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The issue of Scripture and Scripture Alone (or what Protestants have come to call the principle of sola Scriptura) is a matter that divides professing Christians as to the foundation of their faith and what defines their faith. Back in the days of the Reformation when there were men who felt that the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ had been not only corrupted by the Roman Catholic Church, but had virtually disappeared under the mask of human traditions and rituals and things that kept people from actually hearing the good news of Jesus Christ, in order to reform the...

Outline: (1) What do we mean by the phrase "grace alone?" (2) What is the human condition according to the Scriptures? (3) What do the Scriptures say about Sola Gratia? (4) Why do American Evangelicals have such a difficult time with this doctrine? (5) How do we respond when these issues are at stake? 1) What do we mean when we say "that we are saved by grace alone?" When we use the term "grace alone," what we mean is that our salvation from the wrath of God - our deliverance from hell - is because of something good in...

We are now in a position to talk about the church's ministry, that is, the office of the pastor. It is the call of the pastor to preach from the text of the Bible God's Law and God's Gospel and to administer baptism and the Lord's Supper according to the command of Christ. This is the center of what a Reformation pastor is called to do in a congregation. It is a call to do solus Christus before the local flock, Sunday after Sunday, month after month, year after year. After hammering out the sinfulness of all persons, including Christians,...

Rudyard Kipling realized that when nations rise to wealth and power, just like ancient Israel in Deuteronomy 8, they are inclined to forget God. He immortalized this reality in his poem 'Recessional,' written on the 50th anniversary of Queen Victoria’s reign. Far-called, our navies melt away; On dune and headland sinks the fire: Lo, all our pomp of yesterday Is one with Nineveh and Tyre! Judge of the Nations, spare us yet, Lest we forget —lest we forget! What is true of nations is equally true of the Church. Easily and quickly we forget where we came from and what...

SCRIPTURE ALONE IS INSPIRED AND INHERENTLY AUTHORITATIVE.The Biblical message breathed out by God is revelation in written form. (2 Timothy 3:15-16). The Biblical claim is that what God has inspired was His written word (2 Peter 1:20-21). When the Lord Jesus Christ said, "the Scripture cannot be broken" (John 10:35), He was speaking of God’s written word. The events, actions, commandments, and truths from God are given to us in propositional, i.e. logical, written sentences. God’s declaration in Scripture is that it and it alone, is this final authority in all matters of faith and morals. Thus there is only...

In a videotape titled "The Pope: The Holy Father," Catholic apologist Scott Hahn claims the proliferation of Protestant denominations proves the Reformers' principle of sola Scriptura is a huge mistake: Do you suppose that Jesus would say, "Well, once I give the Church this infallible scripture, there really is no need anymore for infallible interpretations of scripture. The Church can hold together just with the infallible Bible." Oh, really? In just 500 years, there are literally thousands and thousands of denominations that are becoming ever more numerous continuously because they only go with the Bible. It points to the fact...

REFORMATION SUNDAY by Pastor John Samson The last Sunday in October is traditionally known as “Reformation Sunday,” in Protestant Churches, drawing from the date of October 31, 1517 when Martin Luther nailed his “95 Theses” to the door of the Wittenberg Church in Germany, sparking the Protestant Reformation. Martin Luther in Germany heralded the Biblical doctrine of justification through faith alone; salvation is by God’s grace alone, received through faith in Christ alone. Good works play no part in a person’s salvation (Rom. 3:21 - 4:5; 5:1; Gal. 2:16; Eph. 2:8, 9; Phil. 3:9) but are merely the by-product,...

A Defense of Monergistic RegenerationBy Gannon Murphy I. INTRODUCTION Is the saving grace of God irresistible or resistible? Moreover, is the regenerating power of God installed in the believer's life before or after the decision is made to receive Christ as Savior? The former position, sometimes called the monergistic view of regeneration or irresistible grace, is the classical position of Calvinists. According to this view, "the grace of God is the only efficient cause in beginning and effecting conversion." Thus, proponents of monergism consider the decision itself to receive Christ as the natural and inevitable fruit of the Holy Spirit's...

It is unthinkable that a God of infinite wisdom and power would create a world without a definite plan for that world. And because God is thus infinite His plan must extend to every detail of the world's existence. If we could see the world in all its relations, past, present, and future, we would see that it is following a predetermined course with exact precision. Among created things we may search where we will, as far as the microscope and the telescope will enable the eye to see, we find organization everywhere. Large forms resolve themselves into parts, and...

For those of you who don't know, Richard Bennett was born into a RC church and was a RC priest for 22 years! _____________________________________________________________________________________________________ The Lord Jesus Christ, in His great high priestly prayer, declared clearly the truth of God’s Word. He said, “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” God’s Word not only contains the truth but rather it is truth itself. This is consistent with the declarations throughout the Old Testament in which the Holy Spirit continually proclaimed that the revelation from God is truth, as for example Psalm 119:142, “thy law is truth.” The Lord...

Hell's greatest enrichers! (Brooks "Precious Remedies Against Satan's Devices") "The prophets who lead my people astray." Micah 3:5 Satan labors by false teachers, who are his emissaries to deceive, delude, and forever undo the precious souls of men! They seduce them, and carry them out of the right way into by-paths and blind thickets of error and wickedness--where they are lost forever! As strumpets paint their faces, and deck and perfume their beds, the better to allure and deceive simple souls; so false teachers will put a great deal of paint and garnish upon their most dangerous principles and blasphemies,...

GOD ALL-SUFFICIENT O Lord of Grace, The world is before me this day, and I am weak and fearful, but I look to thee for strength; If I venture forth alone I stumble and fall, but on the Beloved’s arms I am firm as the eternal hills; If left to the treachery of my heart I shall shame thy Name, but if enlightened, guided, upheld by thy Spirit, I shall bring thee glory. Be thou my arm to support, my strength to stand, my light to see, my feet to run, my shield to protect, my sword to repel, my...