After Death: Jesus

“Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.”  2 Corinthians 5:8

“I am hard pressed between the two.  My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better.”  Philippians 1:23

What happens to Christians after they die?  We depart this life to be with Jesus.  The Bible speaks of three conditions of our life.  The first condition is our life “in the body” (2 Corinthians 5:6).  This refers to our present life on earth.  The second condition is “away from the body and at home with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8).  This describes our life after death but before the resurrection.  Theologians call this the intermediate state because it is the period in between death and the resurrection.  The third condition is “in the resurrection” (Matthew 22:30).  This is our life in our glorified existence.  When Jesus returns to earth, he will resurrect our bodies, and we shall dwell with him on a renewed earth.  “When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory” (Colossians 3:4).  He “will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself” (Philippians 3:21).  When Christians die, our bodies are buried, but our spirits immediately pass into the presence of God.  Jesus proclaimed to the thief on the cross, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise” (Luke 23:43).  Christians need not wait until the resurrection in order to be with Christ in Paradise.  Paul describes this state as being “at home with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8) and as being “far better” (Philippians 1:23) than his life on earth.  Shorter Catechism 37 asks, “What benefits do believers receive from Christ at death?”  The answer is, “The souls of believers are at their death made perfect in holiness, and do immediately pass into glory; and their bodies, being still united to Christ, do rest in their graves, till the resurrection.”  So what happens when a Christian dies?  Jesus happens!  We do not know many details about the intermediate state.  We have a visionary description of it in Revelation 4 and 5 where we read of the continuous worship of heaven, but as a vision it is difficult to know how literal the description is intended to be.  We may observe that heaven is a place of joyous song and uninterrupted adoration of the Trinity.  God is praised for his holiness, power, eternity (Revelation 4:8), creation (Revelation 4:11), and redemption (Revelation 5:9-10).  Heaven is God-centered and God-exalting.  We have another visionary description of the intermediate state of the redeemed in Revelation 7:9-17.  There we read the following description of our blessed condition: “Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence.  They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat.  For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes” (Revelation 7:15-17).  Nevertheless, as wonderful as the intermediate state is for believers, it is not our ultimate destination.  Our final destination is the resurrection of the body and the renewed heaven and earth.  Paul explains the resurrection in 1 Corinthians 15.  The passage emphasizes that the resurrection is not extraneous to our creed but is the essence of our faith.  So then, as great as it is to be present with the Lord in the intermediate state, we know that those souls still long for the Second Coming, the resurrection of the body, and their ultimate vindication.  They cry out to their Sovereign Lord, “How long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on earth?” (Revelation 6:10).  Revelation 21 teaches us that the end of the story is the creation of a new heaven and earth.  This is the consummation of God’s plan of salvation for his people.  This condition is far better than the intermediate state.  Heaven descends to the earth.  God again dwells with his people (Revelation 21:3) and removes his curse from creation (Revelation 22:3).  The whole world then becomes a temple for the Lord and a place of righteousness, peace, joy, and love.  Shorter Catechism 38: “What benefits do believers receive from Christ at the resurrection?  At the resurrection, believers, being raised up in glory, shall be openly acknowledged and acquitted in the Day of Judgment, and made perfectly blessed in the full enjoying of God to all eternity.”  In heaven our full human purpose will be realized.  In this life we should glorify God and enjoy him forever; in the life to come we shall glorify God and enjoy him forever.  One problem that Christians will encounter when it comes to the intermediate state is that we are not given much information.  We are told that we will be “with Christ” and that it will be “far better.”  God will remove the curse of sin and dwell with us.  Yet many of our questions remain unanswered.  One reason for this is to teach us to walk by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7).  “But it is written, ‘What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him’—these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit” (1 Corinthians 2:9-10).  Another reason for our limited knowledge is to teach us to ponder what heaven will be like.  We are called to enjoy the anticipation of our heavenly home.  Thoughts of heaven should make their way into our songs, prayers, and conversations.  How little Christians speak about heaven today!  Let us employ our sanctified imagination to consider what the life to come might be like.  Christian theologians provide two main ways to ponder the glory that shall be revealed to us: a positive way and a negative way.  First, the positive way is to take all the good things of this life and to imagine a world with more of the same.  Second, the negative way is to take all the bad things of this life and to imagine a world without them.  So let us reflect upon a world with delicious food, beautiful music, fascinating conversations, breathtaking sights, and exhilarating worship!  Let us also ponder a world without death or disease.  Let us hope for a world without poverty.  May our thoughts dance as we think of a world without murder, theft, rape, molestation, adultery, divorce, disappointment, pride, greed, and selfishness.  In his Word God has painted heaven with broad strokes, and he graciously invites us to fill in the colors of our home with the anticipation of our hopeful hearts.  After we have spent our energies contemplating the renewal of creation, we must keep in mind that the greatest joys of heaven will be to be with Jesus.  Charles Spurgeon said, “Heaven is wherever Jesus is.”  When we are in heaven, we shall see the One who loved us and gave himself for us on the cross.  We shall see the One who emerged from the empty tomb to reverse the curse pronounced on the sons and daughters of Adam.  We shall see the One who now abides in us by the Holy Spirit.  We shall see him and be like him for we shall see him as he is.  Let us set our hearts and affections on this place prepared for us!         

Glory to God Alone

“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” 

1 Corinthians 10:31

Soli Deo Gloria (“Glory to God Alone”) unites the Five Solas of the Reformation because it reveals the ultimate goal of the Reformation: to glorify the triune God.  The first question of the Westminster Shorter Catechism effectively captures the spirit of Soli Deo Gloria.  “What is the chief end of man?  Man’s chief end is to glorify God and enjoy him forever.”  Sometimes people ask about the meaning of life.  The meaning of life is to glorify God and enjoy him forever.  Since our God created us for his glory (Isaiah 43:7), the purpose of our lives is to bring honor to him.  Although sinners seek their own glory, God will not share his glory with another.  “I am the LORD; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols” (Isaiah 42:8).  Since God created all things, and since God saves us by his sovereign power, he deserves the glory and praise for what he alone has done in Jesus Christ.  Sinners do not deserve the honor and praise; for they are completely dependent on the work of God.  On a practical level this means that we should seek to glorify God in all that we do.  We glorify God not only by attending church, reading our Bibles, and sharing the gospel with others, but we may also glorify him in our secular life.  The mundane activities of life may be redeemed for the praise of God.  1 Corinthians 10:31 mentions “eating” and “drinking” and “whatever you do.”  Glorifying God is a principle of operation that should impact every detail of our lives.  What does it mean to eat and drink to the glory of God?  It means that we thank our Creator for these good gifts.  In addition, it means that we consider his goodness in the blessing of his gifts.  St. Augustine once prayed to God, “He loves Thee too little who loves anything together with Thee, which he loves not for Thy sake.”  We must love God’s gifts for God’s sake.  This brings him glory.  Have you ever stopped to consider what kind of God would create such a thing as laughter? or pleasure?  or wonder?  How it brings him glory to ponder such things!  The Reformation teaches us that we may glorify and enjoy God in any activity of life except sin.  We can glorify and enjoy him at church, at work, at home, and even at play.  God is the Sovereign Lord of all creation.  We should not compartmentalize our lives into spheres where we are able to praise him and spheres where we are not.  The Reformers rediscovered the great truth that you do not have to be a monk or a priest in order to bring glory to God.  We all can bring glory to God by doing what we were created and redeemed to do.  Specifically, we glorify God by serving him faithfully in our earthly callings as children, husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, and workers.  Today let us remember that true spirituality does not mean that we must always be engaged in “spiritual” activities; it means that we must recognize that in every activity of life God deserves to be acknowledged and adored.  What do you have to do today?  Do all to the glory of God!       



Christ Alone

“Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.  For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith.” 

Philippians 3:8-9

Luther was once asked, “If you take away penance, indulgences, and the veneration of relics, what will you put in their place?”  Luther responded, “Jesus Christ.  Man only needs Jesus Christ.”  Solus Christus (“Christ Alone”) means that Christ alone accomplishes our salvation by his life, death, and resurrection.  Christ’s work is sufficient to save us from our sins.  Solus Christus weaves together Sola Gratia and Sola Fide.  We are saved by God’s grace alone through faith alone in what Jesus Christ alone has done in our behalf.  The reason salvation is by grace alone is because Jesus is the grace of God that has appeared bring salvation to all people (Titus 2:11).  The reason it is by faith alone is because faith is the only Spirit-wrought virtue that receives everything and contributes nothing.  We must accept and receive what Christ has accomplished in our behalf.  We must not attempt to add any good works to his perfect finished work.  We are nothing; Christ is everything.  “He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, whom God made our wisdom and our righteousness and sanctification and redemption” (1 Corinthians 1:30).  Christ is the Christian’s perfect righteousness.  Jeremiah prophesied that Christ would be called “the LORD our righteousness” (Jeremiah 23:6).  Christians are those who are “in Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:17).  Our Christian baptisms signify and seal our union with Christ in his death and resurrection (Romans 6:3-4; Colossians 2:11-12).  Christ died for us, and we died with Christ.  Our life is hidden with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3).  We confess, “I have been crucified with Christ.  It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.  And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).  Here we see the Christ-centered nature of the Christian life.  He speaks of Christ for him.  Christ loved him and gave himself up for him.  He also speaks of Christ in him.  “Christ lives in me.”  One speaks of our justification; the other speaks of our sanctification.  Since Christ loved me and gave himself for me, I am justified by grace through faith in him.  Since Christ now lives in me, I am being sanctified by the power of his Spirit who enables me to die daily to sin and to live to righteousness.  This keeps us from thinking that we need Christ more at conversion than we do throughout the Christian life.  Instead we should see that we are dependent on Christ from beginning to end.  He is the vine, and we are the branches (John 15:5).  We must commune with him in a moment-by-moment relationship.  As the vine supplies the branches with the resources for life and power, Christ supplies us with the resources for life and power in him.  He produces his fruit through us (Galatians 5:22-23).  As Christ alone justified us by his life, death, and resurrection, he alone sanctifies us by the power of his Holy Spirit.  Today we must remember that Christ is our all in all.  Make the following words your motto:  “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (Colossians 3:17).  May God grant it “that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:17-19).

Faith Alone

“For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.”  Romans 3:28

“We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.”  Galatians 2:15-16

When Protestants think of the Reformation, the great doctrine of justification by faith alone comes to mind and rightfully so.  The Reformation began with Luther’s rediscovery of the liberating truth that sinners are declared righteous (“justified”) in God’s sight through simple faith in Jesus Christ.  This is called Sola Fide (“Faith Alone”).  The two main books of the Bible that discuss justification by faith alone are Romans and Galatians, and these two books were instrumental in Luther’s conversion to the Reformation doctrine.  Years later in 1647 the Westminster divines would provide an excellent summary of the doctrine in the answer to Shorter Catechism 33: “Justification is an act of God’s free grace, wherein he pardoneth all our sins, and accepteth us as righteous in his sight, only for the righteousness of Christ imputed to us, and received by faith alone.”  This definition is helpful because it connects Sola Gratia (“Grace Alone”) with Sola Fide (“Faith Alone”).  We are told that justification is both “an act of God’s free grace” (Sola Gratia) and “received by faith alone” (Sola Fide).  The point of the statement is to show us that God’s grace is the sole and sufficient cause of our salvation, and that our faith is the sole and sufficient instrument by which we receive our salvation.  God’s grace speaks of the divine side of salvation; faith speaks of the human side.  We may observe the inseparability of Sola Gratia and Sola Fide in Ephesians 2:8-9: “For by grace you have 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.”  So then, Sola Gratia and Sola Fide convey the truth that we are saved by grace through faith.  The preposition “through” indicates that faith is the means or the instrument of our justification.  We also learn from Shorter Catechism 33 that our justification consists in both the forgiveness of sins and the imputation of the righteousness of Christ.  Both the forgiveness of sin and the imputation of Christ’s righteousness are essential.  Since Jesus died for the law’s penalty, God can justly forgive my sin.  Since Jesus obeyed the law’s precept by his entire life of obedience, God can credit Christ’s righteousness to me for my complete acceptance.  2 Corinthians 5:21 says, “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”  Christians who have been justified by faith alone are more than forgiven (as wonderful as that is); we are the righteousness of God.  God has “blessed us in the Beloved” (Ephesians 1:6) with his perfect acceptance.  When God looks at us, he views us as we are in Jesus Christ (righteous), not as we are in Adam (sinners) (Romans 5:12-21).  We are “found in him, not having a righteousness of [our] own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith” (Philippians 3:9).  Thus good works and merit are completely excluded from our justification.  We are declared righteous in God’s sight on the basis of what Jesus has done in our behalf, not on the basis of our works.  Our best works are but filthy rages in the eyes of a just and holy God (Isaiah 64:6).  “But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, 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, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life” (Titus 3:4-7).  When we looked at Sola Gratia, we learned that works and grace are opposed to one another (Romans 11:6); we see now that works and faith are opposed to one another when it comes to our justification.  Romans 4:4-5 makes clear the contrast between works and faith: “Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due.  And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness.”  The contrast is between works receiving deserved wages and faith receiving an undeserved gift.  Luther called faith “the empty hand” with which we receive the free gift of salvation in Jesus Christ.  Toplady’s hymn confirms this truth: “Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to thy cross I cling; naked, come to thee for dress; helpless, look to thee for grace; foul, I to the Fountain fly; wash me, Savior, or I die.”  We have no righteousness in ourselves to offer God; we must receive the righteousness that he alone provides through faith in Jesus Christ.  Roman Catholics often accuse us of minimizing the role of good works.  Nothing could be further from the truth!  Although we deny that good works are instrumental in our justification, we affirm that good works are involved in our sanctification.  Sanctification is the process of becoming holy, but sanctification only happens to those who have already been justified by faith alone.  We teach that good works are the fruit and evidence of true saving faith in Christ.  The Bible reveals this in Ephesians 2:10: “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”  So we are not saved by good works, but we are saved for good works.  If we have true and saving faith, then we will perform good works because faith without works is dead (James 2:17).  In his commentary on Galatians, Luther explains the relationship between justification by faith alone and a life of good works.  He says, “Christians are not made righteous by doing righteous things; but having been made righteous by faith in Christ, they do righteous things.”  When we believe that we are righteous and accepted in God’s sight through faith in Christ, we are forever changed.  We desire to obey God because we love him and are thankful for Jesus Christ.  Christians do not obey God because we fear hell or desire to earn divine acceptance by being good.  We do his will because the love of Christ compels us.  We keep the commandments of God and do not find them to be burdensome (1 John 5:3).  Our obedience to Christ is our joyful response to his love for us.  We are not running on the treadmill of human performance.  Instead, we are resting in the perfection of Christ and being gradually changed into his likeness from one degree of glory to another (2 Corinthians 3:18).  We are new creatures (2 Corinthians 5:17) with new affections and desires.  We desire to please to God in all that we do.  Let us live this day in light of God’s acceptance of us in Jesus “who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification” (Romans 4:25)!        

Grace Alone

 “For by grace you have 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.”

Ephesians 2:8-9

Sola Gratia (“Grace Alone”) means that God’s grace is the sole and sufficient cause of our salvation.  Our God is “the God of all grace” (1 Peter 5:10).  God’s grace is his undeserved favor to sinners.  We must know the difference between God’s justice, mercy, and grace.  God’s justice means that God must punish us for our sins.  God’s mercy means that God withholds the punishment that we justly deserve.  God’s grace means that God bestows his favor in spite of our sin and just desert of his wrath.  So God’s grace is even greater than his mercy.  And God tells us that we are saved by his grace alone.  Salvation is not a combined effort between God and the sinner, God doing his part and the sinner doing his part.  Salvation is entirely the work of God.  God the Father plans it.  God the Son accomplishes it.  God the Holy Spirit applies it.  “Salvation belongs to the Lord” (Psalm 3:8).  God does not need help from the will and the works of the sinner in order to save.  He is not dependent on us; we are dependent on him.  He is free to save completely by his own sovereign power.  This is why the Bible says, “So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy” (Romans 9:16).  We are not saved “because of works done by us in righteousness” (Titus 3:5); for we are justified us “by his grace” (Titus 3:7).  It is all of grace!  Grace from beginning to end!  We are “chosen by grace” (Romans 11:5), called by grace (Galatians 1:6, 15), “justified by grace” (Titus 3:7), and saved by grace (Ephesians 2:8).  Jesus is “full of grace” (John 1:14), and in him we have received “grace upon grace” (John 1:16).  Jesus is the “grace of God” that “has appeared, bringing salvation for all people” (Titus 2:11).  It was the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that caused him who was rich to become poor so that we, through his poverty, might become rich (2 Corinthians 8:9).  Jesus tasted death for everyone by the grace of God (Hebrews 2:9).  When Jesus returns in glory, he will bring grace to us (1 Peter 1:13).  Jews and Gentiles are saved “by the grace of the Lord Jesus” (Acts 15:11).  God’s grace enables us to believe (Acts 20:24) for faith is a gift that God grants to his elect (Philippians 1:29; Titus 1:1).  Paul desired to testify to “the gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24) because the “word of his grace” edifies us (Acts 20:32).  God’s promise of salvation rests upon his grace (Romans 4:13).  Christians stand in grace (Romans 5:2).  God gave a law to increase sin so that his grace might increase all the more in Jesus Christ (Romans 5:20).  To be “under grace” means to be “not under the law” (Romans 6:14).  Sola Gratia means that we are saved by grace without any human works at all because “if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace” (Romans 11:6).  Salvation by God’s grace alone excludes all ideas of human merit or cooperation.  The Father chooses by grace alone.  The Son dies for our sins by grace alone.  The Spirit causes us to be born again by grace alone.  By the grace of God we are what we are (1 Corinthians 15:10).  When Paul writes to Christians, he greets them with the phrase, “Grace to you,” because they need grace to understand what he has written by the Holy Spirit.  When Paul sends his readers away to apply what they have read, he says, “Grace with you,” because God’s grace must go with them to enable them to carry out what God requires.  God’s grace produces in us thanksgiving that redounds to God’s glory (2 Corinthians 4:15).  God’s grace is sufficient not only to save but also to strengthen us in our trials.  His grace is sufficient for us; his power is made perfect in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9).  “You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 2:1).  Our triune God saved us “to the praise of his glorious grace” (Ephesians 1:6).  God’s grace made Paul a minister to the Gentiles (Ephesians 3:7).  Christian conversion is explained as coming to understand “the grace of God in truth” (Colossians 1:6).  Today our Lord Jesus Christ sits on a “throne of grace” and invites us to draw near to God through him (Hebrews 4:16).  Wicked men may “pervert the grace of our God into sensuality” (Jude 4), and men may come to the erroneous conclusion that they should sin that grace might abound (Romans 6:1).  Yet we know that God’s grace trains us “to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age” (Titus 2:12).  Since then we are chosen, called, justified, sanctified, and glorified by grace, let us grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18)!  Glory be to the triune God for his amazing grace!

Scripture Alone

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.”  2 Timothy 3:16-17

This upcoming Lord’s Day is the last Sunday in October known as “Reformation Sunday.”  It commemorates the day that Martin Luther nailed his Ninety-Five Theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenburg on October 31, 1517.  Luther’s actions began the Protestant Reformation.  The theological issues motivating Luther’s actions are effectively summarized in the Five Solas of the Reformation (“sola” is Latin for “alone”):

1.  Sola Scriptura (“Scripture Alone”),

2.  Sola Gratia (“Grace Alone”),

3.  Sola Fide (“Faith Alone”),

4.  Solus Christus (“Christ Alone”), and

5.  Soli Deo Gloria (“Glory to God Alone”). 

I would like to spend the next five days leading up to Reformation Sunday meditating upon each one of these great truths.  Today I want us to reflect upon Sola Scriptura or Scripture Alone.

Scripture Alone means that the Bible alone is the only infallible rule of faith and practice for the Christian Church.  Scripture Alone does not mean that the Bible is the only standard of truth.  We certainly have other standards like the historic creeds and confessions of the Church, but these standards are not infallible and are subordinate to the Bible.  Scripture Alone, then, does not mean that the Bible is the only standard; it means that the Bible is the only infallible standard.  "Infallible" means that the Bible is incapable of error.  It is completely true in everything it teaches.  All Scripture is “God-breathed.”  This speaks of the divine source of the Bible.  The words of the Bible were breathed out by God the Holy Spirit through the agency of human authors.  “For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:21).  Since the Bible is breathed out by God, it is sufficient.  It makes us “competent, equipped for every good work.”  There are no necessary beliefs or good works contained outside the Bible; for the Bible is enough.  We are "equipped for every good work."  The word “every” is essential because it underlines the sufficiency of the Bible.  If we have the Bible, then we have all the good works that God requires of us.  No one can lawfully impose additional doctrines and commandments upon our conscience.  At the Diet of Worms Luther gave his famous “Here I Stand” speech and boldly proclaimed that the Church must support all its doctrines and commandments from the Holy Scriptures.  Church councils, creeds, and traditions must be subordinated to the teaching of the Holy Spirit in the God-breathed Scriptures.  Human traditions are good but not infallible.  The Church is good but not infallible.  The Bible alone is infallible.  Thus the Bible alone is the only infallible rule of faith and practice for the Church.  This means that all the Church’s doctrines and duties are contained either explicitly in the Scriptures or they may be inferred by good and necessary consequence.  In addition to Sola Scriptura, we should also be sure to consider Tota Scriptura or the totality of Scripture.  Since “all Scripture is breathed out by God,” it is imperative that we study "the whole counsel of God" (Acts 20:27) and interpret Scripture with Scripture.  The Reformers stressed that the only infallible interpreter of Scripture is the Scripture.  The pope, the Church, and the creeds are all capable of erring, but the Scripture is inerrant.  The principles of Sola Scriptura and Tota Scriptura explain why the Reformers translated the Bible into the language of the people and also provided cross references to aid in interpretation.  The Reformers believed in the priesthood of the believer.  This means that every Christian can and should read the Bible with the due use of ordinary means.  This truth liberates us from ecclesiastical tyranny.  Living in a church context where believers are not encouraged to read and study the Bible for themselves is a recipe for disaster.  In such conditions the clergy take advantage of the laity and enslave their conscience with the doctrines and commandments of men.  Our Lord's yoke is easy, and his burden is light (Matthew 11:29), but the Pharisees place heavy burdens on the backs of those who are ignorant of the sufficiency of Scripture (Matthew 23:4).  So we must always keep in mind that the principle of Scripture alone is good for us.  It is liberating.  It is also a great responsibility.  We must read and study the Bible for ourselves.  Luther fought for us to have a Bible in our own language.  He fought for us to be able to know what God actually had said.  Later, men like William Tyndale would burn at the stake so that we might have a Bible in the English language.  Let us thank God for giving such men to his Church!  Is there any better way to thank our God than by reading the Bible carefully and prayerfully?  Let us hold our Bibles to our hearts and sing Burton’s words, “Holy Bible, book divine, precious treasure, you are mine; mine to tell me whence I came; mine to teach me what I am; mine to chide me when I rove; mine to show a Savior’s love; mine you are to guide and guard; mine to punish or reward.  Mine to comfort in distress, suffering in this wilderness; mine to show by living faith, man can triumph over death; mine to tell of joys to come, and the rebel sinner’s doom; Holy Bible, book divine, precious treasure, you are mine.”         

The Exclusivity of Jesus

“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.’”  John 14:6

“And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”  Acts 4:12

Nothing is more repugnant to the offspring of postmodernism than the proclamation of an exclusive gospel.  The children of tolerance desire truth to be inclusive.  “Let us not divide humanity into sinners and saints.  Let us include and affirm everyone equally,” says their creed.  Yet they never seem to consider the stubborn fact that truth is necessarily exclusive.  Whenever we say that something is true, we also exclude an indefinite number of other propositions that must be false.  For example, when I say that two plus two equals four, I also mean that it is not five or six or a whole list of other numbers that are not four.  Truth claims always exclude counterclaims; for that is the essence of a truth claim.  This even applies to the ridiculous claim that truth is inclusive; for it excludes the notion that truth is exclusive.  Therefore, we can see that the denial of exclusive truth claims necessarily assumes agnosticism about truth itself.  No one knows the truth; so we dare not assert it with confidence.  This explains why people now speak of “epistemic humility” (translation: humility about what you claim to know).  The postmodern world has made us skeptical about the possibility of knowing anything.  And we are no better for it because if this were so, then we could not know that we cannot know anything.  Thus we see that postmodernism has contained within it the seeds of its own destruction.  Enter the Lord Jesus Christ who claims to be the truth.  The proleptically postmodern sensibilities of Pilate may cause him to query, “What is truth?”  Regardless, Jesus proclaims to be the way, the truth, and the life.  We should observe that Jesus did not claim to be a truth or a way or a life.  He claimed to be the truth, the way, and the life.  He intended to communicate that he was the exclusive truth, way, and life.  This means that the other ways are false ways.  With these words our Lord excludes all other philosophies and religions as false.  The language of the apostles is a lucid negation: “There is no other name under heaven.”  His name is the only name.  Salvation from sin and death are found in him alone.  Despite the clarity of Jesus and his apostles on this matter, ivory tower theologues have sought to adjust teaching in order to accommodate postmodern sensibilities.  They have argued for a universalism that teaches that all people will eventually be saved.  “Love wins,” they say.  Obviously, this is appealing because it conveniently discards the just wrath of God and the unspeakable thought of an eternal hell.  Many American already believe that all people go to heaven.  After all, “God is a loving God who would never send a good person to hell.”  The Christian scratches his head and wonders where he might find this hypothetical good person.  Another corruption of the simple truth of Scripture on this matter is inclusivism.  This is sneakier than universalism as it claims that Jesus will save some good people out of other religions and philosophies without their knowing it.  Some inclusivists refer to “anonymous Christians.”  So in their minds they are able to maintain that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life.  A person may benefit from this truth yet not know it.  Now this is a distortion of the biblical gospel that calls for repentance and faith.  But they overlook the obvious and stubborn fact that the Bible tells us that Jesus must be acknowledged.  There are no “anonymous Christians.”  Those who are Christians know that they are Christians.  They know Jesus by faith.  No Muslim is saved by being a follower of Muhammad.  No Jew is saved by obeying the works of Moses.  No Buddhist is saved by applying the principles of Buddha.  There is no other name.  The name is the means by which Jesus is known.  A bold person will ask, “Does this mean that those who have never heard the good news of Jesus are perishing in their sins?”  Absolutely.  Let me ask you, “Why would we send missionaries if they were going to heaven for not knowing?  If not knowing means heaven, then why would we give them the possibility of knowing and rejecting and then reversing their blessed condition?”  The first three chapters of Romans teach us that God’s creation and their conscience reveal enough truth to condemn them.  General revelation is to damn them, not enough to save them.  We have the saving gospel of Jesus Christ.  The gospel alone is the hope of those who have never heard.  So let us take them the gospel!  Let us pray for their salvation!  Let us support missionaries!  If we are called, let us go to the place where they have never heard and lay down our lives for the gospel!  To be sure, this is not an easy doctrine, but it is the truth; and if it is the truth, we should respond to it accordingly.  We may not like the truth, but the truth is a stubborn thing.  The exclusivity of Jesus is a stubborn reality and a glorious one.  Jesus Christ alone suffered and died on the cross for the sins of the world.  He alone rose again and ascended to the right hand of his Father in heaven.  He alone rules the universe as the Lord of heaven and earth.  He alone shall return to judge the living and the dead.   This truth may be denied, but it cannot be changed.  So who dare deny it?  It is truth.  Let us keep this great truth in mind today.  Your co-workers, classmates, and neighbors cannot find their way to God in any other way but Jesus.  They cannot be good enough for God.  They cannot be ignorant enough to excuse their sin.  Their only hope is the name of Jesus.  You know his name.  Shall you be silent?  Dare you be silent?  “There is no other name under heaven.”  “There is salvation in no one else.”