Thoughts on Scripture and life
for the glory of Jesus Christ
Ephesians 2:10 — Saved Unto Good Works
How shall we respond to the gospel of this grace? As those who have been forgiven much, we are to love much! The Lord Jesus Christ said in Luke 7:47, "For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little.” Indeed, the mark of a Christian is someone who loves God (Eph 6:24). Now then, as those who love God, because God loved us first, what shall we do? How shall we respond to this great love?
Good works. Grace-motived, God-entranced, faith-fueled, Spirit-empowered, good works.
Ephesians 2:8-9 — Sola Gratia, Sola Fide, Soli Deo Gloria
In the 1500s, God brought about a Reformation of the Christian world: the true gospel was set free from the corrupt Catholic religion and the Word of God was unleashed to save and sanctify once again. As the movement developed, the Reformers came to agree on five central tenets, which we now call the Solas of the Reformation:
- Solus Christus: Christ alone. Jesus Christ is the only mediator of salvation between God and man — not the pope, cardinals, bishops, priests, or kings. Christ alone is the head of His Church, and what He says and does trumps the authority of men.
- Sola Scriptura: Scripture alone. God's Word alone is the final and highest authority, trumping church tradition and ecclesiological decree.
- Sola Gratia: By grace alone. Grace alone is the means of salvation. God is not inclined to save because of anything inherent to man; He saves for His purposes, by His mercy, alone.
- Sola Fide: By faith alone. Salvation is through faith alone — not through the works or merit of man. Good deeds contribute nothing to a sinner's justification, and no amount of indulgences (buying certificates to get less time in purgatory) will change that fact.
- Soli Deo Gloria: To the glory to God alone. God alone deserves glory in all things. He alone deserves reverence and worship — not the pope, not the venerable saints, not icons, not relics.
Ephesians 2:7 — The Glorious Grace of God
If you're a Christian who has tasted the depths of God, the wonders of His love, and the glories of His character in the face of Christ, you ain't seen nothing yet.
Ephesians 2:6 — New Life and True Life
It wouldn't take much to prove Christianity wrong.
Any atheist, any evolutionist, any Jew, any religionist knows it. If I were them, and I were to set out to prove that Jesus, the Bible, Christianity, etc. were all a lie, I would go for the jugular. I would go for the one thing upon which all of Christianity stands, the one thing which validates all other hopes, the one claim of the Bible, about which all other truths orbit.
For if I could show that this one thing, that one doctrine, were not true, it would prove definitively, once and for all, that Jesus Christ and everything associated with Him, was a sham, a myth, a lie.
What is that doctrine? It's not the literal six-day creation. It's not the coming judgment of the world. It's not the existence of miracles. It's not the existence of Satan. It's not hell.
It's the resurrection - the real, literal, bodily, physical resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 2:5 — The Gospel of Life
There is nothing more important than the gospel. People have been killed for believing it. And people are still being killed for it. And yes, people will continue to be killed for it. But why? ...Simple: without the message of the gospel, there is no salvation.
Ephesians 2:4 — The Love of God
We're not good. We're not cute. We're not lovable. Rather, God is good. God is glorious. And God is love. That is why He loves us.
Ephesians 2:4 — The God-Centered Gospel
God is unrelentingly God-centered. He does all things to the praise of His glory. All things — including the salvation of sinners. It is within this God-centeredness that we find assurance of the gospel of mercy and love.
Ephesians 2:3b The Wrath of God
There is hardly a more uncomfortable doctrine than this: the wrath of God. And yet, it must be taught — and heeded.
Ephesians 2:2b-3a — The Spirit of Disobedience
This time, we're going to learn a little bit more about Satan. There are five basic questions and five basic answers:
- What is the spirit? Satan, the enemy of God.
- What does God think of Satan? He will crush Him.
- How does Satan work? By inciting disobedience.
- What do the lusts of disobedience look like? Rebellion against God
- What does disobedience deserve? The wrath of God.
Ephesians 2:2a — Walking in the Ways of the Dead
Now, I want to remind you again, we learn about sin because if we fail to understand our guilt, grace means nothing to us. If we want to understand the love of God, we must understand just how much we don't deserve it. The glorious truths of grace are coming (verse 4!), but we must first see our plight.
Ephesians 2:1 — Dead in Our Sin
This blog series will be the fuller versions of the lessons I give there, yet I do want to maintain the simplicity of the lessons, so I won't endeavor to expand them too much. If you do happen to read, please pray for the students; high schoolers are in dire need of the gospel. This is the first full lesson of the year, in which I endeavor to explain a full understanding of hamartiology and total depravity (point one of five-point Calvinism) — in twenty minutes. Difficult? No. Impossible. But, the Lord is good, and by His grace, I think I helped more than I confused.
Ephesians 2:1-10 — An Introduction
We are comfortable with words like salvation, Savior, thanksgiving, good news, gospel. This is typical Christian-ese. But these words should cause us to ask questions, and seek their answers. We need to be saved, but saved from what? We need a Savior, but why? We are thankful, but for what? And thankful to whom? The good news is that Jesus Christ died, but how is a crucified Son of God good?