Skip to main content

Grace Alone, Faith Alone & The Chilean Miners

Romans 4:1-3 1  What then shall we say was gained by Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh?
2  For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God.
3  For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.”

i think our american culture bristles at the notion of "Grace Alone, Faith Alone".  "Sola Gratia", "Sola Fide" were appropriated by the Reformers - Luther and Calvin, and others - to express their opposition to the Catholic ideas of Salvation thru the merits earned in the church.
Well, the modern American doesn't believe in either option anymore, although that person is much more closer to the idea of "earning" salvation (if they even believe in Salvation)...or at least "earning entry into Heaven" on the basis of doing good, performing, doing the best they can.
It probably insults the average person to think they cannot earn their way into God's favor.
But, here's the point...and the text for the next teaching in Romans that I'm immersed in these days (a brief commercial interruption...if you want to listen to these messages from Romans you can access them at http://www.nlfellowship.org/). The point is that Faith alone and Grace alone are precisely the way in which people have always come to God for Salvation.

Do you remember in 2010, the story of the Chilean Miners dilemma?  
BACK IN 2010, AUGUST 4, A MINING ACCIDENT TOOK PLACE IN CHILE.
33 MINERS WERE TRAPPED 2300 FEET UNDERGROUND AFTER THEIR TUNNEL COLLAPSED. 
THEY HAD NO WAY TO GET OUT AND THEY WERE SEALED IN – SO THEY WENT INTO SURVIVAL MODE.
THEY ATE TWO TEAPOONFULS OF TUNA A DAY, EACH TOOK ONE SIP OF MILK, AND A BITE OF PEACHES IN HOPES THAT THEIR FOOD COULD LAST UNTIL THEY WERE RESCUED.
ON THE SURFACE, A RESCUE TEAM BEGAN TO DEVISE A PLAN.  THEY BUILT A 13 FOOT TALL CAPSULE, LARGE ENOUGH TO FIT ONE PERSON INSIDE OF IT, AND THEN PROCEEDED TO DRILL A HOLE.
THEY DRILLED A SMALLER HOLE TO COMMUNICATE AND TO PUMP OXYGEN DOWN INTO THE TUNNEL WHERE THEY WERE TRAPPED IN. 
FOR TWO MONTHS, THEY DRILLED, AND THEY DIDN’T KNOW WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN.
THE MINERS TRAPPED BELOW HAD NOTHING THEY COULD DO.  THEY WERE COMPLETELY DEPENDENT UPON THE RESCUERS ON TOP BEING ABLE TO REACH THEM IN TIME.
8 WEEKS… 8 WEEKS WENT PAST.
ON OCTOBER 13TH, THEY LOWERED THE CAPSULE DOWN INTO THE HOLE AND THE FIRST MINER WAS BROUGHT TO THE SURFACE.
ALL 33 WERE SAVED BECAUSE EACH CLIMBED INTO THE LOWERED CAPSULE AND EACH WAS RAISED TO THE SURFACE.

NOW…WHAT’S THE POINT?
WE’RE TRAPPED…WE’RE ALL “UNDER SIN”.
THE RESCUE PLAN COMES FROM ABOVE.  DOWN BELOW WE HAVE NO RECOURSE…THERE’S NOTHING WE CAN DO.
WHEN THE RESCURERS COME TO US…THEY LOWER A CAPSULE, AND THEY SAY, “GET IN”. 
THE ACT OF FAITH IS TO “GET IN”.
IT IS GRACE THAT IS THE CAPSULE… THEY WERE SAVED BY THE CAPSULE BEING LOWERED FROM ABOVE. 
IT IS GOD WHO LOWERS THE CAPSULE AND THAT CAPSULE IS CALLED “JESUS”.
WHAT IS ASKED OF US IS TO STOP DIGGING, STOP TRYING, AND GET IN.
IT IS SOLA GRATIA, BY GRACE ALONE, AND SOLA FIDE, THROUGH FAITH ALONE.

Not what these hands have done
Can save this guilty soul;
Not what this toiling flesh has borne
Can make my spirit whole.
Not what I feel or do
Can give me peace with God,
Not all my prayers and sighs and tears
Can bear my awful load.
Thy work alone O Christ,
Can ease this weight of sin;
Thy blood alone, O Lamb of God,
Can give me peace within.
Thy grace alone, O God,
To me can pardon speak,
Thy power alone, O Son of God,
Can this sore bondage break.
I bless the Christ of God;
I rest on love divine;
And, with unfalt'ring lip and heart,
I call this Savior mine.
-      Horatius Bonar, 1861

-PEACE

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

The difference between defending and explaining

The news of recent has focused the suffering of Christians in the middle east who have been martyred for their faith in Christ at the hands of Islamic Terrorists. Through the centuries many Christians have lost their lives as a result of their faith. For us, who live in America, there is little chance that we would have this happen here - but it's entirely possibly that terrorism will strike out at Christians sometime.  But, for many Christians in the western world - especially here in the U.S. - being a Christians who believes God's word there is a form of persecution that is defined by words like "ostracized", "passed over", "ridiculed", and more. What do we do in the face of opposition to faith? When the Apostle Peter writes to the early believers who are undergoing great pressure, even persecution for their faith in Jesus, he gives them this charge. 1 Peter 3:8-18 8  Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly lov

Wednesday, Day 25: Christmas Eve - God Loves Us (So We Can Relax)

For Kids: There’s a lot of things we have to do each day. Get up from our sleep, Get dressed, Eat Breakfast, Get ready for School, Listen to the teacher, play with friends, eat our lunch, and after it’s all done, go back home. There’s time to play, Then we eat our supper… And eventually we have to get ready for bed and go to sleep! And then we do it all over again the next day. Sometimes there’s a vacation - like right now - and we get more time to play, to have fun and not have to do work at school. Our parents are good at helping us know what time it is and what we need to do next – even when we don’t want to move on to the next thing.  God is also good at helping us know what time it is, and what is next.  He doesn’t shout at us, or yell, or even scream…he does it peacefully, quietly.  He wants us to understand that he does it, most of all, for us. Christmas can be quite busy and there’s lots of things going on at once…but let us not forg

The Tabernacle

The readings today are Exodus 36, 37, 38 I wanted to post some pictures of what these various parts of the Tabernacle looked like. It's not the easiest read in the world, but if you persevere through it, you can get a picture of all the different pieces that made up the tabernacle. It is a replica of the various parts of the Tabernacle in the Wilderness: First thing in the chapter listed is the outside of the tabernacle which consisted of curtains tied together and put on cross bars through loops. Next at the beginning of 37 is the table and lampstand: Also, the altar of incense: And, the altar for the burnt offering which was in the courtyard: Finally, the courtyard which made it all come together: Hope that helps with what it might have all looked like. Most importantly, this was their "place" of worship they were building. I hope you have a great day of worship. - Posted using BlogPress from my iPad