Charles Town Presbyterian Church

This week in worship, I am continuing our study of the Reformation Solae, those statements that sum up how we understand the Christian faith. This week, we will look at Sola Gratia, “By grace alone.”

Sola Gratia is the understanding that we are saved by God, for God, according to God’s purpose and plan. Salvation, therefore, is God’s work. We contribute absolutely nothing to salvation. In Ephesians 2:8-10, the apostle Paul writes,

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

We love to work for things. We hate being the debt of another person, for anything. We want to do things for ourselves. We grow up going to school, turning in work, and receiving a grade. We pay tuition, and we get a college education. We work, and we receive a paycheck. So, what must we do to be saved? Nothing. There is no work of ours sufficient to save us.

Notice, we are saved by grace. That is the first thing Paul mentions. Faith is an act of grace (and something I will cover more of next week), and it is the grace that allows us to believe. The works we do come after the Spirit of God has begun transforming us. Once God works in our lives, we can reach beyond ourselves and live in obedience to God.

Martin Luther had plenty to say about the Reformed doctrine, and he said this about salvation by grace alone: “We receive absolution [forgiveness] and grace at no cost or labor on our part, but not without cost and labor on the part of Christ.” There is work involved in our salvation. Work that was hard, costly, and painful, but it is not our work, it is the work of Christ.

Christ worked for our salvation. That is what it means to be saved by grace alone.

Blessings,

Pastor John

This Sunday I am beginning a sermon series on the five solae of the Reformation. These are often called the “doctrines of grace,” and serve as a summary of the central doctrines of Reformed Theology. The five solae are as follows:

• Sola Scriptura – Scripture alone
• Sola Fide – through faith alone
• Sola Gratia – by grace alone
• Solus Christus – by Christ alone
• Soli Deo Gloria – The glory be to God alone

Last fall, Reformed churches worldwide celebrated the five hundredth anniversary of the Reformation, which was a pivotal moment in the history of both the Church and the world. Rather than give one “token” sermon in response to this celebration, I felt a more thorough treatment was in order, so I planned this series for after the holidays.

The first “sola” we are considering this Sunday is “sola scriptura,” by scripture alone. For Reformed Christians, the scriptures are to be the measure of what is preached and taught by preachers and teachers, they are the yardstick for the confessions of the Church, they are the measure for the actions of a local congregation. They are the standard to which all Christians should
strive to live by. This is why we study the Bible.

This coming week, the Wednesday night Bible study will begin studying the Gospel of John. This gospel speaks very clearly to the idea of sola scriptura, for it begins with these words:

“In the beginning was the Word…”

I love the gospel of John! Some of the most-quoted sayings of Jesus come from the gospel of John:

For God so loved the world…
I am the good shepherd…
My father’s house has many rooms…
I am the vine…

John has both a tender way of comforting me, and an unexpected way of challenging me.  When I want to connect to Christ through the Scriptures, I turn to John first.

I think of the four gospels, this is the one that has made the biggest difference in my faith journey. And so, I am very excited to teach this wonderful gospel! Wednesday night Bible study meets in the parlor at 7:15pm.

I hope the sermon series on the five solae is a blessing to you, and I hope to see many of you at the Bible study on the gospel of John which begins this Wednesday.

Blessings,

Pastor John

Happy New Year!

2018 is off to a cold start, with temperatures far below seasonal averages. The cold seems to change everything. We want to be outside as little as possible, and for good reason – it doesn’t take long for the cold to do damage to any exposed skin. We hate shivering and we’d much rather curl up under a blanket and watch television. On days with subzero temperatures, “warm and comfy” is something we all strive for.

As we make our way into this winter, I want to encourage you to brave the cold and come on out to Wednesday night Bible Study, which begins on January 17, from 7:15-8:30, and will run every Wednesday (except Ash Wednesday and the Wednesday after Easter) through May 22. Bible Study meets in the parlor.

We will study the gospel of John. John’s gospel is such a wonderful part of the Bible, giving us glimpses of Jesus we don’t always see in Matthew, Mark, and Luke. I guarantee you that if you start on this journey through John, you will be blessed. I find Bible study to be one of the best ways for my faith to grow. When I read the Bible deeply, I am challenged, I am encouraged, I am taught, I am disciplined, and most importantly, I am changed. Studying the Bible never leaves me the same.

That is my hope for all of you, that you would experience that kind of deepness that can come into your faith journey through the study of the scriptures. Plus, the gospel of John is a great Bible study from which one can learn so much about Jesus!

It’s cold, it’s winter, and it’s easy to want to stay in and stay warm. Consider braving the elements and joining me for Bible Study on Wednesdays beginning January 17th. You will be blessed, and you will be changed!

Blessings,

Pastor John

Charles Town Presbyterian Church hosted a returning inspirational speaker Kelley Latta and
We would like to thank all attendees and Kelley Latta Ministries for a wonderful event!

You can indicate you’re interested or going on our Facebook page.  All are welcome!

We have one more week in 2017 and then it is a new year. If your social media streams are anything like mine, you’ve seen plenty of people eager to move on – they have had enough of 2017.

It’s an understandable notion. Our national leadership (and I’m speaking of way more than one person), has been disappointingly caught up in the tired political game-playing that seems to go on without end. Social media has made us more connected but less friendly. The world is teetering on war, with Russia and North Korea flexing muscle in very frightening ways. Sometimes it seems like we all need a nap, like a too-tired toddler, and when we wake up, everything will be just fine.

But we know that’s not the case. Nothing is ever totally fine.

This is why Christmas is such a big deal. Our world has always needed hope. Whether it’s a swamp that needs draining, or an empire that needs toppling, the world has always been a sinful, sorry place in need of hope. We cry out and God responds by sending his one and only son. If God had sent an army, the weak would still be weak. If God had sent a politician…well, we’d have more of the same. Instead, God sends baby Jesus. He is not what anyone expected, as the apostle Paul so ably points out in 1 Corinthians 1:21-25

For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.

We live in a confusing world and God has answered that confusion by turning the logic of the world on its head. I don’t know why we assume that God should work according to our plan. God’s plan was to send his son – not in all his glory, but as a humble baby, born in humble circumstances. In so doing, Jesus identifies with us, having been the supreme ruler of the universe now lying in a cattle trough.

We cannot rely on this world to satisfy what we really need. We need God, and the grace and forgiveness that comes only from God. A politician, an army, a good-looking celebrity – these will disappoint.

Only God will satisfy!

Merry Christmas,

Pastor John