Justified through Faith Alone, Saved by Grace Alone
Notes
Transcript
What our Duty and our Joy?
What our Duty and our Joy?
In our Bible Study group, we are reading John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress.
Last week, we watched the movie, and one particular scene, in part One
gives a good overview of the Christian life as we probably experience it, daily!
Please employ your imagination as I describe the scene:
Two men meet in a field near the outskirts of town ...
Christian: A man, dressed in the clothes of the age in which he lives: (1600’s); Puritan.
He has a “burden” on his back.
Worldly Wiseman! A bespectacled spectacle! (The air of knowledge around him.)
WORLD. How now, good fellow, whither away after this burdened manner?
CHR. A burdened manner indeed, as ever I think poor creature had! And whereas you ask me, Whither away? I tell you, sir, I am going to yonder wicket-gate before me; for there, as I am informed, I shall be put into a way to be rid of my heavy burden.
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Application:
A man wakes on a Monday morning, deeply aware of his burden (his sin)!
((Let’s call him, Larry)
Larry, you see, is leading a double life.
He is seen a a pillar of his society:
He is regular in his church attendance;
He is a leader in his chapter of the Lions group;
He is a family man, and his children are the talk of the town!
But, unknown to even his closest friends:
Larry has a secret sin;
He worries … and then he turns to his sin for comfort ...
And as he worries, and sins, he increasingly feels guilty ...
and he takes it our on his wife and children …
when he still sees them, sometimes.
But it is Monday morning! … this morning,
something of Sunday’s sermon has stuck with him!
This is not the way to live … (I can DO better … he decides!)
this burden is weighing him down into a despondent depression.
And he determines to do something about it!
What will he do?
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Let’s return to Christian, our pilgrim on a journey ...
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WORLD. Hast thou a wife and children?
CHR. Yes; but I am so laden with this burden, that I cannot take that pleasure in them as formerly: methinks I am as if I had none. 1 Cor. 7:29.
WORLD. Wilt thou hearken to me, if I give thee counsel?
CHR. If it be good, I will; for I stand in need of good counsel.
WORLD. I would advise thee, then, that thou with all speed get thyself rid of thy burden; for thou wilt never be settled in thy mind till then: nor canst thou enjoy the benefits of the blessings which God hath bestowed upon thee till then.
CHR. That is that which I seek for, even to be rid of this heavy burden: but get it off myself I cannot, nor is there any man in our country that can take it off my shoulders; therefore am I going this way, as I told you, that I may be rid of my burden.
WORLD. Who bid thee go this way to be rid of thy burden?
CHR. A man that appeared to me to be a very great and honorable person: his name, as I remember, is Evangelist.
WORLD. I beshrew him for his counsel! there is not a more dangerous and troublesome way in the world than is that into which he hath directed thee; and that thou shalt find, if thou wilt be ruled by his counsel. Thou hast met with something, as I perceive, already; for I see the dirt of the Slough of Despond is upon thee: but that slough is the beginning of the sorrows that do attend those that go on in that way. Hear me; I am older than thou: thou art like to meet with, in the way which thou goest, wearisomeness, painfulness, hunger, perils, nakedness, sword, lions, dragons, darkness, and, in a word, death, and what not. These things are certainly true, having been confirmed by many testimonies. And should a man so carelessly cast away himself, by giving heed to a stranger?
CHR. Why, sir, this burden on my back is more terrible to me than are all these things which you have mentioned: nay, methinks I care not what I meet with in the way, if so be I can also meet with deliverance from my burden.
WORLD. How camest thou by thy burden at first?
CHR. By reading this book in my hand.
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Don’t forget Larry now...
Larry is still there in bed
but he has decided to do something!
Just like Christian, we will see ...
Christian, had decided to DO something, too: He would go in search of the truth
and follow the promise of Evangelist
who pointed Christian on a journey to the Celestial city
(The city where God reigns and get’s to make the laws
and there is peace all around ...
But the journey there has already proven difficult …
and he is having second thoughts
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WORLD. Why take the difficult road? I will show you an easier way … to your peace and contentment
to a place where your burden (Guilt) will be eased!
And what is more, on this journey I will lead you on, instead of those dangers, thou shalt meet with much safety, friendship, and content.
((And Christian is hooked!))
CHR. Sir, I pray open this secret to me.
WORLD. Good onya, mate!
Why, (in stead of in going staying a difficult course in this life of many trials and temptations ...
yonder village (the village is named Morality) there dwells a gentleman whose name is Legality, a very judicious man, and a man of a very good name, that has skill to help men off with such burdens as thine is from their shoulders; yea to my knowledge, he hath done a great deal of good this way; aye, and besides, he hath skill to cure those that are somewhat crazed in their wits with their burdens. To him, as I said, thou mayest go, and be helped presently. His house is not quite a mile from this place; and if he should not be at home himself, he hath a pretty young man to his son, whose name is Civility, that can do it (to speak on) as well as the old gentleman himself: there, I say, thou mayest be eased of thy burden; and if thou art not minded to go back to thy former habitation, (as indeed I would not wish thee,) thou mayest send for thy wife and children to this village, where there are houses now standing empty, one of which thou mayest have at a reasonable rate: provision is there also cheap and good; and that which will make thy life the more happy is, to be sure there thou shalt live by honest neighbors, in credit and good fashion.
Now was Christian somewhat at a stand; but presently he concluded, If this be true which this gentleman hath said, my wisest course is to take his advice: and with that he thus farther spake.
CHR. Sir, which is my way to this honest man’s house?
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Let’s turn now to the Bible, and read Paul’s letter to the Galatians:
In verses 1-5 he has introduced himself, in effect, as Evangelist … or Apostle
And now he writes to the Galatian churches
saying, in effect, “I hear you are on your way to Morality!
And then he says: How could you???
6 I am amazed that you are so quickly turning away from him who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—
Because that is what it is friends - and the Church, over centuries,
have lived happily in this town!
Here is how it works!
Let’s return to Larry
He wakes up, feels guilty, because of the Book!
And makes a resolution!
From now on, I will sin no more! I will stop being unfaithful to my wife;
Stop my anger outbursts;
Stop gossiping;
Stop lying
Start to go to church twice on a Sunday
Pray more
(and if Larry was a Roman Catholic, he would go to Confession)
And Larry’s hope and understanding is that these things will lead to his justification in God’s site
And being justified by doing the right thing, he will be glorified
… and then he will have peace!
Larry has stumbled upon a new Gospel!
To which Paul says ...
7 not that there is another gospel, but there are some who are troubling you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.
And then he takes aim at Worldly Wiseman (or the Judaizers, to be exact)
who are teaching that to be saved,
you need to believe in Jesus + be circumcised!
8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, a curse be on him!
And in case the Galatians did not get the drift of his admonition, his warning
he repeats it!
9 As we have said before, I now say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, a curse be on him!
Friends, and that was Martin Luther’s great realisation:
We are saved by grace alone. Nothing that we do, or will try to do, will save us.
Keeping God’s law does not save us!
That was never the reason God gave us His law!
The law was given, so that we could see our transgressions.
And having seen them - by Grace alone! - we see that we are sinners
and we get to see (because we are chosen to see) that Jesus alone has kept the Law perfectly
and now, He has included us in His obedience!
And we believe in Him (by Grace alone!)
and through this gracious faith, we are justified;
and being justified, we are saved, by grace alone, through faith alone!
Does that mean we can now keep on sinning!
Me genoite!
We have been set free from sin!
We have been enabled not to sin! That is the gift!
Not to sin … to God’s glory,
and our gratitude for having been saved/set free from sin!
The prison gates have swung open!
As Luther meditated on this text, Romans 1:17, he, at last, understood the gospel. In that moment, he said, "It was as if the gates of paradise were swung open to me, and I was born again." This is what it is to be a genuine Christian. Suddenly, Luther was birthed from above, and he entered into the kingdom of God.
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So, what should we do then, to be saved?
What should Larry have done, instead of trying to live better?
He should have put his trust in Jesus - believe in the Gospel - which is the story of Jesus life of obedience, death on the Cross in our stead,
and resurrection into a new life … gaining citizenship, as it were
in the Celestial city!
Then he would have peace!
Then his life would indeed be better, without sin, you see
Then he would live the life he had received in Jesus name!
A life free of guilt, and strife to work to be a better person!
As a Christian, you are a better person, not because of what you are able to do,
or not do
but because of what Jesus did!
10 For am I now trying to persuade people, or God? Or am I striving to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.
Come, fellow servants, let us worship God, also as we pray now: