The Five Solas: A Cry for Truth! (Part 4 of 5)

Hello Friends!

Welcome back to part four of The Five Solas: A Cry for Truth!

This week we will investigate the fourth Sola known as SOLA GRATIA…

The Five Solas: #4 – Sola Gratia

By grace alone is from the Latin Sola gratia. In salvation we are rescued from God's wrath by His grace alone. It is the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit that brings us to Jesus Christ by releasing us from our bondage to sin and raising us from spiritual death to spiritual life. It is denied that salvation is in any sense a human work. Human methods, techniques or strategies by themselves cannot accomplish this transformation. Faith is not produced by our unregenerate human nature.

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast – Ephesians 2:8-9

Our justification before God and our resulting eternal salvation are both solely by the sovereign distinguishing grace of God and are not dependant on any action or condition provided by man. By His grace, He has given man the ability to choose or reject Him.

Thank you for reading! Don’t miss next week’s edition as we investigate the final Sola #5 – SOLI DEO GLORIA…

May the Lord Jesus Christ continue to bless you with His perfect love, mercy and grace!

Keep looking up and sharing the Gospel while there is still time… Hallelujah and Maranatha – come quickly Lord Jesus!

 

Blessings!

Shane <><

Who's the Focus On?

15 The couriers went out, spurred on by the king’s command, and the edict was issued in the citadel of Susa. The king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Susa was bewildered. Esther 3

The story so far:  Haman has been elevated to a high status, so high that everyone must kneel before him.  Mordecai refused to do so because Haman's ancestors were the Amalekites, enemies of the Israelites.  Haman wasn't pleased and then proceeds to take his revenge on not only Mordecai, but all Jews.  He wants to kill all of them within the kingdom.  He convinces the king to agree, and a proclamation is sent to all in the kingdom of the day the Jews are to be killed.

The last verse in the chapter covers two ends of a spectrum.  The king and Haman relax and enjoy some wine after the proclamation is sent.  Haman is practically celebrating the upcoming defeat of the Jews.  Meanwhile, the rest of the kingdom is giving a resounding, "Huh?" They don't know where this came from.  EVERYONE is confused.  The confusion is not specific to only the Jews.

Compare this to today's world.  If a foreign leader refused to shake our President's hand, or if a member of the military refused to salute a high ranking and public officer, it would be plastered all over the news.  Everyone would know the players, the backstory, and the rumors about what would happen next.  There would be little in the form of a surprise, other than the initial act.

Mordecai stood up for what he knew to be right.  He stood up for his people and for his God.  He didn't think of the severe consequences, nor did he think of the notoriety that would follow from his act.  He didn't think of the possible book deals or talk show appearances that may arise from his actions.  He stood for God, not himself.

We are to do the same.  Standing for God may sometimes put us under a spot light, but that should not be the reason we act.  We need to present God as being front and center, not ourselves.

God of the Impossible

Has anyone ever told you that some of the stories in the Old Testament didn’t really happen? Is it because they seem too far-fetched or too impossible?

Many of these “impossible” events (Noah and the flood, destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah by fire, Jonah swallowed by the fish, etc.) are not just mentioned in one Old Testament book, but are referenced in the New Testament thousands of years later. In fact, Jesus Himself references all of these!

As Jesus was explaining His second coming to His disciples, He used Noah for comparison.

Matthew 24:36-39      ³⁶ “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. ³⁷ As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. ³⁸ For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; ³⁹ and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.

I’ve heard some people say that they can’t deny that a flood happened, but they question whether it was a total flood or just regional. Well, then why did Jesus say “the flood came and took them all away?” Plus, in Genesis 7:21-23, it says everything was wiped out. Since God created everything from nothing, then He can certainly destroy it, change it, or have it do the impossible.

In answering the disciples questions earlier about who can be saved:  

Matthew 19:26           ²⁶ Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

Do you and I believe God can do the impossible?

When has God done the impossible in your and my life in the past?

How can you and I remember those times as we face new “impossible” situations?

Living in a Vaccum

Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart.  For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.  For

“All people are like grass,
    and all their glory is like the flowers of the field;
the grass withers and the flowers fall,
    but the word of the Lord endures forever.”  1 Peter 1:22-25

One of the favorite lessons my mom taught me was an action speaks louder than words.  Many times, I will read a particular book on  leadership or business, and someone will share various tips or steps on how to be successful.  While it always sounds good on paper, it can at times become really difficult to apply to real life situations.  After all, everyone would do it if it were so easy, right?  This brought me to God’s word.  We read God’s word, but is it active in our lives?  Or does it stay in a vacuum fully active in the ‘God zone’ and idle in the ‘real world?’

God’s word is intended to live through us at all times.  I love the many lessons in the Bible that allow for true life application.  However, there are times we just love the word but struggle to apply it for various reasons.  Our journey of faith is one just like the Bible itself; living.  It is not something that we should simply read to say, “Gee, that makes sense.”  It is something that requires us to both think and respond to.  The reason why the Bible is called the ‘Living Word of God’ is because it lives within anyone who reads it, takes it to heart, and applies it in their own lives.  This does not mean just shaking our heads in agreement.  It requires actively living it out.  No staying on the sidelines.

Jesus was a man of action.  While He spent much of His time teaching, He went out, and performed many miracles and acts of grace and kindness.  We are given a new life both through God’s truth in His word and Christ’s love for us.  Do not let it just sit idle.  Be courageous, and live it out each and every day to all whom you touch.  Does your Bible readings guide and change  your behavior prior to reading it?  Does it reaffirm and/or encourage you to act?  My prayer is that we actively live out the teachings of the Bible and not live in a vacuum.  Amen.

Tues Devo: The Pressure Washer II

Hebrews 4:12-13 “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.” (NASB)

Hello,

Last week I talked about the pressure washer and getting cleaner. But it also made me think about we often don’t even know we need cleaning because we are comparing ourselves to other dirty wood – instead of the clean original that we ought to be comparing ourselves against. To get that right comparative, we need to be in His word continually, getting that look at the standard.

Wait, did I say continually? Ouch. But yes! Evaluation against the standard God has put forth is something we must keep on doing. Just one look and then an adjustment doesn’t mean the end is there. We have to keep evaluating as we go.

Some work? Sure, but the rewards to being what God has asked us to be are phenomenal.

Have a blessed day,

Will Hill