Amazing grace. In your wisdom and your providence, the lyrics say it all. The music can change and it can have this feel or that feel. It could be a little more modern or it could be classic and older. But the lyrics continue to tell the story. And for that, we're grateful. We're grateful to you for that amazing grace. We're grateful to you that when we've been there 10,000 years, shining bright as the sun. It'll be like day one after 10,000 years. We can't even begin to fathom that. We worry about 90 years or 100 years on planet Earth. And those 90 and 100 are with toil. And those 90 and 100 on the back end tend to be where we rust instead of shine. And we're reminded of all the goodness that awaits us. Even during our hardships here, as life comes to an end on this planet. What awaits us for us on the other side is much better. Thank you. Be with us now as we study your word. Help us to understand it. Speak to us as only you can that the ministry of your spirit would be real and that it would lead us to truth and it would work in our lives. And we pray that you would do now a work in our hearts so we can see the beauty of Christ. We can hear you. And Lord, we can sense you and Father, be changed. Lord, I'll receive this time and help us to worship you in spirit and truth. In Jesus name, God's people said. We continue our series that we began last week. And the series is tied into the Reformation, the Protestant Reformation. And the Protestant Reformation was much broader and much bigger than just Martin Luther. And if you just tie the Protestant Reformation to Martin Luther, you're missing out a lot of that happened before and even after. especially even before there were men uh key figures before martin luther that influenced martin luther in a very special way no less than 100 years before that there was john huss and and um john wickliffe wickliffe continues to exist today through the translating organization, Wycliffe, and both men, John Huss and John Wycliffe, were beheaded and they were burned at the stake as heretics. From the Roman Catholic Church's perspective, these are men that had turned away from the gospel and they needed to pay a price. John Huss and John Wycliffe wrote and preached topics that ultimately influenced Martin Luther and were used of God to reach Martin Luther. And from there, the process of Reformation continued. Just to give you a snapshot of what was going on in the 13th, 14th, 15th century in Europe, the Roman Catholic Church had such a grip on what was going on there that it affected it all. And John Huss, like I said, burned at the stake as a heretic. John Wycliffe was actually, he died at the end of the 14th century, 1384, so from a stroke. And so he was buried. A few years later, 14, 15 or so, the church under the direction of the existing pope of that day and the church councils, they began to address his writings, Wycliffe's writings, because they didn't favor, they didn't like what he had written. Well, those writings were deemed Now, I don't know about you, but that sounds like a Netflix original. You know what has to be brewing in your heart and soul to exhume a body and burn it? That's how serious it was back then. See, the Western Church back then, distinguished from the Eastern Church, by the way, they split in the 11th century about 1054. That's why as you drive around our community, you may find Eastern Orthodox churches or Western Orthodox churches. You and I know them as the Roman Catholic Church. They split. It always has to do with power and money. So they split. The Western Church is the one that's in control of Europe. And in the 16th century, early on, it's led by a guy called Leo X, or Pope Leo X. Comes from the famous Italian. a family out of Florence, Medici family, and he's the one who hired Michelangelo to paint the Sistine Chapel. He's the one who wanted St. Peter's Basilica, largest church building to this day, to be built. Well, even in that day, that cost money. Pope Leo didn't have the money. He did undergo these expensive endeavors. Michelangelo doesn't come cheap even in the 16th century. St. Peter's Basilica doesn't come cheap even in the 16th century. There's always been a funding problem. Now comes, enter in the story of Albert of Brandenburg. Albert of Brandenburg was a bishop. He wanted to be archbishop. He eventually gets to be a cardinal, but he wanted to be an archbishop in Germany. Well, he didn't qualify, but Operation Green Palm gets you a long way. So Albert of Brandenburg meets with Pope Leo X and says, listen, you need money. I can get it for you, but at a cost, a quid pro quo. I get you the money, I can become archbishop, and then eventually he then gets cardinal. Cardinal is no joke, right? The cardinals from the school of cardinals, that's where you pick the popes even to this day. So he says, hey, I got you, and Albert didn't have the money, so he borrowed it from a bank in Germany. So now what does he do? I'm in the hole. I'm in the hole. How am I going to do this? Enter the third person. His last name, a monk named Tetzel. He became Albert's fundraiser. And he devised a scheme where Tetzel would go from town to town. Remember, this is the 16th century, 1500s. This is way before the day of Twitter and the day of social media and everything else. So you got, you have peasants. Remember the situation then is people didn't, they were illiterate. They didn't know how to read. Thinking was done for them and they trusted those who represented God blindly, blindly. So Tetzel would go from town to town and he would sell what would become known as indulgences. Now, here's an indulgence. It's on the screen. An indulgence was essentially a get-out-of-so-called purgatory card or a grace card for a past or future sin for you or a family member. Okay? He would sell this. He would sell this. These indulgences were endorsed by the Pope. Again, if you're in Western Europe, and the Pope says, this is good. You the peasant, you the one that doesn't know any better. You're there, and you take it for granted. There's no better way to raise money than to monetize the grace of God. Okay, there's nothing new under the sun. Tetzel was a marketer par excellence. He even developed a jingle to help sell them. On the screen there, as soon as a coin in the coffer rings, the soul from purgatory springs. This is true. This is stuff that you can look up. This is church history. This is not just Baptist history. This is not just Pastor Lewis on a bad regiment of meds. Okay. This is stuff that you and I can look even outside of, of church history. You can just look to history and this stuff happened. And there was this, this, this jingle and Luther gets to the point where he's dismayed, not only with the indulgences. I think the indulgences were that maybe might have been the tipping point, but leading up all the excesses, all the abuse. And he, he takes a 95 grievances and he puts them to writing. You and I know it in church history, the 95 theses, and he walks up the castle door of Wittenberg, Germany, and he nails his 95 grievances. In the 16th century, that would be the equivalent of a modern day blog. It starts up conversation, and conversation it did start. And Reformation spreads. So October 31, 1517 has nothing to do with Halloween for Christians. If you really wanna be a little more biblical about some things, or at least church history, that's Reformation Day. That's the day that Martin Luther walked up and started something that had been brewing, had been brewing, and then it took off even after. Men like Zwingli and Calvin and John Knox, all through Western Europe, they started preaching the doctrines of grace. They didn't call them the solos as we call them, but they were teaching and preaching and writing And now the printing press is on, and Gutenberg, and thank God for him, and everything starts getting proliferated through writing. And before you know it, the Protestant Reformation occurs, and there's much more. I just gave you a quick review. For today, we go back to our series of the five solas, and we're reminded that sola means what? only alone okay we get the word solitary for from there okay or solo trip it's just it's alone uh and and you see him there and it's not just so you can i can walk back and and say man i know five phrases you know sola scriptura sola gratia sola fide sola solus christos and soli deo gloria that's not my goal here the the english counterpart is what counts so sola scriptura is is scripture alone The gospel was lost in the medieval times. The church then controlled, and again, it's power and money, you control. How do you keep the masses in control and fearful and continuing to contribute? You keep them in fear and uncertainty. And I only have the word from God. I can only declare you righteous. I am the only one that can provide you what is needed to balance the scales of divine justice. So they're doing all this, and they say, no, no, no, you cannot add to scripture, you cannot add to grace, you cannot add to faith, you can't add to Christ, you can't add to God's glory alone. And again, you and I, we go like, what's the big deal in the 21st century? Small changes can create problems. Small changes do affect. Let me turn to chemistry. I travel back in time to Miami High. Easy, Charlie. Charlie and I know each other from grade school. Shenandoah Elementary, Shenandoah Junior High, back in the day it was a junior high, not a middle school, hoorah, right? And then Miami High. Miami High, Charlie and I took plenty of personal days off. And yeah, my fault. You're right, my fault. I was the bad guy. You look at Charlie, you look at me, I can get away with murder, okay? One of those days that I think I was there, 10th grade, I still remember chemistry, Mr. Robinson. I don't know if you had Mr. Robinson. I did tall guy. It was chemistry. And I remember just the parts of chemistry that I still enjoyed because I was there. I remember that if you add protons and just a couple of little things, it changes the element itself. A small addition makes a big difference, especially in the periodic charts of elements. I mean, just take, for example, hydrogen and helium. Hydrogen and helium. In the periodic chart of elements, you see them in one more slide. Yeah, you see them, they're on opposite ends. One has the atomic number of one, and the other one has the atomic number of two. Big difference, right? I mean, it's just one. Ah, but you've changed the element. Helium, or hydrogen, is an element usually in the form of gas. I don't know this. I had to write it down, even though I was there for Mr. Robinson. And it consists of one proton and one electron. Helium is an element usually in the form of gas that consists of two protons, two neutrons, and two electrons. Now, if I got that wrong in your science teacher, please forgive me. Correct me later on with a gentle admonition, okay? But what I'm trying to show you is there's very little difference. But boy, it's not the same element anymore. The same thing happens to the gospel. There can be minor changes, but it's not the gospel anymore. The solas identify the irreducible nucleus of the gospel. They get rid of all the man-made additions and subtractions of human merit and traditions and self-righteousness. The solas say, this is what the gospel means. No more than this, no less than this. And if you add something to the gospel, it no longer is the gospel. If you add something to hydrogen, just something simple, it's helium. It's not hydrogen anymore. The element itself has changed. so with the gospel. And that's why you and I, putting all these solas together, we said it last time, it's on the screen, according to the authority of scripture alone, we are justified or saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, for the glory of God alone. Amen? That's what I want you to take with you. Last week we considered sola scriptura. Scripture alone is the final and highest authority. That answers the question, who do we answer to? Remember we talk about we live under the authority of the scriptures. We love to stand on the promises, but we also live under the authority of scripture. Grace alone deals with the all-important question of how we are saved from hell, the very nature of the gospel. How does God do it? Do I have any merit? Do I contribute to it? Well, if you live in the 16th century, the Roman Catholic Church would say yes, but the Bible would say something different. See, you get the gospel wrong and you're damned and judged by God forever. You get it right and you experience the bliss of God's love and life forever. That's how crucial The gospel is here. Now, the sad reality in 16th century Europe is that no one had an assurance. No one could know. Only the church in a town could declare something. They read to you a Bible that you didn't understand in a language that you didn't get. So imagine, you're there, you're suffering, you're going through this, and they're telling you to just hold on to the rituals, hold on to these traditions. Listen, life in the 16th century was a lot tougher than life in the 21st century. Okay. You and I think that we're going through a tough time, but just remember, this is a part of the world that just a couple of years ago, a couple of centuries before the black death had gone through it. We're 60% I think of Europeans died. Think about that. 60% of the United States of America's people residing in the, within the borders of the United States die 60% and there's no answer because there's no science. Forget about the CDC and Fauci and whoever else you want to point the finger at. There's nothing. And you're suffering and wars, are you kidding me? We haven't had a significant war in this country for who knows how long. One of those World War where our kids, the average age in World War II was what? 17, 18 on D-Day? Our 17 and 18 year olds are freaking out because they can't connect to Wi-Fi's. These are young men that when that dropped on the shores, they charred. Most of them died. Well, that was nothing compared to the 16th century when armies would come through the villages and pilfer and plunder and kill. And oh my word, there was so much uncertainty. You turn to the church and the church says, well, good luck. Good luck. Maybe do this, say this, and maybe you'll make it to heaven. Maybe you won't. Don't know, but you know, no wonder, no wonder the indulgences, they sold. They sold. Death was a reality. What happens? What happens to me when I die? That happened, that's the question we ask in 21st century. But they were asking, there was no good answer from the church, from those, other than try harder and hopefully you make it. That doesn't work. And indulgences, they sold like hotcakes. Now, you and I may look at it and go, man, that's so bogus, so unbiblical. But you know what? When you don't have anything other, bogus will do. Bogus will do. And that's what we have here. So the Reformation, this time of clarity, biblical clarity, where the gospel was rediscovered through the doctrines of grace, through these reformers, and it cost them heavy. It wasn't just they were ostracized and they couldn't get on, and you know, on Facebook and Twitter and all these other platforms, they shut them down. Big deal. They paid with their lives, most of them. Well, with all this in mind, we dig in today to sola gratia. And for that, Titus chapter two. Titus chapter two, verses 11 through 14. In your Bible, in your Bible app. If you don't have a Bible to use today, there might be one in a row in front of you, there's some in the back. Like we said last week, Bibles, we take them for granted. Yet, I just told you the story of Tyndale, who died for translating it into English. and you and I take it, we show up to study God's word without God's word. That's like showing up to be a mechanic and I don't have any type of anything, I don't need anything. So let me remind you and let me just encourage you and exhort you and admonish you to have access to the word of God. So when we study it, we have it here and you can value the fact that God went out of his way to reveal himself in special revelation known as scripture, And men have taken this and have paid dearly with their lives so you and I can have it here to treasure and to enjoy. Titus 2, 11 through 14, I read you follow along. For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for our people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age. waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession, who are zealous for good works. Stop there. Stop there. For our study purposes, we're just going to make two major divisions. Number one, Sola Gratia, explained. And if you have our sermon notes, you can get through our email. That's the fill-in, explained. Excuse me, in theological terms, there are two types of grace. There's common grace and there's receiving grace. Common grace, everyone. That's God's good gifts to everyone. Common grace. Common grace is sunshine, rain, shelter, food, government, laws, general health. Common grace extends to every person. You don't have to be the chosen. You don't have to be part of God's people. Saving grace, on the other hand, is only for God's people, for those that God extends his favor and he chooses them to experience saving grace. The Bible is clear on that, Ephesians 1 11. In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will. Now you and I may not understand it all, but that is saving grace is only applied to those that God says you and you and you. that boggles your mind, it should, it should. Lord willing, if the Lord tarries, next year, early part of the year, we'll tackle the book of Ephesians. That's my goal, Lord willing, is to tackle it in, and we'll be strapped in, because that'll be a few weeks of the year, as we look at six chapters in Ephesians. The first three are doctrine, the last three are practice, but the three of doctrine, there's some heavy stuff there. In fact, if I could only have one book of the Bible, I would probably say give me Ephesians. Okay, some would say Romans and I can understand that but Ephesians for me is a gem. It's a gem So we will look at Ephesians 1 11, but this is the deal You we those who have been chosen by God to experience saving grace that we have it has been bestowed on us Now grace is not a commodity. It's not a substance. It's not something that you have today and gone tomorrow It can't be infused. It can't be lost again. All that goes against the the teaching of the Roman Catholic Church even to this day See, in the Roman Catholic Church, it is taught that you are saved by grace, the grace of sacraments. And that grace that's given to you can be diminished through sin, and that's why you have to continue to work in such a way that you keep a good standing before God. That's exhausting. That's exhausting. Because you never know. Again, what are the scales? I mean, I really had a bad week. I was on the Palmetto most of the week. Do you understand that my language is less than godly? Versus three weeks ago when I was traveling on the turnpike at 10 in the morning. Nothing. And I was on I-10. You know what's on I-10? Nothing. The panhandle up there. At a certain time, all you see is just trees, trees, trees. The only bad thoughts you have is, when are they going to come to an end? So it's like, what do we do here? Well, it's regained and the Catholic Church would say, no, no, you know, this is how you have to keep it. Well, sola gratia teaches that a person is saved from their sins by God's grace alone. That's it, no amount of good works, trying harder, doing better will help you get into heaven. This is grace toward unworthy, undeserving sinners of God's own choosing that receive the unmerited, unearned favor of God, the benefit of Jesus' work. This is heavy. That means that you and I, the only thing you and I bring to the table when it comes to salvation is the sin that precipitates it. Do you understand that? The only thing you and I come bring to that table of salvation It's the sin that precipitates, that demands it, that needs it. That's what you and I bring. We're not all that and a bag of chips. We're not even the aftertaste of Diet Coke. That's what you and I need to understand. And that's what grace alone. God was moved by his own loving character. He didn't see in you, oh my gosh, I need a Bellamy. Because you know, I'm filling out the alphabet. I got Acosta, I got Bellamy. Then I need a letter C. When I get to V, I'll go Valston. No. This unmerited, undeserving bunch of, Sinners, rebels. And since, you know, we're talking about grace, let's define it. On the screen there, God's grace is unmerited favor. The non-entitled saving kindness of God. The non-entitled, there's a word for you, non-entitled. saving grace of God. Grace alone will not make sense if you don't understand the seriousness of sin and the sufficiency of Christ. especially here in the West, especially here in the 21st century America, here in the United States of America, where the gospel is peddled and the gospel becomes something that you can manipulate. We've added, or we've subtracted, and the solas remind us you can't do that, or you change it. These two realities are seen in Ephesians chapter two, so in your Bible, Ephesians chapter two, let's take a quick look at that. Obviously we won't be able to go and fathom all the depths here, but let's take a look at it. Ephesians chapter two, verses one through 10. I'm gonna read it and you follow along. Ephesians chapter two, one through 10. I'm reading from the English Standard Version, Ephesians 2, 1 through 10. and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace and kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. We just read this, for by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God, not the results of works, so that no one may boast, for we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Let me give you just three observations about Ephesians 2 and how sola gratia impacts it. And you see it there. Number one, sola gratia, grace alone, drives us to our spiritual depravity and desperation apart from God's grace. Opening three verses. Paint the picture of the seriousness of sin. Right? I mean, we've said this before. The diamond sparkles the brightest against what type of background? Black. Yeah, that's why they do that. You appreciate the diamond partly because of the background. We use the background to humanity. Listen to the words, dead in trespasses, sons of disobedience, by nature children of wrath. Who is he talking about? The elite? The 1%ers? Is he talking about the bullies on the playground? No. That's a summary statement of humanity. Outside the grace of Christ, you and I are this. If you're not enjoying a relationship with Jesus Christ, this is your description. Now, you may not be the devil incarnate, but the reality is that you're living for your own pleasure, not for God's. Therefore, that's what dead and trespasses means. You have no capacity, no have no, no desire. to please God. Oh, you may please Him here and there, but that's not your life goal. That's not what fuels you. What does God have to say on this? What does He mean? No, see, the starting point of the gospel is that, you know, it's the opposite of what you and I get to hear through psychology today. You know, we're told that we're, in essence, we're good. All we need is the right formula, the right study, and the right nurturing, and we'll come out okay. Nah, no, we're not, we're not. Okay, therefore, when someone steals, lies, murders, it's a failure of society to nurture the good instead of the evil. Okay, go ahead, live that way. In reality, the gospel says no. So the solution is not educational opportunities. The solution is not, you know, the outcomes and equality of this or equality of that. The solution is a changed heart. It's not better parenting. It's a changed heart. The gospel doesn't say that we're good people who need nurturing. No, we're rebels. And if you doubt that, who taught you to lie? Who taught you to be, you know, selfish? Beside mom and dad, the next word you learned was no, mine. No one taught us that. It's just part of it. As we get older, we may get a little more sophisticated in our expression of our selfishness, okay? But we're still being selfish. And that's the reality. Now, as image bearers, because we are created with the image of God, as image bearers, we retain a moral compass of somewhat, the most of us. And the laws that are in place, they can restrain our lower desires. You do legislate morality to a certain degree. I mean, that's why when a murderer says you don't murder, because if you murder, I got a capital punishment. So you do legislate morality to a certain degree. But that's because there's a moral compass and we're image bearers of God himself. But there's a fundamental flaw. We can't have nirvana. We can't have that great place here on earth. We won't get there to that utopia. You know why? The Bible puts it this way on the screen. As it is written, none is righteous. No, not one. No one understands. No one seeks for God. All have turned aside. Together they have become worthless. No one does good, not even one. In character, you and I, we know it. We can suppress that truth if we want to. You can look at me today and go, that's not me. I wasn't raised that way. Yes, you were. You are a rebel by nature. You are selfish by nature. Listen, I give you free reign. If I removed all moral inhibitions, you would just lie, cheat and murder. And so would I. We actually think that we can get one over on the Lord God. And that's why Romans 3.23 on the screen, therefore all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. What does it mean to be spiritually dead? It means one, we're guilty. We don't like guilt. We tend to medicate guilt. But the Bible says you can't medicate this type of guilt. You're guilty, why? Because you've transgressed this law. And because you've transgressed the law, that which you thought would bring deliverance, you're in bondage too. Sin owns you outside the grace of Christ. See, he doesn't say that we're simply sick. No, no, no, he says, listen, apart from the grace of God, we have no, there's no capacity to experience external stimuli. Spiritually speaking, the grace of God must do something in you, must do something in me that we don't have. Salvation comes from out, in. Not from in, out. Revolutionary in the 16th century, revolutionary today in the 21st century. You mean I can't make, earn my way to heaven? No. We'll get to that in just a moment. See, sola gratia drives us to our spiritual depravity. Number two, grace alone says that our attempts to win back God just don't work. They don't work. Why? Because they're flawed. Listen, my wife is here. She knows me better than I know myself sometimes. And she knows that when I come and I try to do something else, she can look at me and she goes, you know, what's fueling those words? You know, that decision. She knows when I'm, you know, there's a question behind a question. when I have ulterior motives. We all have ulterior motives when it comes with our dealings with the Lord. That's why he says in Isaiah 64, six, we all have become like one who is unclean and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. Look that up, what he's actually saying about a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf and our iniquities like the wind take us away. Isaiah 64, six. See, religion is man's attempt to claw his way back to God. And that's what the 16th century Roman Catholic Church, the 21st century Roman Catholic Church, quite honestly, they'll teach you. You can make it, but you're gonna have to claw your way back through this or through that, through this and through that, and hopefully you'll balance the scales. There's no way to balance the scales. There's no way. Because the law of God demands justice. You break the law, you die. And unless someone dies for you, you will die yourself. The good news of the gospel is someone has died for you and for me. His name is Jesus. He bears the wrath of God upon sin. God in his word says that he saved us, Titus 3, 5, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit. Listen, because the seriousness of sin, okay, God would be right to leave us just right there. But the scriptures tell us that God's grace is amazing. And after dealing with us, after presenting the pitiful condition of humanity's depravity, Paul turns from us to God, okay? And here's some good news. Grace alone says salvation is totally of God from first to last. That's number three, Ephesians 2, four through nine. says but God who being rich in mercy because of the great love with which he loved us even when we were dead in our trespasses made us alive together with Christ by grace you have been saved and raised up with us with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace and kindness toward us in Christ Jesus for by grace you've been saved through faith and this is not your own doing It is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast from start to finish. Verse 5, by grace you have been saved. Verse 8, for by grace you have been saved. Whose grace? God's grace. Not the Catholic Church's grace. Not the Baptist's grace. Not the denomination's grace. God's grace. The mercy of God toward us motivated God's redemptive kindness toward us. Was God under any moral obligation to save us? To justify us? Of course not. You're right. He didn't have to do anything and he would still remain loving, compassionate, and merciful. He could have sent every human being to hell, to suffer from an eternity and still be perfect. He didn't have to. Because if you do say that he had to and I contribute to it, then it's not Sola Gracia anymore. It's Grace Plus, yet another streaming service that you can subscribe to. It would be gratia plus, or grace plus. It would be grace in our goodness alone, grace in our inherent value alone, grace in our earning it alone. And the way, the issue there, the days of the Reformation, the days today, listen, it's by grace alone, God's grace alone. Look at verses eight and nine. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing. It is a gift of God, not a result of words, so that no one may boast. Two things, two things. It is a gift of God, okay? So it's something that God offers. All gifts are free, at least to the recipient. It may cost the giver something. But to say here's a free gift is to be redundant. Of course it's free. It's a gift. If it's not free, it's not a gift. So it's a gift. It is God doing for you and me, God offering to you what you and I cannot do for our own. And he says there, you know, he could have used words, you know, for by grace you have been saved because of God's goodness toward you, because of the opportunity that God gives you. No, no, no. He says it's a gift. You must receive it. You don't barter. You don't barter. You know how many Christians or how many people in churches are being taught that you barter. God will save you, God will do this if you do this and if you do that. The kindness of God will be that toward you if you do this or you do that. No way, you don't barter with God. It's a gift. And by the way, this is a gift of not of recognition. You know, there can be gifts of recognition. Tom was employed by the Broderick Schools, right, for 30 plus years? 30 plus years, and he survived. He has a t-shirt, okay? Rachel is close to that. getting her own t-shirt. And at the end of his tenure, Broward Schools, they may have given him a gift. And it was free. Didn't cost you. Well, it did cost you. It cost you 30 years of your life plus. But it's not a gift of recognition. You see, sometimes you go like, oh, God's gift to me. Ooh. A God's gift, a gift of, this is not a gift of recognition for a faithful service. This is a gift that in spite of treason, In spite of rebellion, in spite of spitting in my face, in spite of saying that you don't need me, in spite of living like you don't need me, I grant you a gift. That's the gift. And by the way, if it's a gift, it's also a muzzle. You see it there? So that no man can boast. It's a muzzle. You can't say, oh, you know, I earned it. No, no, if you do, then you can boast. There's something, again, that you contribute other than your sin to your rescue, then you can boast in that. But you can't, you can't. That's sola gratia explained. Let me just take a few minutes, take sola gratia, grace alone, and apply it, applied, applied. In his book, Grace Alone, Salvation as a Gift of God, the author, Carl Truman, he writes the following, it'll be on the screen. It is because we are saved by grace that grace then works in our lives to accomplish God's purpose for us. The Christian life originates in God's grace and is lived by God's grace. Again, we don't start with all of God and then it's all of me, exclusively. Listen, if the grace of God stopped the salvation, we'd be in trouble. but it's grace from start to finish. Back to Titus, back to Titus 11 through 14 in your Bible. Back to Titus chapter two, 11 through 14. Excuse me, Titus two. Titus chapter two, for the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people. So right off the bat, we say that grace The grace of God does save. The grace of God rescues. But it does much more than that, and that's how it applies to grace alone. Let me give you a couple of thoughts. Number one, the grace that saves is the grace that trains. For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age. You want a job description? You need something to let you know what you need to not do and what you need to do? Verse 12. You want evidence of God in your life? Does that exist? Because that's God at work in you. God at work in me. See, God's grace, once received, trains us to renounce the ungodliness of this world, which means that you and I understand that sin is fleeting, its pleasure is fleeting, but yet how many, even those who call upon the name of the Lord, we give in to it. We don't renounce the ungodliness of this world. We embrace it. Because Christ is not sufficient. So what's sufficient is the pleasures of sin. Yet the grace of God that saves is the grace of God that trains. It trains you and me to renounce the ungodliness of this world. It trains you and me to renounce worldly passions. Now, passions in and of themselves are nothing bad. I mean, you and I were created with passions. It's when they run amok. It's when they're not under the control of the Lord that you and I give our way, give passion and pursuit to ungodly things. And that's the sin. But yet the scriptures say you want evidence of God's grace in your life. The grace that saved you, the grace that rescued you, is the grace that trains you to renounce and not to pursue. And lastly, the grace of God that trains us to be self-controlled, upright, and godly. Boy, that's good there. If every child of God here would entrust him or herself to the grace of God and pursue to be self-controlled, upright and godly. This is not optional training. This is not extra credit. This is expected. This is God's grace at work in your life and in my life. The grace that saves is the grace that trains. Number two, the grace that saves is the grace that trains and is the grace that prepares. Our walk of the Lord today is preparing us for our walk of the Lord tomorrow. There's a coming day where you and I are awaiting the blessed hope, and that's a person. That's a person, the appearance of Jesus Christ. And we're studying Revelation on Wednesday nights, and we don't want to get hung up on all the events. Revelation is not about the events. The Revelation is about the revealing of Jesus Christ. These events attest to that, but it's Jesus Christ what we're after. Ultimately, I really don't care who's the Antichrist. I just want to make sure that the return of the conquering king is real. And that's what we have here. The grace that saves is the grace that sustains, is the grace that creates a desire for zealous, you know, a zealousness for good works. Why? Because you're being purified. God at work in your life. Those who are saved are trained for those, you know, and those who are trained are purified. So, folks, what can we take with us this morning? Let me just ask you a few questions and you just answer them. Just answer them. Have you received this grace of God that brings salvation? Are you recipient of the grace that's saved from God's wrath? Do you understand that salvation is all about God? The grace of God saves us from the wrath of God. Are we being trained to renounce ungodliness and unrighteousness? Do you have evidence of fighting against ungodliness or enjoying ungodliness? Are you prepared for the return of Jesus Christ? Listen, these are some diagnostic questions. How are you, child of God? Before the Lord today in light of your claiming, I'm claiming that the grace of God has saved me. Well, it's not just a moment. It's a life. Because the grace that saves is the grace that sanctifies, is the grace that trains, is the grace that prepares. And if you and I are too comfortable with sin, there's something going on in our relationship with the Lord. If you can just run into that and rush into that and be deceitful here and be deceitful there, and try to hide sin here and try to hide sin there, as if God doesn't really realize any of that, you may pull the wool over the pastor's eyes, but you're not pulling it over the eyes of he who's omniscient, who knew you at your worst, yet saved you. And now you're playing games that way? Take two concluding thoughts with you. Number one, we are saved entirely by God. We're saved entirely by God. If you want to write some verses there, Romans 3, 23, and 24. And we are justified by His grace as a gift through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Justified by grace. God is the giver. We are the receivers. What keeps grace from being sentimental? Grace is not a movie on the Hallmark Channel. Predictable TV. You know how the Hallmark Channel, I mean, it's gotten a little wacky now because the introduction of some movies are truly ungodly. But normally, you know how it is, it's always snowing and everybody's happy. And you can tell, this guy's gonna break up with that gal, that gal's gonna connect with this guy, this gal over here. I tell my wife, we start watching Predictable TV, I go, listen, this is gonna happen, shut up, stop it. it's some sentimental sap stuff you know like okay you know i like like movie channel you know somebody has to die and stuff you gotta like you know you know what was the other one thanksgiving or you know uh hateful to be grateful it was a theme lifetime movie challenge yeah that's what i'm talking i need some grit you know i'm not Where have you been for the last 20 years? Just waiting for this moment so we can fall in love and happily ever afters. Well, what keeps God's grace from being that? Well, listen, the way he does it. He doesn't wink. He doesn't overlook. He pays the price. He sends his son. One author put it this way on the screen. Sin is violent, lethal rebellion against God and biblical grace is God's violent, raw and bloody response. Now that's something to take home with. We are saved entirely by God. That is right. Sin is violent, lethal rebellion against God. And biblical grace is God's violent, raw, and bloody response. Jesus died. The law had to be vindicated. God's character had to be vindicated. God's holiness needed to be vindicated. He just doesn't sweep it under the carpet. He's not you and me. And we sweep under the carpet certain behaviors and we just say, no, no, no, no, no. And we're from a loved one, from a kid, or from someone, from a coworker. No, no, I'm just gonna tolerate it. No, no, God says, no, no, no, no, I don't tolerate. Someone has to pay. And this rebellion must be dealt with. And it was dealt with as violent as it was begun with the death of his son. Jesus' blood brings God's grace to you and me as he pays the price for God's holiness. Number two, we remain saved by God's grace. Romans 5-2, Romans 5-2, through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Luther was terrified of dying. Martin Luther, before encountering the gospel, Do you understand that there's people today, maybe even in this room, that are terrified of dying? Because what's next? What's next? What happens if you really do have to pay for the sin? What happens if these crazy Baptists are right? What happens if these crazy Bible-thumping people are right and you do have to pay for your sin? Then what? Grace alone stepped into Luther's understanding and he says, if I'm saved by grace alone, I'm kept saved by grace alone. And even when I fail, God's grace is enough. God's grace is sufficient. Because it's rooted in what we will later find out in the person of Jesus Christ. But salvation is by grace alone. Only in heaven will we truly and fully appreciate salvation by grace alone. Because if it were possible for you and me to gaze into hell and realize that that's what I deserved, and compared to what I am enjoying, I would truly say, amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. Sola gratia. Amen. Let's bow our heads and close our eyes for just a moment. I don't know where you're at this morning when it comes to your relationship with the Lord. If you know Him, are you living a life that exalts the grace of God in your life? Perhaps you're not. Perhaps there's peaks and valleys. That's okay. Maybe you find yourself in a valley right now. All is not lost. Don't give up, but don't presume on God's grace either. For those He loves, He disciplines. And perhaps you find yourself in a valley because of the discipline of the Lord. Repentance restores you. That grace that changed your life can change your moment right now. And to you, my friend, you're here faithfully, whether it's in person or online. You're faithful to church attendance and church activities, and if salvation could be earned, you'd be in the front. But salvation cannot be earned. And if you choose to continue to live without Christ and you die without Christ, with the Scriptures alone, on the authority of the Scriptures alone, we tell you that what awaits you is horrendous. For God will have to judge the sinner. And His judgment is perfect and it's real. But provision has been made. His Son has paid the price. His son went to the cross. He took his son and nailed him to the cross. As a sufficient atonement, a sufficient sacrifice on the cross, we see the judgment of sin. On the cross, we see the love of God. Where are you this morning, old friend? Are you still trusting in your own works? Are you still trusting in some good in you? If that were so, then Jesus would not have had to die. God doesn't grade on a curve. Intentions are not good enough. In fact, good is not good enough. Perfect is what he demands. So if you're here this morning, whether in person or online, you need to trust in Christ. Do that even now. Do not wait. For the moment you understand you're a sinner, you're ready to receive the Savior. Lord God, we come to you and we thank you. Thank you for your word. Thank you for making it clear. Thank you for this concept, this doctrine of grace alone. Your word is clear. By grace alone, we are saved. Help your people to live lives that display the ongoing effects of grace alone. And help your people to rest in that grace alone that one day we will experience the return of the King. And for those who continue to stiff-arm you, continue to think that they're good enough, oh Lord, would you continue to be patient And we pray and we beg, we plead with you that you would open their eyes, that you would be so kind and gracious to reveal your son to them. Thank you. And help us, help us to lift high the name of Jesus. To you alone be the glory. For we pray in his name and his name alone. And all of God's people said,