2007 // No Comments » // Uncategorized

Five Solas: Sola Fide

I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.

- C. S. Lewis

C.S. Lewis on Faith [download]

-An excerpt from Mere Christianity

“Alistar McGrath: Atheism and the Meaning of Life”

[CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THE MP3]

Mark Roberts debates Atheist Christopher Hitchens

(Author of God is not Great)

[Click on link to listen to the YouTube audio debate in 12 parts]

Five Solas: Sola Gratia (Gray on Grace)

// October 26th, 2007 // No Comments » // Uncategorized

Sola Gratia (cont.)…

The Miracle of “Grace Received”

The Power of the Cross, Part 1

1 Corinthians 1.18-31 Notes
Pastor Guy Gray

Click here to download the Sermon

Questions for Reflection and Discussion
What does the Cross mean to you?
What would be a modern day equivalent of the “foolishness of the Cross”?
How has the truth of the Cross brought humility into your life?
How has the message of the Cross set you free from self-effort to earn God’s favor or blessing?

The Miracle of “Grace Received” is the Power of the Cross, “Part 1″
To hear and respond to the message of the Cross is to humbly receive the grace of God for your life by faith. This is where the power starts. This is the first dimension of the power of the Cross-the power of God’s grace given through Christ’s sacrifice and received by faith. Those who truly hear this message and “get it” are transformed. They are all about Jesus. They boast, but only about Jesus! When a whole Christian community is boasting only about Jesus instead of arguing about who is the coolest or wisest or who has the best worship music, that’s when amazing things start to take place in the church. Then everyone get’s on the same page and the church is a witness of the gospel of Jesus in powerful ways. Pray that we might know the power of the Cross-grace given and received. As we do, may our love and zeal for Christ multiply! May our love for one another bring a unity stronger than ever before!

The Grace of God “Released Through Your Life”

The Power of the Cross, Part 2

1 Corinthians 1:23-2:5
Pastor Guy Gray

Click here to download the Sermon

“For the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength” 1 Corinthians 1:25
Ideas for Reflection and Discussion:

God’s Grace Released Through You!
This week we were reminded that the saving work of the Cross does more than just forgive us our sins. It prepares and equips us to be agents of God’s grace in this fallen world.
What are some of the effects that the Cross should have in our daily life?
Can you think of any scriptures that help us tounderstand how the Cross impacts us? (Luke 9:23, Philippians 3:10)
To what extent do you see these things at work in your life right now?
How does the power of the Cross help us to minister in a broken world?

Humility and Sacrificial Love
Think about the relationships in your life right now. Which of them need the humility and sacrificial love that the message of the Cross brings?
How would that impact those relationships?

The Miracle of God’s Grace “Through” Your Life is the Power of the Cross, Part Two

When Christ yielded to the Cross, in submission, humility and weakness, he trusted that God almighty would intervene and raise Him up in resurrection power. That was the power of God at work through weakness! This is the same principle that is at work in our lives as we follow Christ. Both First and Second Corinthians are filled with teaching about this principle (in addition to 1 Corinthians chapter 1 see 2 Corinthians 1:5-9 & 4:8-11 & 12:9-10 & 13:4). Now it’s time for each of us to apply this principle in the daily details of our own lives. This means in our relationship with God and others. It starts with submitting your life to God and His purpose instead of demanding your own will. It is about being humble in relationships and acting in sacrificial love instead of seeking your own success-your own agenda-your own pleasure. This is radical. It is the way of the Cross. It is also the way of Christ’s resurrection power in our lives and in our world. Do you believe this? How can you act on this truth in the next week? How amazing and wonderful it will be to see the grace of God actually working through your life and touching the lives of others in this fallen world!

Five Solas: Sola Gratia (Dietrich Bonhoeffer)

// October 26th, 2007 // No Comments » // Uncategorized

Sola Gratia

“By Grace Alone”

Grace is a very precious reality. Today, I would guess that the average person likens grace to the beautiful movement of an ice skater. Then they might say grace is a short prayer before meals. And finally, they might say grace is undeserved kindness. What is the doctrine of Justification by Grace through Faith Alone:

Read Ephesians 2:1-10

It is by God’s Grace (unmerited favor), therefore, that salvation is granted to man, on the condition that we put our faith (piðstiv, meaning belief or confidence, in other words, trust) in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, that is, belief that Jesus is from God, Jesus is the Messiah (Messiðav, anointed one, also the Hebrew word for Christ) and that his death on the cross has the power to take away our sins, thus making us blameless in the sight of God.

Grace, then, is God’s initiative and choice to make a path of salvation available for men. On this, almost all Christians agree, though they may disagree on the meaning of some terms, or on which parts of the narrative of grace to emphasize.

Grace is an attitude of God towards mankind by which He provides a benefit, without consideration of merit. Salvation is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. Faith in the fact that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, was buried, and rose again on the third day according to the scriptures.

The definition of Divine Grace:

In Christianity, divine grace refers to the sovereign favor of God for humankind – especially in regard to salvation – irrespective of actions (“deeds”), earned worth, or proven goodness.

Grace is enabling power sufficient for progression. Grace divine is an indispensable gift from God for development, improvement, and character expansion. Without God’s grace, there are certain limitations, weaknesses, flaws, impurities, and faults (i.e. carnality) humankind cannot overcome. Therefore, it is necessary to increase in God’s grace for added perfection, completeness, and flawlessness.

Put another way, humankind is unable to be saved without God’s grace; it is a prerequisite to salvation. Additionally, humans cannot exchange good deeds for it. It is a free gift from God. Thus, humankind is saved all by grace and not by some combination, mixture, or blending of good works and divine grace. Were it achieved by works, humankind could take pride in their efforts toward holiness.

More broadly, divine grace refers to God’s gifts to humankind, including life, creation, and salvation. More narrowly but more commonly, grace describes the means by which humans are saved from original sin and granted salvation. This latter concept of grace is of central importance in the theology of Christianity.

Tension between grace and works in the New Testament

The New Testament exhibits a tension between two aspects of grace: the idea that grace is from God and sufficient to cover any sin, and the idea that grace does not free Man from his responsibility to behave rightly.

Misunderstanding among Evangelicals

Many Christians who claim to believe the Gospel of Grace in reality do not understand the doctrine themselves.  They have used the Gospel of Grace as an excuse to live a life that is void of obedience to Christ, and filled with unrepentant sin.  In their mind they justify their disobedience to Christ by thinking thoughts such as “I know this is wrong, but God will forgive me for it anyway” or “I am saved by grace alone, so I can still hold on to this inner sin yet maintain fellowship with Christ through faith.” Etc…  Such thoughts indicate a dramatic misunderstanding of the Gospel of Grace.

Not a License to Sin

It is true that we are saved by grace alone.  Nothing I have done, or ever will do, could adequately pay for my sins before God.  It is only the blood of Jesus Christ, and my faith in his sacrifice for me, which saves me from the penalty of sin.  Yet, this doctrine is in no way a license for me to live a life of disobedience to Christ.  On the contrary, a proper understanding of this doctrine will lead to a life of radical discipleship and obedience.

Deitrich Bonhoeffer

Costly vs. Cheap Grace –

Deitrich Bonhoeffor referred to this problem within the church as CHEAP GRACE.  He believed strongly that the grace of God was not a cheap grace granting Christians the license to sin.  Rather the grace of God is a COSTLY GRACE leading to a life of holiness and radical obedience to Jesus.  In Mark 8 we are presented with Jesus teaching on this important subject; “costly grace.”

• READ MARK 8:31-38

The Cost of Discipleship – V. 34-38

• After his rebuke of Peter, the Lord summons his disciples along with the crowd and begins to explain what Bonhoeffer has chosen to call “costly grace.”

1. The Cost V.34

a. In anyone would… – Jesus will not compel a man to follow.  If you desire to follow Jesus, you must willing come after Him.  But beware, following the Messiah involves a tremendous cost.

b. Deny yourself… – What does it mean to deny yourself?

i) Bonhoeffer – “The disciple must say to himself the same words Peter said of Christ when he denied him; ‘I know not this man.’”

ii) Bonhoeffer Continues - “Self-denial is never just a series of isolated acts of mortification or asceticism.  It is not suicide, for there is an element of self-will even in that.  To deny oneself is to be aware only of Christ and no more of self, to see only him who goes before and no more the road which is too hard for us.  Once more, all that self-denial can say is; ‘He leads the way, keep close to him.”

c. take up his cross… Until one is willing to deny himself, he will in no way be prepared to take up his cross.  Yet this action lies at the heart of discipleship.  To be a true follower of Jesus means that one willingly takes up his cross.

i) Gal 2:20 – Paul understood what this meant, and he did it.

ii) Bonhoeffer - “The cross is laid on every Christian.  The first Christ-suffering which every man must experience is the call to abandon the attachments of this world.  It is that dying of the old man which is the result of his encounter with Christ.  As we embark upon discipleship we surrender ourselves to Christ in union with his death-we give over our lives to death.  Thus it begins; the cross is not the terrible end to an otherwise godfearing and happy life, but it meets us at the beginning of our communion with Christ.  When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.  It may be a death like that of the first disciples who had to leave home and work to follow him, or it may be a death like Luther’s, who had to leave the monastery and go out into the world.  But it is the same death every time-death in Jesus Christ, the death of the old man at his call.

iii) What is your cross? You do not need to go looking for your cross.  If you steadfastly look at Jesus, and determine to follow him where ever he leads you, there you will find your cross.

iv) How do we endure? By focusing on Jesus Christ, not the cross before us.

- John 6:67-68 -  Peter said, “Lord, to whom shall we go?  You have the words of eternal life.”

- Peter understood that following Jesus would not be easy.  But he had his eyes set on the Savior, not on the cross.

2. True Life – V.35-37

a. This may seem a difficult road to travel.  In fact, it may seem impossible to you.  Yet the words of our Lord in v. 35-37 can bring comfort.  By seeking the ultimate road to happiness in this life, most people forfeit true happiness and true life.  By putting their own ways above the Lord’s ways they never find true life.

b. The man who tries to live his life ‘unto himself’, who hoards it jealously and selfishly, will lose it.  This is true, not only ultimately in the death that all must face, but moment by moment, for such is no true life-it is but animal existence; it is not zoe but bios, as John would say.  Life, like sand, trickles between our fingers whether we will or not, and to grasp it the more tightly means that it merely flows the faster from us.

[The Ancient Greeks had two words for life -- "bios" for the life of an individual, finite and mortal, and "zoe" for the infinite and eternal spiritual life.]

c. True comfort and fulfillment does not come from the relentless pursuit of happiness, but from following Jesus where ever He leads.

COSTLY GRACE VS. CHEAP GRACE

• I want to conclude by looking a little deeper into the issue of costly grace vs. cheap grace.

A. Looking for a good deal!

1. Everyone wants a good deal.  Everyone wants something for nothing.  For example, look at the power ball sales in America.  To most people, the dream of all is to get something great with little or no cost to them.   Yet this is not life.  It is not true in the natural realm, and it is certainly not true in the spiritual realm.  That which is of the greatest value, costs the most.

2. When it comes to the Grace of God, many people have mistakenly viewed the cross of Christ as just another good deal.  “I mean, hey, I can live however I want and Jesus will forgive me anyway” is their rationale.  Yet as I stated in the introduction, people who adhere to this belief system have a great misunderstanding of the grace of God.

Bonhoeffer Quotes regarding cheap grace-

1. “Cheap grace means the justification of sin without the justification of the sinner.”…This is what we mean by cheap grace, the grace which amounts to the justification of sin without the justification of the repentant sinner who departs from sin and from whom sin departs.  Cheap grace is not the kind of forgiveness of sin which frees us from the toils of sin.  Cheap grace is the grace we bestow on ourselves.”

2. “The upshot of it all is that my only duty as a Christian is to leave the world for an hour or so on a Sunday morning and go to church to be assured that my sins are all forgiven.  I need no longer try to follow Christ, for cheap grace, the bitterest foe of discipleship, which true discipleship must loathe and detest, has freed me from that.”

Bonhoeffer Quotes regarding costly grace –

1. “Costly grace is the pearl of great price to buy for which the merchant will sell all his goods.  It is the kingly rule of Christ, for whose sake a man will pluck out the eye which causes him to stumble; it is the call of Jesus Christ at which the disciple leaves his nets and follows him.”

2. “Such grace is costly because it calls us to follow, and it is grace because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ.  It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life.  It is costly because it condemns sin, and grace because it justifies the sinner.  Above all, it is costly because it cost God the life of his Son.  Above all, it is grace because God did not reckon his Son too dear a price to pay for our life, but delivered him up for us.”

Conclusion

1. It is true that we are saved by the Grace of God alone.  Our works before and after salvation do not deliver us from Hell.  Only the grace of God can accomplish this.  Nevertheless, this truth must be more than a stale theological doctrine that we recite.  A true work of God’s grace in a person’s life will always be manifest through a life of obedience to Christ.

2. Bonhoeffer – “Only he who believes is obedient, and only he who is obedient believes.”

Why Is Everything Dependent on Grace, through Faith?

Now this is why God makes all our salvation and all our ministry and all our obedience dependent on his grace and makes all our salvation and ministry and obedience the fruit of faith in grace – because the giver gets the glory. If our ministry and all our obedience is by grace through faith, then God gets the glory and we get the help. If Paul relied on himself to serve as an apostle, and if the effect of his ministry was to bring about the obedience of works, not the obedience of faith among the gentiles, then the name of Christ would not be praised, Paul would be.

The giver of the power, the enabler of the obedience, gets the glory. Here’s the way 1 Peter 4:11 puts it: “Whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” You see how clearly Peter makes the connection: God gets the glory for our service if God gives the grace for our service, and if we serve by faith in that grace, in the strength of that grace and not our own.

HT: John Piper -By His Grace, For His Name, Through the Obedience of Faith – Sermon on Romans 1:1-5 – May 1998

HT: H2O Campus Church – Resources – The Cost of Discipleship

HT: Nation Master – Divine Grace

Five Solas: Sola Scriptura (Scripture Pt 2)

// October 26th, 2007 // No Comments » // Uncategorized

Five Solas: Sola Scriptura (Part 2)

Scripture – Part 2 (Mark Driscoll)

The Duty of Searching the Scriptures

Author: George Whitefield

Search the Scriptures.
John 5:39

Our blessed Lord, though he was the eternal God, yet as man, he made the scriptures his constant rule and guide. And therefore, when he was asked by the lawyer, which was the great commandment of the law, he referred him to his Bible for an answer, “What readest thou?” And thus, when led by the Spirit to be tempted by the devil, he repelled all his assaults, with “it is written.”

A sufficient confutation this, of their opinion, who say, “the Spirit only, and not the Spirit by the Word, is to be our rule of action.” If so, our Savior, who had the Spirit without measure, needed not always have referred to the written word.

But how few copy after the example of Christ? How many are there who do not regard the word of God at all, but throw the sacred oracles aside, as an antiquated book, fit only for illiterate men?

FIRSTLY, it is every person’s duty to search the Scriptures.

SECONDLY, Have always in view, the end for which the scriptures were written, even to show us the way of salvation, by Jesus Christ.

THIRDLY, Search the scriptures with a humble child-like disposition.

FOURTHLY, Search the scriptures, with a sincere intention to put in practice what you read.

FIFTHLY, In order to search the scriptures still more effectually, make an application of every thing you read to your own hearts.

SIXTHLY, direction how to search the scriptures with profit: Labor to attain that Spirit by which they were written.

SEVENTHLY, Let me advise you, before you read the scriptures, to pray, that Christ, according to his promise, would send his Spirit to guide you into all truth; intersperse short prayers whilst you are engaged in reading; pray over every word and verse, if possible; and when you close up the book, most earnestly beseech God, that the words which you have read, may be inwardly engrafted into your hearts, and bring forth in you the fruits of a good life.

EIGHTHLY, Read the scripture constantly, or, to use our Savior’s expression in the text, “search the scriptures;” dig in them as for hid treasure; for here is a manifest allusion to those who dig in mines; and our Savior would thereby teach us, that we must take as much pains in constantly reading his word, if we would grow wise thereby, as those who dig for gold and silver. The scriptures contain the deep things of God, and therefore, can never be sufficiently searched into by a careless, superficial, cursory way of reading them, but by an industrious, close, and humble application.

Search, therefore, the scriptures, my dear brethren; taste and see how good the word of God is, and then you will never leave that heavenly manna, that angel’s food, to feed on dry husks, that light bread, those trifling, sinful compositions, in which men of false taste delight themselves: no, you will then disdain such poor entertainment, and blush that yourselves once were fond of it. The word of God will then be sweeter to you than honey, and the honey-comb, and dearer than gold and silver; your souls by reading it, will be filled as it were, with marrow and fatness, and your hearts insensibly molded into the spirit of its blessed Author. In short, you will be guided by God’s wisdom here, and conducted by the light of his divine word into glory hereafter.

Five Solas: Sola Scriptura (Scripture Pt 1)

// October 26th, 2007 // No Comments » // Uncategorized

Five Solas: Sola Scriptura (Part 1)

We’re doing a five-week study on the Gospel using the Five Solas of the Reformation as the framework:

The Five Solas are five Latin phrases (or slogans) that emerged during the Protestant Reformation and summarize the Reformers’ basic theological beliefs in contradistinction to the teaching of the Roman Catholic Church of the day. The Latin word sola means “alone” in English. The five solas were what the Reformers believed to be the only things needed in their respective functions in Christian salvation. Listing them as such was also done with a view to excluding other things that hindered salvation. This formulation was intended to distinguish between what were viewed as deviations in the Christian church, and the essentials of Christian life and practice.

• 1 Sola Gratia (“by grace alone”)
• 2 Sola fide (“by faith alone”)
• 3 Sola Scriptura (“by Scripture alone”)
• 4 Solus Christus (“In Christ alone”)
• 5 Soli Deo Gloria (“Glory to God alone”)

For the purposes of our study, I thought it would be good to start with Scripture. God’s Word is most often the starting point for faith, and understanding concepts like biblical inerrancy, the historicity behind the Bible’s makeup, and the various translations of the Bible is important. But beyond theology, for our faith to be authentic, real and attractive to the world around us, we have to seek the knowledge that undergirds the truth of the Gospel.  Knowledge is not the end zone, but it is an integral aspect of our faith foundation, as is leads to wisdom and sanctification. One of my favorite pastors put it his way, “Your Theology leads to your Doxology, which results in your Biography,“ which means this: what you believe (theology) enables you to worship (doxology), and through worshipping, you become like that which you worship (biography). You get to know who God is, you worship Him, then you’re transformed/conformed to Christlikeness. So that’s where we’re headed.

If you want to check out the sermon we watched on Scripture, here is the link:

Scripture – Part 1 (Mark Driscoll)

If you’ve never heard of Mark Driscoll or Mars Hill Church up in Seattle… repent. Just Kidding… But not really. He’s a solid Bible teacher, and this sermon on Scripture addresses the concept of Sola Scriptura really well. If you want the notes that accompany it, here is the link (Pages 9-19):

Scripture – Notes – Pages 9-19

We finished Part 1 of his sermon yesterday, and in two weeks (Saturday Sept. 22) will finish up Part 2, and then get into the second installment of our study, Solo Gratia (“by Grace Alone”).