Faith

Let Joy Resound

/ Christopher Terry

Christmas is coming. Some will read those words and begin to feel anxious because of all that still has to be done. It is not supposed to be such an anxiety-inducing time, at least not to the extent that it is. We are to gather in our local church to celebrate the birth of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. Matthew writes, “’And she will bear a Son; and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.’ Now all this took place in order that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet would be fulfilled, saying, ‘Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call his name Immanuel,’ which translated means, ‘God with us’” (Matt. 1:21–23 Legacy Standard Bible). Friends, the plan of God to redeem sinful humanity and reconcile them to himself was always heading toward this end (1 Pet. 1:18-20; cf. Gen. 3:15). There was no other way for there to be peace between the Lord and sinners. God took on flesh to pay for mankind’s sin (John 3:16-17; 1:1-2, 14, 18; Heb. 1:1-3).

We have reason to celebrate. The reason for our celebration has little to do with sales and stuff. Brothers and sisters, we are living in the year of our Lord 2024. Christ has changed everything. He gives unalterable hope and unfathomable peace to those who know him. We gather in local churches with fellow Christians to sing, pray, worship, and fellowship in joy because Christ has come. We gather in homes with family and friends in joy because Christ has come. The Creator of all things, in fulfillment of his promises, has provided redemption (Isa. 53). Sins can be forgiven. Wrath can be removed. Justification can be imputed. Eternal life can be received. Francis Schaeffer writes, “Just as the only basis for the removal of our guilt is the finished work of Christ upon the cross in history, plus nothing, so the only instrument for accepting that finished work of Christ upon the cross is faith.”[1] We know from Scripture that salvation is by faith through grace (Eph. 2:8-10). We should be rejoicing in the Lord continually for this great truth.

Since Christ has come; since Christ has died; since Christ has risen; since Christ has ascended; since Christ is coming again we have hope. We have peace. We have joy. We have security. There is no longer a baby in the manger. There is no longer a Christ on the cross. There is no longer a Christ in the tomb. At this very moment, Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father. The Lord Jesus is supreme over all power and authority (Eph. 1:20-23). Christ is coming again (1 Thess. 4:11-16; 1 Cor. 15:51-58; John 14:1-3). John MacArthur declares, “Scripture is neither vague nor equivocal on the promise of Christ’s return… And regardless of what the scoffers say, Jesus is coming. World history is barreling toward a conclusion, and the conclusion has already been ordained by God and foretold in Scripture. It could be soon, or it could be another thousand years (or more) away. Either way, God is not slack concerning His promise. Christ will return!”[2]

Jesus Christ is Lord. This truth provides us with things that can never be taken away. We know that in Jesus Christ alone forgiveness of sin and eternal life is found. We know that Christ has overcome the grave (Acts 2:23-24) and the world (John 16:33). In Christ, death is defeated (1 Cor. 15:22; Rom. 5:17). In Christ, we have overcome the world (1 John 5:1-5). Regardless of how corrupt our leaders can be at times, Christ is still Lord. Regardless of how bad inflation can be at times, Christ is still Lord. If we live to see intense persecution and violence, Christ is still Lord. If we live to see revival and reformation, Christ is still Lord. We need not fear. We need not be anxious. Christ has come. Christ is coming again. MacArthur exhorts us, “It is especially essential that we remain diligent, hard-working, and resourceful while we await the Lord’s return. The fact that Christ could return at any moment is no excuse for quitting what God has called us to be and do. The day may indeed be drawing very near, but now is not the time to put on our pajamas and sit on the roof! This is no time to fold up our things and retire from all Christian service to await the Lord’s appearing. Quite the opposite. The knowledge that Christ could appear at any time is a great incentive to work harder, apply ourselves more diligently, and stay faithfully at the task. The day of opportunity may be short. The time is certainly drawing closer. We dare not squander the opportunity we have left.”[3]

The apostle Peter writes, “But you are a chosen family, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy” (1 Pet. 2:9–10 Legacy Standard Bible). Francis Schaeffer commenting on these verses explains, “This passage says that in this present life, Christians are called for a purpose, called to show forth the praises of God. In other words, God did not mean that there should be no evidence of the reality of the victory of the cross between Jesus’ ascension and his second coming. God has always intended that Christians should be the evidence, the demonstration, of Christ’s victory on the cross.”[4] Brothers and sisters, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!” (Phil. 4:4 Legacy Standard Bible). Friends, we should rejoice in the Lord this day. We should rejoice in the Lord this Christmas.

[1] Francis A. Schaeffer, True Spirituality (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 1971), 4.

[2] John MacArthur, The Second Coming: Signs of Christ’s Return and the End of the Age (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2003), 27.

[3] John MacArthur, The Second Coming: Signs of Christ’s Return and the End of the Age (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2003), 164.

[4] Francis A. Schaeffer, True Spirituality (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 1971), 63.

Convictions Formed by God’s Truth

/ Christopher Terry

Once again, we have entered the Fall season. It won’t be long before the air grows cold and the leaves begin to change. The Lord demonstrates his creativity and wisdom over and over again. Who else could make something that is dying look vibrant and beautiful? As C.S. Lewis wrote, “He gives them the seasons, each season different yet every year the same, so that spring is always felt as a novelty yet always as the recurrence of an immemorial theme.”[1] As creatures living in God’s world, we have an idea of what is coming next with the changing of the seasons.

On the other hand, we are still surprised at times. There are good surprises and other times challenging ones. For instance, we can be caught off-guard by the power and effects of the weather. We have incredible technology and can see weather patterns developing. Yet, storms like Hurricane Helene can devastate us. As of now, we are aware of over 200 people who have died.[2] There are countless others who are stranded or missing.[3] As of now there are at least 3 million people who are still without power.[4] Please be in prayer for those who are affected by this storm. It is a reminder of how fragile life can be, and also of our limitations as human beings. The book of Isaiah says, “Stop regarding man in whose nostrils is breath, for of what account is he?” (Isa. 2:22). As we read the pages of Scripture we are reminded repeatedly of the limited nature of mankind. The LORD tells us in Genesis, “By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return” (Gen. 3:19). We can be here today and gone tomorrow.

Friends, God made us in his own image, but we are not him (Gen. 1:27). We were made for him and we need him (Rev. 4:11). As created beings we are under our Creator’s authority and are accountable to him. One day each of us will face our Creator – the saved (Rom. 14:10-12; cf. 1 Cor. 3:11-15) and the unsaved (Rev. 20:11-15). This One, who spoke all things into existence and rules them by his powerful word, has revealed his standards in the Scriptures. So, we would do well to know what he has said, and also to do what he has said.  

Brothers and sisters, we are living in a time when people use terms like reproductive freedom, bodily autonomy, diversity, equity, and inclusion (i.e. D.E.I.), to name a few. It is important for us as believers to understand what is meant by such terms because we live in a world where these terms are used. Ironically, reproductive freedom refers to ensuring legal access to abortion. So, reproductive freedom is the freedom not to reproduce. We are Americans. We love freedom. Our history contains a War for Independence. So, what kind of American are you if you are against freedom? The language is weighted. But, do you notice that the particular language used intentionally creates a cognitive distance between what is being said and what is being done? This is no accident. It attempts to remove the shock from the practice in question by creating an intellectual fog. As believers in Jesus Christ we must cut through the fog. Paul writes, “For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ” (2 Cor. 10:4–5).

According to the way that God has designed us, when a man “knows” a woman, babies are the expected result (cf. Gen. 4:1-2). So, if we do not like the natural outcome of our actions, do we have the authority to erase the outcome? Abortion is so common in our world that many of us have not lived in a time without such a practice. The arguments and the terms have changed, but the outcome of the practice is the same. Where do we, as Christians, find our standard regarding such a practice? The obvious answer is the Word of God. But, is this from where we draw our convictions? Or, have we bought the lie that people can interrupt, change, or negate what God has established without consequence? Next time you hear terms, consider what they mean and what God’s Word has to say about them. I have given you just one example. Take care, dear Christians, that your convictions are formed by God’s truth, his standard of right and wrong. Do not let carefully crafted language, or manipulative tactics shape your standard. As Paul writes in Romans, “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Rom. 12:1–2).

[1] C.S. Lewis, The Complete C.S. Lewis Signature Classics (United Kingdom: HarperCollins, 2007), 258.

[2] https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/oct/03/hurricane-helene-death-toll-power-outages

[3] https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cgmgz3elmjxo

[4] https://www.npr.org/2024/09/30/g-s1-25406/helene-death-toll-damage

Sola Gratia

/ Christopher Terry

Sola gratia is Latin for, “by grace alone.” “This phrase refers to the Reformation conviction that salvation is by God’s grace alone and that even saving faith is due to the gracious activity of God and cannot be viewed as a meritorious human achievement.”[1] Scripture teaches that salvation is by grace alone. This doctrine was not invented by the Protestant Reformers. It predates the Reformation. When Martin Luther was asked to recant his beliefs he responded, “Unless I am convicted by Scripture and plain reason—I do not accept the authority of the popes and councils, for they have contradicted each other—my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and I will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. Here I stand, I cannot do otherwise.”[2] The Reformers were convinced by the Scriptures.

What is grace? Grace has been defined historically as, “the unmerited favor of God.” It has also been described as God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense. Paul wrote, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Eph. 2:8–10). Luther wrote, “But no man can be thoroughly humbled until he knows that his salvation is utterly beyond his own powers, devices, endeavors, will, and works, and depends entirely on the choice, will, and work of another, namely, of God alone… then he has come close to grace, and can be saved.”[3]

What is the significance of this biblical doctrine? The only way any person can be saved from sin and eternal wrath is by God’s grace. If salvation is by grace alone, which it is, then it is clearly not by works or personal righteousness. No one contributes anything to his or her salvation. “No merit of man either before, at, or after his regeneration by the Holy Spirit contributes to his salvation. The only merit by which a sinner is saved is Christ’s merit.”[4] It is critical because of the ramifications. If you get this doctrine wrong it has eternal consequences. Teaching that salvation is a cooperative effort between man and God (i.e. synergism) is an error that results in damnation. There have been individuals and groups that have gotten this wrong, and continue to do so.

We read in the N.T. that there were Jews who thought Abraham was saved by some form of personal merit (and by extension so were they because of their relation to him). This is why Paul, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, debunked this error in his letter to the Romans. No one, not even Abraham, is saved by anything other than grace (Rom. 4:1-5). Why was it necessary to address this error? Because it exists and it is extremely dangerous. If anyone thinks this is an isolated error you would be wrong. Paul’s letter to the church in Galatia confronted the error of those who were seeking to blend works and grace concerning justification (Gal. 2:21; 3:1-14). The apostle declared to them that such a message is actually a different gospel (Gal. 1:6-9). So dangerous is this false message that Paul calls down a curse upon those who are preaching it (Gal. 1:9). These people were distorting the gospel (Gal. 1:7). They are acting as servants of Satan, deceiving others, as they present a counterfeit message. This is a very serious issue.

As Christians, we must hold fast to the doctrine of salvation by grace through faith. Once again, this is not based upon the Protestant Reformers’ word and authority. It is squarely founded upon the Word of God. Levi Berntson writes, “Sola gratia means that from beginning to end, salvation is of the Lord (Ps. 3:8; 62:1; Rom. 8:29–30).” Augustus Toplady wrote,

“Not the Labours of my Hands
Can fulfil thy Law’s demands:
Could my Zeal no respite know,
Could my Tears for ever flow,
All for Sin could not atone:
Thou must save, and Thou alone!”[5]

Brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord! Salvation is by grace alone.

[1] C. Stephen Evans, Pocket Dictionary of Apologetics & Philosophy of Religion (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2002), 109.

[2] Martin Luther, Cited in Roland H. Bainton, Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther (Ontario: Mentor Book, 1950), 144.

[3] Martin Luther, The Bondage of the Will, Luther’s Works, Vol. 33: Career of the Reformer III, ed. Jaroslav Jan Pelikan, Hilton C. Oswald, and Helmut T. Lehmann, vol. 33 (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1999), 33: 61–62.

[4] Alan Cairns, Dictionary of Theological Terms (Belfast; Greenville, SC: Ambassador Emerald International, 2002), 422.

[5] Augustus Montague Toplady | Thomas Hastings, Rock of Ages, © Words: Public Domain; Music: Public Domain.