Sola Gratia: Only One Gospel

This past Sunday, Jared Mellinger kicked off a new sermon series at Covenant Fellowship Church called Sola Gratia (grace alone). It is an expository series going through Paul’s letter to the churches of Galatia (the book of Galatians).

Jared started the series by preaching through the first ten verses of chapter one, while also giving an overview of the whole letter and what was to come in the series.

The sermon surrounded the question, “What does it mean to stand on grace alone?” and was followed by three answers:

1. We uphold the one true way of salvation!
2. We deepen our understanding of the Cross of Christ!
3. We enjoy the privileges we have in Christ!

At first glance, we think this letter does not apply to us, because we don’t believe we need adherence to the Jewish law for salvation; we do believe in salvation through grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. However, as Jared pointed out, the book of Galatians does apply to us. Jared said,

God gave us the book of Galatians because the foolish galatian tendency to drift, from grace, is in every single one of us. If the Christians in Galatia were vulnerable to this drift and if Peter and if Barnabas were vulnerable to that drift, then I think it’s good for us to acknowledge that every one of us is vulnerable to that same exact drift away from a Biblical understanding of God’s grace.

He then referenced the famous hymn, Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing saying,

Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;

Personally, I know that I am prone to wander – I know that I am prone to leave God. We must actively flee from our good works; flee from that subtle drift away from grace. When God calls us to flee from something – it is always to flee to something else. We must flee to the Cross of Christ!

Aren’t you glad that, Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing doesn’t end there, but continues?

Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above.

God, in his mercy, will take our hearts and will seal them for his courts above!

Application Questions:

1. In what ways am I tempted to subtly believe that my acceptance before God is based on something that I do rather than what Christ has done?
2. Am I growing in my understanding and the appreciation of the Cross? Do you find yourself more amazed by grace the more you advance in your Christian walk?
3. Am I enjoying the privileges that we have in Christ?

“Am I Thriving?"

Personally, I have a hard time applying sermons from church – simply because I don’t reflect on them after that morning. I can just listen, be convicted, and move on without change. Indeed, this is not the way it ought to be.

This past Sunday, Dave Harvey, our Sr. Pastor at Covenant Fellowship Church in Glen Mills, PA, gave a message on Philippians 3:1-16, explaining what it means to "thrive" as a single. His main point was this: Thriving is the fruit of a singular pursuit - that we know Christ.

He supported this by offering three points.

1) I know I am thriving when my confidence is less in me and more in Jesus Christ.

2) I know I am thriving when my focus is less on where I’ve come from and more on where I am going.

3) I know I am thriving when I resist standing still and resolve to always move forward.

In an attempt to apply the message, I printed out the passage, got a read pen, and tried to figure out what the passage was saying (Dave Harvey obviously brought much clarity to this).

My thoughts when reading and meditating on Philippians 3: 7-11

7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 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 9 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— 10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

The question that I have for myself is, do I long for Christ like Paul does? Do I want to gain Christ (vs.8)? Do I want to be found in him (vs.9)? Do I want to know him and the power of his resurrection (vs.10)? Do I want to become like him in his death (vs.10)? Do I want to attain the resurrection from the dead (vs.11)?

My immediate answer is an emphatic, “YES!”

However, am I (are we) willing to do whatever it takes to get there; to gain Christ?

Am I willing to count whatever gain I have (I have no gain) as loss? Indeed, am I willing to count everything as loss? Am I willing to suffer the loss of all things? Count them as rubbish? Have all my faith in Christ? Am I willing to share his sufferings?

When you interpret this passage looking through the eyes of what Paul did “in order that...” you realize that striving for Christ is not easy. Thanks be to God that there is grace available to gain Christ! "6And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:6).

Why did Paul do all this? For the sake of Christ (vs.7), because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ (vs.8), and for his sake (vs.8)! Indeed, the Christian life is worth “press[ing] on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14).

For more application listen to John Piper’s “Don’t Waste Your Life” sermon, since he expounds Philippians 3 in his message.

What did you guys take away from the sermon/Philippians?

Click here in case you're interested in downloading the sermon. Covenant Fellowship Church also offers application questions following each message, which can be downloaded here.