Romans 3: 21-31
A few years ago, theologian Keith Mathison, ran across a comic strip in which one of the figures says, “Those who don’t study history are doomed to repeat it. Yet those who do study history are doomed to stand by helplessly while everyone else repeats it.” This comic is a humorous, albeit somewhat cynical, play on the well-known quote by American philosopher George Santayana (1863–1952), who wrote: “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” It is a well-known and widely used quote because there is much truth in it noted Mathison.
The truth that Santayana grasped is abundantly illustrated in the history of the modern evangelical church. Mathison states, “We are a people who have forgotten our roots, and in many cases, we really don’t seem to care. The church exists in a world of rapidly changing technology, a world in which almost everyone has been assimilated into the incessant chatter of social media and real-time updates on everything from world politics to what your friend had for breakfast this morning. If we are to be relevant, or so we think, we too must be a people of the new and the now.”
The consequences of such ideas in the church are there for all to see. Numerous polls indicate widespread biblical and theological illiteracy. Numerous professing Christians do not grasp the contents of Scripture. Those who have read the Bible often have no idea what it means and how the various parts go together. Mathison cites a recent study sponsored by Ligonier Ministries which indicates that a large percentage of professing Christians unwittingly hold views regarding the Trinity, Jesus Christ, sin, and salvation that are technically heretical.
Like many other Reformed leaders, Mathison laments “We are not in a good place, but we are not the first to be in such a position. The people of Israel forgot the past with disastrous consequences. The medieval church forgot the past with disastrous consequences. But what do you do when you realize you’ve taken a wrong turn somewhere along your journey? You go back and seek to find the correct path,” he states. We should not view the past as something that is gone and therefore useless. Thus, “We should look at the past more like the way someone on the second floor of a building looks at the foundation. The foundation was built before the remaining structure. It was built in the past. But the foundation is not something that can be discarded without catastrophic results.”
The Reformers were guided by the conviction that the church of their day had drifted away from the essential, original teachings of Christianity, especially regarding how people can be forgiven of sin through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and receive eternal life with God. “The Reformation sought to re-orient Christianity on the original message of Jesus and the early church.”
The Five Solas are five Latin phrases (or slogans) that emerged during the Reformation to ‘re-orient’ the church about the essentials of Christianity.
Sola Scriptura (“Scripture alone”): The Bible alone is our highest authority.
Sola Gratia (“grace alone”): We are saved by the grace of God alone.
Sola Fide (“faith alone”): We are saved through faith alone in Jesus Christ.
Solus Christus (“Christ alone”): Jesus Christ alone is our Lord, Savior, and King.
Soli Deo Gloria (“to the glory of God alone”): We live for the glory of God alone.
This week we look at the truth of sola fide or faith alone. Without faith, it is impossible to please God (Heb. 11:6). Like the empty hand of a beggar, faith reaches out to receive Christ. Faith has no merit before God. We are justified by faith without the works of the law (Rom. 3:28). We are not saved by good works but are saved for good works (Eph. 2:8-10). Knowledge of Christ through Scripture, assent to these truths in our minds, and Spirit–wrought trust from our hearts characterize saving faith. We live by faith in the Son of God who loved us and gave Himself for us (Gal. 2:20).
Are you a person of faith? How do you know? What evidence is there in your life? I hope you can join us this coming Lord’s Day as we look at the third of five foundational truths of the Reformation.
Through Faith Alone,
Pastor Wayne Shelton
Make your plans to join us for a Thanksgiving luncheon on Sunday Nov. 17 immediately following our morning service. The church will provide the meat and drinks – you can bring the side dishes and desserts. There will be no evening activities following the luncheon.
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