Soteriology: By Faith Alone

The Danger of Treating Justification by Faith Alone as a License for Sin

Welcome back to our study on the subject of soteriology. Thank you brother Andy for that devotion and it's a good reminder to us tonight that we should not be overcome by sin that we should not be under the dominion of sin.

And we won't be because we're believers in Christ but but an important and it's funny again I mentioned this often how we sort of dovetail into one another because the subject I'm going to be teaching on tonight is often is often attacked because there are those who would say that what I'm going to teach on tonight leads to a life of lasciviousness or a life of sin.

Because tonight I'm going to teach on the doctrine of justification by faith alone. And the very attack against the reformers was that if you leave man to live by faith alone then he will fall away into sin.

And he'll fall away into error because you have not given him a law by which to live but rather you have given him a faith by which to live. And faith alone is not enough he has to have this law. And this law must be the standard by which he justifies himself before God.

And so as brother Andy has said tonight in his discussion about the fact that we are not under the dominion of sin something to consider when we consider the issue of justification by faith alone is this is not in any way shape or form a license for sin.

The very fact that we are justified by faith alone does not in any way mean that we give up our standard of morality or of love. In fact it is the very standards of love that we live upon. Paul says. And Jesus Christ said that love is the fulfillment of the law.

And so I just I just like to show how sometimes our lessons even though we never ever plan anything together often do dovetail. So we are in part five tonight of soteriology. Part one we asked the question what are we saved from.

We are saved from the wrath of God. Part two we looked at the definition of the atonement. What does it mean to be atoned for it means that we were separated from God. And because of the work of Christ we have been made at one we've been brought back together.

That's where the word atonement comes from. We looked at the subject of common grace and special grace. Remember common grace is that grace which is enjoyed by all men the the blessings of God that are enjoyed by every single individual.

The rain falls upon the just and the unjust. The scriptures tell us that God is good to all of his creation and we call that common grace. But there is a there is a special grace that is given to the child of God the intellect the person whom God so sees fit to give.

And that special grace is what takes a person as brother Andy was saying from light to dark or from darkness to light. It takes them from death to life. And that special grace is what we talked about last week.

The Doctrine of Justification and Why It Matters

Now tonight again we are going to look further into the study of soteriology the study of salvation. We're going to look at the doctrine of justification. We're getting more now into the particularities of soteriology.

And when it comes to the issue of the doctrine of salvation there there really is no more area that we need to make sure we are clear on then on the area of justification. Because justification means how we are made right with God.

And you can be wrong about a lot of things brother you can be wrong about certain. You'd be wrong about how you supposed to get baptized and how old people are supposed to be when you get baptized. And and even though I don't think that's a good thing to be wrong about.

You can be wrong about that. You can be wrong about whether or not it's okay to speak in tongues again I think it's important. But but you can be wrong about that. But we cannot be wrong about how we're made right with God that is the most foundational and most it is the article upon which the church stands or falls.

According to the great reformer Martin Luther he says justification by faith alone is the article upon which the church stands or falls. Now I want to just very quickly ask you to turn in your Bible to Romans 5 1.

This is a and I'm gonna bring over my board. Romans 5 1 is one of my favorite passages. I have to quit saying this is my favorite Bible verse because I have so many and people think I'm a liar because I'll say it's this verse this week and another verse another we got.

What I mean is there's just so many that are my favorites. But among those that I feel really have helped me in understanding my own theology and my own understanding of God's working in my life has been Romans 5 verse 1 and it says therefore since we have been justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

And just that verse alone Paul tells us clearly that justification is something that has already taken place in the life of the believer. He says in the ESV since we have been justified. My favorite translation is is a little it puts a little bit more sense of the past tense.

It actually says therefore having been justified by faith who has that in their Bibles. And they got that which one is that brother new King James. I really like that reading. I think the ESV gets a little worried wordy since we have been justified.

Same thing it's still speaking in the past tense. But the tense is important. Remember verbs is verbs is the action happens. And we need to know. Is this action coming. Is this action here. Or is this action from the past.

Has this already happened. In the clarity of this verse is having been justified. Meaning this is something that has taken place in the past. This isn't something that I'm I'm experiencing now as as I'm being justified as I go.

And it's not something I look forward to that one day I will be justified. But I have been justified now. There is there are those who might argue there are certain places that talk about a a current justification in a future justification.

But all of that is based on the fact that I was justified in the past I have been justified and it is a reality that it that I live in now I live at peace with God now because it says therefore having been justified by faith I have peace have currently.

That's the present tense I have peace with God through the Lord Jesus Christ. And so this verse is so very important reminding us of what has taken place and what is our current position as those who would be referred to as those who have been justified and remember what we talked about in our first lesson justified means to be declared righteous.

And that is a very important term declared righteous. And the word declared is important because when we think about when we think about the idea of how are we made right with God we're made right with God because God has declared us to be righteous he hasn't made us righteous in the sense that like if I were to ask you brother are you perfectly righteous today.

Did you sin today did you sin yesterday. Now as brother Andy I say we're not under the dominion of sin but we certainly because as long as we live in this flesh Galatians 5 tells us as long as we live in this flesh is going to be this battle that happens.

And so we still have this battle raging and at certain times that battle rage is pretty hard. Amen. And so we have this this this current state where we are as the Reformers use the term simul justus et peccator.

It's Latin which means at the same time righteous and sinner. Simul justus et peccator is mean simul justus at the same time just and sinner. How can that be. Because God declares us just. He declares us just based upon the work of another.

He declares us just based upon the work of Christ. When God sees me he sees the work of Christ that was done on my behalf. And therefore God can see me as just. He can declare me as righteous because of the work of Christ.

And when when Christ was on the cross bearing the father's wrath he was he was bearing my sin and he was receiving in himself my punishment. And therefore right now I can say my center yes but I'm just I'm righteous.

Martin Luther used to he Luther I'm reading his commentary on Galatians right now I'm preaching through Galatians at set free and and Luther has such a wild use of language and sometimes I borderlines on on Curt the borderlines on on foul language.

But Luther you know he was a he just was a he was a hard man when he came to his language he used hard language. And one of the things that he used to say he said you are like a snow-covered pile of dung because out in the German fields they would they would take the manure and they would they would pile it into piles and use it for fertilizer in the coming year.

And when the snow would fall on that fertilizer they were beautiful piles of white beautiful snow. But you know what's under that snow done. And he said that's what we Christ has covered us in his righteousness.

He and we are like those snow-covered piles of poo at you and me. But God has done that for us. He has declared us righteous. And that's what justification is. The declaration of God that we have been made excuse me that we have not been made righteous.

We've been declared righteous. One day we will be made righteous when we shed this this mortal body and we put on immortality first. Corinthians 15 says we will be given a new body and in that new body will no longer yearn for sin will no longer have the health problems that we have today will no longer have the the struggles with the desires of the flesh that we have today.

It will no longer be a battle but it will be a wonderful blessing to live in the new heaven and the new earth. So I've kind of gone off a little. I kind of took a track because I wanted to make sure we understand what justification is.

Justification by Faith Alone, Grace Alone, and Christ Alone

But tonight the focus is to say how are we justified. We are justified by faith alone in Christ alone. You all are familiar with the the solace. If you're reformed you've been in this church for a while or maybe you came from another church.

There are five what we call reformation battle cries. These were the five. And it's not the tulip. People often think the tulip is the major reformation focus. No it's not. The tulip actually was not anything that was developed by the reformers.

It came many hundreds of years later. The tulip actually didn't even make its way into the common vernacular until the earlier part of the last century. The five solas though are the five major points of reformation doctrine.

The first one sola gratia saved by grace alone. Second one sola fide saved by through excuse me through faith alone. So it's by grace alone through faith alone. The next one is solus Christus in Christ alone soli Deo gloria according to the glory of God alone or for the glory of God alone.

And then the you whether you put it at the beginning or the ending the one that stands is sola scriptura according to scripture alone. And you can put that at the beginning or at the end. But either way it works as it's according to the scripture alone.

We are saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone for the glory of God alone. And that is the and here's the thing. The amazing thing is the Roman Catholic Church would deny every one of those.

They would deny that that we are to base our faith upon scripture alone. They would say no it's scripture plus tradition. They would deny the justification and is by faith alone. They would say no. It is faith that is worked out through the works of the church and sacraments and other acts of charity and good works.

And of course the the big one soli Deo gloria. No we give glory to the Pope. We give glory to the to the to many others. And they would say it's a different type of glory. You ever seen him surrounding a statue of the Virgin Mary.

Tell me that's not worship. Let's say it's not but you just you're just changing the language. But it's still worship. So when we get to the subject of justification by faith alone this I gotta tell you something.

I've probably I don't want to say I've defended this more than anything else. But this has been the one doctrine that seems to come up all the time. When in my conversations I remember one day I was preaching here and I was preaching on the two men who went up to the temple to pray.

Remember that parable of Jesus. Two men went up to the temple to pray. One was a Pharisee the other was a publican. And the Pharisee went into the temple and he said Lord thank I thank thee. That I'm not like other men that I do good things that I tithe all that I get and I'm not like the publican over there the tax collector.

And it said that the publican would not even lift his head to God but he beat his breast and he said Lord have mercy on me a sinner. And Jesus said that man and not the other went home justified. He uses the word justified very important theological word that is used there.

Why did he go home justified. Because he understood his sin before God. He came before God in faith and repentance. And he beat his breast and he said Lord have mercy on me brought nothing nothing in my hand I bring only to thy cross I cling.

Right. That's it. The Pharisee did not go home justified because he was satisfied in his goodness his works. What he had done when I preach that sermon and I preach my heart out on justification is by faith alone.

And as I was walking to the back door a man who had never seen before and have never seen since walks by me goes. You forgot James 2 24. And because I'm not used to people saying things like that to me right after a sermon I did have a blank and I said what you see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.

And I said oh so you're denying justification by faith alone. That's what you're doing. And you're using a Bible verse out of context and completely inappropriately to do so right. Yes I don't believe in justification by faith alone.

I say the wrong church for you not only have you misunderstood the Bible you've misunderstood the gospel. And if you're going to continue to believe that justification is by works because of a misunderstanding of James 2 then you might want to find another church as you are not going to be satisfied here.

I didn't say it like that but that's what I was thinking. And pass the popcorn as I think it because the reality is and we could spend some time with James. I've taught on James 2 so many times. James is making a distinction between living faith and dead faith.

And his point is this if you say you have faith and your faith does not change your life it does not show itself then it's not real faith. It is a false faith. It's a type of faith that we see in Matthew 7 where the where the person comes to Jesus and said Lord Lord have I not done this.

Have I not done that have I not done the other. And what is what does Jesus say depart from me. I never knew you there is such a thing as false faith and that's what James is distinguishing false faith from from true faith.

But he is not in any way saying that we are saved or justified by our works but rather that our works demonstrate our faith and therefore we are justified not by our works but by our faith alone. We are justified by faith alone.

I will stand on that and I will continue to preach that because that is what the Bible teaches. One of my favorite stories. And I know I tell a lot of stories and you guys hear them a few times but but I say this I was in seminary for seven years or so you know doing different classes and everything and and and you know what stories I remember stories they told a bunch of times.

I remember dr. Jerry Powers would repeat the stories and and I and I always thought why is he telling the same story again. And those are the ones that stuck so I'm gonna tell you a story maybe it'll stick.

Dr. RC Sproul. And what's my story. Dr. RC Sproul had a group of men come to his office and they were all from different denominations and they said dr. Sproul we have finally reached ecumenical success.

And ecumenical you know meaning the bringing together denominations different viewpoints. Right. So like it like I've been invited ecumenical thing. I never go because I'm not going to sit on the same chancel with a Roman Catholic and an Episcopalian that'll you know that doesn't believe the scriptures.

I'm not going to sit up there and pretend that we're all the same because we are not huh. Yeah absolutely got Unitarian Episcopalian. You got Roman Catholic. We're not all believing the same gospel and and the Bible says I should not unequally yoke myself with them and I'm not going to but RC Sproul had these guys come to his office and they were trying to get him because he was a well-known man he was a he was a well-thought-of theologian.

And so they come to his office they said they said dr. Sproul we have reached a consensus and we have finally found ecumenical success. And we want you to join us and and help lead the way to bring the church back to true unity.

And dr. Sproul said that's great. If you knew him he was a little he could be sassy and and he was a little sassy and he said that's great. I just have one question. Is man justified by faith alone or not.

He said within five minutes they were all at each other's throats. They were fighting and arguing with one another and he said well apparently you have not reached ecumenical success because if that's the question that's again it's the article upon which the church stands or falls.

We're either justified by faith alone or we are somehow justified by what we accomplish in this world and in our works. And you cannot have it both ways. The whole book of Galatians is is Paul's argument against the Judaizers.

And the Judaizers were saying that yes you can have Jesus but you also have to apply the laws of the old covenant of circumcision and the laws of the dietary restrictions and the laws of the Sabbath and the feasts and all of the festivals.

Yes you can have Jesus and be justified but you have to add the law. And Paul says that is another gospel. He said that's a false gospel. And he said and it's a curse that comes upon anyone who would add anything to the gospel.

Even circumcision the most foundational right of ancient Judaism given by God to Abraham and to all his descendants even the most noble of works the easiest to perform it takes a knife and five minutes and you got it done.

It's that it doesn't. It takes hardly any work at all. And yet Paul says if you well let me show you this verse very quickly turn turn to Galatians as I've been preaching through this as I said on that set free.

And this verse just jumps right off the page. Go to 5 2. Galatians 5 2 he says look I Paul say to you that if you accept circumcision Christ will be no of no advantage to you. Now just stop right there.

We're gonna read a little further. But think about what he's saying. This is a warning passage. I've been preaching through this the last few weeks. He says to the men he says if you accept circumcision.

And when he says that what he means if you accept circumcision as a way to be made right with God that's implied based on everything else he said. He's not saying if you've been circumcised because a lot of people are circumcised and it's not their choice.

Right there circumcised as children. He's not saying that circumcision would remove you from Christ. What he's saying is if you are looking to your circumcision for salvation Christ is no advantage to you.

If you're looking to something you've accomplished or something that was accomplished in your mortal flesh circumcision. If you're looking to that then Christ is of no advantage to you. And he goes on.

I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obliged to keep the whole law. You are severed from Christ. You who would be justified by the law. You have fallen away from grace. You see beloved.

It's either grace or works. And as soon as you start flirting with works you have departed from grace. As soon as you start to dip your toe into the lake of works you have already dried yourself off from the fountain of grace.

You have abandoned grace to seek out salvation by works. It is either by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. Or it is by works. And if it's by works Paul goes on to say understand this. You got to do them all.

Notice what he says. I testify you to every man who accepts circumcision he is obliged to keep the whole law. See that's the thing people say. Well all you got to do is be circumcised. No. Because if you take circumcision you got you just taking the whole thing.

What is James tell us. James tells us if we break the law at one point we've broken the whole law. So if we accept circumcision we now have to accept everything else in the law. And we've got to start satisfying every point of the law.

And we start to realize that the law doesn't save us. It only condemns us. The law does not have the power to save you. It only has the power to show you how much you need to be saved. Now we can love the law because the law is good when it is used lawfully.

Paul tells us the law is good when it's used lawfully. But the unlawful use of the law is when someone tries to use it to be saved. We call that legalism when someone looks to the law as their method for salvation.

I want to read to you a quote from dr. Sproul on this. The doctrine of justification has caused tremendous controversy in the history of Christianity. It provoked the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century as the Reformers took their stand for sola fide or justification by faith alone.

Martin Luther maintained that the doctrine of justification by faith alone is the article on which the church stands or falls. And John Calvin agreed with him. They felt so strongly about this doctrine because they saw from scripture that nothing less than the gospel itself is at stake when justification is debated nothing less than the gospel.

So that's really what's at stake when a person comes and says no. I want to I want to challenge the idea of justification by faith alone. What you're challenging is the gospel that is a foundational part of the gospel.

It's not up for debate. It's not up for well you can have your way and I can have. No that's not how it works. We're not going to agree to disagree. You're just going to be wrong. And you say well maybe you're wrong not on this.

This is the gospel and you can't afford to be wrong about this. But the problem is in the world today many people are wrong about this and I want to share with you tonight three differing views on justification that exists in the world and even in the church.

There are three views of justification that are so dangerous that we need to be able to identify them so that we are able if given the opportunity and when given the opportunity to challenge them. So I'm going to give you three differing views that differ from the biblical view of justification.

Three False Views of Justification: Universalism, Legalism, and Religionism

The first view is known as universalism. Universalism is justification by death justification by death. And since I'm writing let me just go and write them all. The second is legalism which is justification by law keeping.

And the third is the most dangerous of all religionism justification by the church. I want to explain that one. I will explain that one. Let's look. But I'm going to explain all three of them. Universalism.

How many of you have ever been to a funeral where the pastor stood up and said this man never believed in Christ. This man had no fruit of repentance. This man should give us no hope for his eternity.

It happened in Mexico once there was a story that came out of Mexico of a priest who was asked to give a eulogy for a very well-known drug-dealing man who was known to be a scoundrel and a fiend. And the little priest stood up and said it is men like this who will go to hell and will bust it wide open.

I don't know if he survived but I remember hearing that tale come out of out of Mexico that he was willing to at least say what is often the truth and people are unwilling to say because I will tell you this everybody everybody in the funeral parlor is going to heaven.

If you ask their friends and their family they'll say I mean no matter the man's positions no matter what he has taught or believed no matter where he is in Christ he is justified by death. You understand what I mean by that he's dead and therefore he's in heaven.

Now I understand the need for some sense of closure and some sense of hope and understand I'm not here telling you you should walk around and kick all of your unbelieving family in the teeth when they have the death of a loved one but I'll tell you something I have done well over 150 funerals in the last 15 years because I've worked alongside of a funeral director and I've worked at a funeral home when I was a young man so I know how the funeral business operates and and I've been a part of that for for most of my adult life and even my teenage years.

But I will tell you something I've never done and by God's grace I hope I never do. I've never declared anyone was going to heaven just because they died. Here's what I tell the family if I have no idea about the person's salvation because most of them I don't know.

If I have no idea about the person's salvation I say this I'll spend 30 minutes the first half of the service talking about their life and I'll share about their life where they work where they you know what they did with life what they did what things you want me to say I said.

But the last half I talked about Jesus and I'm gonna tell everybody in the room that there is only one way to heaven and it's through Jesus Christ I said. So if you're willing to let me come and do that that's how it's gonna work.

But there is a hard part in the funeral where I literally make the change. I stopped talking about them and I start talking about Jesus. Now there are some blessed times where I do believe the person was a believer.

One sweet lady who died many years ago her family's pastor was out of town. He was on a cruise ship and he actually offered to fly himself back but they said no pastor. We know this is your sabbatical.

You're gone away on a cruise and they actually called me up and pulled me into my office. They wanted to know what I believe what I taught what I believed about the gospel. Because if I was going to preach their mama's funeral I better preach the gospel.

And I was like you know what. Giddy up. That's that's a that's the best that I've ever been asked to do. Because I mean as far as people I didn't know because I know I've done funerals for a lot of you guys and families and stuff.

But for people you don't know it's hard. And when I did that it was like okay I get to preach the gospel because these people want to hear the gospel. That means there's a good chance this lady is in the presence of Christ.

I still didn't say she was because I don't know. That's the careful thing. But you see we are so willing to say someone is justified just because they died. That's not what the Bible says. The Bible says we are justified by faith not death.

So that's number one. Universalism is false. We are not justified by death. We're justified by faith. Number two is the idea that we're justified by law justified by law keeping. I I can't tell you how many people have applied a standard of legalism to the gospel that is so foreign to the scriptures.

Now again I'm not saying that we are free in Christ and therefore we are free to sin. The Bible says that is not the case. In fact the Bible says we are free in Christ from sin not free to sin. We're free from the power of sin and from the penalty of sin.

And one day we'll be free from the presence of sin. And that's the blessing of the gospel. But I'll tell you what. There are legalists all over there's a lot of folks who will tell you unless you're baptized you can't be saved now.

I believe baptism is important. I've already said that I believe baptism is necessary. And you said wait a minute we mean what I mean is I don't think it's optional. I think you I think it's something that needs to be done.

I don't think that you can say I I just don't want to be baptized. I don't think that would be a disobedience. But understand this. There are people who believe that you're not saved until you go in that water.

In fact they believe that you're not saved unless you are baptized according to a very specific method. Not only do you have to be immersed but you have to be immersed in the name of Jesus only. Now base that on Acts 238 repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins.

And you'll receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. They use Acts 238 and they say you don't baptize according to the Trinitarian name of the Father and the Son the Holy Spirit. But you baptize according to Jesus's name only and you baptized by immersion.

And if you've not been baptized in the name of Jesus only and you've not been baptized by immersion then you have not received the gift of the Holy Spirit and you still are unsaved. I love it. That's legalism.

Not only does it set a standard that the Bible does not set and if all you know is Acts 238 you don't see the whole spectrum of what the scripture says about baptism then you're in the in the fact that you're denying Jesus's own words who said go into all the world and baptize in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

The fact that he gave the Trinitarian formula in the Great Commission. But there's great misunderstanding. Well that's true. And and and while I would agree with you they have an answer for that they always do.

Legalists will always find a creative answer. The creative answer to that one of course is well that was before the command to be baptized was given in Acts 2. So that was an old covenant dispensation not the new covenant.

And and but I have heard some get creative and say well it was raining. You know maybe he was. And then you. But then you got to believe in sprinkling. And so the whole problem. You know there's a but again I digress.

The reality is that as soon as you start putting anything as the you must do X to be saved then you're no longer talking about the gospel. When you start putting in here are the categories of things that you must achieve.

You've departed from the gospel and you're no longer believing the gospel now will the gospel change your life. Yes. Will it be a will your faith be accompanied by repentance. Yes. In fact that's going to be my next lesson is on regeneration.

And how regeneration and faith work together. And how regeneration and faith are is also regeneration and repentance. Because repentance and faith come together. But at the same time justification is by faith alone.

And we must maintain that solid and important foundation. Last one is called religion ism. Religion ism is justification by the church. And you say I don't understand. Maybe a better one a better way to say it would be justification by the sacraments and the Roman Catholic Church.

You come forward. The priest provides for you the wafer which is supposed to not represent the body of Christ but actually have been transubstantiated had been changed into the body of Christ. And you receive the body of Christ.

And in doing so you receive at that moment the forgiveness for all of your past sins. You say but wait a minute I don't have only past sins. I'm pretty sure I'm going to have some future sins. What I do about those we got come back next week.

I mean I mean it might sound like I'm being facetious. No. You got to come back next week and you got to get it again. And in the meantime you better hope that you don't commit any mortal sins because mortal sins in the Roman Catholic faith destroy the grace of justification.

Now if you commit venial sins that won't destroy your justification but it will add time in purgatory. So what you need to do is if you have time between now and the next time you receive the body of Christ then in that time you need to go and receive penance.

You need to go to the to the confessional booth and confess your sins to the priest and he will give you something that you can do to deal with your venial sins. You see that's justification by the church.

I'm going to say something that's going to sound a little odd. There is no salvation outside the church. Hear what I'm saying because I believe that statement is true. There is no salvation outside the church.

What I mean by that what I mean is this. The only way you can be saved is by believing in the Lord Jesus Christ repenting of your sins trusting in him. And in that you become part of the universal body of Christ the universal church.

And you can't be saved if you're not part of the church. You can't be saved if you're not part of the universal body of Christ. If you say I'm saved but I'm not part of the body of Christ I'd say you're not saved because that's how you are.