Sola Fide: Live by It

Intro

Illus: Caronavirus

Balance - take precautions and trust God

Often a conflict between our work and trust in God

Jonah - People of Nianevah

Principles of Faith

Living by faith means that we:

live by the gospel and not the law

“all who rely on the law” (10)

opposed to “the righteous shall live by faith”

When you live under the law you:

try and rely on your own salvation

treat God as Father with conditional love

Children and rules: This is how we grow up. Society has rules. Based off of God’s law.

Second use of the law of God

Three main uses of the law - John Calvin

Mirror - as we look at ourself we see our sin and need for a savior - Jesus Christ

Fear of punishment - Restrains the unbeliever

Teacher - admonishes the unbeliever

Believers do not live under the curse

Covenant

God creates covenants to interact with his people

Abraham

Blessings and curses

Starts with a promise

English Standard Version Chapter 17

3 Then Abram fell on his face. And God said to him, 4 “Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations.

The requirement of Abraham was not obedience, but faith

Obedience was the response to the faith

He believed that God would do what he said he would do

rest in the work of Christ

walk in the blessing of life

The righteous live by faith - Are you living by faith or by the law?

App: usually this happens when we see the law as a set of rules to follow so that God accepts us. If we think that God responds to our obedience or disobedience.

i.e. some believe that God has plagued the earth with this virus due to their disobedience. Yet, God does not deal with his children that way. Has God allowed this? Yes, he is in complete control. Yet, it is not because I have broken his law.

No., this would make everything Jesus says in Scripture a lie.

30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

A Christian lives a life with the understanding that the gospel has removed the curse from us and the law is not what saves us.

The law shows us our inadequacy and points us to Christ. (1st use of the law)

Once we start believing this we can then start:

rest in the work of Christ

The next way a Christian lives by faith is they rest completely in the work of Christ (13)

- Adam was created with the ability for perfect obedience.

He failed

Sin affected the world and all that we know.

It is why we have a Corona Virus

Jesus Work

was substitutionary

13 - redeemed us

purchased, delivered us

from the curse of the law,

Covenant concept of curse

Living a life of faith means that we believe that the work of Jesus is sufficient to undo what was broken in the garden.

ANE Covenant community would include curses for disobedience.

Abraham and Isaac -

Abraham tells Isaac, God will provide the sacrifice for the burnt offering.

He provided a Ram in the thicket

illustration of God providing the sacrificial lamb necessary to remove the curse for man’s curse.

Jesus is that lamb for us - our response is to have faith.

Believe that God provided Jesus so that you may be free from the curse of the law.

You have been pardoned, do you believe?

App: The Christian walks a life of faith. Is your faith in something else?

money, job, family, good life, social status, etc . . .

Rather, live life in light of the gospel, Jesus work accomplished everything necessary to bring me out from under this curse

therefore, we see the law differently. It has a different purpose for the Christian. The third use of the law - our teacher.

walk in the blessing of life

(14) the blessing of Abraham

All of the nations will be blessed

Foreshadow of Jesus Christ

“in Christ” or through Christ the Gentiles are blessed

Those outside of the original covenant community are now included

We have received the blessing of the promise because of Jesus

“And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh;

Promise comes through Jesus

that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh;

Included in the covenant community

Receive the Holy Spirit who gives us faith

Christians walk by faith under this new understanding

Through faith we are children of God

Unique adoption

App: How should this change how we live? How does this inform how we react to things of this world?

We are a protected people who now belong to God. The God who has control of all things worked everything out so that you are a part of his family.

This again, gives us a different view of the law of God. We do not view it as the second use - as rules that restrain the unbeliever. No, we are the believer.

Conclusion

There are many uncertainties in this world.

Trust in God

Coronavirus - seemingly new virus that kills mankind

The Christian does not view this with fear

Travel closed, countries closed, businesses shut down for good

War - Airstrikes in Iraq

Politics

Death is something we view differently

A world that has lost all hope and sense of security

Out of toilet paper

In all of this we are reminded that our hope is in the God of the universe. A God who, if he decided to kill us all with a virus, has given us a promise that will not be undone.

Christians are to live a life of faith,

Faith in the gospel message and not the law, faith in the work of Jesus Christ, faith that we have received the blessing of the HS

The proof to all of this is faith.

Do you ever wonder if you are a Christian? Well, the fact that you ask the question probably means you are.

The dead do not know they are dead. Only those who seek God in faith, are declared righteous.

The righteous then shall live by faith. Let us live by faith.