This morning for our Bible study,
please turn to John, the book of John, John chapter 5, the
gospel of John. John chapter 5, let's read verse
39. Search the scriptures, for in
them ye think ye have eternal life. They are they which testify
of me, and ye will not come to me that ye might have life, that
ye might have salvation. I want to talk to you this morning
for a few moments about the words that describe the gospel, the
words that describe the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now
recently, I watched a TV special on PBS on the life of Martin
Luther. Martin Luther was a preacher
of the gospel who lived back in the 1500s. He was born in 1483 and died
in 1546. Luther was used of God. Martin
Luther, this old German preacher, was used of God to break the
religious bondage held over many people who were trying to seek
salvation through a church or through a ceremony or through
traditions instead of Jesus Christ alone. At one time, Luther sought
to seek salvation by works until God taught him the truth of the
gospel that salvation is in Christ alone. The scripture that God
used to show Martin Luther and reveal to him the way of true
saving salvation was found in the book of Habakkuk. Habakkuk
chapter 2 verse 4, the just shall live by faith. Three times the
Apostle Paul quotes from the Old Testament prophet, the just
shall live by faith in the book of Romans, in the book of Galatians,
in the book of Hebrews. We owe much of our religious
freedom in this country that we enjoy today. We owe much of
our religious freedom to the ministry of Martin Luther. God
used that man in writing books and printing books and using
a printing press to show people that salvation is not in a church
but in a person, the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, there were many
books, many papers written during the time we call the Reformation,
but All of all that was written it can be summed up with five
words which actually describe not only the Reformation but
actually describe the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ written
and found in Holy Scripture. Now let me give you these five
words and then we'll go back in the time that we have and
try to show how important and how necessary each of these aspects
of the gospel are. The first one is the scriptures
alone. The second, grace alone. Thirdly, Jesus Christ alone is
salvation. Fourthly, faith alone. And fifthly, God's glory alone. Now these words, again, are the
words that describe, or they were the watchwords and the words
that describe the preaching during the Reformation. But also, and
more importantly, They are the very words that describe the
gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now let's look at the first one,
the scriptures alone. Now we just read from John chapter
5, our Lord says, Search the scriptures, in them ye think
ye have eternal life, they are they which testify of me. This
book we call the Bible has but one central message, one central
theme, and that is Jesus Christ crucified. in tight pattern and
picture all the way through the Old Testament, we see the gospel
of the Lord Jesus Christ. Peter tells us plainly in the
book of Acts, to Him give all the prophets witness. Our Lord
again says in Luke 24 that beginning at Moses and all the scriptures,
He preached the gospel of the Lord Jesus, the gospel concerning
Himself. All scripture is God-given. tells us of Christ. All Scripture
is God-given, God-breathed. They're the very words of the
living God sent to tell us salvation is in Christ. We see the necessity
of the Word alone. All Scripture is given by God,
inspired and given of God. All gospel preaching and gospel
doctrine that we teach must only come from the Word of God, not
from men. not from ecclesiastical bodies,
not from governing bodies. All gospel preaching and gospel
doctrine that we teach must only come from God's Word we call
the Bible. We're instructed to preach the
Word. Preach the Word. The Word of God is quick and
powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword. Don't try to improve on
the Word, just simply preach the Gospel from the Word of God.
And I know this, God will bless the declaration of His Word to
the hearts of His people. He said He would. He said, My
Word will not return to me void. His people gladly receive the
Word of Truth, the Word of God, as it is the Word of God, the
Word of Truth. His word is the very seed of
life in the new birth. Of his own will, beget he us
with the word of truth. The scriptures alone, the old
timers used to say, is our only rule of faith and practice. We
don't need the rules and instructions of men. All we simply need is
the word of God. Let's get back to the simple,
plain teaching of the scriptures alone. Secondly, grace alone. grace alone. Salvation is by
the sovereign grace alone. Here's the scripture, Romans
3, 24, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption
that is in the Lord Jesus Christ. God Almighty justifies guilty
sinners strictly on the basis of His sovereign grace not any
merit works of the center. God does not expect us to bring
anything to add at all. Our righteousness are as filthy
rag. Salvation is strictly on the
sovereign basis, strictly on the basis of the sovereign grace
of God alone, not works but grace. And here's the scripture, one
of the many scriptures that tells us that salvation is all of Grace. It's God who saved us. This is
2 Timothy 1.9. It's God who saved us and called
us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to
God's own purpose, God's own grace, which was given us in
Christ Jesus before the foundation of the world. Salvation by the
grace of God alone. Grace alone. Our Lord plainly
says in the book of Acts, We believe through the grace of
the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved. Now that's the record
of the inspired word of God. What is the definition of the
grace of God? The grace of God is God graciously,
abundantly giving to sinners freely what they do not deserve. God who spared not his own son
but delivered him up for us all as a sacrifice for sin has freely
given to us all things. God graciously, abundantly, giving
to us freely what we do not deserve. And here's the definition not
only of grace, but of mercy. Mercy is God not giving us what
I do deserve. I do deserve justice, not mercy. Paul said, not by works of righteousness,
which we have done, but according to his mercy, he saved us. So the scriptures alone The grace
of God alone, the mercy of God alone, salvation in Christ. Now, that brings me to my third
word, Christ alone. Now, notice, scripture alone,
grace alone, mercy alone, and salvation in Jesus Christ alone. Now, we have the question given
to us in John chapter 14, One of the disciples asked the Lord
to show us the way. Our Lord clearly, plainly declared
unto us, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes unto
the Father but by and through me. Salvation is not, now will
you hear me? Please listen to me. This is
what God had given to Martin Luther years ago. Salvation is
not in any church. Not in this church, to whom I've
been pastor for many years. Salvation's not in any church. I don't care what you call it,
what you name it, what organization it is. Salvation is not in any
church. Salvation is in the Lord Jesus
Christ alone. Salvation is in His person. The church does not serve as
a mediator between God and the sinner. Now, if you're attending
any church that says that you must be a member of this church
in order to be saved, my friend, you're in error. That is not
according to the Scripture. Here's what the Scriptures teach.
The Scriptures teach that there is but one Mediator between God
and men, and that is the man, Christ Jesus. He is the only
Mediator. There is salvation in no other. Salvation is in Christ alone. Jesus Christ alone accomplished
salvation by himself. We read in Hebrews 1 verse 3,
he purged our sins with his own blood. He accomplished it. Not only that, but he established
a perfect righteousness for his people. I must have a righteousness
to stand before God. Not only My sin put away, but
a righteousness established, and we have that in Christ. He
said, I came not to destroy the law, but to honor it. Christ
has redeemed us from the curse of the law, therefore being made
our righteousness. And Christ Jesus himself applies
salvation to whom he will. He said, I will have mercy on
whom I will. Vital union with Christ is salvation. Not me being a member of some
local organization we call a church. Salvation is in Christ alone. Now here's the fourth thing.
Faith alone. Faith alone. Now here's the scripture,
Ephesians 2, 8 and 9. For by grace are you saved through
faith, and that not of yourself, it is the gift of God. F-A-I-T-H. forsaking all, I trust Him, Christ."
Now how is salvation received? How is salvation, that is Christ,
He is salvation, how is salvation received? By faith, by believing. Faith is a sovereign gift of
God. He that believeth on the Son
hath life. Salvation is not received by
doing. Now, listen to me. Here's the
record of Scripture. Salvation is not received by
doing, but by believing. Being justified by faith, we
have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 5.1. Here's another Scripture, John
5.24. He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent
me hath everlasting life. John 3. We read, Whosoever believeth
in him should not perish, but have eternal life. Now if you
would like to turn to 1 John chapter 5, I'm saying that the
scriptures teach that salvation is received by faith. Abraham
believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness. Now
here's the testimony of scripture. 1 John chapter 5. He that believeth
on the Son of God hath the witness in himself. He that believeth
not God hath made him a liar, because he believeth not the
record that God gave of his Son. And this is the record that God
hath given to us eternal life. This life is in his Son. He that
hath the Son hath life. He that hath not the Son of God
hath not life. Now, listen carefully. These
things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the
Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and
that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God." John says,
we know that the Son of God has come, and he's given us an understanding
that we may know Him that is true, and we're in Him that is
true, even in His Son Jesus Christ. This is a true God and eternal
life. Salvation. Now, you got those
first four? Scriptures alone. We see the
necessity of Scripture alone. Grace alone. Jesus Christ alone. Faith in him alone. Now lastly, God's glory alone. God's glory alone. But of him, here's the scripture,
1 Corinthians 1 verse 30 and 31. But of him are you in Christ,
who of God is made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification,
and redemption, that according as it is written, this is from
Jeremiah 9, he that would glory Let him glory in the Lord. The
grand design in God's salvation, and here's the bottom line, is
the glory and honor and exaltation of the Lord Jesus Christ. God
has determined to honor the Son. God has highly exalted Him and
given Him a name which is above every name. At that name, every
knee shall bow, every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ
is Lord to the glory of God the Father. That's the song of eternity. We read all through the book
of Revelation unto him who loved us and washed us from our sin
in his own blood, made us kings and priests unto our God, to
him be glory and dominion forever and ever.