Faith Alone, By Grace Alone, In Christ Alone | Galatians 3:15-25

·40 min·4 clips

In 1507, the church sold pieces of paper claiming to reduce time in purgatory for sins, turning grace into a financial transaction.

The episode begins with Pastor Todd greeting the congregation after a two-week trip to Zambia, where he participated in church activities and well-digging projects. He transitions into a sermon series on Galatians, focusing on Galatians 3:15-25. Todd emphasizes the importance of theology, noting that how people think shapes how they act. He illustrates this by comparing the Galatian error of mixing law-keeping with faith for justification to the 15th-century Catholic Church's practices. He describes practices like penance, the Eucharist, confession, purgatory, and indulgences, including Johann Tetzel's sale of indulgences in Germany. Todd explains that these systems turned grace into a process or transaction, similar to how the Galatians were told to maintain righteousness through the law. He then exegetes the passage, highlighting that God's promise to Abraham preceded the Mosaic Law by 430 years and points to Christ. The law's purpose, he argues, is to define sin and show humanity's need for Christ, not to provide salvation. Todd cites Psalms and Romans to affirm the law's goodness but stresses it cannot give life. He contrasts the fear-based righteousness of the 15th century, which led to corruption, with the life-giving power of the Holy Spirit through faith in Christ. The sermon concludes by linking these truths to the Protestant Reformation's solas, particularly sola scriptura, and encourages personal study of Scripture to avoid being misled. Todd ends with a prayer, reaffirming salvation by faith alone in Christ.

As heard by us

A doctrinal sermon connecting Abraham's promise, the law, and confidence in Christ to freedom to do good.

The sermon traces Paul's argument about God's promise to Abraham and its priority over the Mosaic law. A human will and trust become the working analogy for a ratified covenant, while salvation stays tied to knowing God rather than treating theology as a side topic.

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Why you'd press play

You want Abraham's promise, the law, and theology that feels like the floor under faith.

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