5 Pillars to Build Your Life On

Part 2 - “Faith Alone”

Matthew 7:28-29

when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, 29 for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.

2 primary pillars recovered in the Reformation:

1. The authority and availability of the Scriptures

Joshua 1:8

This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

John Wycliffe - completed the first copy of the Bible into English at the cost of his own life

William Tyndale - completed the first English Bible directly from the Hebrew and Greek texts

“If God spare my life, ere many years I will cause a boy who drives a plough to know more of the scriptures than you do.” - William Tyndale

2. Justification is through faith alone

Justification was a legal term where the judge declared you “not guilty”.

Romans 1:16-17

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

The Gospel is…

- the power of God

- effective to save

- salvation for everyone who believes

- revealed, or given as a gift

Romans 4:2-5

For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. 3 For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” 4 Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. 5 And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness,

God “justifies the ungodly”

Ephesians 2:8-9

“….it is the gift of God…so that no one may boast.”

Salvation is not a reward for the righteous but a gift for the guilty!

Romans 4:23-25

But the words “it was counted to him” were not written for his sake alone, 24 but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, 25 who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.

Romans 5:1

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

“Here I felt that I was altogether born again and had entered paradise itself through open gates…And I extolled by sweetest word with a love as great as the hatred with which I had before hated the word “righteousness of God.” Thus that place in Paul was for me truly the gate to paradise.”

“Law and Gospel” - painting by Lucas Cranach the Elder

Application: Build your life on the right side of the painting!

Meaning…

If you are a believer/follower of Christ…

1. Rest in the finished work of Jesus!

If you are not a believer/follower of Christ…

2. Decide TODAY to be on the right side of the painting!