we will celebrate Reformation Sunday as a day on the calendar when we remember what was undoubtedly, the greatest move of God outside the pages of the Scripture. Entire countries in Europe were brought under the sound of the true biblical Gospel.
The formal principle of the Reformation: Sola Scriptura (Scripture Alone)
The material principle of the Reformation: Sola Fide (Justification by Faith Alone)
Many “Protestant” Churches today have forgotten what it is they were protesting, and this has led to a very current need to re-evangelize the Church as to some of the very basics of the Christian faith.
In our day, many people choose the Church they go to based on preferences rather than convictions. Much is made of styles of music and worship, what kind of youth and toddler ministry is available, the length of the service, the likeability of the pastor, and adequate parking. Of course, none of these things are mentioned in Scripture, and yet they are things very important to us in a consumer driven society where the customer is king and choices mean everything.
I have much sympathy with the need to listen to people and address concerns, but I would like us to climb a little higher in our thinking to move from preference to conviction. In that regard, I would like to identify two convictions that should be at play in our thinking:
Defining terms: a preference is something that given a choice, we find to be more pleasing or practical than another. One could prefer vanilla to chocolate; jazz to opera, the color red rather than blue, etc.
A conviction is a fixed or firm belief based on knowing the rightness of a position. Convictions are often seen as a new kind of heresy in modern American culture, and yet, the Bible is given to us to convince us of God’s thoughts on an issue, and our role as recipients of this revelation is to be renewed in our mind so that we align our thinking with His.
Convictions are good if they are based on God’s revelation; if not, they can be mere tradition. The traditionalist’s anthem is always “don’t confuse me with the facts. I’ve already made up my mind.”
In contrast, the Christian should always be prepared to hold up their beliefs to the light of Scripture to see if the position is based on a true interpretation. This leads us to the first conviction I would like us to consider this morning:
1. THE BIBLE ALONE IS THE WORD OF GOD
God willing, we will look at this subject in much more detail next Sunday, but this conviction is based on God’s own testimony in Scripture.
2 Tim 3:10-17
v. 14 firmly believed (conviction)… It does not come by intuition but by having learned something, and the source are trusted people who have acquainted us with the word of God. The foundations for this conviction are not the people themselves, but the sacred writings they brought to us. That is because Scripture is of a higher nature than any testimony of man, it is theopneustos, God breathed.
v. 16 SCRIPTURE IS GOD BREATHED – that is the nature of Scripture. It is different from all other writings because of its Source. God breathed His word out. Therefore, it alone has the authority to bind the conscience. It is the sole infallible rule of faith for the people of God. Every other thought, belief and creed should be subject to Scripture.
Martin Luther at the Diet of Worms (1521): “Unless I am convinced by sacred Scripture, or by evident reason, I will not and I cannot recant, for my conscience is held captive to the word of God and to act against conscience is neither right nor safe. Here I stand. I can do no other, God help me.”
SCRIPTURE THOROUGHLY EQUIPS THE MINISTER FOR EVERY GOOD WORK – Scripture is both necessary and sufficient. No other source of authority is appealed to. Scripture alone is God breathed.
2. THERE IS AND ONLY EVER HAS BEEN ONE TRUE GOSPEL
Dispensationalism is a form of teaching which seeks to show that God has had two distinct people, each with distinct destinies (Israel and the Church). I do not believe this to be the case. God has only ever had one people, HIS PEOPLE, who were largely made up on Jews in the Old Testament, and now both Jews and Gentiles in the New. While I would disagree with this their first approach to Scripture, I would strongly disagree with their second, namely that God had different ways of salvation depending on which Testament people were living under (the dispensation). It is often said that God saved by means of the law in the Old Testament, and the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the New. This is clearly error.
Romans 3:20 makes it clear that no one can ever stand justified before God by means of the Law. The Law has only ever produced guilt ridden sinners. That is why the concept of Law and Gospel is so vital to understand and why Martin Luther said of the one ignorant of this that “you cannot be altogether sure whether he is a Christian or a Jew or a pagan, for it depends on this distinction.”
Romans 4 – The Apostle Paul’s whole point in this chapter is to show that his (Paul’s) message of justification by faith alone was not in any way new, but was evident right from the start.
Exhibit A – Abraham
Exhibit B – David
Hebrews 4: 1, Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. 2 For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it. (NKJ)
Gal 3:5-8
Rev 14: 6 Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth—to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people—7 saying with a loud voice, “Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water.” (NKJ) There are not two “gospels” – there is only one, the everlasting gospel.
Two firm convictions then:
(1) THE BIBLE ALONE IS THE WORD OF GOD – the Bible is the inspired, inerrant word of God and is therefore our final authority in all matters of life and doctrine, and
(2) THERE IS AND ONLY EVER HAS BEEN ONE TRUE GOSPEL – All people are sinners and need to be saved from the wrath of God by responding to the gospel (the evangel) of Jesus Christ. With Scripture alone as our sure foundation, we affirm that justification is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, to the glory of God alone.