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INJ
Romans 3:19-28
'The Cross Alone is Our Theology'
Divine Service
Reformation Sunday | October 29, 2006
Saints,
You might have heard talk of the “sola's” of the Reformation, sola Scriptura, Scripture Alone, sola gratia, grace alone, sola fide, faith alone. It's the sola's that got everyone so worked up.
Sola Scriptura. The Roman church had the Scriptures, this is true, but they also had tradition and the living voice of the church in the pope. The Scripture was not alone, and so the clear voice of the Holy Scriptures was muffled and drowned out by other voices. And it was not just Rome who had Scripture and..., the other churches would add to the list, Scripture and experience, Scripture and reason, Scripture and a mystical experience, a hearing of the Holy Spirit in my head, what ever is was. But the alone silences these other voices, sola Scriptura, the Scriptures, the voice of the Holy Trinity as He has spoken through His prophets and apostles, this voice alone is heard in the church, this voice alone is followed, for this voice alone gives what it demands and creates and sustains faith, this voice alone is pure and clear and solid and secure and cannot lie, so that we Christians have the comfort and assurance that the promised forgiveness is true.
Sola gratia. The Roman church had grace, but that grace was not enough, it is given to aid our works of love that should follow. Added to Gods grace was the merit of our words. But the alone gives all the glory to God, our salvation is completely His work, we trust in His grace and mercy, that is, His favor for Christ's sake. And this alone brings comfort, the comfort that Jesus has begun and finished the work, that He is the author and perfecter of our salvation.
Sola Fide. The Roman church had faith, on the list of virtues among many others. Faith was born out of love. Faith by itself was not enough, works of love must be added to it. These works merited the Lord's favor and earned His grace. But the alone cuts out our works, our efforts, our strivings, our earning, everything ours. Faith alone, because the Lord Jesus has sent His Gospel as a promise, not a command; a command is to be kept, to be followed, but a promise is just to be believed. As St Paul says, “Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness.” [Romans 4:4,5]
These alone's caused quite a bit of trouble, and sill do. Sinners are always grasping for more than the Lord has given, more than He has ordained. We are not content that the Lord does all the work, the Jesus does all the saving, we want in on it, to have a little credit, but to Christ alone is the glory. That's another sola: Sola Deo Gloria.
This is so very important because it is the alone's that we find the Gospel. It is find for Jesus to be our example, He certainly is, but it is only when He is alone, when He is doing the things that only He can do, that He is our Savior. Jesus alone keeps the law; Jesus alone suffers God's wrath, Jesus alone dies on the cross, His blood alone pays the price for our sin.
So we rejoice in another sola: crux sola est nostra theologia, the cross alone is our theology. We have a big cross here, and that's good, it fills the wall, it fills the church, and we pray that it would fill our hearts and minds and mouths.
For the claim of the apostle is the claim of the apostolic church: “I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.” [1 Corinthians 2:2] Nothing but Jesus and Him crucified; the cross alone is our theology.
I'm not an expert on these things, but I think that there is a fire safety code in place that says that any room with children must have at least to doors, or at least a building must have more than one way to get out. This is important in case there is a fire, that people would not be trapped inside. Dear saints, heaven is in violation of this code; there is only one door, one way in: Jesus. He Himself says it: “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father but by Me.” Jesus alone. His cross alone. His death alone. There is no other Gospel. There is no other name under heaven by which we must be saved. There is none else that gives us life and the salvation and the forgiveness of sins.
This is what our epistle text is speaking about when it talks about mouths being stopped, silenced. Such is the sinful flesh of man that it is always trying to justify itself, speaking well of itself, commending itself to God and others. The testimony of the sinful flesh is that it is good, hard working, nice and friendly.
But the law stops our mouths, it shuts us up. “Whatever the law says it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.” [Romans 3:19] Sin means that there is no other way to be saved, to obtain life, and the law exposes this, it outs our sin, it shows our unholiness. The law shuts out mouth, it silences all our speaking of our goodness. of our claim to have something to do with our salvation. The law casts out any claim to help out God. Has the law stopped your mouth? Has it, or do you think that there is something in you that has caused God to chose you, to have you as His own?
The law casts this idea far from us.
10 As it is written:
“ There is none righteous, no, not one;
11 There is none who understands;
There is none who seeks after God.
12 They have all turned aside;
They have together become unprofitable;
There is none who does good, no, not one.”
13 “ Their throat is an open tomb;
With their tongues they have practiced deceit”;
“ The poison of asps is under their lips”;
14 “ Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.”
15 “ Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16 Destruction and misery are in their ways;
17 And the way of peace they have not known.”
18 “ There is no fear of God before their eyes.” [Romans 3:10-18]
There is nothing, absolutely nothing in us or about us that deserves or earns God's grace. His cross stands alone, His grace alone, Jesus: alone; Jesus only; Jesus and none other.
21 But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, 26 to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. [Romans 3:21-26]
The cross alone is our theology, for the cross alone is our life. the cross alone is our salvation; the cross alone is our forgiveness. The cross alone is our comfort. The cross alone is God's love for us, His bleeding and dying and saving love for us sinners. The cross alone is our peace and joy. The cross alone is our treasure.
May God grant us His Holy Spirit, that we cling to His cross alone, and find there our salvation. Amen.
And the peace of God which passes all understanding, guard your hearts and minds through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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Pastor Bryan Wolfmueller
Hope Lutheran Church | Aurora, CO