The Reformation
Sermon Title: Reformation Day
Sermon Text: Romans 1:17
God uses ordinary men to accomplish extraordinary things through His strength and power.
Romans 1:17 “For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, but the righteous man shall live by faith.”
“If the great commandment is to love God with all of your heart, mind, soul, and strength, and your neighbor as much as yourself, then what’s the great transgression? The failure to love God with all of your heart, mind, soul, and to love every human being in this world as much as you love yourself. To fail to do that is to commit an act of cosmic treason against the Lord God Almighty. That’s not a peccadillo. That’s enough to send me to hell forever, and so I tremble with every slightest act that transgresses the holiness of God and the sanctity of those who are created in His image.” Martin Luther
Romans 3: 20-21
20 For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.
21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it—
“Unless I am convinced by the testimony of the Holy Scriptures or by evident reason, for I can believe nether pope nor councils alone, as it is clear that they have erred repeatedly and contradicted themselves, I consider myself convicted by the testimony of Holy Scripture, which is my basis; my conscience is captive to the Word of God. Thus I cannot and will not recant, because acting against one’s conscience is neither safe nor sound. Here I stand; I can do no other. God help me.” Martin Luther
Sola Scriptura: This meant that only Scripture, as God’s inspired Word, is the church’s inerrant, sufficient and final authority.
Solus Christus: This meant we not only need Christ’s death but His life as well. It is Christ plus nothing that equals everything.
Sola Fide: This meant we are justified through faith alone and nothing else. We are declared righteous by God not by looking to our own merits but by looking to Christ alone with eyes of faith.
Sola Gratia: This meant before we were born, or time began, God set his redeeming love on us, setting us apart so that we would receive all the blessings to be gained in Christ alone. All of this was not based on our works or a faith he foresaw in us, but purely on the basis of his good and loving grace. Ephesians 2: 8-10, Titus 3: 4-7
Soli Deo Gloria: This meant any idea that prevents God from receiving all glory for our salvation (or for any other thing) is unbiblical. God’s glory alone is more than a salutation. If we have been saved by grace along, redeemed by the righteousness of Christ alone, justified through faith alone, then our worship of our God far exceeds songs of praise on a Sunday morning. The entire Christian life is to be lived Coram Deo, in the presence of God.