After the stark description of the hopeless state of dead sinners alienated from God, Paul now turns to conversion by God’s grace through Christ. First we cover one more description of our previous lost state, we were by nature under God’s wrath. We point out that unlike what is commonly believed in our culture, nature is fallen and cannot save us. It will take a supernatural work of God through Christ to convert lost sinners, not romantic ideas about nature. The pagan deities as they were imagined in the ancient world were capricious and did not care about humans. Paul uses the contrast “but God” to introduce the true answer. First he describes God’s nature as merciful and loving. God loved us even though we were totally lost in sin and did not do anything to deserve salvation. What God did was make us alive with Christ. We can know the truth about Christ and God’s nature because of His self-revelation. We do not have to fish around in the dark to know who God is and what He is like. The salvation that Paul describes is by grace alone. This is one of the 5 solas of the Reformation which we describe in this sermon. Man does not add “his part” (synergism) to make this happen. Salvation is a supernatural work of God. The Roman Catholic Church anathematized anyone who taught the “alones” that are taught here and elsewhere in the Bible. The sermon discusses God speaking to Moses on Sinai and then God speaking through His Son as taught in John 1 and Hebrews 1. We know about God because He came into our world and revealed Himself. We end by urging people to turn to Christ and be saved. 

Sermon slides and handout available can be found under Documents tab