THE FIVE SOLAS: SOLA FIDE

Sola Fide!  This is a Latin phrase that is meant to convey the Biblical doctrine that teaches that we are justified by faith alone.

Martin Luther said that this is the “doctrine by which the church stands for falls.”  If Luther is right, then we seriously need to understand what it means to be justified by faith alone.  Before we look at the Scriptures that teach us this very important doctrine and before we look at the reformation history and controversy surrounding it, let’s break it down in layman’s terms.

JUSTIFICATION

Take a quick look at the root word of this theological and Biblical term. Of course you will all see that the root word of JUSTIFICATION is JUST.  The idea behind justification is that it is a legal declaration from God that we are just, perfect, righteous, sinless, totally holy and blameless.  So imagine standing before the just Judge of the universe and He looks down at you and declares to you from a legal standpoint, “You are not guilty.  In fact, you are perfectly righteous.”  That might sound as if God is lying.  Doesn’t it?  After all, you and I are sinners by nature--not just in deeds.  Having inherited our sin nature from Adam, we sin regularly.  Scripture declares it.  Experience proves it.  So how in the world can God legally declare me righteous or justified, if in fact I am not righteous or just?  That leads us to another doctrine that we must first discuss.

IMPUTATION

I love this word.  It is marvelous and full of gospel realities.  You need to love it and understand it, too.  The book of Philemon is a great example of what this doctrine looks like.  In this little letter (just 25 verses), we find the Apostle Paul writing to a man named Philemon.  Philemon was sort of a wealthy guy and was able to open up his home as the meeting place for a local church of which he is a member.  Well, Philemon has a servant who runs away from him.  And from the implications of the letter, it appears that this servant stole something from Philemon.  This servant's name is Onesimus.  In the course of time, Onesimus runs into the Apostle Paul, hears the preaching of the gospel, repents of his sin, puts his faith in Christ and then becomes a useful brother to Paul.  For whatever reason, Paul decides to send Onesimus back to Philemon.  I can only imagine the fear that Onesimus must have felt.  He wronged his master.  He committed a crime.  He could have suffered tremendously for the injustice he committed.  And so this letter was sent on ahead to Philemon so that when Onesimus arrived, Philemon would receive him as a brother in Christ, not as a runaway, thieving slave.

Now when you read verse 17-18 you will see the doctrine of double-imputation.  Paul says this to Philemon: “So if you consider me your partner, receive him [Onesimus] as you would receive me.  If he has wronged you at all, or owes you anything, charge that to my account.”  And there you have a tangible instance of what the doctrine of imputation means and looks like.  Philemon loved Paul who was elderly and in prison for preaching the gospel.  And in essence, what Paul said was this:  “Philemon, you treat Onesimus as you would treat me.”  But that’s not all Paul says.  He goes on to say, “Philemon, whatever wrong Onesimus has done to you, I’ll bear the penalty for it.  You treat me as if I were your runaway, thieving slave.”  The good standing that Paul had with Philemon was to be credited to Onesimus so that Philemon would treat Onesimus as if Paul were standing before him.  Even though Onesimus was guilty of sinning against his master, he would be treated as if he were the beloved Paul.  Conversely, Paul offered to take on the debt that Onesimus owed Philemon, so that Paul would be treated as if he actually did what Onesimus had done, even though he had not.  The bad standing that Onesimus had with Philemon was to be credited to Paul.  Paul arranged for all of this.  Onesimus would simply be the recipient of Paul’s gracious actions. And so imputation is an accounting term which means to credit to one's account.

Paul’s taking on of the debt of Onesimus AND Onesimus’ taking on the right (just) standing of Paul is a picture of the gospel. A great exchange took place so that Onesimus could stand before Philemon and not be worthy of condemnation. In the same way, a greater exchange has taken place between Christ and believers so that we can stand before God without condemnation. So what happen to us so that we can be justified or declared righteous in God's sight?  Well, a massive imputation takes place.  By faith, we know that Christ took upon Himself my sin so that He was treated as if He had lived my wicked, wretched and sinful life. He suffered and died on the cross in my place, with my sin in His account.  Conversely, when we believe in Christ, we are justified because we are given  Christ’s righteousness so that God will treat us as if we lived the perfect life of Christ.  And Christ looks to the Father and says, “Father, receive this runaway sheep as you would receive Me—the perfect Lamb of God!  And treat Me as if I had done wrong to You.”  Brothers and sisters, this is what our Savior has done for us.  He has given us His righteousness and has taken upon Himself our sin.  There has been a great exchange--an imputation.  He has arranged all of this. You and I are simply the recipients of Christ’s grace.

You and I live eternally and have been saved because we have an “alien” righteousness—a righteousness that comes from without, not from within….a righteousness that comes from Christ.  It is only when this transfer takes place that we can actually be called “justified” by God Almighty.  Although we are not righteous, we are called righteous because we are clothed in the righteousness of Christ.

So when does this transfer of righteousness take place?  That’s where the FIDE is Sola Fide comes into play.  Remember that FIDE means faith.  We are justified the moment we place faith in Christ.  And we are justified by faith alone.  We are not called just because we lived good lives and tried to be just or righteous…because we’ve already proven that we’re not righteous.  Rather, we are justified by faith and faith alone.  In other words, the moment we put faith in Christ, is the moment that the great exchange is applied to us--imputation.  No faith in Christ = no justification.  Faith is the gift of God through which we receive the righteousness of Christ. Justification then, is not an experiential reality whereby you do only righteous deeds.  Rather, justification is a legal declaration that you are just even though you are a sinner.

Look at these verses that tell us how we ARE NOT justified:
 

Romans 3:20  For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.

Galatians 2:16  yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.
 

Galatians 3:10-11  For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.”  Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.”

These are but just a few of the prominent verses in Scripture that clearly tell us that we ARE NOT justified because we attempt to live JUST lives.  Our attempts to perfectly keep God’s Law do not make us just or righteous.  That would be the essence of self-righteousness.  Indeed that is what a self-righteous person truly is—one who thinks that they are just, good and holy on their own efforts.  Just ask any unbeliever if they think that they are a good person and they will almost unanimously declare, “YES!”  So if you rely on your efforts to keep God’s Law so that one day God can look at you and declare you righteous, then I have bad news for you: You are under a curse.  You will surely be declared guilty (unjust) because any breaking of any of God’s Laws means that you’ve broken God’s Law.

Now look at these verses that tell us how we ARE justified: 

Romans 3:28  For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.

Romans 5:1  Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Romans 10:10  For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.

Galatians 2:16  yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.

Galatians 3:11  Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.”

Scripture makes it emphatically clear that we are justified by faith and by faith alone.  Not faith plus your deeds.  Not faith plus anything, but faith alone.  Faith is the vehicle through which righteousness is delivered to us and even FAITH is a gift so that we cannot consider it a good work (Ephesians 2:8-9).  Brothers and sisters, that is why it is so important to understand that when we call sinners to turn away from Christ that we call them to believe in Christ—to have faith in Him.  The Biblical response to the gospel has always been, “Turn from your sin and trust in Christ’s finished work to save you.”  In the name of evangelism, we have asked people to do all sorts of things in order to be justified.  We’ve pleaded with people to walk the aisle, to pray a sinner’s prayer, to sign a commitment card, to ask Jesus in their heart, etc., etc.  But the Biblical response to the gospel has been that of repentance and faith in Christ.  We must call people to believe in Jesus and what He has done because it is through this gift of faith/belief that we receive His righteousness.

In the 1500’s, Martin Luther came out swinging against the Catholic Church’s understanding of justification.  In their understanding of justification, when a person believes in Christ they are then infused (not imputed) with Christ's righteousness so that they can be transformed to look more and more like God in an experiential and daily way.  They teach that God does this SO THAT we can eventually get to the point where our lives look so much like God’s that we are finally declared righteous because we have achieved a day-to-day experience of righteousness.  It might seem like a small deal and small difference, but I assure you that such is not the case. This heretical teaching makes our works the basis for our justification--and we know what Scripture has said regarding our works. 

In the mid-1500’s the Catholic Church convened in order to try and put a stop to the Reformers and their teachings which included the doctrine of Sola Fide.  This meeting was called the Council of Trent and in Canon 9 they said this: 

CANON 9:  "If any one says, that by Faith Alone the sinner is Justified; in such wise as to mean, that nothing else is required to co-operate in order to the obtaining the grace of Justification, and that it is not in any way necessary, that he be prepared and disposed by the movement of his own will; let him be anathema (damned forever)."  

A Catholic’s understanding of justification has everything to do with what God gives us, THEN what we do with what God gives us.  We have to live in a way that produces righteousness in us so that God can finally declare us just.  We in essence would have to earn our justification by completing what God started in us.  The Reformation and Protestant understanding of justification is that nothing we do makes us just.  We are called just because of what Christ has done—He has been perfect for us.  One teaching relies completely on Christ’s work.  The other relies on Christ’s work plus what we do.  If there is anything clear about the Scriptures above, it is that we are not justified by anything we do, but what Christ has perfectly done.

Let me say that when we are justified that the Bible teaches us that we do grow in holiness.  That gradual and certain growth is called SANCTIFICATION—to be set apart from sin.  This does happen in the life of a believer--but sanctification is not the basis for our being called perfect.  Justification and sanctification are entirely different but radically connected.  Those whom God has justified will be gradually sanctified as the Spirit applies the Word to our hearts and minds.  Catholic doctrine confuses the two and actually teaches that once you are fully sanctified THEN you can be justified.  They reverse the order of justification and sanctification and confuse the definitions.  Catholics would say that we are not justified until we can actually lives just and holy lives.  Christians would say that we are considered righteous by God because of what Christ has given us, not by our trusting in Christ plus our keeping of the Law.  This is what essentially divides Catholics and Christians and creates a host of other errors on the part of the Catholic. 

So when Martin Luther said that the doctrine of justification by faith alone is the doctrine on which the church stands or falls, he wasn't kidding.  This much is true: the Catholic Church affirms justification by faith.  But they do not affirm justification by Faith Alone.  Reread Canon 9 in case you missed it or if that was unclear the first time.  But thanks be to God that faithful Christians have contended for Sola Fide throughout the centuries and that many are justified because they have trusted in Christ alone. 

PRAYER

Thank You, Lord, that You have called us to salvation and that we are now justified by your gracious and saving gift of faith.  When we sin this week, let us not rely on our self-efforts and attempts of righteousness to be righteous and acceptable before You.  Let us rest on Christ alone by faith alone.  Then send us out into the world to live a life of worship that displays Your righteousness and glory for the world to see.  Help us to proclaim to the world the wonderful news that peace with God is possible only when we are justified by faith in Christ.  This we pray in the great name of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

THE FIVE SOLAS: SOLA SCRIPTURA

Sola Scriptura!  That’s Latin for Scripture Alone!  Simply put it means that Scripture has everything we need for what we are to believe and what we are to practice (I Corinthians 4:6, I Timothy 3:14-15).  Scripture alone is the revealed mind of God and tells us about sin and salvation, our wretchedness and God’s righteousness, hell and heaven, death and the life to come.  While creation is a general revelation of God (Psalm 19:1, Romans 1:18-23), Scripture is the specific revelation of God and tells us why the world is so sinful and how God redeems us through His perfect Son, Jesus Christ (I Timothy 3:15-16, II Peter 1:19-21).  Without God revealing this to us, we’d be left to our own speculations and imaginings.  This would no doubt lead us to many different attempts at being reconciled to Him.  But God has not left us in the dark.  He has spoken and what He has spoken has been written down.  These writings, inspired by God and written at the hands of men, are what guide us in orthodoxy and orthopraxy—right belief and a right practice that flows from these beliefs.

Sola Scriptura does not mean that the Bible is the only book that we are to read and that we cannot learn from the books and writings of great Christians—living or dead.  Indeed, God had given us pastors and teachers to edify the body of Christ so that we may mature spiritually (Ephesians 4:11-14).  These pastors and teachers are given to us so that they may explain the Scriptures in a Christ-centered fashion and then call us to believe them and then live in a way that magnifies our Savior.  And many of their teachings and sermons are written down and put into books so that their admonitions and insights can be passed on to future generations.  Nevertheless, their teachings are to bow before Scripture—for Scripture alone is the ultimate authority and there is no other authority that rises to the level of God’s Word.  The Lord’s Word written down is our ultimate authority because it comes directly from God.

This is one of the central truths that the Reformers sought to bring back to the forefront of Christianity.  The Catholic Church did not and does not hold to the doctrine of Sola Scriptura.  Let me say that they do believe Scripture to be the Word of God; it’s just not the ONLY rule for faith and practice.  They also believe that tradition, certain teachings of the pope and the verdicts of councils are to rule over the people with the same authority as God’s written Word.  Let’s take for example the Catholic Church practice of Ex Cathedra. 

Ex Cathedra is a Latin phrase that means “from the chair.”  It is used in reference to the pope when he is teaching and his teachings are to be considered without error--or infallible.  In real life application, this means that what the pope says in certain teachings is as good as the Word of God.  It means that his teachings are binding upon the people within the Catholic Church.  If a member of the Catholic Church were to disregard Ex Cathedra teachings, then this member would be considered as one who abandoned the faith and is an apostate—or a spiritual traitor.  These people would be considered accursed by the Catholic Church for not adhering to the pope’s teachings.

In 1950 there was an Ex Cathedra doctrine that said that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was taken bodily up into heaven at the end of her life.  Of course, there is nowhere in Scripture where this is taught.  Yet if the pope is teaching Ex Cathedra and claims this, the Catholic Church is bound to believe this.  After this doctrine was installed as official Catholic doctrine, these words were added to it:  Hence if anyone, which God forbid, should dare willfully to deny or to call into doubt that which we have defined, let him know that he has fallen away completely from the divine and Catholic Faith.

I hope you hear what the Catholic Church is saying.  They are saying that Ex Cathedra teachings are binding upon everyone and if you do not adhere to them, you have fallen away from the faith that is of divine origin---and therefore, the “universal” faith.  They elevate the teachings of the pope to that of Scripture.  So as far as Catholic doctrine goes, Sola Scriptura is a heresy and a danger to them.  Sola Scriptura would require that all their teachings be subject to God’s Word and that whatever is not derived from God’s Word must be discarded and repented of.  Reformation Theology teaches that scripture alone is our basis for doctrine and practice.  Hopefully you see the vast difference between these opposing views.

But the Catholic Church is not the only group to deny the doctrine of Sola Scriptura.  Many Christians would affirm and say that this doctrine is true, but what they do actually denies this truth. In other words, they deny this truth not in confession, but in practice. Let me give you an example of how some Christians actually deny Sola Scriptura, practically speaking.

There is a prominent Christian author named Henry Blackaby.  I’ve read several of his books and for a time in my life I agreed with his teachings and actually promoted them to others.  I have since repented of these certain teachings.  Blackaby teaches that God speaks through the Bible, prayer, circumstances and the church.  Now you may say to yourself, “This man seems to affirm that God does speak through His Word.”  And that is certainly true, but so does the Catholic Church as I mentioned earlier.  The problem is not in his affirming that God speaks through His Word.  The problem is that God’s Word is not seen as the ONLY rule for faith and practice.  According to Blackaby, God also speaks through circumstances, prayer and the church.  Here’s the problem with these three ways that God supposedly speaks to us.

Scripture never tells us that God speaks to us in prayer.  Prayer is us speaking to God and praying for His will to be accomplished in the world and in our lives.  As Jesus taught us to pray, “Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”  Contrary to popular belief, prayer is not a two-way communication.  God speaks to us by His Word.  We speak back to Him by prayer.  That doesn't mean that God doesn't answer prayer.  He certainly does.  But He is not "speaking" to us.

Secondly, Scripture nowhere teaches us that we are to look at circumstances to determine what God is saying to us.  This is where the rubber meets the road for many Christians.  A lot of Christians live their lives as if circumstances are some sort of tarot cards that they need to observe and then determine what God is saying. The look for signs and open doors and situations and when they see them “align” they say, “God is telling me to do this or that.”  Oh, how many people have made poor decisions because they assumed that God speaks not by His Word only, but also by circumstances and open doors.  Rather, we should to look to God’s Word to see what God requires us of, then ask the Lord for wisdom and discernment and then make appropriate decisions that do not compromise the glory of God and His gospel.  God gives us much liberality to made decisions that are in accordance with His Word.  To assume that God has some hidden agenda and will for your life and that you need to figure it out by gaining a higher knowledge that is not derived from Scripture is dangerous.  That is mystical and has close ties to the heresy of Gnosticism that the first Christians fought against.

Thirdly, while God does use pastors, teachers and other believers to disciple you and train you in God’s Word, they should be simply reiterating what God has already said.  God is not speaking fresh revelation to us through those whom He has called to preach.  If He were speaking fresh revelation, then we would need to have those words recorded down for future generations to have.  If He were speaking fresh revelation through preachers or other church members then our Bible would continue to grow and grow and additions would be needed.

As you dive deeper into the teachings of Blackaby, you get caught up in looking to all sorts of things from which to hear from God…and they are all apart from Scripture.  The only sure word that we have for faith and practice is God’s Word and God’s Word alone.  So while many Christians will give lip service to Sola Scriptura (like I once did), they actually deny it (like I once did) through their everyday living and practice. It's a very subtle deviation, but a dangerous deviation nonetheless.

The biggest argument against Sola Scriptura is that it’s tough to find a verse that explicitly says, “Sola Scriptura” just like you won't find a verse that says that there is a Trinity. But we would all agree that there is no higher authority than God Almighty.  And if God has spoken, then what He says must have ultimate authority in our lives.  If God has spoken, and if we know what He has said, then that is what we must ultimately submit to.  And since Scripture claims to be the Word of God, then we must either submit to and yield to Scripture as the authority of God…or else we must prove that the Bible is not the Word of God written down.

If God’s Word is not the ultimate authority in our lives then we are left to the whim and feeling of every person who claims to hear from God or wants to define truth in their own terms.  Truth then becomes subjective or based on personal experience and personal feeling, rather than its basis in the ultimate Truth Giver.  For example, you will hear Christians say that they can no longer regard homosexuality as a sin because of the hurt that a homosexual family member has had to endure.  Their standard for truth is subjective, internal, based on what they feel is right.  It is not based on what God has said.  Their ultimate authority ends up becoming themselves.  Be mindful of those who profess to be Christians but use experiences, traditions, circumstances, feelings and other things to determine what they believe and how they should live. It is very possible for any of us to misinterpret our cirumstances and feelings.  Sola Scriptura ensures that what we believe and what we do is in sync with the mind of God.  As an aside, may I also say that while church constitutions and by-laws are important, they too must yield to the Word of God.  Those documents are man-made and when they need to be adjusted or re-written to be in accordance with God’s Word, let it be done with glad and joyful submission.

Lastly may I say that God’s Word is precious to us.  It is most vital for our salvation and spiritual growth.  Without God’s Word we would be perishing in our sin.  Without God’s Word we would still be under God’s wrath and judgment.  The fact that God has spoken to us and called us to salvation is remarkable.  Scripture shows us our sin and need for the Savior.  Scripture shows us who this Savior is and what to believe about Him.  Scripture grants us spiritual life so that we can grasp the spiritual truth about Jesus.  Scripture is what God uses to give us faith.  Scripture is what transforms us to look more like Christ.  Look at what God says about His Word. 

1.  Scripture is what the Holy Spirit uses to CONVICT us of sin.  Romans 7:7 – “What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, ‘You shall not covet.’”  Another synonym for God’s Word is the Law.  The Law or God’s Word shows us our sin and damnation before God.  John 16:8 – “And when he [the Holy Spirit] comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment.”

2.  Scripture is what the Holy Spirit uses to REGENERATE us or make us born again.  In other words, the Word of God is what the Holy Spirit uses to bring about a spiritual resurrection in our lives.  The Bible says that we are spiritually dead because of sin.  Spiritually dead people cannot respond to a spiritual being or comprehend spiritual truth—they are spiritually dead.  In order for them to believe in Christ, which is a spiritual act, they must first be brought to spiritual life. We have been resurrected to spiritual life.  God’s Spirit uses God’s Word to accomplish this for us.  1 Peter 1:23 – “Since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God.”  What grace we’ve been shown!  John 3:6-7 “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.  7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.

3.  Scripture is what the Holy Spirit uses to grant us FAITH in Christ.  How amazing is God’s Word.  Romans 10:17 – “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”  Do you believe that Christ is the Savior?  Do you trust in Him alone to save you from God’s wrath and from sin?  If you do, you do so because of God’s Word.  The gift of faith comes to you by your hearing God’s Word.  Faith is not internal or inherent in us.  It comes from without as a present to us from God.  Amazing grace!

4.  Scripture is what the Holy Spirit uses in SANCTIFICATION or in making us more like Christ.  Believers are called to salvation by God’s Word in order to have the sin marred image of Christ restored in them.  Remember back to the garden of Eden when God created man to be representations of God’s glory--“Let us make man in our image.”  Well, sin wrecked that.  And salvation is not only about God saving us from hell, but it’s also about God restoring us to look like perfect image bearers of God.  Christ, who was God in the flesh, was the only one to ever have lived the perfect life that Adam and we were commanded, but failed to do.  We are supposed to look like the human Jesus, the Adam before sin, but we don’t.  So part of our salvation includes having that image slowly but surely restored---God will do it.  And He does this by His Word.  That transformation of us is called sanctification.  John 17:17 – “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.”  A Christian who fails to sit at the teachings of our Savior and His apostles is a person who is not growing to look more like Christ.  If you still struggle with sin, like I do, then the answer is more of God’s Word.  He will put His Word in your heart so that you will not sin against Him. 

In light of all that Scripture says about God’s Word, it’s hard to think that anything else could ever do what God’s Word does for us.  The exhilarating reality is that God’s Word stands alone as ultimate authority and the only thing that can bring us effectively to salvation.  His Word endures forever (Isaiah 40:8, 1 Peter 2:25)!

HOMILETICS: THE IMPORTANCE OF CREATING AN OUTLINE FOR YOUR MESSAGE

Homiletics is the art and science of sermon preparation. This could also apply to any religious speech or talk where God's Word is shared publicly.

Now why in the world would I even be interested writing on this subject?  For starters, there are several men in our church that have been blessed by the Lord to speak for him in a public capacity.  I am not referring to any of our elders, but, rather, to those who are traveling to prisons, colleges and other public venues. This information will help sharpen your public speaking skills. Now, while we believe that only men are to be elders, that doesn’t exclude women from teaching women’s group. So this information is going to be equally valuable for those ladies that God has gifted to teach.

Secondly, there are many who are gifted in rightly dividing the Word of God and it may be that one day the Lord gives you an opportunity to start sharing His Word in a public capacity.  It’d be nice, don’t you think, to have some guidance and help along the way?  Of course we know it would. 

Thirdly, I’d like to share some homiletic tips just so you can see what preparation goes into sermon delivery.  A lot of people are erroneously led to believe that most preachers “wing it” when they “get up there.”  Certainly there is an aspect to preaching that includes extemporaneous speaking but I don’t know of any preachers or elders that only do impromptu sermons where everything is spoken off the cuff.  If that were the case, you’d hear a lot of sermons that sounded like one of those awkward and painful speeches that an ill-prepared groomsman or bridesmaid might give during the wedding celebration.  While an impromptu “sermon” like that may be funny and cute, they are rarely coherent and are more often ramblings that lack any punch nor do they frequently leave a permanent impression on the hearer. And while our purpose in carefully crafting a homily from God’s Word is not to impress people on an earthly level, it is carefully crafted in order to imbed truth in the heart on a spiritual level.

So with all that said, one of the first things you can do after the careful studying of God’s Word is to create an outline that will help form your homily.  Outlines are important for several reasons: 

I.  OUTLINES HELP PROVIDE DIRECTION IN THE MINDS OF THE LISTENERS

Outline structure is like a map from one city to another.  The map flows from point A to point B with turns and direction changes, nevertheless there is a flow that is intended to arrive somewhere.  Directions from Victorville, Ca., to the Los Angeles Airport might be something like this: take the 15 South to the 10 West to the 405 South and exit West Century Blvd and head west.  Do you see how that worked? Point A to Point B had some key markers and changes along with way, but they all supported the goal, which was to get us to LAX.  The title of this “sermon” might be “How To Get To LAX” and each freeway change supports the overall theme and purpose of the “sermon.” Taking the 15 South is part of “How To Get To LAX.”  Taking the 10 West is part of “How To Get To LAX” and the second directional point is connected to the previous directional point and flows out of the previous point while supporting the main point—get me to LAX.  The same goes for the third and fourth points. They flow forth from the previous point but are still connected to the title of the sermon.

A sermon should feel like that.  It should feel like we are going somewhere and the outline is the structure to help us all get there.  In my sermons, I always try to make the title of my sermon the main point.  Sometimes I’ll try to put in a little creativity in how that is stated.  Sometimes I get it right.  Sometimes I bomb.  But that’s ok. The point is that you’re attempting to created coherency is a religious speech.

In a recent sermon I preached the title and outline looked like this:

The Proper Response To The Message Of The Missionary  

• I.  The Lord’s Anger and Message to Nineveh (Jonah 3:1-4) 

• II.  Nineveh's Repentance And Faith Towards The Lord (Jonah 3:5-9)   

• III.  The Lord’s Compassion Towards Nineveh (Jonah 3:10)

The reason I chose the title for the sermon was because of the way Jonah has been structured. A lot of Jonah is chiastic and this chapter follows an A B AA pattern.  Point A matches Point AA in that we see the Lord’s anger mirrored by the Lord’s compassion.  Right in the middle of this structure is the heart of the passage—Nineveh’s proper response to the Lord’s message.  But as you’ll see, each of my sermon’s points (Roman numerals) are connected to the previous point which flows from the title.  I’m sure that a better outline could have been crafted, but it served its purposes in guiding us to see what happens when people properly respond to the Lord’s condemnation.

Now what I didn’t share were my sub-points beneath the main supporting points.  But the same principle applies. 

• I.  The Lord’s Anger and Message to Nineveh (Jonah 3:1-4)

•  A.  Flows from I. which flows from the title
•  B.  Connected to A. but flows from I. which flows from the title
•  C.  Connected to B. but flows from I. which flows from the title

• II.  Nineveh's Repentance And Faith Towards The Lord (Jonah 3:5-9)
  •  A.  Flows from II. which is connected to I. which flows from the title 
  •  B.  Connected to A. but flows from II. which flows from the title

• III. The Lord’s Compassion Towards Nineveh (Jonah 3:10)

Sub-points marked in Capital Letters flow out of the Roman Numeral points. And as already stated, the ABC’s are connected to each other and support the Roman Numeral points which support the title. If you take any public speaking class, this is a basic principle to addressing a crowd.  This structure is important because it creates order in the mind of both the speaker and the hearer and helps the listener to be guided towards the end destination smoothly and coherently.  Mentally, it keeps the speaker on track.  He knows where he is in his “trip” and is not lost in confusion.  Mentally, it keeps the listener on track so that they can enjoy the ride.

Oftentimes, the listener will see in advance where the sermon is going and will anticipate an outcome.  That’s a great thing to have a sermon that clearly structured that people are ahead of you.  It means that you’re communicating well.  And that leads me to another reason why outlines matter…

II.  OUTLINES HELP CREATE ANTICIPATION IN THE HEARTS OF THE LISTENERS

The outline and structure of Jonah is a case in point.  In chapter 1 we see Jonah’s rebellion to God’s command. In chapter 2 we see his renewed commitment to serve the Lord. In chapter 3 we see a renewed call from God upon Jonah’s life.  This structure leads us to anticipate that there may be a different result that flows forth from Jonah’s renewed commitment to God and God’s subsequent second call for Jonah to go and preach to Nineveh.  The author is leading us in a way that creates some anticipation and expectation of what is to come.  This does not happen by accident but is intentional on the part of the author. It’s great storytelling and the same should be true of homilies. 

Sermons and religious speeches don’t have to be boring. I think it is a tragedy to intentionally make such things boring when the God of Scripture has not done so in His Word. I think it’s bad practice on the part of those preaching and teaching to not care enough to try and craft a sermon in an anticipatory way. Granted, time constraints may prohibit one from being spot on every time in this area. Yet to continually neglect this part of the craft of homiletics for this anticipatory purpose is a shame.  As much as possible, you want people hanging on to your every word as it creates desire in them to know the outcome of where you are going. I’m not saying that sermons should be predictable in a boring way—nobody likes when a boss “mails-in” an inspirational speech that’s been heard before. Rather, I’m saying that they should create excitement and anticipation of what is to come. As you’re leading others, you want them getting internally and spiritually exciting so that inside they are keeping up with you and have a strong desire to run ahead of you because they know the way you are taking them.

This is greatly encouraging to the listener because they have a strong sense that “I’m getting it.” This is a far greater response than, “Where is he going with all of this? I’m lost. I give up on listening.”  And believe me, there are times when we preachers have created that response in others by lack of preparation. The text and title excited them and then our delivery killed all that anticipation all because there was no coherency. An outline helps you to see the skeletal structure of a sermon to see if it’s all fitting together nicely with anticipation.

Imagine having all the ingredients to an amazing steak dinner. You have a prime cut piece of meat, the marinade, spices and seasonings, the vegetables and skewers and the grill but then you aren’t sure how to get it served in a way that’s appetizing to others. You just can’t wait to eat this meal with others. Instructions on how to prepare everything, how to cook it all and how to arrange it on the plate are all essential for someone to prepare it and receive it with drooling delight. And as you follow each step of the instructions, you can see that you’re approaching the final product with excitement and anticipation.  Without instructions you might cook and arrange the items in any number of way that could end in disaster, disappointment and confusion (what did I just eat?). The same is true of sermon preparation. All the ingredients are there for a wonderful spiritual meal. But how you arrange them can have a huge impact on whether or not someone is receiving them with anticipation and worshipful delight. An outline helps you to see how the arrangement is coming along so that you can help build anticipation in those receiving God’s Word.

So far we’ve taken a look at a couple of the main reasons why an outline is helping in delivering a public speech from God’s Word: providing direction and creating anticipation. Here are a few others that I will quickly mention.

III.  OUTLINES HELP YOU WHEN YOU ARE ACTUALLY WRITING THE SERMON CONTENT

           

An outline is not the end all in sermon preparation.  You still have to put the meat on the skeletal structure. Outlines help you to see where substance is missing—which bones need some meat added to them.

IV.  OUTLINES KEEP YOU FROM UNNECESSARILY REPEATING THAT WHICH HAS ALREADY BEEN STATED AND APPROPRIATELY REPEATED.

Repetition is important in preaching and teaching. To state something once and then to move on without repeating it doesn’t help anyone remember much of anything. Truth must be restated. It must be repeated. It must be reiterated. It must be retaught. =)  But you don’t want to needlessly repeat something that you’ve already repeated enough in a past point. Outlines help you to see that you’ve already covered something adequately enough so that you do not restate something with all the detail that your listeners first heard it.  Got it?  Good! No repetition necessary at this point.

V.  OUTLINES PROVIDE VISIBLE PLACES IN WHICH A SERMON CAN BE DIVIDED

It might be that the sermon you are preparing is too big for a one meeting. It could a two-part sermon in the works with all the awesome material you’ve uncovered in your study.  An outline provides a clean framework that will help you distinguish where you can chop the sermon in half or thirds.

I’ve heard the pastors at our church state many times that a particular section of Scripture is going to be broken up in several sermons.  My hunch is that one outline was composed of from the main passage but that too much necessary material is present to cover everything in one sermon. In this case, one long sermon can be broken up into several sermons.

Had I wanted to I could have taken Jonah 3 and turned it into three sermons.

• The Proper Response To The Message Of The Missionary

• Part I - The Lord Judges Sinners (Jonah 3:1-4)

• Part II - Faith And Repentance Towards God  (Jonah 3:5-9)

• Part III - The Lord’s Compassion Towards Sinners (Jonah 3:10)

But because of the nature of this narrative portion of Scripture, it’s usually best to keep the story in tact and presented in one sermon. So I opted for 1 sermon.  If I were speaking at a summer camp and was going to deliver all three sermons within a day, then I would have likely opted for a three-part sermon series in shorter lengths—perhaps 40 minutes each sermon.

Well, I’m done with this article for now.

Actually, I’m making a point with that abrupt and curt statement.  As I approach the end of this article I want to mention that outlines aren’t the only factor in sermon preparation. Trust me when I say that they are very beneficial in becoming a better public speaker over the years. But there are other techniques and considerations one should apply when crafting a public delivery. One should consider voice inflection, rate of speed one speaks, pauses, eye contact, gestures, introductions and conclusions and much more. Just as my statement “Well, I’m done with this article for now” had an impact on the way this article felt, so too, other factors contribute to how a sermon is received. Sometimes a ill-placed pause, quirky gesture, poorly crafted introduction or conclusion can have a bumpy and uncomfortable effect on the listener.  In the future we’ll address these things and help you sharpen your homiletical skills in these areas.

Until then, focus on creating good outlines from whatever portion of Scripture you might teach from.  Try creating an outline from Psalm 1:1-2 and see what you come up with.  Maybe one day you’ll address people who are overly confident of all their plans while dismissing the Lord’s will. If so, how would you create an outline from James 4:13-17? Give it a try and see not only what you learn, ask yourself, “how would I present that to someone in outline form?”  I’d love to see what you come up with.  

And while you're crafting an outline, never forget that apart from the vine we can do nothing (John 15:5). Dependence on man's abilities can never suffice for the work of the Spirit in teaching and in preaching.  Like Paul, may we all say, "and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God (1 Corinthians 2:4-5 ESV).

God bless you all.

*SERMON: JONAH 3:1-10

Repentance and faith are the only proper responses to God's message of judgment and salvation.


AUDIO: THE PROPER RESPONSE TO THE MESSAGE OF THE MISSIONARY - NINEVEH REPENTS AND BELIEVES GOD 


NOTES: PDF DOWNLOAD

THEOLOGY: REGENERATION PRECEDES FAITH

 
"What's that?  You mean to say that the new birth from the Holy Spirit comes before my faith in Christ as the Savior?  You mean to say that I don't believe in Christ and am then born again...but that God grants me a new birth first and then I believe in Jesus Christ?"

Yes, that is what I'm saying but only because it's what Scripture teaches. (Insert smiley emoji here)

I remember when the Lord first opened my eyes to this truth about twelve years ago.  I was in my home office in Los Angeles reading through 1 John and I noticed that John was highlighting evidence of the new birth--proof of God regenerating us.  He actually mentions several fruits of the new birth.

DISCLAIMER: I will use the words new birth, regeneration and born again interchangeably.

I.  EVIDENCE FOR THE NEW BIRTH - RIGHTEOUS DEEDS

I think most of us would agree that our good deeds do not result in the new birth. Our righteous deeds are not the cause of our regeneration. Rather, they are the proof/fruit of regeneration. In other words, righteous living is the effect of regeneration.  One precedes the other--one comes first, namely, regeneration.  1 John 2:29 states that whoever has been born of God (perfect tense/passive voice) practices righteousness (present tense/active voice). 

1 John 2:29 If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.
 
So what do the tenses and the voices have to do with anything?  Well, everything, actually.  Our being born of God is in the perfect tense--meaning that is was a completed action in the past.  The passive voice means that this new birth was something that we do not do to ourselves, but is something that God did to us...in the past.  Now the practicing righteousness is in the present tense--meaning that it is something that is currently happening.  The active voice means that we are the ones who are doing the practicing of righteousness.  Put it all together and you have this truth:  God caused our new birth and the present result in our righteous living. But the key is that our being "born of God" takes place first, then the righteous deeds follow. Only the unorthodox student of God's word would say that our righteous deeds cause us to be born again. It's important that you get this truth clear as we move on to the next effect of regeneration. 

II.  EVIDENCE FOR THE NEW BIRTH - REFRAINING FROM HABITUAL SIN

Now that you've seen the first effect of regeneration, let's take a look at the second effect that John mentions.  It's is our refraining from habitual sin. 

We must understanding that refraining from habitual sin does not lead to our regeneration. Rather it is evidence that we have been born of God. No true Christian would say that a lack of habitual sin is what leads to new life! 1 John 3:9 makes it clear that regeneration results in a person who does not make sin the habit of their life. 

1 John 3:9 No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God. 

For the sake of not repeating the previous explanation in point 1, let me only say that the exact same tenses and voices are used in regards to being born again and the refraining of habitual sin.  One happened in the past (being born again) and the other is currently the result (refraining from a lifestyle of unrepentant sin).  One caused the other. 

Let's move on to the third evidence for the new birth...and if you're tracking me so far you'll probably suspect that the new birth is responsible for something.  And...you'd be right.

III.  EVIDENCE FOR THE NEW BIRTH - CHRISTIAN LOVE
 
And what about Christian love? Does loving children of God result in our being born again. Or does our being born again result in a new love for God's family? Of course Scripture makes it clear that our regeneration precedes our love for other Christians. 

1 John 4:7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.

Once again we have the same tenses and voices allocated in the same way in order to show what the new birth brings forth.

Now for second I want to jump ahead to 1 John 5:4 to make one final case concerning this truth before we take a look at the new birth in regards to faith.

V.  EVIDENCE FOR THE NEW BIRTH - OVERCOMING THE WORLD

"Hey, slow down, Bubba! You skipped point IV."

Yes, yes, I did.  On purpose.  We're coming back to it in a second. I know that's not an orthodox way to write an article.  But I got you hooked now so bear with me.

Now when it comes to overcoming the world, is that something we have to do in order to be regenerated--or to be born again? Certainly not! The ability to overcome the world and it's temptations are a result of our new life in God.

1 John 5:4 For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.

I am 100% certain that you are ahead of me by now.  You're probably thinking what I'm about to briefly repeat: tenses and voices.  Man, you're good!  Bravo.  I tip my hat to you.

Now, let's get to whole point of the article and then some final application. Drum roll please...pa rum pum pum pum!  That's me on my drum. 

IV.  EVIDENCE FOR THE NEW BIRTH - FAITH IN CHRIST

So what about faith? Do we have faith in God and then are born again? Or does God cause us to live again and the result of this new life is a God-enabled faith in Christ as Savior? Well, if our hermeneutics (principles for interpreting Scripture) are consistent, then you'll have to agree what the Apostle John makes it clear--regeneration precedes faith. Whoever has been born of God believes that Jesus is the Christ.
 

1 John 5:1 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him.

What's the point of all this? Is it a useless bit of theology? Of course not. There is no such thing as useless theology. It's all intended to magnify the Sovereign God--our Savior. If this were useless or unprofitable, then God would not have kept it in His inspired Word--the Holy Spirit would have not carried the Apostle along in order to write the words of 1 John 5:1. But they are in Scripture. Therefore, this truth is to be understood and put to use (2 Timothy 3:16).

When I first understood that regeneration preceded faith, I was floored. I was immediately humbled and the Lord became more grand in my mind. Not that my understanding of God made Him more grand. Rather, the Lord granted me a clearer picture of how He saved me and the result was praise and honor towards my Savior. He enlarged my vision of Himself and I was in awe. That God would grant me spiritual life in order that I might believe in the Lord Jesus Christ was simply amazing. I could have never used the spiritual gift of faith unless the Lord first caused me to live spiritually.
 

It is true that the natural man does not understand the things of God. Indeed they are foolishness to Him. How then does the natural man ever understand the scripture beyond a mental understanding--an academic understanding? Can he ever grasp them in a way that will result in salvation? No. Not unless he first be born again. Once He is regenerated the natural man is no longer natural, but spiritual. He has been brought to life and is given spiritual strength to grab hold of the gospel and believe in His heart that God raised Christ from the dead. Then He shall be saved by grace through faith.

The problem in understanding this comes when we confuse regeneration and salvation. The two are intimately linked, but very different. That is not to say that regeneration takes place and some months later this person will eventually have faith. Rather, a person is brought to life by God and then they cry out immediately for salvation. With that in mind, let me help you live in light of this truth.

1.  The kindness of God is simply astounding. Worship Him for the new birth.  What a merciful and gracious Lord we serve.  That He would bring us to spiritual life so that we'd no longer be dead to him is marvelous!

2.  Share the gospel with confidence knowing that the Holy Spirit will use the Word to bring about the new birth (John 3, 1 Peter 2:23).  The new birth is not in your hands!  You didn't cause your own spiritual birth and you can't cause someone else's.  But you can share the Word of Christ knowing that this is what the Holy Spirit uses to grant new life and this gospel is what they must believe in at the moment of regeneration so they can be saved.

3.  Pray for sinners.  If they don't believe the gospel, it's because they are self-deceived, enslaved to Satan and dead to God.  Pray for them to receive the truth. Pray for God to free them from their bondage. And pray for God to grant people new life unto salvation through faith in Christ.

What an amazing doctrine: regeneration precedes faith!

May God grant you a deeper love and appreciation for the life and salvation He has given us!