Reformation Truths

Father in heaven We thank you this morning for the opportunity we have to to meet and to be together in Fellowship and to worship you

Father we pray that as we Discuss the study of theology as we talk about Reformation truths as we talk about the gospel.

I pray that the Lord Jesus Christ would be exalted that your word would be vindicated that we would be

Edified and even challenged to think rightly about the truth

Father we live in a world that is filled with not just lies but irrelevant data

Teach us to sort through it To hold fast to that which is true, and we pray for these things in Jesus name

Amen Yeah, we were talking Yesterday morning and again for those of you who are

Who know Dallas Dallas Brown is here today for the ladies upstairs? So if you're wondering why there are a few women in here, that's why we were talking yesterday morning and by the way we're going to vary from the

Study of the Trinity this morning mostly because if I stay on the Trinity and my wife's not in here

I get in trouble So sorry about that Yeah, sorry about that John really really sorry

Yesterday morning we were talking about Huxley and we were talking about who's the other guy?

Wrote 1984 Orwell And The reason I bring this up just briefly is because you know people are always talking about Orwell and how he was right

You know about big brother and everything else But the thing is Neil Postman when he wrote this book called amusing ourselves to death talking about the decline in American Civilization pointed out that Huxley was really more right

Because what he said was that we would get to the point not where the government was telling us what to think although They're doing that but more disturbingly

There would be so much misinformation out there that finding the truth would be more and more difficult to do and I think that's the world we just get snowed by Misinformation anyway

We're going to be talking a little bit not about Reformation in terms of history Although I am going to start with one quote from a reformer because I just found it and thought this is so good

William Perkins said this He said the Jew talking about Jewish people worships

God out of Christ Meaning apart from Christ without him altogether

Which means what if you worship God? But you don't love the Lord Jesus Christ.

What does that mean? You don't know

God, right? If you say that you love the father, but you deny the son whom the father sent then do you love the father?

No You know you you have constructed essentially an idol Perkins goes on to say and so does the

Turk now keeping in mind that he's writing in the late 1500s

What does he mean when he says and so does the Turk? Muslim and obviously the last few weeks.

I think a lot of us have been Thinking a lot about Islam. What's a unique feature of Allah the

God of Islam? Josh he doesn't have a son.

That's absolutely unique which would make him obviously not a father There's something else that's unique about him.

You won't hear him described as a god of They'll call him merciful, but they don't really mean it.

You know may may Allah be merciful to me or what have you go ahead Capricious unpredictable and so which is right on line

With what I'm where I'm going when we say that God is love

You know some people will mush that and mean By much it I mean they'll just kind of go you know make it ooey and gooey and something that it's not entirely

The contrast I would draw between Allah who's capricious and the

God of the Bible who is said to be love written I mean we could discuss that at length, but we won't

If God is love or God is capricious. What's the difference Allah says do do do do do and maybe

I'll have mercy on you Maybe it'll be enough God says

Before you did anything Before you were born I set my affection upon you and Nothing you do and nothing that happens to you and nothing in all of creation can ever separate

My love from you those are not the same God We don't worship the same

God as the Muslims. We don't worship the same God as the Jews Then he goes on to say

Perkins does William Perkins he says So does the Turk yay and the papists

That's a that's a word that needs to come back into vogue Because it draws a clear line you know between the

Roman Catholic Church and Us the papists worship God But yet outside of the true

Christ The Christ of the papists is a counterfeit

Christ Why would he say that on top of the fact that he's a reformer? Why wouldn't

William Perkins say that Taylor? Okay, because it's all law

Let me put it to you this way Why is it that and this wasn't the case when

Perkins wrote this? But why is it now that Mary has been designated designated by Rome as a co -redemptrix

With Jesus why would they say that she is? You know she has as much to do with The redemption the salvation of a

Christian as Jesus does Okay, Mary was sinless

According to this according to Rome now You know whereas when Pastor Mike was preaching through Luke he said very clearly with the text says which is

Mary says You know she underscores her need for a savior

Um But again, why would they why would they say that and and it gets back to the root of what they believe about Jesus the

Roman Catholic Church teaches that you have to go to Mary because She can placate her angry son

I mean when you think about the Jesus of scripture Would you ever think you know,

I mean here's Here is the god man who said You know come to me all you who are heavy laden and I will

You know weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest not come to me and I will give you a good old -fashioned thrashing, you know,

I mean You got another thing coming to me if you come to me Um, you and me are gonna have words.

I mean, it's it's it's It is not the Christ, you know, he calls him a counterfeit

Christ. Well, let's just think about it some more The Jesus of Roman Catholicism.

Does he save? maybe You know a resounding

Why is it only maybe Josh depends on if they're a good

Catholic Beyond that even if they're a great Catholic Anthony who was a fine

Catholic in his day They they don't believe

Yeah, they don't they don't believe that Jesus paid for all your sins And you say that they don't believe that he rose from the dead.

What do you mean by that? Okay that he's alive today You would say that they don't believe that he's alive

Okay, that's anthony's interpretation Go ahead

Okay, they re -execute him. They put him to death every single mass, right? I mean, it's uh, the masses.

Uh It is a mess, right

Yeah, there is symbolism in that in that when We show the cross it is empty when they show the cross.

He's still on it um You know the whole doctrine of purgatory says that you know,

Jesus didn't Pay the price for all of our sin He goes on to say

And in many other points of their religion, I want to stop there for a moment make no mistake about it There's a difference between catholicism and christianity

You know when somebody says are you a protestant? What's the correct answer? Okay, i'm a christian is a fine answer

But you know roman catholic would say i'm a christian too is it wrong to say you're a protestant And you know, here's one of my cues.

This isn't oh, you know, this isn't infallible because i'm not the pope but what One of my cues is this

The former owner of tbn which is the trinity broadcasting network Which what was true about it was it was broadcasting?

And it was a network it had nothing to do with the trinity though because you could Hold any view of the trinity and still be on it

But paul crouch who was the owner who's now who now knows better said

He goes don't call me a protestant. I'm not protesting anything And there's a reason why

I kind of like the title protestant I mean it's Come to mean a lot of things but what it initially meant was i'm protesting against rome i'm protesting against this false system that says

Jesus didn't pay at all I'm protesting against this system that says I can buy an indulgence and get my family out of purgatory

Because jesus didn't pay for all their sins either I'm protesting against the idea that there's a pope.

I'm protesting against the idea that Pastors have to be single boy would

I protest that one? I'm protesting against this whole system

Because they've added to scripture and he goes on to say perkins does He says there is an apparent

Repugnancy to the word of god What does he mean by that what does it mean to be repugnant

What's another good r word that goes right along with it repulsive right The I would say, you know, the roman catholic system is both offensive to the word of god

And it is offended by the word of god. What do I mean by that? How in what sense does roman would roman catholics be offended by scripture?

Okay, when it goes against their tradition or the church teaching they have three sources of information bible tradition

And then church teaching and when church teaching or church tradition come into conflict with scripture, which one wins?

Anything but scripture and that's the difference, you know people say well, why do we even have a confession of faith?

Well, there are several reasons But here's one thing I would say without hesitation

If our confession of faith if you read the confession of faith and you go, you know what I don't agree with it

Okay, everybody can have their own opinion But what's the key? You disagree with the bible

You know, I may not like everything well, I I don't really have a problem with our confession of faith

But If somebody if somebody's out there and they go, I you know, I don't really know that I agree with this whole predestination thing

Or I don't know if I agree with whatever It's one thing to say i'm not sure

I agree with it It's another thing to say the bible doesn't agree with it Because if I if I can examine something and see that it varies from scripture then scripture wins

That's one of the key differences between rome And a protestant church we say

What god said? Is the final word on it? Whatever our confession says if our confession is wrong, then we change our confession

If our belief system is wrong, we change our belief system because scripture is the ultimate authority

See, I knew this was going to happen because I just like this quote so much. I knew I knew I was going to but He says yea of their sacrifice of the mass

We may truly say as the apostle did of heathen idol worship Let that sink in for a second

He's talking about the mass and he says we may truly say as the apostle did of heathen idol worship that they sacrifice not unto god

But to the devil For therein is as vile accursed and abominable idolatry

As ever was devised by man How can he say that?

Well, let's just think about what? Is written in the in the by the prophet isaiah

That men would take what a piece of wood? or a rock And carve and shape it or give it to a craftsman who would shape it into something and then what would they do?

Bow down and worship it So what happens at the mass? You've got something that somebody baked or crafted or manufactured or pressed into wine

Put into a barrel and aged And then what do people do?

This is the body of christ bow to it This is the blood of christ.

They say that the priest With nothing up his sleeves changes the wafer changes the wine

Into the body and blood of jesus. Therefore you better Worship it

What is that? Well It's pseudo witchcraft because it doesn't actually happen right if he actually did it

You know If we could check the dna of the uh of the materials

That would be witchcraft But what we have is, you know, nothing short of idolatry. Yeah Well, I mean

Yeah, I mean because the literal the woodness, you know Where they they go for for that from john six, you know,

I It is kind of amazing because you know, uh

John six at the at the end of the chapter is have you ever how many of you have ever talked to a catholic apologist about the nature of uh of the mass

And and where do they go? You know, they go to john six. Let's turn there for a moment Because it it's just mondo bizarro

I mean you have to have a very Odd hermeneutic to do this

Um let's just Skip a little bit of this here and let's let's say, uh, john six and then let's go to 49

Jesus speaking. He says as many of you know, since you have the red letter version, sorry Uh, your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness and they died

This is the bread that comes down from heaven so that one may eat of it and not die Now by the way

Do you think you're a roman catholic to say well when I eat of the mass i'm going to live forever

Meaning not suffer mortal death brian Yes.

Yes, but what i'm saying is, you know If you're going to use a literal hermeneutic as they're going to here in a moment, then you would read that and go

Well, I guess if I eat this i'm not going to perish I am the living bread that came down from heaven.

So when he says that You know What he's he's bread

If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever and the bread that I will give For the life of the world is my flesh

The jews then disputed amongst among themselves saying how can this man give us his flesh to eat?

now at that point If you're using a literal hermeneutic, what what conclusion would you think that the jews have come to?

cannibalism So jesus said to them truly truly I say to you unless you eat the flesh of the son of man and drink his blood

You have no life in you Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks.

My blood has eternal life. Okay. Now we're talking about we've changed from not dying to having eternal life

And I will raise him up on the last day for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink

Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me and I in him As the living father sent me

I live because the father Because of the father so whoever feeds on me. He will also live because of me

This is the bread that came down from heaven. Not like the bread. The fathers ate and died whoever feeds on this bread will live forever

Jesus said these things in the synagogue as he taught it at capernaum When the disciples heard it, there's a hard saying and several of them leave they're grumbling

Disputing But here's the thing If jesus was saying

That the bread and the wine literally become his flesh and blood Then what what does that say here?

You know if he's offering that to these people then what? Limited supply.

Yeah, well and you know, we would expect maybe I mean if he wants them to understand this rightly he

Have to like believe himself or do something really odd, you know When they leave there's small wonder in it

But is that what he's saying and can you go from there to saying well the priest? At every catholic church around the world every sunday or every time there's a mass

Has the power to transform the bread and the wine into the blood actual blood and body of jesus and there's

There's really no warrant. You've got to go bridge by bridge by bridge and then burn the bridges and you know, it's it's a mess so when

Perkins calls it the most abominable idolatry As ever was devised by man.

He's saying What i'm saying That they've created this whole system. They worship this

Created thing that is not jesus You can't re -sacrifice jesus.

Jesus paid the price once for all When he said it is finished. He didn't mean for now

You know come back next sunday. There's more coming It was one and done So questions concerns comments before we move on yeah, it's all symbolic and that's you know, that's the thing because to do what the roman catholics do you kind of have to go from symbolic to you know

Wooden to you know back and forth they've got a very inconsistent hermeneutic and that's and then

In addition throwing in the priest and everything else. I mean they've got a real problem and like you said

If we just understand the whole idea That this is meant to say That christ is the passover lamb, you know

Which really he kind of explains at the at the last supper not so much in john 6

Um But yeah valid and and like I said, they really make a

Make a mess out of that so Here's where I was going before I so rudely interrupted myself

Wanted to talk this is an article I read last night from ryan mcgraw over at Ligonier Just talking about the five solos because I thought well, this is good.

It's reformation month Let's talk about this and there are a lot of things that You know, even as i've been going through this book christless christianity

Um by what is the guy's name Yeah, michael horton I was going to say no that's not right

There are a lot of things that that we're tempted to Assume to presume that everybody knows and you know, what's the ultimate presumption?

What's the ultimate thing that sometimes gets assumed that we should never assume? Belief in god or belief in the gospel even an understanding of the gospel, right?

If people don't understand the gospel then um, they're not They can't be saved but I was

I was recently at a church and I think Maybe you know, I I don't know if this is habitual or not

But basically there was an assumption of the gospel You're talking to little children you invite them up front

And you tell them Well, you know, it's really super important for you to tell people about jesus

Okay What do I tell them about jesus? He never said And he went on for like four or five minutes and he talked about you know

A missionary overseas who's telling people about jesus and i'm like great. What is he telling them? I mean jesus could be a soccer player.

He could be anything we you know, there has to be some content I threw that in for you josh

All right absolutely but Here ryan mcgraw's talking about The five solas and he says, you know,

I mean this is something when we think about the five solas Maybe you don't think about it like this, but I I want to think you know that there was some kind of like Theological law firm, you know of calvin and luther, you know, and And uh, you know, they had a bunch of staff pastors working for them they said hey, you know what

Let's put together this package. We'll call it the five solas. What do you think? Good marketing thing, right?

Well, the reality is the five solas as such were not coined as a phrase until like the 19th century, so it's much later that they

Come to be what are the five solas? solo scriptura

Sola fide Sola gratia Solus christus

And soli deo gloria for the glory of god alone and you know, these might be the only latin phrases

I know so just hang with me Um, i'm not like mike, you know getting on my thing trying to learn latin

Solo bootstraps is not on the list It's the seventh.

Uh sola. Does anybody know what the sixth one is? solo homeschooler, so These are always good for a laugh you guys should know these by now, come on All right

But these capture really the essence of the the divide you know between Protestants between us and rome

So solo scriptura, first of all, he says theology must be scripturally grounded God's life -giving speech reveals to us his salvation and calls us to faith and repentance

We were once in darkness, but now we're in light Then he said something here that I thought this is pretty good satan blinds the minds of unbelievers

Lest they see the light of the gospel of the glory of christ. Can you think of a passage that says That satan blinds the minds of unbelievers

I mean, it's interesting to me. It's second corinthians 4 4. Let's just look at that for a moment

It's interesting to me because when we think about unbelievers, how do we view them typically? What do you think when you're talking to an unbeliever?

And you're you're Giving them the gospel and they're declining to believe. What do you think?

What's that? They're spiritually dead. Yes And you know right there in ephesians 2, you know, they're spiritually dead they follow their

They follow the prince of power the course of the air, you know, they're sons of satan all those kind of things Spiritually dead is good

Well, it's not good, but it's a good description Second corinthians 4 40 says in their case talking about unbelievers

Because we know that because he says in 4 3 of those who are perishing in their case the god of this world who is satan

Has blinded the minds of unbelievers to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel Of the glory of christ who is the image of god?

Now we think okay They're dead in their sins and trespasses.

They're incapable true But there's also I mean as if that's not enough

They've also got satan blinding them I mean, there are a lot of problems with people coming to faith in christ, right?

The holy spirit has to give them eyes to see Ears to hear hearts that will believe all those things

He says uh talking about Causing people to believe he says god always does this by the spirit working through the word

That's one of the things you know, I hear you see you read these cases of muslims coming to christ allegedly by via dreams and i'm like I'm, not saying that Cannot happen.

It just doesn't seem to be What the bible describes, right? Um God the spirit working through the word the holy spirit is the author of scripture the scriptures teaches everything we need to make us wise for salvation second timothy three and We already said dead in our sins and trespasses

Let me just read what our confession of faith says about scripture and again, you know, what's the important thing about?

The confession of faith the important thing about it is that it summarizes accurately what?

scripture teaches if it doesn't Then we need to change our confession What's you know?

Many of you know this why even have a confession of faith? taylor

Okay to unify the members brian Okay, it tells what the church teaches and believes josh okay to show consistency with Christians throughout the ages.

I think that's really important. I think it's important to think you know if And i've used this example before charles spurgeon comes walking through the door.

He won't by the way But if he came walking through the door, it'd be good for him to say, you know I I'm not going to affect an english accent but say, you know, what do what do you people believe here?

And if we said well 1689 lyndon baptist confession of faith, he'd say well very good.

I you know, I might stay here and listen Or perhaps i'll preach but you know The confession says this the holy scripture is the only

Okay again, just think about magisterium the the The Church teaching or church tradition

So you have to keep the context in mind. This is in protest against rome

The holy scripture is the only sufficient Certain an infallible rule of all saving knowledge faith and obedience

Although the light of nature And the works of creation and providence in other words, this is romans 1 language right everything that we can see

Tells us that god is a god of order that he's a god of power works of creation and providence do so far manifest the goodness wisdom and power of god as to leave men inexcusable

In other words nobody's going to be able to say on Judgment day. Well, I didn't know because you did know

Even by virtue of creation you have no excuse Yet they are not sufficient creation

Not sufficient to give that knowledge of god and his will which is necessary unto salvation.

Therefore, please the lord At sundry times and in diverse manners meaning at various points in time and different ways to reveal himself special revelation

And to declare that his will Or i'm sorry and to declare that his will unto his church

And afterward 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 that same

That same truth wholly unto writing which makes the holy scriptures To be the most necessary Those former ways of god's revealing his will unto his people now being ceased

This is hebrews one language, right god used to talk to us in a multitude of different ways

He used to give men visions He used to talk to them directly

But now he's spoken to us In his son, he's done with all those former revelations

The london Confession of faith goes on. This is 1 .6. I've read 1 .1 1 .6

says this The whole counsel of god concerning all things necessary for his own glory man's salvation faith in life is either

Expressly set down or necessarily contained in the holy scripture Unto which nothing at any time is to be added

You know, why can you dismiss? Mormonism Uh islam

Jehovah witnesses seventh -day adventism Because none of them stand

On on the bible alone. They all have to add to the scripture and our confession of faith says

Nothing is to be added whether by new revelation of the spirit or traditions of men Nevertheless we acknowledge that inward illumination of the spirit of god

To be necessary for the saving understanding of such things as are revealed in the word in other words, you're not going to understand the bible fully or completely or even

Salvificly without the holy spirit And that there are some circumstances concerning the worship of god and the 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 Yeah, this is just like boilerplate.

I mean, I feel like it's a disclaimer there Don't sue us because you know

But the key issue is you can't know the bible How do we know that we can't understand the bible apart from the holy spirit?

Because the bible tells us that in first corinthians 2 15 or 14 Okay So sola scriptura scripture alone and by the way what

I was going to say about the confession is it also provides guardrails boundaries

Places where you know you dare not exceed them Or you dare not go against them without having a good valid biblical reason

And you know here would be a good example if I wanted to say something like When god justifies you and declares you righteous, that's great but on judgment day

There's a second reckoning and you better have sufficient fruit Or you won't get through that second stage

What's wrong with that? Well, it's not biblical Yeah, it's works righteousness.

It's catholicism But there are men running around teaching that and they're arguing Some people are arguing for it on my wall even today.

So I digress Yes, I see that hand charlie, right you you can acquiesce to it or not acquiesce to it, but if you're not going to acquiesce to it, then

You probably should find another confession, right? Westminster and there

And there's the confession of toledo 2014, you know, I mean there's all I made that one up but uh

As if you didn't know Yeah Yeah, there are a summary of christian teaching, you know a systematic summary of christian teaching.

Yeah, I like that andrew you're gonna yeah So so let me just you know highlight that and then we'll move on, you know

It's really good in the confession because it will You know after it makes its points it will give you several scriptures that back up what they say

And you know if you go well, I can think of some verses that contradict what they say Well, then we have a discussion.

Otherwise, it's like well, you need to submit to the bible. So Good. Okay So scripture alone then the one he he lists next is christ alone and again if we just think about In terms of the

What the reformation is about which is a reformation of the roman catholic church.

It's a protest against the roman catholic church When luther put the 99 You know theses on the on the wall there

Wherever that was around the door of wittenberg Um You know, he was he was protesting against the excesses of the roman catholic church so solus christus christ alone

Theology must be christ focused Which makes sense? If this is the way that god is speaking to us and that's what he the author of hebrews says

He's speaking to us in his son alone, right? This is the final word Then that should be our focus and McGraw says here we should believe everything scripture teaches us because it's god's word

Christ is the main point of the bible and the whole bible testifies to him And you know some people squawk about that and and let me just clarify that You know, does that mean that I can preach jesus in every verse of the old testament as we're wandering through the wilderness

In numbers, am I really trying to say that every you know If I go verse by verse and please don't ever try this at home kids

If you're going verse by verse Through numbers or judges or you know any number of old testament things?

Should you expect to be able to find jesus in every rock tree and shrub of the old testament? No, that's not the point

But the major theme, you know it the major theme of scripture is jesus

Even if you understand it this way in the beginning, you know here you've got this idyllic Setting adam and eve are there and then they sin against god

Well, I mean First of all, I would say that who is it who's walking and talking with adam and eve in the garden

It's the pre -incarnate christ And then you know this judgment comes upon them and uh when the judgment comes up on satan and jesus is

Pre -figured or or you know, he's basically foretold even in genesis 3 15

And then the rest of it is a development, you know There are moments when it seems like there can't be a savior because israel is going to be wiped out so the promise of god to redeem

You know through that line is going to be wiped out or you know There are all sorts of things but ultimately a big picture.

It's always about jesus small picture. Maybe not But big picture it's always going to be about him

Uh without the spirit, we can't receive a scripture. Yep. Yep. Yep The father is well pleased in his son and is well pleased with us only when we are in the sun and that's so important um and Boy where's the time go?

So So we'll just wrap this up in like three minutes, okay Um again, you know just comparing if we just compare islam

Catholicism and what the bible says to be in christ Means as I said in the beginning

That god set his affection upon us that he caused us in time to be born again

That he called us in christ to be sinless and perfect blameless

Well, what does that mean? Does it mean that from the time I get saved I never sin again? It means that i'm

As we like to say clothed wrapped in the robes of right christ's righteousness so that God never has a reason to say

I don't love steve anymore. I'm done with steve Steve would be done with steve over and over again.

God isn't done with steve Because he's not like me. He's not like the god of islam.

He's not like the god of catholicism He doesn't cast us out because we don't go to church on sunday the confession 8 .1

says this he says it pleased god in his eternal purpose to choose and ordain the lord.

Jesus his only begotten son And when I when I say that what does it mean it means eternally begotten meaning there was never a time when jesus did not exist

According to the covenant made between them both This is the covenant of redemption

To be the mediator between god and man the prophet priest and king

Head and savior of the church the heir of all things and judge of the world Unto whom he did from all eternity

Give a people to be his seed Excuse me And to be by him in time redeemed called justified sanctified and glorified

Why doesn't god ever Give up on us. Why doesn't he ever cast us out because we're in christ jesus

He can't love us more or love us less because of christ Moving quickly sola fide faith alone

Without faith it is impossible to please god And you know,

I want to say this we know that faith is a gift and so often, you know, the Armenian the semi -pelagian will say well sure

But you have to receive that gift right it takes the open hand To receive that gift.

Well, what would you say to somebody who says that? You have to hold your hand out to receive the gift of faith daniel

You're dead you're dead lad good luck on that It's work how many dead men hold out their hands

You know I'd like to call for a show of hands all those who are dead today.

Um, you can't you can't you can't do it So what does that mean?

You know if we think faith is a gift. Well, that's true Faith has to be received faith has to be exercised.

That's all true But you can't have faith you can't receive faith unless You're born again

The theme that runs all through this and we really have to close here rapidly The theme that runs all through this is this is for the glory of god alone.

This is by his power alone. So when we see Some or when somebody says well how you know, you have to receive that gift.

That's right So god has to work in you so that you stick your hand out because otherwise you'll never do it

On your own you would never receive faith God gives that to you, you know and and here i'll just make this simple

You can't be born again And not believe And you can't believe and not be born again.

So which comes first? Yes, okay Is that clear?

Got it. All right then sola fide Oh, I did that fide, uh, sola gratia

Must be grace saturated and that's what we're talking about Is that act of god his grace if we're saved by faith and we are only saved, uh, not by works, but by grace alone is god

Giving us his generous disposition by which he lavishes us with all good things, which we do not deserve

Okay We have Well, this is good.

He said this is why the apostle paul's letters begin grace and peace to you From god the father and from the lord.

Jesus christ The holy spirit teaches us through scripture that salvation is by grace alone

Because salvation is by faith in christ alone. It has to be grace.

Grace is not a sentimental idea. He says Leading us to ignore our sins not caring how we live

And then he gives titus 2 verses 11 14 for the grace of god has appeared bringing salvation for all people

Training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions And to live life self -controlled upright and godly lives in the present age waiting for our blessed

Hope the appearing of the lord or appearing of the glory of our great god and savior Jesus christ who gave himself for us to redeem us

From all lawlessness and to pursuit purify for himself A people for his own possession who are zealous for good works

So what happens we get saved and we are zealous for good works And finally soli deo gloria

Gloria theology must be god dominated It's for his glory alone.

Each of the three persons of the trinity saves us in harmonious in a harmonious unity

That leads us to worship all three divine persons Anyway, we have to close because we're over but let me let me close in prayer father

We thank you even as we remember the reformation 500 plus years ago how men dared to stand against the most powerful organization on the face of the planet and to declare that What the roman catholic church was teaching was not true and they

Proclaimed the accurate gospel that they recovered the gospel there have always been there has always been a faithful remnant, but for centuries that remnant was

Persecuted and hunted down by the so -called roman church

Father we would pray that many of our neighbors are roman catholic neighbors

Friends family members who do not know you would come to know you That they would hear the gospel that you would unstop their ears that you would remove the scales from their eyes that you would give them hearts of flesh remove their hearts of stone and grant them newness of life newness of thought newness of affections

We pray for these things and and help us to be evangelists help us to have

To be ready to give a reason for the hope that is within us and we pray these things in jesus name.