Pastor Josh preaches on Isaiah 59:15-21
1. What things does Isaiah lament? Do you see those same things in our world?
2. What does this passage reveal about the actions of the LORD on behalf of his people? What timeless truths does it celebrate?
3. What were the central convictions of the Reformation, and why are they so significant still?
4. How can these Reformational convictions change the way you live and engage in this world?
What is the Reformation?
On October 31, 1517, the German monk Martin Luther posted 95 theses–propositions meant to be debated in an academic setting–on the door of the cathedral in Wittenberg. The theses were directed towards the moral and theological corruption that he saw within the Roman Catholic Church at that time. This marked the symbolic beginning of a movement that had been building for years and which came to be known as the Reformation.
The main convictions at the heart of the Reformation are often called the five solas (sola is the Latin word for “alone/only”). They are:
Scripture alone: The Bible is meant to be our final authority in terms of what we are to believe and how we are to live.
Grace alone: God extends mercy to us out of his freely given good will, and not because of anything we have done to deserve it.
Faith alone: We are justified–declared to be in the right–through our faith in Jesus Christ and not through our works.
Christ alone: Jesus Christ is the only Lord and Savior, and we cannot look to or pray to any others for our deliverance.
Glory to God alone: Because of these things, God is to receive our honor and praise in all things and we cannot boast in anything else.
