Sola Gratia #1

How I want to break this message down is to talk about. First of all, the need for grace alone. And then secondly, the provision of grace alone, and you need to understand we need to come to grips with both of them. When we rely on Scripture alone. We learn that we are saved by grace alone. That's our focus on this edition of the truthful LOI bill right and Pastor Don Greene is continuing our series titled the five solons with part one of a message titled solo gravity done what's in store for us in this message will bill in this portion of our series on the five solons we get the wonderful joy of being able to examine what Scripture teaches by grace alone. You know all men are lost sinners. There is no one who does good. There is not even one Bible says and that means if any man is going to go to heaven.

It needs to come on the basis of an undeserved gift from a gracious God, that is at the heart of the Christian message of calling people to believe in Christ and be say. That's what we get to look at today as we continue to study God's word on the truthful. Okay Don and Fred have your Bible open and ready as Don Greene continues teaching God's people. God's word from the truthful, the problem of sin in the heart of man is pervasive. It is contaminated every aspect of your being, your heart, your mind, your will have all been corrupted by sin. There is nothing righteous in us what we just described is the doctrine that is known as total depravity and what that doctrine means is this it does not mean that you and I are as bad as we possibly could be apart from Christ.

It doesn't mean that a man is incapable of a comparative degree of kindness and showing some measure of human philanthropy human charity on a horizontal level it doesn't mean that but what it does mean is this, it means that no man can please God with good works or deeds of kindness that no man has the ability to commend himself to God, to live a life that he can present to God and say God on this basis, you should reward me got on this basis, you should accept me based on what I have done.

You should receive me into your kingdom. Note to the contrary, the teaching of Scripture is this is that unredeemed sinners, of which we all either are or were before coming to Christ.

All men have no spiritual merit of their own before God. They are utterly unable to do any spiritual good that is righteous in the sight of God. They cannot change their condition.

They cannot earn the favor of God with what they do. This is a blanket condemnation of every man woman and child was ever lived and it is a blanket condemnation of every aspect of the being of every person who has ever lived.

Scripture condemns man, it does not command man, let me say that again Scripture condemns mankind. It does not command mankind and we understand that that put Scripture on a a direct and immediate collision course with the desire of man to boast about himself to take pride in himself and his intellect and his achievements in his supposed goodness. Beloved Scripture has none of that. And there comes a point very quickly.

Early on, as you consider solo Grazie a as you read Scripture even on the most superficial level, there comes a collision course where you have to choose sides about what you're going to believe whether you will go and swim with the spirit of the age whether you will reject that utterly and completely in order to accept what Scripture says about each one of us turn to the book of Romans and keep your finger there and also turn to Ephesians as well. As we look at some blanket statements of Scripture makes in this regard. In Romans chapter 3 verse 10 as we continue to consider the need for grace alone.

In Romans chapter 3 verse 10 as you know so well, it says that there is none righteous, not even one, there is none who understands, there is none who seeks for God. All have turned aside, together they have become useless. There is none who does good. There is not even one in verse 18 it says there is no fear of God before their eyes on verse 19.

What is the result of this doctrine of total depravity. What is the scriptural teaching on sin supposed to do to us. It is meant to silence us and our tendency to boast to claim righteousness for ourselves. In Romans chapter 3 verse 19 it says now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God because by the works of the law no flesh will be justified in his sight, for through the law comes the knowledge of sin. Beloved, you cannot read those verses and find any exceptions anywhere. The apostle Paul writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit went out of his way to exclude everyone from that claim Jews and Greeks alike. None righteous, not one none none. All have turned aside all have become useless. None who does good, not even one as he quotes from the Old Testament to make his point of this is very sobering isn't it. This is humbling in the presence of God. If you look over to Ephesians chapter 2 we find the Bible describing the same reality with different metaphors. Chapter 2 verse one you were dead in your trespasses and sins in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all see it again.

The universal condemnation. The Scripture makes of mankind. Scripture is not playing games here. These are not suggestions. These are not mild critiques of the condition of man. These are blanket condemnation since a man has no hope in himself.

Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. And so you see the description in Romans three that there is none who does good. There's not even one you see in Ephesians chapter 2 dead in trespasses and sins. Children of wrath dominated by the devil. There is an unseen spiritual component to this reality, the means we are slaves not only to our own sin, but slaves to Satan himself. What we must do is come seriously to grips with these things. We must embrace these things as true not only of mankind in general, but that they describe the condition of our own soul apart from the Lord Jesus Christ because one of the things that this does is it it it grinds out pride from the human heart. It grinds out any sense of trying to take credit for your salvation.

It also grinds out all of the futile efforts of your own to try to make yourself good enough for God to accept you.

Scripture has already declared in advance that you are not good enough for God to accept you and so the sooner that we come to grips with that reality. The sooner that we abandon our hope and our aspirations after our own self-righteousness as being the grounds of our acceptance with God. The sooner we can get to the reality of true salvation. It is not until you have been thoroughly crushed by the reality of Scripture's testimony against your sinful nature and sinful actions that you begin to understand and appreciate the reality of grace, the need for grace alone is utterly pervasive.

It is expansive to all men of all times and all places and it is deep within man. The need for grace in every aspect of his being in mind and will in feeling and thought every aspect. We have need for grace and we are desperate and we are dependent upon grace.

If there is ever to be any change in that brutal condition in which we find ourselves. It is true's like this that will help you distinguish between a man who is teaching who is either ashamed of the gospel, who are or who embraces the gospel when a man wants to curry the favor of his audience.

He won't speak to them. This way if he is afraid of bringing offense to them by telling them the reality about their souls will soften Hill deadpanned this, he won't be explicit about it because he realizes that the gospel brings an offense in its conviction of the spiritual lostness of mankind. And so we dwell on this. We we expand on this and what I'm about to say, simply so that we can be very very clear on this, you know, it's one thing, as I've said in other contexts. In many places is that it's it's one thing to make a general statement about a spiritual truth. It's another thing to go through into detail point by point by point and to get down into the details that undergird that general statement will here that want to go down into the details, just a little bit more about the need for grace alone, and to look at what the Bible describes about our sinful condition. Apart from Christ because it describes it in several different ways.

First of all, the Bible describes our sinful loss condition is a condition of spiritual slavery spiritual slavery John 834 says everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin, the slave of sin.

Sin is the master of the unsaved man in second Timothy chapter 2 verse 26. It describes unbelievers in this way, it says they are in the snare of the devil and held captive by him to do his will.

Beloved, do you start to see something of the urgency of grace alone, you start to see something of the urgency of your need for salvation. You start to see something of the urgency of your need for a Savior. As we come to grips with these things. Contrary to every self-esteem thing that every teacher tried to instill in you Scripture comes to you and says you are a slave to your own sinful desires. You are a slave to a higher supernatural power known as the devil, and he holds you captive in second Corinthians chapter 4 it says he blinds men from the truth of the gospel. So as we talk about humanity being lost in sin, falling short of the glory of God, being dead in trespasses we realize it. Scripture uses an analogy to describe that unseen spiritual condition is one of slavery. That man is captive. Let's put it this way, rebellion his own rebellion against God holds man captive Satan himself holds man captive to do his will, and the Pauline of grace alone, the need for grace alone is is that no one has the ability to see escape the chains of their own slavery. No one has the ability to rise out of it. We can't simply turn over a new leaf and leave our sin behind no Scripture says you must be born again. You don't need a new leaf. You need a new life. You need a light from above that you cannot produce on your own energy and power.

Scripture describes our condition as a separation from God.

In Isaiah 59 verse two it says your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.

Forget about forget about trying to get to heaven on your own merit as a sinner.

God does not even listen favorably to your prayers, your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear there is a separation, a golf there is a chasm between man and God.

The man is unable to build the bridge to cross.

There is a separation. There is a slavery Scripture describes it in legal terms as being under God's judgment.

John 336 says he who does not obey the son, meaning the son the Lord Jesus Christ will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.

What happens when you die in that state.

What happens if you're not born again. What happens if Christ doesn't save you and you enter into eternal life. In that condition. The Bible says that you are facing an eternal hell turn in your Bibles to Revelation chapter 21 verse eight, Revelation 21 verse eight says, but for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable, and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death. And so not only are we in this condition.

During our earthly life to die in that condition to be in that condition when the Lord Jesus Christ returns if he no longer tarries and he comes back to be in that condition is to seal a faith that is too unspeakable for words, except that Scripture describes force in the terms we have seen, Scripture warns us. Jesus himself warned us that these will go away into eternal destruction. In Matthew 25.

If you'll turn over there with me. Matthew 25 you know II get the fact that people prefer to have a cuddly Jesus who just wants to do what who will do whatever you want them to do and who will who will just overlook our sin. We would all you know, the world would like that Jesus doesn't say that that's the way that it is he says he says in verse 46 talking about the unbelieving.

He says these will go away into eternal punishment. Jesus himself said that you know used to be the great question on every bracelet. What would Jesus do what would Jesus do with sinners who die and enter into his presence with unconfessed sin. Well, what would Jesus movements creates this fuzzy idea.

Jesus, that it that utterly betrays his holiness and his promises of judgment. What will Jesus do with sinners who die unconverted, who die unrepentant. What will he do with them will send them away into eternal punishment. Now, in light of all of those things.

Why is there a need for grace.

Why is there a need for undeserved unmerited favor from God. The emphasis being on undeserved unmerited not not something that you have coming to you.

It's a goodness that you don't that you don't have coming to you that is not yours by right.

Why is there need for unmerited favor from God. Look at Romans chapter 8 with me Romans chapter 8.

This is utterly hopeless. Apart from Christ. In verse seven it says in Romans eight verse seven it says that the mind is set on the flesh is hostile toward God, for he does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. There is no possibility of an unconverted center. Pleasing God with anything that they do all men all women all children of all time in all places. They all have a hostile nature against God, and they cannot come naturally to God on their own power. We do not even have the power to get up and rise and go to Christ on our own James Montgomery voice said this in a quote he said sinners have no claim upon God. None at all. God owes them nothing but punishment for their sins. If he saves them in spite of their sins. It is only because it pleases him to do it, and for no other reason." In other words, for those of us that are here today in Christ we have been saved by this grace of God that I'm going to speak on in just a moment. If we are here in Christ. It is not because somehow you were better than the next person. It is not because you had more insight than the other person there is not because there was something attractive in you that God just had to have for himself. Know you were spiritual slave you were dead in trespasses and sin you want just a corpse.

You were spiritual skeleton. No living flesh on you are in you. We had no claim upon God. And so if we are here today in Christ there is only one cause we can attribute that to its that God was good to us when we didn't deserve it the Godhead kindness on us when we deserve punishment instead. If there is to be any salvation for anyone if there is to be any spiritual deliverance if there is to be any forgiveness of sin.

It must come from God on his terms by his favor by his kindness, love, patience and mercy, not from anything that we do that obligates him to do something for us. We are bankrupt in terms of the Beatitudes in Matthew chapter 5 verse three we are poor in spirit, meaning we are poverty-stricken we have no resources of our own like Lazarus described in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus were sitting outside the table of God were beggar longing simply for any crimes that might fall to us. We have no right to go up to the table in need of our own accord.

You and I brought no merit to our salvation. We contribute none to it now before or after salvation. We don't add anything that gives any reason for God to bless us if there is any spiritual favor to be found. We must come to God and seek it by grace, not by merit that leads us to our second point, the provision of grace alone, the provision of grace alone, the provision of Sola Grazie a. In other words, the definition from Lewisburg cough. Grace is the unmerited goodness or love of God, to those who have forfeited it and are by nature under a sentence of condemnation. A judicial declaration that that we deserve judgment.

That's where every one of us was or is is that God has declared that we deserve condemnation for our sins.

This is this is brutally this is brutally important. We do our friends. We do our families know favor if we try to soften the edges of this we do no one any favors by trying to soften this as if we could somehow by softening it make the gospel a little bit more appealing to the unregenerate man. No, that's not the way that's not the way that we think it all. That's not the way that we do things it all the way that we think is is that is that we have to be faithful to what God is revealed in his word. We have a vertical, responsibility, duty and privilege of fidelity to what God has said, and we speak the full counsel of God. We declared for all that it says rather than trying to soften it as though we were somehow embarrassed or ashamed of what it said I am not ashamed of these things are God's word says. How could I be there.

True, the right there from by my own experience of my own soul.

And it saddens me when I hear men in different locations hiding the doctrine of depravity hiding the doctrine of the sinfulness of man are you going to know that you need a Savior. Unless someone tells you that your dad and sin. Are you going to know that you need to be rescued. If you don't know that you're separated from God. How are you going to know that God is not pleased with you in less someone declares it to you from the Scriptures will hide these things proclaiming from the mountaintops would proclaim them from the mountaintops so that we can then be in a position to talk about the wonders of grace.

The wonders of Christ, the wonders of Calvary. The wonders of the love and patience and mercy of God, and to do that in a way that he gets all of the glory for old dead in sin cannot possibly play any role in salvation, and that described each and every one of us at birth as pastor Don Greene is reminded us today on the truth pulpit were saved.

Sola Grazie by grace alone. Part two of this message comes your way. On our next broadcast supply now to be with us as we continue the series. The five solos at is Don Greene continues teaching God's people. God's word.

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