eternity: April 2008

I can't remember where I got this, but it is worth going through to think about this important matter of justification.

Justification Test
1. According to Romans 8:30, whom does God justify?

2. God justifies:
a. the godly
b. the ungodly
c. the sincere
(Read Romans 4:5 after you circle your answer!)

3. What two things does God do in justification? (pick two)
a. infuses righteousness into us
b. pardons our sins
c. credits our faith as merit
d. imputes Christ's righteousness to our account
e. causes us to be born again
f. gives us grace to do works to gain it
(See Ephesians 1:7; Jeremiah 23:6; Romans 3:21-22; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Philippians 3:9)

4. The righteousness of Christ consisted of:
a. His baptism
b. His death on the cross
c. His obedience to the law
d. His devotion to prayer
e. going to the temple to offer sacrifices
f. all of the above
(See Romans 5:19)

5. Justification by faith means that:
a. our faith deserves to be rewarded
b. by faith we do what God commands
c. we believe we were worth saving
d. by faith we receive the grace to work out our salvation
e. by faith we receive and rest on Christ and His righteousness alone
(See John 1:12; Romans 3:28)

6. Circle all that are true statements about faith:
a. you either have faith or works in your life
b. faith is the only instrument of justification
c. faith is a necessary condition of justification
d. faith is given to all people, but only some choose to believe
e. faith must be strong to be saving
f. faith is a gift, not a condition
g. faith is assent to the truth
(See Ephesians 2:8-10)

7. If we are Justified by faith alone, it means that:
a. we may sin as we please
b. we may never sin again
c. we may sin some as long as we ask forgiveness later
d. we must grow in holiness
(2 Corinthians 7:1)

Sola Scriptura

Christianity is based upon revelation from God. If God had not chosen to reveal Himself to man, there would be no knowledge of Him, or of salvation. We as reformed Protestants are committed to the principle of "Sola Scriptura", or Scripture alone. Through Scripture, God has revealed all that is necessary for us to know about Himself, and about our salvation. In fact, we say that the Holy Scripture alone is our infallible authority for all matters of faith and practice.

But this foundational teaching is being undermined today and many are being led astray by the views of Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy and Anglicanism. Also, Pragmatism and Mysticism have undermined Sola Scriptura in the church today.

In the church today we find that there are those who want to add to the Scriptures and those who want to take away from them. Sola Scriptura is abandoned on the one hand by the legalists - who add the traditions of men to Scripture. And this teaching is nullified by the Antinomians and liberals who seek to take away from God's word. Within evangelical churches - those who claim to hold to the inerrancy of the Bible, there are many problems. The church has gravitated toward Psychology, sociology, marketing and politics instead of staying firmly rooted in the Bible.

We must declare and live by Sola Scriptura, if we would honor God and keep the church strong in our day. The Bible alone is God's authoritative word.

In defending this position, over the next several weeks, we will look at the Scripture itself and the WCF as a guide to understanding this position. We believe that Scripture alone is authoritative, as well as sufficient for all of life and godliness. It is the Roman Catholic church in particular that has mounted recent attacks upon this doctrine. For example, One book by a Catholic author, Robert Sungenis, is titled Not by Scripture Alone: A Catholic Critique of the Protestant Doctrine of Sola Scriptura. The Catholic church teaches that the Bible and Church tradition are of equal authority in matters of faith and practice. According to the RCC, in the Council of Trent, they anathematize anyone who adheres to the Reformed doctrine of Sola Scriptura.

The WCF stands in absolute contrast to the position of the RCC. The Westminster Confession of Faith was written to formulate a doctrinal statement that could unite England, Scotland and Ireland. A group of 140 theologians, or Divines, were commissioned by Parliament in 1643 to produce a creed for the people. They met over a period of over 5 years in 1,163 sessions. Daily they exegeted the Bible from the original languages. The primary rule that these men laid down for themselves as they began their work reflects that the doctrine of Sola Scriptura guided all their work.

Each Monday morning every member was required to take the following vow: "I do seriously promise and vow, in the presence of Almighty God, that in the Assembly whereof I am a member, I will maintain nothing in point of doctrine but what I believe to be most agreeable to the Word of God."

Chapter one of the WCF is titled: Of the Holy Scripture. In that chapter we find these topics: The necessity of Scripture, the identity of Scripture, the inspiration of Scripture, the authority of Scripture, the self-authentication of Scripture, the sufficiency of Scripture, the clarity of Scripture, the transmission and preservation of Scripture, the interpretation of Scripture, and the finality of Scripture.

Tonight, briefly, let's look at chapter one of the Confession, which has to do with the Necessity of Scripture.

Chapter I

I. Although the light of nature, and the works of creation and providence do so far manifest the goodness, wisdom, and power of God, as to leave men unexcusable; yet are they not sufficient to give that knowledge of God, and of his will, which is necessary unto salvation.

The Bible teaches that God has revealed Himself in both general and special revelation. General revelation is called general because of it's audience - to all mankind. It is general also in its content. It does not reveal the specifics of salvation. Special revelation is found on in the Scriptures and is much more detailed in content. General revelation must always be interpreted in light of special revelation. (True before and after the fall) General revelation reveals God as Creator, while Special revelation reveals Him as Savior.

When the Confession says, "the light of nature", it speaks about the innate idea of God.

*READ - Romans 1:18-21,32; 2:14-15

All men are created in the image of God. The idea of God is stamped upon our soul. So, when man looks at the creation, he thinks "God did this." The creation itself didn't tell him. The creation itself cannot set forth any propositions. God puts this knowledge in every human being.

General revelation and the innate idea of God leaves all men without excuse. But it is insufficient to reveal God's will for our salvation.

"Therefore" continues the confession, "it pleased the Lord, at sundry times, and in divers manners, to reveal himself, and to declare that his will unto his church; and afterwards, for the better preserving and propagating of the truth, and for the more sure establishment and comfort of the church against the corruption of the flesh, and the malice of Satan and of the world, to commit the same wholly unto writing: which makes the Holy Scripture to be most necessary; those former ways of God's revealing his will unto his people being now ceased."

The Scriptures are necessary - if anyone is going to know God's will and be saved. Because general revelation is insufficient, special revelation is necessary. Men cannot be saved without it. But the RCC along with liberal Protestants have said otherwise. The RCC has stated the following: "Those who, do not know the Gospel, but who nevertheless seek God and try in their actions to do His will as they know it through the dictates of conscience - those too may achieve eternal salvation."

Contrast this with the WCF chap. X, Sect. 4:

"… much less can men, not professing the Christian religion, be saved in any other way whatsoever, be they never so diligent to frame their lives according to the light of nature, and the laws of that religion they do profess. And, to assert and maintain that they may, is very pernicious, and to be detested."

Some have said that we can "prove" the existence of God apart from Scripture. Thomas Acquinas and the RCC teach this. Some evangelical Protestants teach this. You don't have to prove something that is already innately known. Now, to be sure, the sinfulness of man causes him to suppress this truth of God's existence. Dr. Gary Crampton, in his book THE SUFFICIENCY OF SCRIPTURE, says "One should not attempt to prove God; He is the necessary premise of all proof, the object of knowledge better known than any other."

Even with such innate knowledge of God, it is not enough to tell us that God is a Trinity, or what God has done to save us. To know the true God truly and savingly, we need the Bible. The Scripture is most necessary! And even if a person has the Scriptures, he or she cannot understand them apart from the enabling of the Holy Spirit. God reveals His truth to whomever He pleases - the Spirit blows like the wind, wherever He wills, and He has made His Word necessary to know His saving truth.

Scripture alone is able to bring a person to saving faith in Jesus Christ. No mere man can do it, nor can the church, nor a vision or some experience. The Bible alone reveals the way of salvation and the way to please God. Yes there are teachers in the church who teach and explain, but the Bible alone is the source of their doctrine and not church tradition.

eternity

Friday, April 25, 2008

Justification Test

Saturday, April 19, 2008

Sola Scriptura - part one

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

OPTIONS