The book of Galatians this evening in chapter number two. The book of Galatians in chapter two. We continue in our what we've called our summer series on soteriology. And that word just means the doctrine of salvation. So we're doing a break from Proverbs. to do just a little study through this summer midweek series looking at the doctrine of salvation. We're doing so by looking at the five solas, S-O-L-A-S, solas, and then we will look at the five points of grace or doctrines of grace known by the acronym TULIP, T-U-L-I-P, and we've already looked at scripture alone and grace alone and tonight we will look at faith alone if you are interested in the latin term it is sola fide sola fide f-i-d-e and that means alone or only i want to read in your hearing galatians chapter 2 I want to begin with verse 16 and read through the close of this chapter. Galatians 2 verse 16 says, Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ, Even we have believed in Christ Jesus that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law. For by the works of the law, no flesh shall be justified. But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, We ourselves also were found sinners. Is Christ therefore a minister of sin? Certainly not. For if I build again those things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. For I, through the law, died to the law, that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. In the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. Do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain. On any given Sunday morning, It is not uncommon to hear a preacher get up into the pulpit, announce his text and title, and then say something like this. The subject before us today is one of the most important truths in all the Bible. What makes this claim so peculiar is that It isn't all that peculiar for a preacher to say that. And what I mean is this. It is very possible that the pastor, and I know because I've done this, said the same thing last Sunday, or the Sunday before, or even the week before that. I know that that happens. I know that preachers say this is one of the most important subjects. I know that that happens because I've done it. Now to run to the defense of us in ministry, that's somewhat understandable for a preacher to feel that way after he has spent hours and hours studying over a passage, and perhaps even has months or years of background study done into a particular subject or set of verses, but, but, At the risk of redundancy or potentially lessening the veracity of my claim, allow me on this Wednesday night to say, this is one of the most vital truths in all the Bible. This is absolutely one of the most important subjects in scripture, the teaching of Faith alone, sola fide, is a fundamental of the Christian religion, a fundamental of the Christian religion. The importance of this cannot be overly emphasized. I cannot say strongly enough how important it is to get this right. Those of us under the heading of Christianity, can disagree on a lot of things. Yesterday morning, went to my Tuesday morning prayer group. After that, I went and had breakfast. There was a Baptist, a Lutheran, a Methodist, and a Presbyterian, all sitting at the same table. We didn't kill each other. We actually had some very good fellowship together. And listen, those are good brothers, and we disagree on how much water it takes to baptize someone. We disagree with what's gonna happen when Jesus returns or when the church began. We disagree on a lot of things like that, but how sinners are made right or declared righteous before God, That's not something that we can agree to disagree about. This is the primary doctrine. Scripture alone is the foundation. Scripture alone. If it's not the Bible that determines right, wrong, spiritual truth, then anything goes. But if it is the scripture and only the scripture, we need to know what God's word says about how sinners are justified. And listen, how fallen men can have a right relationship with God is a fundamental of the Christian religion. While we may disagree with other denominations about important things, we must agree on this. We must agree on this. This is a truth of paramount importance. Quite literally, the souls of men hang in balance over how we understand this subject, how we teach this subject. And if you get this wrong, if you get justification, I'm gonna talk about those terms more in just a minute. But if you get justification by faith alone wrong, you get the gospel wrong. And when you get the gospel wrong, you get everything of eternal value wrong. So this subject is indeed one of the most crucial and critical truths that anyone can ever consider. So the doctrine of Sola Fide or justification by faith alone, this doctrine seeks to define how mortal men are declared righteous before God. If we ask this question, how can sinful men be declared innocent The answer is, by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. That's how. How can wicked men, how can fallen humanity, how can they have a right standing before God? And that is by faith alone, justified by faith alone. And at the risk of wearing you out with this, because we've said this before, the word sola is so important. The Latin term alone or only is so important and it is vital. We are not justified by faith and whatever. We'll develop that more in a moment. We're not justified by faith plus. We're justified by faith alone. Now these two ideas, whether it is alone or and, these are not just grammatically opposite, they are theologically opposite. It can't be sola fide and sola et, the Latin term et means and. It can't be alone and and, it has to be alone. So either men are justified by faith alone or by faith and something else, but it can't be both. It can't be faith alone and faith plus, it's gotta be one or the other. But I wanna make sure we're all speaking the same language. When I talk about justified, you'll see that repeatedly in our text, or justification, that is a forensic term. It's a legal term. And it quite simply means to declare not guilty. If you think about it in a courtroom setting, judge sitting on the bench, Before Him, there is an individual who has been accused of a crime. He will either be determined to be innocent or guilty. You and I stand before a holy God who is sitting on the bench of heaven as the holy judge of all the earth. We stand before Him in our natural condition, guilty, sinful, having broken God's law, rebels and He could righteously slam down His gavel and declare us guilty and condemn us to an eternity in suffering apart from Him. But, because of what Christ has done, in His coming to this earth and living a righteous life and atoning for our sins, dying and rising again because of what Christ has done. When we put our trust in Him, God says, not guilty. We are acquitted. And that's not because of faith and something that we have done, not faith and baptism or faith and good works. It is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone that God can say this sinful person is not guilty. So you understand the doctrine of justification is God declaring us innocent. Not because we haven't sinned, but because Christ paid our debt. He paid the sin debt that we owe. And not only that, when we put our faith in Him, when we trust in Christ, His perfect righteous life is credited to us or imputed to us. That's the theological term of imputation. Our sins placed on Christ, His righteousness placed on us. So that holy God, sitting on the throne, the bench, can look at us and say, not guilty, I acquit you. I find you innocent because Christ paid your debt and He has given you His righteousness. theme, study, subject of tonight is that that happens not because we earn it, but it is by God's grace alone, through faith in Christ alone. And friends, it is to the glory of God alone. To the glory of God alone. So the doctrine of justification reveals that God, because of the meritorious work of Christ, can judicially declare every believer not guilty. Let me read again, quote again this very familiar passage. For by grace you have been saved through faith, that not of yourselves, it is what? It is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast. We're saved by grace through faith, that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God. So, if we will permit, and we should, the Bible to be the final authority in all spiritual matters, Then scripture tells us that sinners are declared righteous by faith alone, by grace alone through faith alone. In and only in the finished work of Christ alone plus nothing. How important is this? The great Bible scholar John Calvin, the great theologian John Calvin says, He said that justification by faith is, quote, the main hinge upon which true religion turns, end quote. Martin Luther stated that justification is, quote, the first and chief article of the Christian faith. The first and chief article of the Christian faith, end quote. Now it's absolutely true that there are those that are called Christian or evangelical denominations, but they shouldn't be called that. If you don't get this right, in my opinion, you don't get to be called a Christian organization. Again, we can disagree on what's gonna happen when Jesus comes back and Whether you need a little water or a lot of water to baptize, we can disagree on some of that, but if you don't get the gospel right, if you don't get the fact that salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone and Christ alone, you should not be called an evangelical organization. You shouldn't be called a Christian church at all. For those who teach that salvation is by faith plus human merit, It's not what the Bible says. I want to look at this text with you, and if you're someone who highlights things in your Bibles, Galatians 2 verse 16, knowing that a man is not justified, he is not declared righteous by the works of the law. And it doesn't matter what work that is. So you had, let me give you a little background. You had what is called this group of Judaizers. And they were individuals who wanted to take Jesus plus, Jesus plus the Old Testament sacrificial system. Jesus plus circumcision. Jesus and keeping the Sabbath. Jesus and Passover. They wanted to combine justification as an act of God and an act of man working together. And they infiltrated the Church of Galatia. It's a Wednesday night, I don't want to keep you forever. We'll get to this in a minute, but when Paul opens this letter to the church at Galatia, he pretty much skips past all the normal niceties and just flat out says, what is wrong with you people? What is wrong with you? Why would you listen to someone that tells you Jesus isn't enough? Why would you tolerate that kind of horrible theology? And then he begins to just completely rip apart that idea that we need Jesus and or Jesus plus. And he teaches Verse 16, that a man is not declared righteous by the works of the law, but by faith. Now friends, this is one of those places that seminary education is not necessary to understand what the apostle is saying. We are not declared righteous by our good works, but by faith. in Jesus Christ. Keep reading with me. Even we have believed in Christ Jesus that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law. For by the works of the law No flesh shall be justified. I think he's pretty clear. He says it three times in one verse. I've highlighted the words in my Bible, justified, and by faith, and not by the works of the law. If you'll do that, you'll scratch up the whole verse. We are not justified or declared righteous by the works of the law. Matter of fact, look at that last verse of the chapter. He says, if righteousness comes through the law, if I can be made righteous through law keeping, then Christ died for nothing in vain. If I can merit my way, work my way, be good enough to go to heaven, I don't need Jesus. But you can't be good enough to work your way or merit your way. Which is why we who are dead in our trespasses and sins, if we are to be declared righteous, God has to do something for us that we can't do. And by His grace, He gives us the gift of faith in His Son, and that produces life. And friends, throughout all of eternity, all of eternity, we will kneel before the throne and say, glory to God alone. Glory to the Lamb alone. If you think I'm overstating Paul's clarity in this, chapter 3, verse 1, you foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you? That's quite literally what the word means. Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth? Look at chapter 3, verse 8. And the scripture, chapter 3, verse 8, and the scripture foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith. Preach the gospel to Abraham before him and so on. Verse 11, chapter 3, verse 11. But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident for the just shall live by faith. Chapter 3, verse 24. Therefore the law was our schoolmaster, or tutor, to bring us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. By faith. If I seem repetitive tonight, It's because the inspired writer is repetitive. He is saying as clearly and as adamantly as he can possibly say that you Galatians should not, not give these false teachers an inch, not one inch, no room. Sit them down, shut them up and teach them the true gospel. No amount of law keeping, no human effort in any form can ever earn entrance into heaven. There is zero ambiguity about this in God's words. Zero ambiguity about it. Sinners are justified. By grace alone, through faith alone. I'm going to read a few passages from Romans. If you want to turn there, you can. You will be familiar with them, most likely those of you who are here on a Wednesday night. But I'm going to read from Romans 3. It will be a great place to start. And then we'll read a few verses there, and then a verse from chapter 5. But in Romans 3, Paul writing to the probably church is plural of Rome. Look at Romans 3, verse 20. He's teaching them the same thing. Romans 3, 20. Therefore, by the deeds of the law, no flesh will be justified in his sight. In Galatians, where we began, and here in Romans 3, Paul uses that term, no flesh. And you know what I really think that means? No flesh. Nobody. Gentile, Jew, white, black, brown, rich, poor, Old Testament, New Testament, there's only ever been one way of salvation. By grace alone, through faith alone in Christ, the coming Messiah, or the having come Messiah. No flesh. There is not one person that has ever earned outside of the Lord Christ Himself, a perfect righteous standing. Look at verse 21, Romans 3, 21. But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the law and the prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ to all and on all who believe, for there is no difference. For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. You can go on there, but I'm told that that word freely there means without a cause. you have been justified without any cause within yourself. Romans chapter 3 verse 28, the same chapter, verse 28, therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law. Verse 30, Since there is one God who will justify the circumcised, that is the Jew, by faith, and the uncircumcised, that is the Gentile, through faith. Faith. Romans 5 verse 1, therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Not, not, Faith plus words. Faith and ceremony. Faith and baptism. Faith and mass. Faith and keeping the law. Faith and circumcision. Faith and the Sabbath. But sola fide. Faith alone. Now what one believes about this really comes down to What does the book say, God's word say, and do you truly believe what God has said and not the vain philosophies of men, not even what we come up with ourselves? And then are you willing to submit to what the Bible so clearly says that the only way I can be declared righteous in the sight of God is by trusting in Christ, grace that brings the gift of faith that yields life. Friends, getting this wrong, getting this wrong means getting the gospel wrong. It means getting the gospel wrong. If you don't get how sinners are justified, if you don't get that right, you get the gospel wrong. And this is not a minor thing. This is a major infraction. Roman Catholicism teaches faith and. Not faith alone, faith and. Other religious organizations teach faith and. Whether it is faith plus baptism or faith plus Speaking in tongues or faith plus this, whatever that it is. When the souls of men are hanging in the balance, there's no room for ambiguity here. We gotta be clear. I know not everybody likes sports analogies, but getting this wrong, it's not like fumbling on first down. This is a big deal. This is not like a burned supper. This is a big deal. Someone claims that sinners can be put into a right relationship with God by grace and good works, faith and ceremony, then they've got the gospel wrong. And they're saying that Jesus isn't enough and we need to add to it. How important is this? If you'll look one more place, we'll be in the first chapter of Galatians. I told you we were going to mention this. How important is this? People that mishandle this doctrine are leading men down a path of perdition or destruction, and they are headed to divine judgment themselves. Now look at Galatians 1 verse 6 and there's a few little nice, hey, how are you, how's your mom and them doing at the opening of Galatians, a little bit of that. But look at verse 6, chapter 1 verse 6. I marvel, amazed, shocked that you are turning away so soon, that you are so quickly removed from Him who called you in the grace of Christ to another or a different gospel, which is not another. But there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. And listen to this warning. But even if we or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel to you, and it is not wrong to say if there is anyone who preaches anything other than faith alone, sola fide, Now what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, verse 9, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than that which you have received, let him be, and you want to know a very literal rendering of that last word, damned. If you preach a false gospel, Paul says, let that person be damned, condemned. That's how serious this is. Because when you distort how sinners are declared righteous, you are mishandling the gospel. And Paul was not gonna sit quiet while people are dishonoring Jesus. and His work and suffering in our behalf. So you can be wrong about a lot of things in the Bible and still be a Christian, but you can't be wrong about this and be saved. Which is why you and I, friends, we must guard the gospel. We must protect this truth. This is a hill to die on. It is absolutely a hill to die on. I'm not going to fight to the death defending pre-trib rapture or women wearing head covers. I'm not going to fight to death over that, but God help me, by His grace, I'll stand for this if it costs me my life. And so should you. Guard the gospel. So if a preacher gets in the pulpit, And he addresses the subject of justification by faith alone. And he says, this is one of the most important subjects in the Bible. He's right. It is absolutely one of the most important.