Oct. 29, 2017 The Five Solas - Our Precious Heritage Pastor Josh Sheldon

Reformation Day and the 500th Anniversary of Luther’s Thesis

These passages that Conley read To among many that could be selected for the purpose this morning Which is to bring forth some Reformation truths the idea of the absolute unmitigated sovereignty of God in the matter of salvation.

In a couple of days October 31st is what we like to call Reformation Day. And this October 31st we will have the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. The Reformation being pegged to that day in 1517 October 31st in that year when this little-known monk Martin Luther then becoming a doctor of the church preaching at that place called Wittenberg.

When he nailed his 95 theses to the wall of the church and thus sparked the Reformation. 95 theses which if we could encapsulate them all we're not going to read them all to you this morning made a single point.

That salvation is of the Lord and that is none of man. And that all that has to happen in order for man to be saved is from God. Even the faith that we have that we have towards Jesus Christ is a gift of God.

And So it's calmly read to you from Isaiah 55 where the Lord calls all to come to the true and living waters. Everyone who thirsts Come to the waters. He who has no money come by and eat. And Martin Luther's day It was come and by the indulgence and thus pay off your sins and all these others errors that in that time Were troubling that man and so we have in a couple of days that 500th anniversary half a millennium of living in the Doctrines and the theology and the recovery that was that Reformation.

The Reformation actually has or had a sort of a motto to it. There's a battle cry to this Reformation which in a couple of days we celebrate for its half millennium anniversary. And mottos can be great.

Mottos and slogans can encapsulate an entire ethos. You can think of the United States Marine Corps well known for Semper Fi always Faithful which ties very well to that ad that they used to run which is the few the proud the Marines.

Slogans which kind of encapsulate a feel for an entire organization. The armies this we will defend the 1775 continental Marines don't tread on me. We as a reformed church Have a motto of sorts and like those military ones.

I just named. It's a sort of a battle cry. It's a short memorable summary of what we stand for. And what I speak of is what we call the five solas. The five solas the battle cry of the Reformation sparked those 500 years ago.

Scripture Alone as the Church’s Final Authority

And what are these? Very simple sola scriptura sola Dea gloria solo Christo solo Gratia solo fide. Solo and solo have slightly different meanings. We're going to cover that but the idea of the whole shines through.

By these alone is salvation known and made available and applied to sinners these solas. Scripture is our highest authority and by it alone. Do we know God's will. And in Scripture is the Son of God Jesus Christ revealed sola scriptura Scripture alone.

Solo Gratia solo Gloria. God's glory alone moves him to do anything all God does is for his glory. Which is a great motive for us to live for his glory all you do due to the glory of God. Why. Because all God does is for his glory and for that alone sola Gloria.

Solo Christo in Christ alone is salvation. Not by works of righteousness, which we have done the Apostle writes, but according to his mercy He saved us by the washing and regeneration of the Holy Spirit.

And what does that washing regeneration do but drive us to Jesus Christ as Christ said in his great high priestly prayer. He will glorify me. He will lead you to me. All that the Holy Spirit does is to place us in Christ in Christ alone in his cross alone is salvation.

Solo Christo Solo Gratia. How does God's mercy come to us by grace alone by grace alone? Does God give his mercy to any sinner at all much less sinners in an innumerable throng? By his grace alone. And finally Sola Fide all this Ours by the soul means the only way by faith.

Which in of an in and of itself is a gift of God? Which does not take away the imperatives that you are commanded to repent. You are commanded to believe this gospel. And yet. How are you able to believe this gospel?

By faith and faith alone. Which God gifts. So I thought it good. Here are a couple of days before the 500th anniversary. Just to go over this motto of the church. Just to speak for a little while on each of these and their biblical foundation and what they mean to us.

Why they're so central to us and how we view God how we know the salvation that we have is in his son Jesus Christ. There are summary really of Volumes of the sacred text in these five slogans is this one.

Comprehensive model and Lord willing as we go through these it will strengthen us in the Lord. It will serve to encourage us to stay the course so the five solas. Sola scriptura the scripture alone is our standard.

As Martin Luther said at the Diet of Worms. He says I don't want to listen to Popes. I don't want to listen to counsel. They contradict each other. We go to scripture. We go to scripture alone. The doctrine that the Bible alone is the as the ultimate authority.

Was the what we call the formal principle of the Reformation. And at 1521 where I was speaking of Martin Luther being interrogated at the Diet of Worms He declares his conscience to be captive to one thing and one thing only.

The Word of God the scripture may give you his whole quote. Remembering as he as I read these words he was facing men who could put him to the stake and burn him alive as It happened to others like Jonathan Huss not long before.

When he said this is what he expected would be the result or knew it was very probable. Unless I'm overcome with testimonies from scripture or with evident reasons. For I believe neither the Pope nor the council since they have often erred and contradicted one another.

Pardon me. I am overcome by the scripture texts, which I have adduced and my conscience is bound by God's Word Scripture alone one of the founding principles the formal principle of the of the Reformation and God willing and in his grace and mercy this very Church.

We're a confessional Church the London Baptist Confession of 1689 reflects exactly what Martin Luther said and By this in God's mercy and his grace this church lives. The whole counsel of God concerning all things necessary for his own glory man salvation faith in life is expressly set down or Necessarily contained in the Holy Scripture.

Unto which nothing at any time is to be added whether by new revelation of the Spirit or traditions of men. Nevertheless we acknowledge the inward illumination of the Spirit of God to be necessary for the saving Understanding of such things as are revealed in the word and there are some circumstances Concerning the worship of God and government of the church common to human actions and societies.

Which are to be ordered by the light of nature and Christian prudence. According to the general rules of the word which are always to be deserved observed. Sola Scriptura, let us understand as we consider this that sola is a different thing than so low.

Some of our five solas are actually solo like solo Christus Christ alone. But sola here sola scriptura is different than that. It's not so low. Scripture is the final arbiter of all practice and faith.

There is no other repository of God's will than in this one revelation of himself. If we take so low to mean so low. We're actually outside of the Reformation's organizing principle and we're striking out on our own every time.

We try to interpret and apply the scriptures if we say it's so low and not so la. We're implying that the men who came before us. The Puritans whose works have stood up for almost 500 years the men today who labor over the text if we say so low.

And not so la we're saying that they're unnecessary. We're saying something like close that commentary. I've got this 2 ,000 years of controversy. Settled by moi, I got it figured out. We don't worship we don't revere the Puritans or any other commentators.

We respect them and we make hot wise and humble reference to them. What is sola scriptura mean? Scola so scriptura means that the scripture is the arbiter. The others are helps to lead us into that truth and things that are harder to figure out.

The Reformers themselves relied on those who came before they referred to them often. Circumspectly with discretion always with an eye on whether their conclusions were true to the scripture and helpful in its exposition.

Why is scripture so important to us? Why are we a church that holds this sola scriptura? Slogan or Formative principles because the scriptures are powerful to find us that find us. They expose us like the sword of Hebrews 412.

They cut away our excuses our denials are left bereft. They leave us bare and they leave us naked with our consciences and our motives completely exposed. The scripture is a word powerful to revive our sagging spirits by this sort of Spiritual violence and then to bring us back again to our Savior found everywhere within it.

No other work no other book can do in a person in you or in me. What the scriptures do? You think of the great revivals in biblical history. Think of young King Josiah. Where he seems to have been poorly trained remember he became king of Judah at age eight.

And he's prompted by the Lord to repair the temple after the damage done to it by his father King Ammon. Assessed as an evil king who worshiped idols by the way his father Manasseh had done and He orders young King Josiah orders The priests to clean up the temple to get it back in shape for worship.

And while they're cleansing the temple Hilkiah the high priest you remember this this record he finds the book of the law. It seems it had been lying dormant it had been unread unopened forgotten the Word of God left behind.

The damage it can do to your soul the exposing of your conscience. Unwanted it's like Lord. No don't come at me like this. We don't want this anymore, and so it's left there. It's left unopened the dust is collecting on it.

They find it as they're going through the temple and the way that text reads is the second Kings chapter 22. It was it was like this mysterious artifact from a bygone era and has read before young King Josiah and The law actually had demanded that the king write himself a copy of the law this Word of God these scriptures when he's crowned King Deuteronomy 17 says he must write himself a copy and refer to it all his life.

Well, he obviously hadn't done that. This church is a reformed church. One of the hallmarks of reformed theology is this high regard for God's Word. Do we hear it as just another book? Are the epics in it just grand stories?

I mean What do we learn when we read for example about? Israel's judge Samson when he in the power and might of God's Spirit destroyed a thousand men with a donkey's jawbone. Or when he broke the pillars and he died with the Philistine Lords.

Well. How do we take that? Do we hear an impossible fable or do we hear the strains of sola scriptura and see God's Providential care for his people and his distaste for his determined enemies. How do we take this book when reads for example James 4 17.

He who knows the right thing to do but does not do it for him it is sin. Or Romans 14 23. Whatever does not proceed from faith is sin. You see sola scriptura is more than a slogan. It's more than just a motto.

It is undergirded by the whole doctrine of inspiration. The Bible's in your hands and the pew backs in front of you. It is the very Word of God. The true and living God is not too much to say that there is salvation in those pages.

James says the implanted Word is able to save your souls. How so? Because it reveals Jesus. It exposes ourselves. Exposes our sin to us and then reveals Jesus Christ our Savior. In the beginning was the Word.

The Word was with God and the Word was God and later John says and the Word became flesh. All scripture says the Word of God about itself in 2nd Timothy 3 16 is inspired by God's literally. Literally breathed out by him much the way he by his spirit breathed the heavens and the earth into existence.

The power of God's Holy Word to accomplish his purposes. It's what Conley read to you in Isaiah 55 11. So shall my word be that goes out from a mouth it shall not return to me empty. But he shall accomplish that which I purpose and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

And that's a truth actually proven in history. 2nd Kings 11 the story with Josiah and the Recovery of the law. It's a remarkable record of the power of this living Word to accomplish God's purposes. If we go on with that scriptural account this account of the power of God's Word to cause repentance and to spark revival.

Josiah when he hears the words of the law, he realizes in a moment why Israel was in the shape. It was in God's Word explained it to him. The people had sinned by breaking the Lord's Covenant. So Put the convicting book back where it was found.

Get this thing away from me is doing a harm to my soul my spirits crushed by his words. No. Listen to what he did. When the king heard the words of the book of the law he tore his clothes and the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest and Ahikam the son of Shaphan and Akbar the son of Micaiah and Shaphan the secretary and Esaiah the king's servant saying go Inquire the Lord for me and for the people and all Judah concerning the words of this book that was found.

For great is the wrath of the Lord that is kindled against us because our fathers have not obeyed the words of this book. To do according to all that is written concerning us. What did this powerful word?

When Sola Scripture back then in ancient Judah was recovered if only for that Short moment because we know they slid down very quickly again after that what happened a great revival is what happened. The like of which hadn't been seen hadn't been seen before or after.

In Nehemiah chapter 8 the preaching of the Word of God brings national repentance this powerful word that is preached. People mourned their sins so intensely that Nehemiah had to send them home. They're forgetting God's forgiveness and What he feels when the repentant come to him and Asked for forgiveness the Levites calmed all the people saying be quiet for this day is holy do not be grieved and all the people Went their way because they had understood the words that were declared to them this powerful Word of God this Sola Scripture.

That can bring such grief to us for our sin. That the Levites that Nehemiah had to dismiss the people say it's enough for now. Go home. Know God's forgiveness know his mercy and his grace this Word of God on Which we stand.

Jesus said of it you search the scriptures because you think in them you have eternal life. And it is they that bear witness of me. They're all about Jesus. This powerful word at the end of Luke's gospel.

At least twice Jesus explains to the two disciples on the Emmaus Road and later to the Apostles that all the scripture. The law The writings meaning the Psalms the histories all of it speak of me meaning himself.

It's all about Christ. Scripture is our highest authority. Josiah modeled that when he submitted himself and his kingdom to it. Ezra modeled it when he read it to Israel and the Levites were making sure that people understood.

The authority of scripture is the authority of its giver. Who is God? When we hear it when we obey it we're modeling. Just what the great revivals did. The power of scripture to convict us of our sin and the lead us to our Savior Jesus.

God’s Glory as the Purpose of All Things

Sola Scriptura. This is why we stand on the Word of God. Not because the Reformers did. The Reformers recovered for us what the Bible says. Sola Deo Gloria for God's glory alone. One of the defining differences between mankind and animals is that man needs purpose?

Augustine said it this way you have made us for yourself and our hearts are restless till they find their rest in you. Pascal wrote of the God-shaped void that must be filled. We're incomplete until it is and only God can fill that void.

Only he can give us purpose which makes sense because he made us. We're the work of his hands were the sheep of his pasture. So our purpose must be consistent with his. We exist for him. Colossians chapter 1 verse 15 to 17.

He is the image meaning Christ. He's the image of the invisible God the firstborn of all creation for by him all things were created in heaven and on earth. Visible and invisible whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities all things were created through him and for him.

And he is before all things and in him all things hold together. Here's our purpose. Do you want to know why you're here? Do you want to know if Lord Terry's and we all survive into tomorrow why you are there tomorrow doing whatever it is.

You do and whatever station of life the Lord has you. It's for the glory of God for the glory of God alone. This doctrine tells us why we're here why we exist. It tells us why God does anything at all the doctrinal lines with our our very lives and The purposes that we have for them.

It's for the glory of God alone. And if we live for God's glory if we understand that all God does is for his glory. We were right in line with Jesus think of Jesus in his incarnation. Most especially in John's gospel where he spoke so often about how he was glorifying God.

God was glorifying him. The Spirit would bring glory to him and he would rebound glory back to God the Father. Who would glorify his son? It's all about God's glory. It's not just a slogan it's a summary of the very purpose for which God moves to bring himself glory.

In John 17 for Our Lord praise. I have glorified you on earth having accomplished the work which you gave me to do. Jesus God in the flesh. Jesus the very Word of God becoming flesh. He did all for God's glory.

Centuries before Moses he asked for this. He says show me your glory. God's glory that which he gives to another no other this glory for which all creation stands responsible is for God alone. In John chapter 12 verse 41.

We read from the inspired author of that book John. That when Isaiah in chapter 6 of his prophecy. Do you remember that when he saw God? Sitting on his throne high lifted up and he saw the seraphim never ceasing saying Holy Holy Holy Lord God Almighty.

The whole earth is full of his glory. And what are we told that when Isaiah saw that glory he beheld Jesus glory. The psalmist tells us that the heavens declare this same refrain of God's glory. The heavens Show the glory of God.

The firmament shows forth his handiwork. No wonder the ref for the Reformers were so keen to reclaim the sovereignty of God over all aspects of the believers life. All of life has lived to the glory of God because God does all for his own glory.

The Westminster Shorter Catechism asks this way, what is the chief end of man? Man's chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever. John Piper puts a little twist on that says to glorify God by enjoying him forever.

This great this all-consuming Consuming purpose was emphasized by those in the 16th and 17th centuries who sought to reform the church according to God's Word in contrast a monastic division of life into sacred versus secular the thing that the Roman Church Perpetuated the Reformers saw all of life to be lived under the Lordship of Christ and to his glory.

Every activity of the Christian is to be sanctified to this to the glory of God. 1st Corinthians 1031. So whether you eat or drink whatever you do do all for the glory of God. 1st Peter 4 11. Whoever speaks as one who speaks?

Oracles of God whoever serves as one who serves by the strength that God supplies in order that in him God may be glorified. Through Jesus Christ to him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen says Peter Romans 11 36 for For from him and through him and to him are all things to him be glory for ever and once again.

Amen. One more Ephesians 3 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever. Amen. Sola Gratia or Gloria excuse me all for God's glory. We live to God's glory.

This wonderful truth recovered by the Reformers living to God's glory. This is our purpose. And this is the one purpose that aligns us so directly with God's own purpose for himself. God does all for his own glory.

He shares his glory with no other. We live for God's glory and in that we align ourselves with him solo Christo. By Christ's work alone we are saved. If scripture is Sola Christ's work his saving work his cross is so low.

Peter entered one of his earliest sermons by saying and there is salvation in no one else. For this for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. Plain easily understood statement on the exclusivity the supremacy of Jesus Christ and his sacrifice for our sins.

And John the Baptist anticipated all this when he said pointing to God in the flesh. Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world not a lamb of God the Lamb of God. If the church in the 16th century Taught that by God's grace and faith in Christ's cross.

You're able to perform deeds of righteousness that will merit salvation and Possibly merit salvation. You kind of find out when you get there and maybe you come into God's presence. And maybe you go to purgatory and later get bought out of there.

If that's what they taught the scriptures cry out. No, may it never be as Luther said to his confessor Von Staubitz a man needs only Jesus Christ. No other see in Christ. It's not so low. It's so low Christ.

Christ alone him him only add nothing to what he did add nothing to his glory. Try not to attain by your own efforts by your own works by your own merit anything He did because it's solo he and he alone.

Can bring salvation a reformation put the church? Back-to-faith in Christ as a soul mediator between man and God. Rome held that there is quote there is a purgatory and that the souls there detained are helped by the intercession of the faithful.

The Reformers countered that salvation was by Christ and his work on the cross and that alone Calvin put it this way. Christ stepped in Took the punishment upon himself and bore the judgment due to sinners with his own blood.

He expiated the sins which made them enemies of God and thereby says thereby satisfied him. We look to Christ alone for divine favor and fatherly love. The Heidelberg Catechism Asks this question. Do such then believe in Jesus the only Savior who seek their salvation and happiness and Saints in themselves or anywhere else?

They do not for they boasted Excuse me for though they boast of him in words yet indeed they denied Jesus the only deliverer and Savior. For one of these two things must be true. Hear this. One of these two things must be true.

That either Jesus is not a complete Savior or that they who by a true faith receive this Savior must find all things in him necessary to their salvation. Now what does this do to us? This eliminates for us one of our prized possessions our vault of treasures is burglarized by this and his most cherished gem is removed.

And what is this thing? We hang on to this as though our lives depend upon it. We give it up begrudgingly at best and whenever we find ways to bask in its glow with reverential nostalgia. We do so what do I speak of what is crushed by this doctrine of solo Christus?

Our pride. Our idea that we can do anything to gain any Portion no matter how small you want to pretend to make it of what Christ has done. It's him and him alone. Our pride is given up only with great battle.

We hang on to it hard. We say if only I will look objectively on my deeds. Surely he will see the value of them and accept me and know but by Christ alone in salvation Jesus said and notice the exclusivity of the word the he said I am the way and the truth and the life.

No one comes through the father except through me. Solo Christa. What great truth can we stand on? Then we come here to worship Jesus Christ in him alone because the salvation that he and he alone Gained us by the Father's will.

Grace Alone and the Gift of Faith

Solo Gratia. Salvation by Christ alone. Excuse me. I already said that one didn't I? Salvation by grace alone. Solo Gratia. Grace alone. Another pride crushing truth if Salvations by faith in Christ alone that is by God's grace alone that he designed salvation in the first place.

It is by his grace alone that he sent his son to accomplish this gracious design. It is by grace alone that he made you or me or anyone else able to believe. This is a central cry of the Reformation. Rome taught that his mass is a quote sacrifice, which is truly propitiatory and that by mass Quote God grants us grace and the gift of penitence remits our faults and even our enormous sins.

That us all sounds so good. Except it's by the work of the mass what we call the Lord's table. And this great truth recovered by the Reformation to crush such a doctrine. Salvation by grace alone. Our righteous standing before God is imputed to us by grace because of the work of Jesus Christ our Lord and in contrast to the Doctrines of self-merit taught by Rome the solas and the doctrines of grace total depravity unconditional election particular particular redemption.

Irresistible grace the perseverance of the Saints they were preached by all the Reformers throughout the Protestant movement. The Reformers recoil at the idea That Christ is sacrificed over and over again.

They return to the biblical doctrine of salvation by grace through faith in a once-for-all sacrifice. They tell us that when Jesus said it is finished it was finished indeed. Confession says Christ by his obedience and death did fully discharge the debt of all those that are justified and did by the Sacrifice of him of himself in the blood of his cross.

Undergoing in their stead the penalty due unto them made a proper real and full Satisfaction to God's justice in their behalf their justification is only of free grace. That both the exact justice and rich grace of God might be glorified in the justification of sinners.

The hymn gets it just right grace grace God's grace grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt. Ezra prayed in Ezra 9 6. Oh my god I am ashamed and blushed to lift my face to you my God. For our iniquities have risen higher than our heads and our guilt has mounted up to the heavens.

Which is as true now as it was then. And how do we overcome this. We do not but it's by grace. Grace from God grace alone grace that overcomes our sins. Better to say grace that overcame our sins by Christ.

Grace and truth came through Jesus Christ by Christ on the cross. The fifth of these great solace is sola fide. Justification is by faith alone. If the question is how then do I enter into this glorious salvation this thing that is revealed in scripture alone for God's glory.

Alone in Christ alone by God's grace alone. How do I enter into this. The answer is very simple by faith. It's by faith by grace through faith as I read from a phase we read in Ephesians 2 8 and 9. For by grace you are saved through faith, and it's not of yourselves.

It is the gift of God not by works so that no one should boast. Faith is a gift. It's foreign to us. You are not born with faith to believe. It's given to you as a grant of God by his grace. By faith alone, how do we enter into this by faith?

The organizing principle of the Reformation. Justification by faith alone. Our confession of faith gives a beautifully simple and yet fully or definition of what faith is. The grace of faith whereby the elect are enabled notice the passive sound of that not enable themselves are Are enabled.

To believe to the saving of their souls is the work of the Spirit of Christ in their hearts and is ordinarily wrought by the ministry Of the word by which also and by the administration of baptism and the Lord's Supper prayer and other means appointed of God it is increased and strengthened.

By this faith a Christian believes to be true whatsoever is revealed in the word. For the authority of God himself and so is enabled to cast his soul upon the truth thus believed. But the principal acts of saving faith have immediate relation to Christ.

Accepting receiving and resting upon him alone for justification Sanctification and eternal life by virtue of the covenant of grace. You notice how grace and the scriptures are so intertwined and Notice that there are there are means that God has ordained for the confirmation and strengthening of this faith.

You see your faith if indeed you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ if God has given you this gift of faith So that you can believe. It's no static quantity. It is meant to be used is meant to be worked.

It must be exercised. James says faith without works is dead. Faith is a living breathing quality. Implanted within the soul by the Living God it is by grace that this gift is imparted. Titus 3 5 would tell us that it comes by the renewing of the Holy Spirit.

He saved us not by works of righteousness Which we have done but according to his own mercy by the washing and regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit. You see if faith accomplishes something within us it accomplishes something else before God.

Paul in Romans 4 23 25 he refers back to Abraham's faith in Genesis 15 6 Which says he believed God it was counted to him as righteousness and Paul applies that to us this way. The words it was counted to him meaning Abraham.

It was counted to him. We're not written for his sake alone. But for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised Jesus who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord. Who is delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.

Faith brings what? Faith brings us right standing before God. This is what he means therefore having been justified by faith. Justified by faith declared not guilty before the bar of the law because Christ was punished for our iniquities against that law.

Your punishment poured out upon him and this apprehended by you through the gift of faith and Faith bring us this right standing this justification by. Before God by faith we appear before him even this moment this very moment as we're gathered together in his son's name.

We're in the presence. Bearing before us the very righteousness of God. Christ's righteousness. Considered as our own and how is that by faith and faith alone? Romans 1 has one of the most quoted of all the Old Testament verses.

The very one that sparked Martin Luther's determination to rely on scripture and scripture alone and to live by faith alone. The righteous shall live by faith the righteous shall live by faith. Now in this life forever in the next all by faith.

It'll be impossible to pick one of these great truths and say that this one's more important than the other. I couldn't pick a favorite. They all tie together sort of like our acrostic tulip. Total depravity unconditional election.

Limited atonement irresistible grace perseverance of the Saints what we call the doctrines of grace these all tie together. They hang together the one comes from the next and you can't take them out. You can't take one out and leave it behind.

These solos are kind of like that. They're all equally important. How do we know of Christ? It's in Scripture alone. By grace alone through faith alone and God does it saves you saves me for the same reason he created all for his own glory.

They'll kind of tie together. In scripture alone is found the final authority for all of life most especially salvation in Christ Jesus in him alone whose death on the cross satisfied all of God's demands for us to be able to come before him.

Clothed in his son's righteousness. Applied to sinner how by God's grace and by that alone through the gift of faith and that alone and all for the greatest glory of all and this alone his glory. There's just been the briefest summary of these great solace these Reformation principles this one Reformation principle I should say that we stand on well we stand most firmly upon God's Word.

God's Word stands above all of it and. Yet as these principles reflect God's Word and drive us closer to God's Word and tell us how to live in accordance with God's Word of the grace of God. That is in Jesus Christ for the glory of God alone.

We have great respect. Short of reverence for these wonderful principles because they stood for us. Stood for the church for 500 years. They've held up. They've been questioned. They've been prodded. They've been attacked.

They're detractors ever since they were first set down in ink. And yet they've held up and over these years been handed to us, and that's what this church stands on. That's who this church is. Well, I want to wrap this up with just two verses.

I'm just gonna read these two verses. And say amen and we will continue in song. Romans chapter 6 verse 4. We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death in order that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father we too might walk in newness of life and Then first Peter chapter 1 verses 20 and 21 Jesus was foreknown before the foundation of the world.

But was made manifest in these last times for your sake who through him are believers in God. Who raised him from the dead and gave him glory so that your faith and your hope are in God amen. Heavenly Father we thank you for this day of worship once again and we thank you father for the men who through the centuries have handed to us these principles and in so far Lord as they are meet with your word and your revelation of yourself and they drive us to the arms of our Savior and To lead us father to understand your word better to know you more deeply to love Christ and the salvation He gave us more as long father as this these works Bring that to our souls.

We pray that we would Have high regard for them May your word be that which rules over all and to your glory and because of your grace may we follow it closer and closer. We pray father that you would help us in this in Christ's name.

Amen.