Soli Deo Gloria

Finally, we come to the last of the Five Solas: Soli Deo Gloria, "The Glory of God Alone."

The first thing I want to do is get a supposed contradiction out of the way. "Sola" means "Alone," and yet, we have five of them? Five "alones"? How can they be alone if there are five of them? Here's how it works. According to Scripture Alone, we are justified by Grace Alone, through Faith alone, in Christ alone, for the Glory of God alone. They are each alone in doing what they do, but together there are five of them.

In a way, Soli Deo Gloria is the single doctrine that sits behind, flows through, and is affirmed by all of the other Solas and the Five Points of Calvinism. Some would say it is the heart of reformed theology. When God's word is the only authority, God gets all the glory. When salvation is by Grace through Faith and not of works (or anything else man does), then God gets all the glory. If saving power belongs to Christ alone, then God gets all the glory when an individual is saved. The five points of Calvinism also follow this theme (but we'll see that some other time).

The Reformers put forth Soli Deo Gloria as the reason why God does what He does. Why did He create the universe? Why did He create humans? Why did He send His Son? The answer is "for His glory." All things that exist (especially humans), exist for the purpose of bringing God glory, and all things that happen (yes, even bad things), happen for the purpose of bringing God glory.

Now, most Christians would agree with Soli Deo Gloria, to some extent. Non-Reformed Christians say it all the time. They don't have a problem with giving God glory. So I'm not going to go into all of the verses throughout the Bible that talk about giving God glory (I couldn't fit the book of Psalms in a single blog post, haha). Despite the agreement most Christians have with this doctrine, there are parts that they (sometimes unconsciously) disagree with. Specifically, in regards to salvation.

I'll give it to you straight: only the Reformed model of salvation ensures that God gets all the glory. All other models, some way or another, steal some of God's glory. This is why I am as passionate about Reformed Theology as I am. It's not because I like to argue, and this isn't just nit-picking or hairsplitting. This is God's Glory we're talking about. Our sole purpose here on earth. This is big. This is worth division.

So how do other models of salvation "steal" God's glory? The main reason is that they are conditional. God saves you based on something you do. Whether your good works (Catholicism), or your future faith (Conditional Election, from Arminianism), They teach that God looks at you and sees that you have done or will do something to earn, merit, or deserve salvation, even if it's faith. And then, based on this thing we do, He saves us. In that way, we get credit. We earned it. It was us. We had to add to Christ's work on the cross in order for us to be saved. God couldn't have done it without us. We get the glory for what God has done. I'm sorry, but I can't help but see that as theft.

The Reformed model is not like this at all (I want to say "the Biblical model" but I think that's laying it on a little thick). God doesn't save us based on anything we do or will do (Unconditional Election). Why does God save people? Not because He's obligated to, or because we deserve it, or because we asked Him to, etc.. God saves people for the sole purpose of His glory, and therefore, God should receive all the glory when somebody is saved.

This idea is affirmed throughout scripture.

Ephesians 1:3-12 says

"just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him. In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory."

Here we see over and over that God does what He does according to His will, according to the riches of His Grace, according to His good pleasure, according to His purpose, according to the counsel of His will. Not based on anything we do or will do. It should be clear then who it is that deserves all the glory:

God.

Soli Deo Gloria!

How Can I Know I'm saved? Part 3: I Still Sin!

In the last post I mentioned Godly desires that produce Godly actions. Well, sometimes, we have desires that produce actions that aren't exactly Godly. Very much the opposite, in fact. We sin.

One of the big reasons people doubt whether or not they're saved is because they still have sin in their life. It's a huge problem, and it has kept many awake at night (myself included). Because, if we have been made new, have been given new hearts, new desires, a new will, than it should be reflected in our actions, right? We should be seeing good works, and not sin, right?

That is the main question we'll be answering, and we'll be doing it by looking at a lot of smaller questions.

If I truly am a Christian, why do I still struggle with sin? 
Let's face it: Being a Christian doesn't mean you won't sin. Everyone struggles with sin, and that includes Christians. The Apostle Paul himself struggled with sin after salvation, as he tells us in Romans 7:13-25. We just aren't sinless, and will continue to be that way until we are united with Jesus in heaven. But if Christians still sin, then what's the real difference between a believing sinner and an unbelieving sinner? The unbeliever loves his sin and looks for ways to continue in it, the believer hates his sin and looks for ways to try to stop sinning. The life of an unbeliever is defined by giving in to sin, whereas the life of a believer is defined by fighting against sin, even if that fight is sometimes lost. Nowhere does the Bible say that you can lose or nullify your salvation by sinning. But the Bible does tell us time and time again that God can forgive us our sins (1 John 1:9).

I committed a HUGE sin! How can I still be a Christian?
Some denominations teach that there are "mortal" sins that can cause you to lose your salvation, such as murder or adultery. I deny such teaching, and so does the Bible (but that's another blog post). The truth is, no sin is too great for God to forgive. King David committed both murder and adultery in the Bathsheba incident (2 Samuel 11). But his relationship with God was not severed. Does that mean his sin was okay? Far from it! He was punished for what he did, and most importantly, he still needed to repent of his sin and ask God to forgive him.
No matter how large a sin you have committed, God still loves you and can forgive you. But you must still be repentant.

I have a sinful habit/addiction that I can't seem to break.
Let's get one thing straight: If you've been saved, it doesn't matter how large or how numerous your sins are. No power can separate you from the love of Christ (Romans 8:38-39), including your sins, which he can forgive you of. However, that doesn't mean that a sinful habit or addiction is 'okay.' It's still a horrible thing, and should be attacked vigorously. With God's help, even the most powerful addictions can be broken (Philippians 4:13). However, there are some habits or addictions that you may never be able to break. The key is that even though you may never break 100% free, you must keep fighting it. Keep hating your sin. Resist it with all you have. Keep asking for God's help. That is the difference between a saved addict and an unsaved addict: The unbeliever gives up and gives in to addiction, but the believer knows that God is helping him, so he keeps on fighting addiction, no matter how many times he may lose.

There are two important things to remember, and the first is this:
Jesus tells us that a tree is known by it's fruit (Matthew 7:16-20). A good tree bears good fruit, and a bad tree bears bad fruit. Paul tells us what good fruit looks like (Galatians 5:22-23). If you are not bearing any of these fruit, but instead continue willfully in sins, whether small or big, many or few, and do not repent of them, then the cold truth is this: You have not been saved.

The second thing to remember is this: for those of us that have been saved, God can forgive any number or size of sins. BUT: God's Grace IS NOT A LICENSE TO SIN.
Paul puts it this way in Romans 6:1-14:

"What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.  

For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection,  knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin.  Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.  

Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace."

So yes, God can and will forgive us of the sins we commit after we've been saved, but that doesn't mean we're free to do what we want. We should not walk in sins. On the contrary, we should walk "worthy of our calling" to "Make our election sure" (Ephesians 4:1; 2 Peter 1:10).

If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.  

Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them.  

But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him (Colossians 3:1-10. I recommend reading the whole chapter)

If you are saved, then no sin you commit can separate you form Christ. You cannot lose your salvation. However, you must continue to battle against sin. No temptation is too strong to resist (1 Corinthians 10:13). We must keep fighting, and praying for God's help. And when we do fall, as sometimes we will, then we must always ask God to forgive us. He can, and He will, no matter what. Then get back up and keep fighting!

But if you're not saved, then you are in dire straights. Whether your sins are little, big, many, or few, they are still sin, and you deserve death and hell as punishment. But that's not the end of the story. God can forgive your sins if only you repent and believe. No matter how horrible a life you've lead, there is hope for you. Repent, believe, and you will be saved!

As we reach the end of this series, you may be examining your life. You may still be uncertain as to whether or not you're saved. Well, if you still aren't sure, then there's no harm in re-dedicating your life to Christ, and there is no better time to do that, than right now.

I hope God has used this series in your life to bring Glory to Him. If you're still usure about some things, or have any questions about salvation or anything else, I am here and willing to listen to you and help you in any way I can. I urge you to take advantage of the comment, forum, or private contact features. God bless.

How Can I know I'm Saved? Part 2 +How Can I Get Saved?

In the last "How Can I Know I'm saved?" post, we listed some sources of false assurance in respect to salvation. Some of my readers may have put their hope in some of the things I listed (I know I used to), and you may now be wondering "If X doesn't mean I'm saved, then how can I tell if I'm saved? Is there any way of knowing?"

You may recall that I believe that you can know whether or not you're saved. You can have assurance of salvation. But you can't just blindly accept my opinion on that, you need some proof. Is it possible to know you are saved? Let's look at what Peter and Paul had to say:

2 Peter 1:10 says:

“Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you”

In 2 Corinthians 13:5, Paul tells us:

"Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified."

Peter and Paul wouldn't urge us to try to find out whether or not we're saved unless there actually is a way of knowing, and that knowing is important. With that in mind, let's move on to how we can know if we're saved.

The first thing to ask is if you've had an actual salvation experience. Most people can point to a time in their life where they walked the aisle, said the sinner's prayer, or even got baptized. A point where one could say "If I really got saved at any time in my life, it would've been then."

If you've had one of those experiences, but are doubting whether you're saved or not, then what you're really wondering is if your salvation experience was genuine. Did I really become a Christian that time I walked the aisle? Did I really become a Christian when I said that prayer? Am I really saved because of that time I got baptized?

Maybe you already know the answer. Maybe you know that your experience wasn't genuine. Or maybe you never had such an experience to begin with. Maybe you read one of the means of false assurance we talked about and thought "That's me! I'm not saved!"

I have listed below what I believe are the necessary elements of a genuine salvation experience. If you are not saved or not sure, this next part is for you.

1: Recognition of sin. You can't get saved unless there is something to save you from. You must realize and admit, both to yourself and to God, that you are a sinner, and that you have sinned against God. You know what it is you've done, whether something "small" like lying or stealing, or "big" like adultery or murder, you have sinned (Romans 3:23), and you deserve to go to hell for it (Romans 6:23). Recognizing this is the first step.

2: Willingness to repent. So you know that what you've done is wrong. But do you care? Are you sorry? Do you feel remorse for what you've done? A lot of people don't. Some people look back on their sin and think "Yeah, that was wrong... but who cares? It was fun! I'd do it again in a heartbeat!" Your attitude needs to be the opposite of this. The dictionary defines "repent" as "to feel or show that you are sorry for something bad or wrong that you did and that you want to do what is right." This is the attitude you need to have.

3: Submission to Jesus.  You know you've sinned, and you regret your sin. Now you want to make it right, and fix things. But you can't. Only Jesus can. So what's the next step? The Bible has the answer, and it repeats it over and over, time and time again, for our benefit:

"Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved" (Acts 16:31)

"Whoever calls on the name of the LORD will be delivered" (Joel 2:32)

"...if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe with your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation." (Romans 10:9-10)

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)

These three elements -- a recognition of your sin, a willingness to repent of your sin, and a submission to Christ as the only one who can take away that sin -- comprise a genuine salvation experience. If you have experienced true salvation, then you are "a new creation, old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new" (2 Corinthians 5:17).

As a result of being made new, you will have new desires, Godly desires; like an appetite for scripture, prayer, fellowship with other believers, and Godly teaching.
Your desires will be followed by actions. If you've truly been changed on the inside, then it will be manifested on the outside, in the way you act, the way you speak, and the way you treat others. As Jesus says, "The tree is known by its fruit" (Matthew 12:33).

So based on this information, would you say that you are saved? Have you recognized your sin and repented of it? Do you believe in Christ and submit to Him as your Lord and Savior? Are your desires Godly ones, and do you bear good fruit? I hope the answer is yes.

“These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life” (1 John 5:13)

But if the answer is no, then what are you waiting for? You have everything you need right here. If you haven't had a genuine conversion, then you can have one right now.

“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.” (Mark 1:15)

Please read the next post, which deals with a very important issue: Sin in the life of a Christian