Connection Church of Arlington Texas

I revisited an old story the other day that I haven’t thought of in a while. I was so moved “again” by the story that I couldn’t help but share my message Sunday on the sheer truth of “The Just Shall Live By Faith.” Here’s the story, as told by Steve Weaver:

In the sixteenth century a young man studied to become a lawyer. As part of his studies, he studied the law of God. As he studied the demands of this holy God, he was filled with dread for he knew he could never meet those righteous demands.

In his fear of God’s wrath, he sought to appease God by giving up his desired profession and becoming a monk. As a monk he subjected himself to many discomforts, trying to punish himself for his sins against God. He deprived himself of food and other comforts. He struggeled daily with the question of how a holy God could not punish him for his sins and that God to remain just.

One day, he discovered what Paul said in Romans 1:17, “…the just shall live by faith.” As he saw we do not have to satisfy God to be declared just, but only believe what Christ has done already, he said it was as if the gates of paradise swung open.

On October 31, 1517 over 480 years ago, this same young man marched up the steps to the castle church door in Whittenberg, Germany. There he nailed his “95 Theses” for discussion of disagreements he found in Scripture with the Roman church.

As the blows of his hammer echoed, they reverberated with the sound of chains falling from long burdened hearts that had been bound by a system of works-righteousness for salvation.

Martin Luther’s discovery of the gospel began what we call the “Protestant Reformation” and we are still reaping today the benefits of what was accomplished in that tremendous work of God that led to the recovery of the authority of scriptures and we are the desendants of that great heritage.

As I began to deliver my message to our congregation at the Connection Church of Arlington I couldn’t help but rejoice in the scripture I was reading from Ephesians 2:6 ” And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the “incomparable riches” of His grace, expressed in His kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God–not by works, so that no one can boost.”

Justification by faith through Christ Jesus. Only God in His great love for us could deliver such a concept to such an undeserving humanity. Who can measure His love for us?

Here's more by Richard Healy...

1. Finding Grace In A Perverse Generation Jesus said this was a faithless and perverse generation and that as it was in the days of Noah so it shall be in the day of the coming...