Blog https://www.sovereigngracestatesboro.org Fri, 29 Mar 2024 07:50:04 -0400 http://churchplantmedia.com/ Soli Deo Gloria https://www.sovereigngracestatesboro.org/blog/post/soli-deo-gloria https://www.sovereigngracestatesboro.org/blog/post/soli-deo-gloria#comments Tue, 31 Oct 2017 09:00:00 -0400 https://www.sovereigngracestatesboro.org/blog/post/soli-deo-gloria We commemorate the reformation in its 500th anniversary by affirming sola Scriptura, sola gratia, sola fide, solus Christus, soli Deo gloria. The reformation was only necessary and the first four Sola’s are only valid when they arrive at the ultimate sola. For our relationship with God attained by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, as made known to us by the Word of God alone falls short if it is not all accorded to the Glory of God alone.

The reformers were scandalized by the intent of religious practices of that day to rob God of His glory. The usurping of; the authority of God’s Word by the rules of man, the provision of faith by the rituals of religion, the power of grace by the imposition human doctrine, the sufficiency of Christ replaced by the works of man, all to strip God of glory and exalt the hand of man.

The reformation brought enlightenment to the “Body of Christ,” the church, that neither we, the recipients of God’s grace, nor any other entity upon this world, above this world, or below this world is due any recognition, any honor, any glory for that which God alone has done!

He attains glory as Creator:

All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. (John 1:3)

He alone is praised by His creation:

The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. (Psalm 19:1)

For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. (Romans 1:20)

Johann Sebastian Bach completed his musical scores with “S.D.G.”, Sola Deo Gloria. The beautiful music that he knew was a gift from God he gave to mankind for the glory of God.

It is God’s glory alone as Sovereign over the salvation of His people.

For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. (Romans 8:29-30)

He is to be praised for He shines His glory upon His elect for all eternity.

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. (Revelation 21:3)

We commenorate the 500th anniversary of the reformation by affirming both in our hearts and with our voices the Truth of what God has made known in His Word alone, by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, for the glory of God alone.

Amen!

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We commemorate the reformation in its 500th anniversary by affirming sola Scriptura, sola gratia, sola fide, solus Christus, soli Deo gloria. The reformation was only necessary and the first four Sola’s are only valid when they arrive at the ultimate sola. For our relationship with God attained by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, as made known to us by the Word of God alone falls short if it is not all accorded to the Glory of God alone.

The reformers were scandalized by the intent of religious practices of that day to rob God of His glory. The usurping of; the authority of God’s Word by the rules of man, the provision of faith by the rituals of religion, the power of grace by the imposition human doctrine, the sufficiency of Christ replaced by the works of man, all to strip God of glory and exalt the hand of man.

The reformation brought enlightenment to the “Body of Christ,” the church, that neither we, the recipients of God’s grace, nor any other entity upon this world, above this world, or below this world is due any recognition, any honor, any glory for that which God alone has done!

He attains glory as Creator:

All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. (John 1:3)

He alone is praised by His creation:

The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. (Psalm 19:1)

For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. (Romans 1:20)

Johann Sebastian Bach completed his musical scores with “S.D.G.”, Sola Deo Gloria. The beautiful music that he knew was a gift from God he gave to mankind for the glory of God.

It is God’s glory alone as Sovereign over the salvation of His people.

For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. (Romans 8:29-30)

He is to be praised for He shines His glory upon His elect for all eternity.

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. (Revelation 21:3)

We commenorate the 500th anniversary of the reformation by affirming both in our hearts and with our voices the Truth of what God has made known in His Word alone, by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, for the glory of God alone.

Amen!

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How to Pray for One Another https://www.sovereigngracestatesboro.org/blog/post/how-to-pray-for-one-another https://www.sovereigngracestatesboro.org/blog/post/how-to-pray-for-one-another#comments Mon, 30 Oct 2017 10:00:00 -0400 https://www.sovereigngracestatesboro.org/blog/post/how-to-pray-for-one-another A couple of months ago during our members meeting we passed our church membership role. The importance of a church membership role is let the whole membership know who they are responsible for as members. One the greatest responsibilities that we have for one another is to pray for one another and to pray for each others greatest of needs. The Bible instucts us in how to do this and what to pray for. So here is what I listed on front page of our membership role.

Ephesians 1:15-23
Ephesians 3:14-21
Philippians 1:9-11
Colossians 1:9-12

  1. Pray they would grow their faith.
  2. Pray they would grow love and may abound more and more.
  3. Pray they would have a spirit of wisdom and discernment.
  4. Pray they would grow in the knowledge of God’s will and understanding.
  5. Pray they would be strengthened to grasp the limitless dimensions of the Love of Christ.
  6. Pray they would grow in holiness, producing the fruits of righteousness.
  7. Pray they will endure/persevere with patience and joy with thanksgiving.
  8. Pray they would remember the gospel and apply it.
  9. Pray that God would be Glorified in that person today.
  10. Pray for their known needs.
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A couple of months ago during our members meeting we passed our church membership role. The importance of a church membership role is let the whole membership know who they are responsible for as members. One the greatest responsibilities that we have for one another is to pray for one another and to pray for each others greatest of needs. The Bible instucts us in how to do this and what to pray for. So here is what I listed on front page of our membership role.

Ephesians 1:15-23
Ephesians 3:14-21
Philippians 1:9-11
Colossians 1:9-12

  1. Pray they would grow their faith.
  2. Pray they would grow love and may abound more and more.
  3. Pray they would have a spirit of wisdom and discernment.
  4. Pray they would grow in the knowledge of God’s will and understanding.
  5. Pray they would be strengthened to grasp the limitless dimensions of the Love of Christ.
  6. Pray they would grow in holiness, producing the fruits of righteousness.
  7. Pray they will endure/persevere with patience and joy with thanksgiving.
  8. Pray they would remember the gospel and apply it.
  9. Pray that God would be Glorified in that person today.
  10. Pray for their known needs.
]]>
Hope in the Same old New Year https://www.sovereigngracestatesboro.org/blog/post/hope-in-the-same-ole-new-year https://www.sovereigngracestatesboro.org/blog/post/hope-in-the-same-ole-new-year#comments Mon, 30 Oct 2017 10:00:00 -0400 https://www.sovereigngracestatesboro.org/blog/post/hope-in-the-same-ole-new-year Another year has past once again. If you have taken a few moments to think back on the year there were some certain notable tragedies and gut wrenching events that took place; including the loss of many notable celebrities. Maybe you have experienced a loss of your own whether it was a family member, dear friend, loss of health, or even your job. Each year as they pass by faster and faster it seems the world is getting worse and worse. It is also easier and easier to be negative and experts of the negative especially in others.

If you are a believer, this is were we have the gift of the Bible and the Holy Spirit. When we are not pressing into the scripture and trusting the work of the Holy Spirit it is then easy to believe lies. Lies that are subtle that seem like truth and may even have be a half truth, but lies none the less. We tend to believe the lies that God is not good, the gospel is not enough, or that God is holding back from me. We say things like, “I know that’s what the bible says, but…” This may seem insensitive to such events or emotions but isn’t this exposure of darkness to light the mercy and grace of God? Certainly! God loves us enough to leave us in the same place and He knows where we will be most satisfied, in Him. The good news, which trumps everything else, is the hope that we have in the Gospel for each day (including today and right now) and for the future.

The gospel permits us or frees us to trust in the Lord and believe to depths of our very being that God is sovereign, that He loves us, and His grace is sufficient. The Gospel is our hope and Christ is our Treasure. He is not a means to another treasure, but is the Treasure. Therefore our hope is not in this world but Christ. Yet most of us will struggle blindly and ignorantly attempting to satisfy (find joy) in things, people, or positions that were not meant to bring the kind of joy that we are seeking. The authority on this matter is Jesus and He said in Matthew 6 on the sermon on the mount:

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither month nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”

Jesus is telling us that we by our very nature we will seek to fulfill our greatest need and desire for joy and satisfaction by “storing up treasures on this earth”. The implication of this text is more than just our stuff or wealth, but also our relationships, jobs, and even church. He continues to tell us that those things can and will eventually be destroyed, stolen, or become “old hat”. So the problem is not the good things or good relationships that the Lord has given us, but it is the condition of our heart. So when Jesus said “where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” he was getting to our big problem not our external behavior, it’s our heart. Jesus continues with the solution to our greatest problem is that we need the light; which throughout the Old Testament and more specifically in the New Testament is speaking of Jesus. So the solution is the gospel, the light of Jesus Christ. We need Jesus. The Gospel is we get God, Jesus Christ, yet we tend to ignore the light. Pray and pursue the light of Jesus Christ, for He is the one that will reveal and expel darkness from our hearts. Jesus warns us again at the end of this passage, and once again the implications is more than just money, we cannot serve two masters. The scary thing is that we will read such passages this year and totally discount them because we believe that we are ok because externally we look good, i.e. Serving the master of self-righteousness and not really loving and treasuring Jesus Christ. Let us pray for one another this year, that Jesus would become the treasure, joy, hope, and the satisfaction of our hearts.

]]>
Another year has past once again. If you have taken a few moments to think back on the year there were some certain notable tragedies and gut wrenching events that took place; including the loss of many notable celebrities. Maybe you have experienced a loss of your own whether it was a family member, dear friend, loss of health, or even your job. Each year as they pass by faster and faster it seems the world is getting worse and worse. It is also easier and easier to be negative and experts of the negative especially in others.

If you are a believer, this is were we have the gift of the Bible and the Holy Spirit. When we are not pressing into the scripture and trusting the work of the Holy Spirit it is then easy to believe lies. Lies that are subtle that seem like truth and may even have be a half truth, but lies none the less. We tend to believe the lies that God is not good, the gospel is not enough, or that God is holding back from me. We say things like, “I know that’s what the bible says, but…” This may seem insensitive to such events or emotions but isn’t this exposure of darkness to light the mercy and grace of God? Certainly! God loves us enough to leave us in the same place and He knows where we will be most satisfied, in Him. The good news, which trumps everything else, is the hope that we have in the Gospel for each day (including today and right now) and for the future.

The gospel permits us or frees us to trust in the Lord and believe to depths of our very being that God is sovereign, that He loves us, and His grace is sufficient. The Gospel is our hope and Christ is our Treasure. He is not a means to another treasure, but is the Treasure. Therefore our hope is not in this world but Christ. Yet most of us will struggle blindly and ignorantly attempting to satisfy (find joy) in things, people, or positions that were not meant to bring the kind of joy that we are seeking. The authority on this matter is Jesus and He said in Matthew 6 on the sermon on the mount:

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither month nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”

Jesus is telling us that we by our very nature we will seek to fulfill our greatest need and desire for joy and satisfaction by “storing up treasures on this earth”. The implication of this text is more than just our stuff or wealth, but also our relationships, jobs, and even church. He continues to tell us that those things can and will eventually be destroyed, stolen, or become “old hat”. So the problem is not the good things or good relationships that the Lord has given us, but it is the condition of our heart. So when Jesus said “where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” he was getting to our big problem not our external behavior, it’s our heart. Jesus continues with the solution to our greatest problem is that we need the light; which throughout the Old Testament and more specifically in the New Testament is speaking of Jesus. So the solution is the gospel, the light of Jesus Christ. We need Jesus. The Gospel is we get God, Jesus Christ, yet we tend to ignore the light. Pray and pursue the light of Jesus Christ, for He is the one that will reveal and expel darkness from our hearts. Jesus warns us again at the end of this passage, and once again the implications is more than just money, we cannot serve two masters. The scary thing is that we will read such passages this year and totally discount them because we believe that we are ok because externally we look good, i.e. Serving the master of self-righteousness and not really loving and treasuring Jesus Christ. Let us pray for one another this year, that Jesus would become the treasure, joy, hope, and the satisfaction of our hearts.

]]>
Solus Christus https://www.sovereigngracestatesboro.org/blog/post/solus-christus https://www.sovereigngracestatesboro.org/blog/post/solus-christus#comments Mon, 30 Oct 2017 10:00:00 -0400 https://www.sovereigngracestatesboro.org/blog/post/solus-christus We commenorate the reformation in its 500th anniversary by considering the five solas of the reformation; sola Scriptura, sola gratia, sola fide, solus Christus, and soli Deo gloria. The Word of God reveals that we are justified by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, to the glory of God alone.

Previously we saw the authority for the reformation in sola Scriptura; that Martin Luther and other reformers stood on the Word of God alone as their only authority and in fact the only binding authority on all Christians.Then we considered how sola Scriptura mandates sola fide and sola gratia.

We further our commenoration of the 500th anniversary of the reformation looking at how the doctrine of sola Christus is a standard of the reformed church.

Galatians 6:14: But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

Colossians 2:14: ...by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.

Certainly Martin Luther took his stand on sola Scriptura where he found the doctrines of sola fide and sola gratia but it was the doctrine of sola Christus that truly reformed the church. When called upon to share his theology with his fellow Augustinians, Luther said, “The cross alone is our theology.” (WA 5.176.32-3) Luther and other reformers stood with the Apostle Paul who proclaimed to the Church in Corinth, For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. (1 Cor. 2:2)

We can neither add to nor take away from that which Jesus Christ has done to accomplish our salvation. The reformation was necessary because the Roman Catholic Church had that all wrong. They added to the work of Christ requirements of religious ritual and the authority of man. In so doing taking away the sufficiency of the cross of Jesus Christ. An insult to His person and work. Such was intolerble to those who had come under the burden of sola Scriptura, by sola fide, through sola gratia. 

The Apostle Peter standing before a tribunal of the most powerful men in his world affirmed, 

by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead . . .  there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:10-12

Dr. Keith Mathison writes in his article on solus Christus; 

“In our own day, another issue has arisen that is directly related to the idea of solus Christus, namely the exclusivity of Christ as the only way of salvation. In our pluralistic world, this article of Christian faith has come under constant attack. The book, Is Jesus the Only Savior? by Ron Nash, is a defense of the exclusivity of Christ as the only way of salvation. In it he deals with the pluralistic and inclusivistic views of men such as John Hick, for whom Jesus is merely one way of salvation among many.

Affirmed in all the confessions of the reformed church, solus Christus is a pillar of Sovereign Grace Church as stated in article 4 of our Statement of Faith.

We believe that the salvation of sinners is wholly of grace, through the mediatorial offices of the Son of God; who by the appointment of the Father, freely took upon him our nature, yet without sin; honored the divine law by his personal obedience, and by his death made a full atonement for our sins; that having risen from the death, he is now enthroned in heaven; and uniting in his wonderful person the tenderest sympathies with divine perfections, he is every way qualified to be a suitable, a compassionate, and an all- sufficient Savior. (SGC Statement of Faith)

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We commenorate the reformation in its 500th anniversary by considering the five solas of the reformation; sola Scriptura, sola gratia, sola fide, solus Christus, and soli Deo gloria. The Word of God reveals that we are justified by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, to the glory of God alone.

Previously we saw the authority for the reformation in sola Scriptura; that Martin Luther and other reformers stood on the Word of God alone as their only authority and in fact the only binding authority on all Christians.Then we considered how sola Scriptura mandates sola fide and sola gratia.

We further our commenoration of the 500th anniversary of the reformation looking at how the doctrine of sola Christus is a standard of the reformed church.

Galatians 6:14: But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

Colossians 2:14: ...by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.

Certainly Martin Luther took his stand on sola Scriptura where he found the doctrines of sola fide and sola gratia but it was the doctrine of sola Christus that truly reformed the church. When called upon to share his theology with his fellow Augustinians, Luther said, “The cross alone is our theology.” (WA 5.176.32-3) Luther and other reformers stood with the Apostle Paul who proclaimed to the Church in Corinth, For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. (1 Cor. 2:2)

We can neither add to nor take away from that which Jesus Christ has done to accomplish our salvation. The reformation was necessary because the Roman Catholic Church had that all wrong. They added to the work of Christ requirements of religious ritual and the authority of man. In so doing taking away the sufficiency of the cross of Jesus Christ. An insult to His person and work. Such was intolerble to those who had come under the burden of sola Scriptura, by sola fide, through sola gratia. 

The Apostle Peter standing before a tribunal of the most powerful men in his world affirmed, 

by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead . . .  there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:10-12

Dr. Keith Mathison writes in his article on solus Christus; 

“In our own day, another issue has arisen that is directly related to the idea of solus Christus, namely the exclusivity of Christ as the only way of salvation. In our pluralistic world, this article of Christian faith has come under constant attack. The book, Is Jesus the Only Savior? by Ron Nash, is a defense of the exclusivity of Christ as the only way of salvation. In it he deals with the pluralistic and inclusivistic views of men such as John Hick, for whom Jesus is merely one way of salvation among many.

Affirmed in all the confessions of the reformed church, solus Christus is a pillar of Sovereign Grace Church as stated in article 4 of our Statement of Faith.

We believe that the salvation of sinners is wholly of grace, through the mediatorial offices of the Son of God; who by the appointment of the Father, freely took upon him our nature, yet without sin; honored the divine law by his personal obedience, and by his death made a full atonement for our sins; that having risen from the death, he is now enthroned in heaven; and uniting in his wonderful person the tenderest sympathies with divine perfections, he is every way qualified to be a suitable, a compassionate, and an all- sufficient Savior. (SGC Statement of Faith)

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Sola Scriptura https://www.sovereigngracestatesboro.org/blog/post/sola-scriptura https://www.sovereigngracestatesboro.org/blog/post/sola-scriptura#comments Tue, 17 Oct 2017 10:00:00 -0400 https://www.sovereigngracestatesboro.org/blog/post/sola-scriptura In the month of October 2017 we commemorate the reformation in its 500th anniversary. We do so not only by giving honor to those who have been servants of our Lord and His people but more so in affirmation of the the five solas of the reformation; sola Scriptura, sola gratia, sola fide, sola Christus, sola Deo gloria. The Word of God reveals that we are justified by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, to the glory of God alone.

The Spark of the reformation flame

Martin Luther, a German monk and priest, on October 31, 1517 endeavored to correct many false doctrines and practices of the Roman Catholic Church by publicly calling attention to the error of these teachings and activities by posting what is known as his 95 theses on the door of Wittenberg castle church. Among his concerns were Papal arrogance, financial bribery (indulgences), and immorality throughout the church leadership.

Luther followed this public challenge (the 95 theses) of the Roman Catholic Church by publishing a number of books and other writings which expanded on the Biblical basis for renouncing such errors. In these writings Luther asserted that Christians were bound in the teaching and practice of Christianity by no other authority but Scripture alone, Sola Scriptura.

This the pope could not tolerate and retain the prestige and power of his position and therefore excommunicated Luther from the Roman Catholic Church in January, 1521.

There was widespread support for Luther among many of the government officials and a few months later Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor, convened a court of inquiry to publicly establish what Luther was doing. This court was called the Diet of Worms. Luther was encouraged to explain himself in such a way that it would be understood that he was not challenging the pope and the church but only talking about unimportant questions. In response Luther said in part:

“Unless I am convinced by the testimony of the Holy Scriptures or by evident reason-for I can believe neither pope nor councils alone, as it is clear that they have erred repeatedly and contradicted themselves-I consider myself convicted by the testimony of Holy Scripture, which is my basis; my conscience is captive to the Word of God. Thus I cannot and will not recant, because acting against one's conscience is neither safe nor sound. Here I stand; I can do no other. God help me. Amen.”

Luther was declared a heretic and an outlaw. He was secretly hide by supporters and continued his writing and teaching which led to the protestant reformation. Luther’s stand for Sola Scriptura cemented the authority of the reformed church in Scripture alone. 

Sola Scriptura

The first article of Sovereign Grace Church Statement of faith:

We believe that the Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired, and is a perfect treasure of heavenly instruction ; that it has God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth without any mixture of error for its matter; that it reveals the principles by which God will judge us; and therefore is, and shall remain to the end of the world, the true center of Christian union, and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and opinions should be tried. 

The first article of Sovereign Grace Church Covenant:

“to submit to the authority of the Scriptures as the authority on all issues.” (Psalm 119; 2 Timothy 3:14-17; 2 Peter 1:19-21).

False doctrines are denied by holding to the truth! We commemorate the 500th anniversary of the reformation to be reminded that the stand of the reformers demands, that all those in Christ STAND in truth, Sola Scriptura, sola gratia, sola fide, sola Christus, Sola Deo gloria.

 

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In the month of October 2017 we commemorate the reformation in its 500th anniversary. We do so not only by giving honor to those who have been servants of our Lord and His people but more so in affirmation of the the five solas of the reformation; sola Scriptura, sola gratia, sola fide, sola Christus, sola Deo gloria. The Word of God reveals that we are justified by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, to the glory of God alone.

The Spark of the reformation flame

Martin Luther, a German monk and priest, on October 31, 1517 endeavored to correct many false doctrines and practices of the Roman Catholic Church by publicly calling attention to the error of these teachings and activities by posting what is known as his 95 theses on the door of Wittenberg castle church. Among his concerns were Papal arrogance, financial bribery (indulgences), and immorality throughout the church leadership.

Luther followed this public challenge (the 95 theses) of the Roman Catholic Church by publishing a number of books and other writings which expanded on the Biblical basis for renouncing such errors. In these writings Luther asserted that Christians were bound in the teaching and practice of Christianity by no other authority but Scripture alone, Sola Scriptura.

This the pope could not tolerate and retain the prestige and power of his position and therefore excommunicated Luther from the Roman Catholic Church in January, 1521.

There was widespread support for Luther among many of the government officials and a few months later Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor, convened a court of inquiry to publicly establish what Luther was doing. This court was called the Diet of Worms. Luther was encouraged to explain himself in such a way that it would be understood that he was not challenging the pope and the church but only talking about unimportant questions. In response Luther said in part:

“Unless I am convinced by the testimony of the Holy Scriptures or by evident reason-for I can believe neither pope nor councils alone, as it is clear that they have erred repeatedly and contradicted themselves-I consider myself convicted by the testimony of Holy Scripture, which is my basis; my conscience is captive to the Word of God. Thus I cannot and will not recant, because acting against one's conscience is neither safe nor sound. Here I stand; I can do no other. God help me. Amen.”

Luther was declared a heretic and an outlaw. He was secretly hide by supporters and continued his writing and teaching which led to the protestant reformation. Luther’s stand for Sola Scriptura cemented the authority of the reformed church in Scripture alone. 

Sola Scriptura

The first article of Sovereign Grace Church Statement of faith:

We believe that the Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired, and is a perfect treasure of heavenly instruction ; that it has God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth without any mixture of error for its matter; that it reveals the principles by which God will judge us; and therefore is, and shall remain to the end of the world, the true center of Christian union, and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and opinions should be tried. 

The first article of Sovereign Grace Church Covenant:

“to submit to the authority of the Scriptures as the authority on all issues.” (Psalm 119; 2 Timothy 3:14-17; 2 Peter 1:19-21).

False doctrines are denied by holding to the truth! We commemorate the 500th anniversary of the reformation to be reminded that the stand of the reformers demands, that all those in Christ STAND in truth, Sola Scriptura, sola gratia, sola fide, sola Christus, Sola Deo gloria.

 

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Sola Fide and Sola Gratia https://www.sovereigngracestatesboro.org/blog/post/sola-fide-and-sola-gratia https://www.sovereigngracestatesboro.org/blog/post/sola-fide-and-sola-gratia#comments Tue, 17 Oct 2017 10:00:00 -0400 https://www.sovereigngracestatesboro.org/blog/post/sola-fide-and-sola-gratia We commemorate the reformation in its 500th anniversary by affirming sola Scriptura, sola gratia, sola fide, sola Christus, sola Deo gloria. The Word of God reveals that we are justified by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, to the glory of God alone.

Last week we saw the authority for the reformation in sola Scriptura, that Martin Luther and other reformers stood on the Word of God alone as their only authority and in fact the only binding authority on all Christians.

It was in His study of the book of Romans in the original language, Greek, that Martin Luther received the understanding from Romans 1:17 that salvation is sola fide, by faith alone.

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.” Romans 1:16-17 (ESV)

Martin Luther was a very righteous man. He worked hard at his righteousness. He practiced the strictest of asceticism prescribed by the Roman Catholic Church. He flailed, he fasted, he read, and he prayed. But he lived with not a sense of peace and fulfillment in this righteousness, but depression, fear, and constant internal struggle to be more righteous! 

In Romans one, in the Bible, he found truth that the practices of the Roman Catholic Church had never made know to him. 

Luther could have expressed this truth:

“Here Paul is not talking about the righteousness by which God Himself is righteous, but a righteousness that God gives freely by His grace to people who don’t have righteousness of their own. The righteousness by which I will be saved, is not mine.” A righteousness that belongs properly to somebody else. It’s a righteousness that is extra nos, outside of us. Namely, the righteousness of Christ. And Luther said, “When I discovered that, I was born again of the Holy Ghost. And the doors of paradise swung open, and I walked through.”

What Luther discovered, what led to the new birth, was sola fide. The faith by which the righteous live is a “gift of God” not a worked up faith in one’s own worked up righteousness but God given faith in God’s righteousness!

Luther was to later write in further understanding of God’s gift of faith,  “If any man doth ascribe aught of salvation, even the very least, to the free-will of man, he knoweth nothing of grace, and he hath not learnt Jesus Christ aright.” 

in Geneva, Switzerland, John Calvin was following events in Germany, He began to set forth in preaching and in writing the need for reformation of the church, emphasizing the Scriptural doctrine that salvation is by faith alone through grace alone.

Calvin wrote:

“Since we shall never be clothed with this righteousness of Christ unless we first forswear any claim to a righteousness of our own, faith alone, as it looks only to God’s redemption in Christ and claims nothing for itself, is the exclusive means by which we may appropriate that gracious judgment of God which is our justification.”

In denying the sacramental system of the Roman Catholic Church Calvin accounted no saving effect in any of the moral goodness of man or in any good works. He, in fact, asserted that when appeal is made to works or character for salvation it is an insult to the sufficiency of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross and the glory due Him for His grace. The full measure of forgiveness of sins and justification in the righteousness of Christ is known only by sola fide and sola gratia.

The underlying doctrine to Calvin’s writings is the sovereignty of God. His call to reform the church was to exalt the work of God and diminish the work of man on every hand.

These truths have been affirmed by baptists in the 1644 Baptist Confession of Faith, the 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith, the 1833 New Hampshire Confession of Faith, and now in  Articles 3-11 of Sovereign Grace Church Statement of Faith.

 

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We commemorate the reformation in its 500th anniversary by affirming sola Scriptura, sola gratia, sola fide, sola Christus, sola Deo gloria. The Word of God reveals that we are justified by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, to the glory of God alone.

Last week we saw the authority for the reformation in sola Scriptura, that Martin Luther and other reformers stood on the Word of God alone as their only authority and in fact the only binding authority on all Christians.

It was in His study of the book of Romans in the original language, Greek, that Martin Luther received the understanding from Romans 1:17 that salvation is sola fide, by faith alone.

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.” Romans 1:16-17 (ESV)

Martin Luther was a very righteous man. He worked hard at his righteousness. He practiced the strictest of asceticism prescribed by the Roman Catholic Church. He flailed, he fasted, he read, and he prayed. But he lived with not a sense of peace and fulfillment in this righteousness, but depression, fear, and constant internal struggle to be more righteous! 

In Romans one, in the Bible, he found truth that the practices of the Roman Catholic Church had never made know to him. 

Luther could have expressed this truth:

“Here Paul is not talking about the righteousness by which God Himself is righteous, but a righteousness that God gives freely by His grace to people who don’t have righteousness of their own. The righteousness by which I will be saved, is not mine.” A righteousness that belongs properly to somebody else. It’s a righteousness that is extra nos, outside of us. Namely, the righteousness of Christ. And Luther said, “When I discovered that, I was born again of the Holy Ghost. And the doors of paradise swung open, and I walked through.”

What Luther discovered, what led to the new birth, was sola fide. The faith by which the righteous live is a “gift of God” not a worked up faith in one’s own worked up righteousness but God given faith in God’s righteousness!

Luther was to later write in further understanding of God’s gift of faith,  “If any man doth ascribe aught of salvation, even the very least, to the free-will of man, he knoweth nothing of grace, and he hath not learnt Jesus Christ aright.” 

in Geneva, Switzerland, John Calvin was following events in Germany, He began to set forth in preaching and in writing the need for reformation of the church, emphasizing the Scriptural doctrine that salvation is by faith alone through grace alone.

Calvin wrote:

“Since we shall never be clothed with this righteousness of Christ unless we first forswear any claim to a righteousness of our own, faith alone, as it looks only to God’s redemption in Christ and claims nothing for itself, is the exclusive means by which we may appropriate that gracious judgment of God which is our justification.”

In denying the sacramental system of the Roman Catholic Church Calvin accounted no saving effect in any of the moral goodness of man or in any good works. He, in fact, asserted that when appeal is made to works or character for salvation it is an insult to the sufficiency of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross and the glory due Him for His grace. The full measure of forgiveness of sins and justification in the righteousness of Christ is known only by sola fide and sola gratia.

The underlying doctrine to Calvin’s writings is the sovereignty of God. His call to reform the church was to exalt the work of God and diminish the work of man on every hand.

These truths have been affirmed by baptists in the 1644 Baptist Confession of Faith, the 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith, the 1833 New Hampshire Confession of Faith, and now in  Articles 3-11 of Sovereign Grace Church Statement of Faith.

 

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