Its Source and Instrument

In this part of the sermon: The sermon begins by asking why God would justify sinners, establishing that the source is God's free grace, supported by multiple New Testament passages.

A stranger giving a huge sum of money prompts the question 'Why?', illustrating how believers often fail to ask 'Why would God do this?' regarding justification, taking it for granted like a spoilt child.

It is late afternoon and you're about to sit down to supper.

0:53 - 0:57 Read in full sermon

Driving home: What God has done is an act of stupendous grace. We might almost say of reckless extravagance.

Imagining angels asking 'Why this waste?' as God pours out grace on sinners, similar to Christ's disciples, highlights the 'reckless extravagance' of God's grace in justification.

We could imagine the angels saying as Christ's cold hearted disciples once said as they see God pouring his grace upon sinners, why this waste, why this waste God has done.

6:32 - 6:52 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Donnelly clarifies that faith is the instrument of justification, not its ground or basis, emphasizing that Christ's life and death are the true foundation, and faith itself is…

The surgeon's scalpel is an indispensable instrument for an operation, but the surgeon is the one who saves the life; this illustrates that faith is an indispensable instrument, but Christ is the one who saves.

We might think of the surgeon's scalpel. That is the instrument he uses in the operation. The scalpel is indispensable. He can't make an incision with his fingers.

21:27 - 21:46 Read in full sermon

Driving home: It is not strictly speaking even faith in Christ that saves but Christ that saves through faith.

The example of people having faith in Jim Jones, a cult leader who led them to their deaths, demonstrates that faith itself is worthless and lethal if misdirected, emphasizing that saving faith must be in Christ.

What I'm saying then is that faith in itself is worthless. Faith in itself is worthless. In fact if it's misdirected it's lethal. You remember the people who had faith in Jim Jones was it?

23:39 - 24:03 Read in full sermon

Driving home: It is a shocking doctrine. It's radical. It's mind blowing. It's extremely controversial.

The hypothetical scenario of Saddam Hussein repenting on his deathbed and a beloved atheist doctor dying at the same time, with Saddam entering glory and the doctor cast into torment, illustrates the scandalous nature of 'faith alone' to human reason and justice.

There is something in it in us that fights against it as wrong. None of us knows if Saddam Hussein is still alive or whether his DNA is scattered in some street in Baghdad. But let's imagine for a minute that he is. He's been seriously wounded.

31:58 - 32:18 Read in full sermon

The point: Recognize that you are a natural legalist and never immune to the temptation of relying on your own works.

Donnelly shares a personal experience of having spiritually bad days and feeling unable to pray until he had 'sorted himself out' with good works, demonstrating how easily even seasoned believers fall into legalism.

Some time ago, I had a couple of really bad days spiritually. I wasted a lot of time in the study. I neglected what I needed to do. I was, well, you need, you probably would be very interested to hear the details, but I'm not going to tell them to you.

36:19 - 36:33 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The sermon exposes the danger of adding works to faith, using the example of Protestant-Catholic reconciliation attempts that omit 'alone,' and explains why 'faith plus works' is…

A story of demons plotting to turn people from the gospel, where the most effective strategy is to teach 'salvation by faith' but add 'a spoonful of our own works,' illustrates the subtle danger of 'faith plus works'.

The substitute for faith alone. Perhaps we could go back to the illustration of the demons that we heard about at an earlier meeting.

42:10 - 42:21 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The sermon exposes the danger of adding works to faith, using the example of Protestant-Catholic reconciliation attempts that omit 'alone,' and explains why 'faith plus works' is…

Quoting a joint statement on justification by American Lutherans and Roman Catholics, which omits the word 'alone,' illustrates how the absence of this single word allows for a 'faith plus works' understanding.

In 1983, a group of American Lutherans met with a group of Roman Catholics and published a doctrine called Justification by Faith. Good title. Let me read you their conclusion.

44:04 - 44:17 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The sermon exposes the danger of adding works to faith, using the example of Protestant-Catholic reconciliation attempts that omit 'alone,' and explains why 'faith plus works' is…

The story of an Arab letting his camel put its nose, then head, then whole body into his tent until the Arab is outside in the cold, illustrates how works, once introduced into justification, will inevitably take over and smother faith.

But again, what happens in practice, if you believe in faith plus works, no matter how much lip service you give to faith, works will take over. And before you realize it, your justification in practice will be based on the sacraments and the penances and the works. It's like the Arab with his camel and was sleeping in the desert and it was very cold. And the poor camel was outside in the cold.

48:49 - 49:20 Read in full sermon

The point: Be alarmed if the preaching of the gospel makes no impact on you, as it indicates a spiritual problem.

The analogy of being struck by sudden deafness and realizing something is wrong when others are speaking, is used to alarm unbelievers who are untouched by the gospel, indicating a spiritual problem within them.

Supposing you were to be struck by sudden deafness. You noticed everybody else in the room talking together and you couldn't hear them. Would you sit with a sense of smug superiority? A little smile inside?

58:50 - 59:06 Read in full sermon