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The Five Solas (2022): Sola Gratia · Providence Baptist Church - Sermons

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Please grab your copy of God's Word and turn to Ephesians chapter 2.
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I'm a guy, perhaps more than most, who really likes a plan.
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! So, amongst many other, much better reasons, one of the reasons I really like verse-by-verse exposition.
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One of the joys of being a pastor is sitting down and breaking down a book of God's Word into presentable portions.
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I love building those outlines. I've got a spreadsheet with all the weeks planned out.
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From time to time, my plans get confounded, and we call an audible. Is that a good football? Okay.
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It's fall, right? We call an audible. You can tell I'm not a football guy.
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And we do something different. So, this morning we're going to do something different, and I want you to understand why.
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We've only been in the book of Romans now for two weeks.
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The first week, we looked at verses 1 through 4 of Paul's salutation.
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And then last week had the intention of looking at verses 5 through 7.
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I only made it through my very first point last week, and quickly realized, as we were looking at the time,
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I probably should wait on these last two points.
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So, in this week, I was thankful to get to continue to develop a sermon for today.
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And I want you to be aware that there's even a little bit of groaning in me to not preach these last two verses there,
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verse 6 and 7 of Romans chapter 1, because I love this last little bit of this text.
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Verse 6, and I'll tell you more about this in coming weeks, is especially precious to me, this phrase,
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you who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.
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And so, I'm really eager to preach this text.
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And by God's grace, I have notes of preparation to preach this text.
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But two things are making me think about changing the direction that we go in
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and spending a little bit of time in Ephesians chapter 2.
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The first is that in 1517, on October 31st,
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the man known as Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the Wittenberg door
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and began what's called the Protestant Reformation.
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I think it's good for those of us who claim to be Protestants to at least tip our hats to this time each year.
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More reasonably, you could say that the Reformation began the following year in 1518,
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but this moment is a day that can be marked as the beginning of said Reformation.
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So that's coming up.
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We're thinking toward that October 31st.
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Next Lord's Day is October 30th.
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We want to stop and think a little bit together about that,
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why it is important and on whose shoulders we stand.
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The other thing, as many of you may not know this about me,
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but I'm a type 1 diabetic.
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So if you ever see strange apparatus on me, I'm not carrying a pager.
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I like some old school things, but not a pager.
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That's an insulin pump.
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I have a device that's constantly measuring my blood sugar,
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and I get to handily pull it out and look at it.
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If you see me from time to time looking at my phone, that's what I'm doing.
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And I really, really work at monitoring my blood sugar.
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I'm a pretty healthy diabetic.
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I've been a diabetic since I was 5.
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I'm 42, almost 43 now.
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My endocrinologist likes me and applauds me.
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So typically, things are going well in that aspect of my life.
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I really carefully monitor my blood sugar on Sunday mornings, trying not to get low,
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my blood sugar to get too low, because I get a little bit out of sorts and I can't think clearly.
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So I'm always very cautious on Sunday mornings.
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Yesterday, though, and I do not know why, beginning at about 5 p.m., I'm looking at my blood sugar just started skyrocketing.
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So at first I thought maybe my pump wasn't delivering insulin, but it seemed to be delivering insulin.
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And over the past 5 p.m. to about 6 a.m., my blood sugar went up and it stayed up and it stayed up and it stayed up.
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And I've been up most of the night trying to monitor and deal with that.
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And I put so much insulin into my body, I can't even tell you how many units exactly.
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It went above 450.
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That tells you how high it got.
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And when a diabetic's blood sugar goes that high over a sustained amount of time, they feel terrible.
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It's a difficult feeling to describe.
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I feel like I'm being squeezed all over.
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I can feel my heartbeat in every part of my body.
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Heart rate goes up.
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You run the risk of going into something called diabetic ketoacidosis, which is real, real bad.
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You want to be at the hospital if that happens.
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So I'm telling you all that just to say, I don't feel good this morning.
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I feel pretty crummy.
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And I've joked before.
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I think it's good for the church to be reminded that I'm just a man.
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But I'm only joking when I say that I know you all know that I'm just a man.
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It's really probably more for my sake that I remember that I'm just a man and feeble and I'm finite and that that's OK.
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And that, you know, God in his power uses feeble and finite people to accomplish his will.
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So these two reasons, I just I want to preach this text at full energy.
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So coming soon, the conclusion of Romans chapter one, verses five through seven today, perhaps a slightly lower energy version of me.
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I'd like to look at Ephesians chapter two, verses one through ten and consider the Reformation doctrine of sola gratia.
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Sola gratia.
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That is the Latin for by grace alone or grace only.
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And the reformers loved the word only.
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And the reformation and the study of it has a bearing on our lives because first, as I mentioned previously, it's it's our history.
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It's important for us to know the tradition from which we come.
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And of course, we could argue that it traces out before that as well.
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But much of who we are as a people find some of its locus in these moments in history.
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But secondly, and more importantly, we do not want to repeat the mistakes of the past as we're inclined to do.
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So there are five solas of the reformation in English.
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I'll tell you what they are.
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The scriptures alone tell us that's number one, that our justification comes by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, to the glory of God alone.
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And I have already argued to you that this is the theme of Paul's book to the Roman believers.
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The scriptures alone tell us our justification comes by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, to the glory of God alone.
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Some would call these doctrines of grace.
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Our justification is our right standing before God, right?
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That which we do not have apart from the saving work of Christ.
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Left to ourselves, we are enemies of God.
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In order for us to stand before him, not only having the record of our sin canceled, but also having the righteousness required by the law is to be justified.
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And grace is God's unmerited favor.
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So we are justified by grace alone.
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A modern evangelicals are repeating the mistakes of the past.
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Lord, have mercy on us that we don't do the same.
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But before I make that modern evangelical case to you, allow me a moment to show you a bit of the historical thread of the error.
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At the end of the fourth and the beginning of the fifth century, Augustine of Hippo found some occupation refuting the teaching of a man named Pelagius.
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Pelagius and the subsequent teaching known as Pelagianism denied original sin, believed in an autonomous and neutral free will.
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We read a pretty powerful statement against that together earlier.
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The power of sin and the judgment for it have their cause in individual choice rather than inborn sinfulness.
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And people become sinners by following Adam's poor example.
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And they become holy by following Jesus's good example.
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You may hear the lack of grace alone.
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Sola gratia in those assertions.
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Augustine carefully worked to refute Pelagius's teaching.
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We have record of the writing between them.
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And Pelagianism was condemned at the Council of Carthage.
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Although Pelagianism was still considered heresy in Luther's day, it was the doctrine largely being practiced.
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They condemned it in writing, but they practiced it.
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And we'll talk more about this next week.
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Later, followers of the historic doctrines taught by John Calvin had to refute the widely followed teaching of a man named Joseph Arminius.
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Fast forward a few centuries to the 19th century revivalist Charles Finney.
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Sadly, a man still celebrated in evangelicalism.
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Finney emphasized free will in the work of salvation and in the work of sanctification.
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He concluded that, quote, full present obedience is a condition of justification.
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So hear that he's saying a person must be perfect to be justified by themselves.
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Perfect.
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He went on to say, quote, but again to the question, can man be justified while sin remains in him?
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Surely he cannot, either upon legal or gospel principles, unless the law be repealed.
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But can he be pardoned and accepted and justified in the gospel sense while sin, any degree of sin remains in him?
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Certainly not.
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End quote.
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Dwight L. Moody, a 19th century evangelist, said, quote,
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God has cast his votes for your soul.
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Satan has cast his vote.
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You have to cast the deciding vote.
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End quote.
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If that doesn't make you crumble, let's talk.
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I want you to understand the heresy stated in those three sentences.
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Roger Olson is a modern theologian, an Armenian modern theologian, but he said this, which I agree with.
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So now I'm telling you, I agree with what he says here.
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He said, what is heard in most American evangelical pulpits today is semi-Pelagian at best, mostly Pelagianism.
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So there's my kind of arc.
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It's a problem still today.
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I'm going to give you some examples in a survey conducted in 2009 at an evangelical conference.
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The question was asked, do you agree or disagree with the following statement?
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A simple binary question.
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Do you agree or disagree with the following statement?
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And here was the statement without the scripture reference.
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None is righteous.
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No, not one.
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No one understands.
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No one seeks for God.
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This is Romans three versus 10 and 11.
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At an evangelical conference.
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People who are Christ followers, right?
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A direct quote from the scripture.
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Do you agree or disagree with this?
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Two thirds of those survey disagreed.
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Yeah.
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Yeah.
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Staggering.
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In another study, 86% of evangelicals agreed with the statement.
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Quote, God helps those who help themselves.
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86%.
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86%.
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And 65% of those people believe that the statement is found in the Bible.
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We live in a day of moralistic, therapeutic deism, which goes like this.
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Do good so that you can feel good so that you can get good.
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It's kind of a peddling of a soft prosperity gospel, right?
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Where you're not believing that you're going to have everything that you might want to own if you follow Jesus.
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Right?
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But you are going to get to be complete and feel good if you do.
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Research has shown this idea of moralistic, therapeutic deism.
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Research has shown that the more frequently an evangelical church is attended, the more likely this view is to be held.
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The more it's being taught is what that means.
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The more likely it is to be held.
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So, this doctrine, sola gratia, has a lot of bearing on today.
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And I pray that we never lose sight of it.
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So, Ephesians chapter 2, verses 1 through 10.
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Before I read it, let me remind you, beloved, that this is God's word to us.
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That it was written for his glory and our good.
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And so, we would all do well to listen to it in order to believe its promises.
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And to obey its commands.
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Paul writes to the Ephesian believers.
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And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked.
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Following the course of this world.
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Following the prince of the power of the air.
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The spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience.
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Among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh.
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Carrying out the desires of the body and of the mind.
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And were by nature children of wrath.
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Like the rest of mankind.
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But God.
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Being rich in mercy.
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Because of the great love with which he loved us.
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Even when we were dead in our trespasses.
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Made us alive together with Christ.
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By grace you have been saved.
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And raised us up with him.
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And seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.
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So that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us.
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In Christ Jesus.
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For by grace you have been saved.
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Through faith.
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And this.
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The faith.
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Is not your own doing.
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It is the gift of God.
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Not a result of works.
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So that no one may boast.
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For we are his workmanship.
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Created in Christ Jesus for good works.
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Which God prepared beforehand.
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That we should walk.
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In them.
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So three points for our study this morning.
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As we consider the doctrine of sola gratia.
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Found here in Ephesians chapter 2.
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Verses 1 through 10.
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First.
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The requirement.
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The requirement.
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Of grace.
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Second.
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The receipt.
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Of grace.
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And third.
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The response.
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Of grace.
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First.
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The requirement of grace.
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Found in verses 1 through 3.
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We need God's unmerited favor.
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Because we cannot earn God's favor.
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Verse 1 tells us that.
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If we are in Christ.
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We were.
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Past tense.
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Dead.
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In the trespasses.
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And sins.
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And that this was a.
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State of being.
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It wasn't something in degree.
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It was who we were.
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Note the continuing past tense language.
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In verses 2 and 3.
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In which you once walked.
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Among whom we all once lived.
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And Paul says we were.
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By nature.
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Children.
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Of wrath.
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That's who we were.
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If we are now found.
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In Christ.
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If you're not in Christ.
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It's who you are.
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We were.
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Spiritually dead.
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You were not spiritually alive.
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You were not sick.
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And in need of a doctor.
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Someone to administer.
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A pill of grace.
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To you.
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A little help.
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Along.
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The way.
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You were not drowning.
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In the sea.
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And Jesus threw you.
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A life preserver.
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And all you had to do.
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Was reach out.
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And grab hold of it.
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To be saved.
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It's a common.
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Analogy.
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Rather.
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You were a rotting corpse.
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At the bottom of the sea.
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And Jesus jumped in.
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Pulled your lifeless body.
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To the surface.
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And breathed.
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Life.
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Into you.
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You contribute.
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Nothing.
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To your salvation.
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But your sin.
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Romans chapter 3.
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Beginning in verse 10.
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You're going to recognize the beginning of this.
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From previously.
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Paul says.
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None is righteous.
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No.
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Not one.
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No one understands.
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No one seeks for God.
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All have turned aside.
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Together.
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They have become worthless.
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No one does good.
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Not even.
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One.
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Their throat is an open grave.
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They use their tongues to deceive.
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The venom of asps is under their lips.
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Their mouth is full of curses.
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And bitterness.
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Their feet are swift to shed blood.
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In their paths are ruin.
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And misery.
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And the way of peace.
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They have not known.
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There is no fear of God.
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Before their eyes.
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In this extended quotation.
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Paul is pulling together.
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A myriad.
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Of old testament texts.
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To drive.
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His.
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Point.
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Just hear it.
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He's quoting here.
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Paul was a Bible preacher.
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Psalm 14.
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1-3.
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Psalm 53.
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1-3.
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Psalm 5-9.
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Psalm 140.
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Verse 3.
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Psalm 10-7.
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Proverbs 1-16.
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Proverbs 3.
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15-17.
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Isaiah 59.
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7-8.
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And Psalm 36.
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And verse 1.
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The Bible is replete.
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With this teaching.
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You cannot avoid it.
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If you're to be faithful.
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To the text.
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Spiritually.
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Dead.
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No one.
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No one.
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Not even.
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One.
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You are not enough.
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You need the saving work of Christ.
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Which is all of grace.
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I don't think you can muster up enough.
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To save yourself.
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It must be a work of grace.
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In your life.
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Saving grace is not like a cup of coffee.
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I can do a lot of things better in the morning.
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With a little coffee in me.
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Saving grace is God's favorable posture toward you.
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His unmerited favor.
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Our salvation is all of God.
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We need it.
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And we need it entirely.
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In order for us to be saved.
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Secondly.
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Let's go on in the text.
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To look at the receipt of grace.
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Verses 4-9.
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How did we come to receive this grace?
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Verse 4 begins.
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But.
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God.
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And I love these conjunctions.
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I have a really dear friend who does a Bible study that he calls the big butts of the Bible.
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Mostly teaches that to youth.
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But.
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He looks at these phrases.
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All of these phrases.
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And this to me is one of the most precious ones.
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But.
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God.
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He has said.
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Here's who you are.
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And then he turns the attention.
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From who we were.
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Or are.
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Apart from Christ.
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And says.
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But God.
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Being rich in mercy.
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Because of the great love with which he.
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Loved us.
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Did God love us.
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From some merit of our own.
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Paul is saying here.
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Unequivocally.
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No.
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Do you not see.
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Who you were.
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And just to be sure.
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Anybody wants to come to verse 5.
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And not read the preceding verses to it.
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He then says.
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Even.
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When we were dead.
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In our trespasses.
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That state.
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That he has just mentioned.
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Even when.
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We were dead.
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In our.
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Trespasses.
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God was.
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Rich toward us.
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In mercy.
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And he loved.
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Us.
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We were helpless.
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Hopelessly lost.
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Without his.
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Intervention.
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And what does God's grace accomplish.
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In our lives.
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Spiritual life.
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Spiritual life.
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He says in verse 5.
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He has.
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Made us.
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Alive.
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Together.
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With Christ.
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And this is not.
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A confusing.
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Text.
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Many times.
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When I.
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Go to the scripture.
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I want to get into the original languages.
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And think that somehow.
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Some.
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Amazing thing will be unlocked.
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As I look at the original.
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Language.
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This is a very good.
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English translation.
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Of this.
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Phrase.
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Right.
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And it.
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Places.
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The work.
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On God's shoulders.
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And completely.
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Takes it off.
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Of ours.
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He.
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Made us.
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Alive.
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Together.
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With Christ.
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By.
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Grace.
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You.
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Have.
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Been.
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Saved.
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He.
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Changed us.
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Positionally.
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Right.
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Dead.
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Alive.
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He did it.
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He moved us.
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From that place.
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Once dead.
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Now alive.
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And to further.
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Emphasize that.
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Paul states.
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In verse six.
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And raised us up with him.
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And seated us with him.
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In the heavenly places.
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In.
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Christ.
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Jesus.
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Right.
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The glory.
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That is both ours.
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And will be ours.
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Forevermore.
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Why?
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I think that.
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All Christians.
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Should ask that question.
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Why.
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Oh God.
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Such grace.
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To me.
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We did it.
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Because God.
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Wanted to show.
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Sinners.
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So set against him.
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In all.
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That they did.
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Unmerited.
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Favor.
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For the praise.
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Of his.
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Name.
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That he might put.
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On display.
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His great.
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Love.
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Verse seven.
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So that in the coming ages.
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He might show.
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The immeasurable.
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Riches.
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Of his grace.
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And kindness.
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Toward us.
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In Christ.
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Jesus.
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That he might put it on.
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Display for us.
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For by grace.
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You have been saved.
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Through faith.
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And this is not your own doing.
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It is the gift.
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Of God.
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Not.
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A result.
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Of works.
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So that no one.
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May.
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Boast.
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So that God.
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Would be made.
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Much.
24:42
Of.
24:43
God's way.
24:44
Of salvation.
24:45
Leaves us.
24:45
Without any room.
24:46
For boasting.
24:48
Except.
24:49
In the cross.
24:50
Of Christ.
24:52
The means.
24:53
By which.
24:53
God's grace.
24:54
Is made.
24:55
Effectual.
24:56
In our lives.
24:59
I'd like to read to you.
25:00
A longer bit of scripture.
25:01
From the book of Isaiah.
25:02
You may be well served.
25:03
Turning to this.
25:05
Isaiah 43.
25:06
Verses.
25:07
One through seven.
25:08
Or maybe.
25:09
You'd be well served.
25:10
By just.
25:11
Listening.
25:11
Isaiah writes.
25:19
But now.
25:20
Thus.
25:20
Says the Lord.
25:21
He who created you.
25:23
Oh.
25:24
Jacob.
25:24
He who formed you.
25:25
Oh.
25:26
Israel.
25:28
Fear not.
25:30
For I have redeemed you.
25:32
I have called you by name.
25:34
You.
25:35
Are mine.
25:37
When you pass through the waters.
25:38
I will be with you.
25:39
And through the rivers.
25:40
They shall not.
25:41
Overwhelm you.
25:42
When you walk through fire.
25:43
You shall not be burned.
25:45
And the flame.
25:46
Shall not consume you.
25:48
For I.
25:49
Am the Lord.
25:50
Your God.
25:50
The Holy One of Israel.
25:51
Your Savior.
25:53
I give Egypt.
25:54
As your ransom.
25:55
Cush.
25:56
And Seba.
25:56
In exchange.
25:57
For you.
25:59
Because you are precious.
26:00
In my eyes.
26:01
And honored.
26:02
And I love you.
26:03
I give men.
26:04
In return.
26:04
For you.
26:05
Peoples.
26:05
In exchange.
26:06
For your life.
26:08
Fear not.
26:09
For I am with you.
26:11
I will bring your offspring.
26:12
From the east.
26:13
And from the west.
26:14
I will gather you.
26:15
I will say to the north.
26:17
Give up.
26:18
And to the south.
26:19
Do not withhold.
26:21
Bring my sons from afar.
26:22
And my daughters.
26:23
From the end.
26:24
Of the earth.
26:25
Everyone who is called.
26:27
By my name.
26:28
Whom I created.
26:30
For my.
26:31
Glory.
26:32
Whom I.
26:33
Formed.
26:34
And made.
26:38
If you are in Christ.
26:40
He is speaking.
26:42
Of you.
26:45
Now I have a.
26:47
Poem I'd like to read.
26:48
And.
26:49
I really want to find.
26:51
Who to credit this poem to.
26:53
I always seem to find.
26:54
A source that it was in.
26:56
But then they never sourced.
26:57
Who actually wrote it.
26:58
So.
26:59
If you.
26:59
If you happen to know.
27:00
Please.
27:00
Please come let me know.
27:01
But I'll just say.
27:03
An anonymous.
27:04
Author.
27:05
Wrote this.
27:08
Oh long.
27:09
And dark.
27:10
The stairs I trod.
27:12
With stumbling feet.
27:13
To find.
27:15
My God.
27:16
Gaining a foothold.
27:17
Bit by bit.
27:19
Then slipping back.
27:20
And losing it.
27:22
Never progressing.
27:23
Striving still.
27:24
With weakening grasp.
27:25
And fainting will.
27:27
Bleeding to climb.
27:28
To God.
27:29
While he.
27:31
Serenely smiled.
27:33
Unnoting me.
27:35
Then came a time.
27:36
When I.
27:37
Loosened.
27:37
My hold.
27:38
And fell.
27:39
Thereby.
27:40
Down to the lowest.
27:41
Set my fall.
27:42
As if I had not climbed.
27:43
At all.
27:45
And while I lay.
27:46
Despairing there.
27:48
I heard a footfall.
27:50
On the stair.
27:51
In the same path.
27:53
Where I.
27:54
Dismayed.
27:54
Faltered and fell.
27:55
And lay.
27:57
Afraid.
27:58
And low.
27:59
When hope.
28:01
Had ceased to be.
28:03
My God.
28:04
Came down the stairs.
28:06
To me.
28:09
Third point.
28:11
The response.
28:13
To grace.
28:14
Found in verse 10.
28:16
Paul writes.
28:18
For we are.
28:20
His workmanship.
28:21
Created in Christ Jesus.
28:23
For good works.
28:24
Which God.
28:25
Prepared.
28:26
Beforehand.
28:27
That we should walk in them.
28:29
I will never.
28:31
Go tired.
28:31
Of saying.
28:32
Our good works.
28:34
Are the evidence.
28:35
That we are saved.
28:36
By grace.
28:37
And those works.
28:39
Are all of grace.
28:41
We are not accepted.
28:43
Because of our works.
28:44
But being accepted.
28:46
We work.
28:47
It's a response.
28:48
To the grace of God.
28:50
In our lives.
28:51
We must note.
28:53
First.
28:53
From verse 9.
28:54
That our response.
28:55
To grace.
28:56
Excludes.
28:57
Boasting.
28:57
So that no one.
29:00
May boast.
29:02
Many people.
29:03
Functionally.
29:04
Ruin.
29:05
A beautiful truth.
29:06
That we are saved.
29:07
By grace.
29:08
Alone.
29:09
By boasting.
29:10
In the knowledge.
29:11
That we are saved.
29:12
By grace.
29:13
Alone.
29:14
What a deceptive thing.
29:17
We don't use.
29:18
Such precious.
29:19
Doctrinal knowledge.
29:20
To see people.
29:21
Humbled.
29:22
Saved.
29:22
And comforted.
29:24
But rather.
29:25
To make them.
29:26
Feel small.
29:27
And us.
29:28
Big.
29:29
And this is not.
29:30
The way of.
29:32
Love.
29:34
Jesus said.
29:35
In John.
29:35
Chapter 13.
29:37
Verse 34.
29:38
And following.
29:38
A new.
29:39
Commandment.
29:40
I give to you.
29:41
That you love.
29:42
One another.
29:43
Just as I have loved.
29:45
You.
29:46
You also are to love.
29:48
One another.
29:50
By this.
29:51
All people will know.
29:52
That you are my disciples.
29:53
If you have.
29:55
Love.
29:55
For one another.
29:56
Praise be to God.
29:59
For doctrinal.
30:01
Accuracy.
30:02
We must know.
30:04
The God of the Bible.
30:05
In order to properly worship.
30:07
The God.
30:08
Of the Bible.
30:09
But too often.
30:10
To our shame.
30:12
We take what we.
30:13
Know.
30:14
What's been revealed.
30:15
To us.
30:16
By our God.
30:17
And use it as a.
30:19
Reason for pride.
30:20
And for.
30:21
Boasting.
30:21
It ought to be.
30:23
All together.
30:25
Humbling.
30:26
We ought to be.
30:27
Heartbroken.
30:27
For those.
30:28
Who have yet.
30:28
To understand.
30:29
The great.
30:30
Kindness.
30:32
Mercy.
30:33
Of our God.
30:34
Our hearts.
30:35
Ought to go.
30:35
Out to them.
30:37
In order that.
30:37
They might be.
30:38
Brought.
30:39
In.
30:41
So God.
30:42
Has given to us.
30:43
This.
30:43
Charge.
30:44
And this.
30:45
Task.
30:46
Right.
30:46
That we would.
30:48
Having been loved.
30:49
Turn and.
30:51
Love.
30:52
Others.
30:53
And I'm not talking about some.
30:54
Mealy.
30:55
Feely.
30:55
Kind of.
30:56
Love.
30:56
Please don't hear me saying.
30:57
That at all.
30:59
Right.
30:59
Love is not a feeling.
31:01
Love is an action.
31:02
That seeks the highest good.
31:04
Of others.
31:05
Right.
31:06
That speaks.
31:07
With boldness.
31:08
That people might come to faith.
31:11
In Christ.
31:13
John chapter 14.
31:15
Paul goes on.
31:16
Or Jesus goes on.
31:17
After.
31:18
The text.
31:19
I just read you.
31:19
In John 13.
31:20
To say.
31:21
If you love me.
31:22
You will keep.
31:23
My.
31:25
Commandments.
31:27
He just commanded.
31:28
That we would love.
31:30
Others.
31:31
And John writes.
31:32
In first.
31:33
John chapter 4.
31:34
Verse 19.
31:35
And following.
31:35
We love.
31:36
Because he first.
31:37
Loved.
31:38
Us.
31:39
If anyone says.
31:40
I love God.
31:41
And hates his brother.
31:43
He's a liar.
31:44
For he who does not.
31:45
Love his brother.
31:46
Whom he has seen.
31:48
Cannot love God.
31:50
Whom he has not seen.
31:52
So verse 10.
31:53
Tells us.
31:54
That.
31:54
We are created.
31:55
In Christ Jesus.
31:56
For good works.
31:58
Which God.
31:58
Prepared.
32:00
Before him.
32:01
And they are.
32:02
Many.
32:03
Right.
32:03
There are so.
32:04
Many.
32:05
Good works.
32:06
That God has prepared.
32:07
For each and every.
32:08
One of us.
32:09
Let's just not.
32:11
Lose sight.
32:12
That the.
32:13
Impetus.
32:13
For that.
32:14
The reason.
32:15
In which we go.
32:15
And do good works.
32:16
Is because.
32:17
We.
32:18
Have.
32:18
Been.
32:19
Loved.
32:20
And therefore.
32:21
Are to go.
32:23
And to love.
32:26
Charles Spurgeon.
32:27
Once wrote.
32:28
Of this.
32:28
Text.
32:29
I just read.
32:29
In first.
32:30
John.
32:31
Chapter 4.
32:31
Put the two.
32:33
Truths.
32:34
Together.
32:35
That the love.
32:36
Of God.
32:37
Is first.
32:38
And that the love.
32:39
Of God.
32:39
Is the cause.
32:40
Of our love.
32:42
And I think.
32:43
You will be.
32:43
Inclined.
32:44
Henceforth.
32:45
To be believers.
32:46
In what are.
32:47
Commonly called.
32:48
The doctrines.
32:50
Of grace.
32:52
It is the.
32:53
Scripture alone.
32:55
That teaches us.
32:56
That we are justified.
32:57
By grace alone.
32:59
Through faith alone.
33:00
In Christ alone.
33:02
To the glory of God.
33:04
Alone.
33:05
Let us pray together.