Pastor John delivers the final message in our Core series. This message examines the significance of the phrase sola gratia, an expression born in the Protestant Reformation. Its meaning: salvation is by grace alone.

Our society has high standards for success. Few in fact attain the world’s performance-based praise for very long. Using Romans 5:8 as a text, Pastor John shares God’s perspective in contrast to that of society at large. In God’s view, none of us achieves success; we all fall into sin. Jesus died to secure us mercy from the punishment we deserve, and to impart the grace we did not deserve. It is the undeserved gift of grace that brings us into heavenly places.

The pursuit of the world’s standards of success can be a heavy burden, and can easily become idolatry if it displaces our trust in God as the source of our merit and our hope. Awareness of grace is the remedy. As John Newton wrote, “‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear, and grace my fears relieved.” The words of the hymn teach that a true appreciation of grace, sola gratia, reminds us each day that we owe all to Christ.

Download MP3: Sola Gratia

Starting with Eph 2:1, Pastor John presents the fourth lesson in a series on core beliefs of the Primitive Baptists. It is a study of the phrase sola fide, one of the five solas of the Protestant Reformation. It literally means “by faith alone,” and has reference to salvation.

After reading his text, “By grace are ye saved through faith,” Pastor John quickly acquaints us with a significant controversy involving this verse and others linking faith with salvation. Some believe salvation achieved through faith is that of eternity in heaven, and therefore that all of God’s children will express faith during their lives through willing submission to Christ as Lord. This position is sometimes labeled “Lordship theology.” Adherents of free-grace theology believe the scriptures record several varieties of salvation, and that the faith of the believer purchases a different sort of salvation, distinct from eternity in heaven.

Advocates on both sides of the issue criticize each other–often justly–for the errors to which their respective biases make them prone. Believers in Lordship theology may miss the size of God’s love. God is able to save (that is, to bring home to heaven) the aborted child, the mentally incompetent person, and the child born in an oppressive anti-Christian culture in the same way he saves people blessed to hear and accept or reject the gospel message–by grace. On the other hand, those who preach free grace can overlook the truth that God’s richest blessing are reserved for the obedient, and may lack a measure of evangelistic zeal. Camp Creek Church holds the free grace position.

We believe faith is not a litmus test of eternal destiny, but a lifestyle of progressive luminance, revealing God to the believer with ever more clarity. The more faith grows, the more of Christ we will see. And, because Christ alone is the way to God (solo Christo), the more of God we will see.

Download MP3: Sola Fide

In John 14:6, Jesus declared Himself “the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” In John 17:3, Jesus defines eternal life as knowing God and Jesus Christ. So eternal life as described in the bible is a relationship with Christ, not a measure of time or the absence of time. If eternal life is about knowing God, and not about living forever, we can enjoy what Jesus called eternal life even while we live. When we live by God’s moral law and seek to glorify Him in our lives, we experience eternal life in our walk on earth. This eternal quality of life is available only through Christ: solo Christo, as the Protestant Reformers summarized it.

In today’s message, Pastor John exhorts us to exercise our faith, so that we can experience God’s grace and experience heaven on earth. Through Christ alone, we have access to God and eternal life. This message is the third in the Core series on the five solas of the Reformation.

Download MP3: Solo Christo

We believe that the bible is the inspired and authoritative word of God, and is itself sufficient to guide God’s children in their lives. That is the truth summarized by the Latin phrase sola scriptura, one of five solas popularized during the Protestant Reformation.

In this message, Pastor John examines the bible as God’s revelation to His creation. Words define, strengthen, and enrich relationships. So do the words of God define, strengthen, and enrich our relationship with Him. Pastor John leads us to reflect on how the bible came to be written and achieve its modern form–the canon–and to consider the narrative arc of revelation as God progressively reveals His character through the events of history.

Download MP3: Sola Scriptura

This message launches the “Core” series, using the five sola statements of the Protestant Reformation to study some fundamental truths about God and man’s relationship with God.

As Primitive Baptists, we believe the doctrine and practices of Christ’s church predate the Reformation and have never been lost. However, the five solas of the Reformation are true and worthy of study. They are:

Soli Deo gloria : glory to God alone
Sola scriptura : by scripture alone
Solus Christus : by Christ alone
Sola fide : by faith alone
Sola gratia : by grace alone

In today’s message, Pastor John begins with Soli Deo gloria.

On a technical note, the first few minutes of the recording were lost, so our published audio begins with my narrative introduction.

Download MP3: Soli Deo Gloria