Communion Message
Grace Alone Through Faith Alone
May 8, 2005
Pastor Leighton Sheley

Someone once said salvation is by grace alone through faith in Christ alone, and what they meant by that was that salvation is by grace alone that is not by works lest any man should boast. Salvation is by grace alone through faith in Christ alone for there is no other name given under heaven by which way we can be saved. Jesus said I am the way, the truth, and the life: no one comes to the Father except through me. So we are saved by grace alone through faith in Christ alone.

We're so thankful to God for His mercies that are new every morning, because all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. These young people just recited for us Romans Chapter 8, which was written by the apostle Paul, who also wrote Romans Chapter 7. It makes sense, doesn't it? In Chapter 7 this great and dynamic church missionary and leader really exposes himself, opens himself up and talks about his own struggle with sin in his own life, and what that communicates to all of us is if we feel we've been struggling against the old nature, the sinful nature, we are not alone and it really doesn't matter how new or how ancient we might be in our faith, that struggle continues until we can dispose of these old tents of flesh and be given a new body.

Thanks be to God for His word that says if we confess our sin He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. I'd like to invite you, if you are physically able, to join with me now as we kneel in the presence of our Lord and Savior. The Scriptures say at times like this we should examine our self.

Lord we are so thankful that we can come to You and we can ask forgiveness for our sins and cleansing, and You are most desirous to provide that for us. Lord we thank you for loving us so much that You have not only provided for our salvation, but You have also adopted us as Your very own children, made us joint heirs with Jesus Christ.

Lord we don't deserve anything good from You, but You have chosen to be good to us, and the elements that we hold remind us of how much can you have chosen to love us and the extent to which You have gone to provide for our salvation with Jesus going to Calvary's cross to pay the wages of our sin.

Lord the elements we hold remind us of the price that has been paid for our sin. The elements that we hold remind us of Your great love for us, and Lord, we now partake of these elements in remembrance of You. Let's partake of the bread, and also the cup.

Thank you Lord. Thank you Lord, thank you for Your word. Thank you for Your word that says if God is for us who can be against us? In Jesus' name we pray, and all God's people said, amen.