God is not one who builds on our foundations.

He creates life out of nothing.

And it meant that instead of looking to God for assistance, but ultimately relying on self,

Luther was turning to rely entirely on Christ, in whom all righteousness is achieved.

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me.

We sing of God's grace, but do we marvel often enough

at just how amazing it is? As Michael Reeves just said, the good news is that we can rely entirely

on Christ for salvation. Welcome to this Tuesday edition of Renewing Your Mind. I'm your host, Nathan W. Bingham.

Clarifying the depth of our sin yesterday really prepared the way for today.

Where must the wretch turn to the amazing grace of God?

Well, here's this week's guest teacher, Dr. Reeves, reminding us of some of the Reformation

truths that were rediscovered and reaffirmed in the 16th century.

Years before the Reformation, in his days as a monk, Martin Luther had begun lecturing

on the Bible at the University of Wittenberg.

And there, years before the Reformation, he taught his students that salvation is by grace.

I quote, he said, not because of our merits, salvation is given out of the pure mercy of the

promising God. No alarms went off. Not a single eyebrow was raised among all the inquisitors in Rome.

And why not? Because Martin Luther the monk was still then upholding Rome's own theology. He was loyally teaching standard medieval Roman Catholicism

that salvation is by grace.

Now, eyebrows might not have arched in Rome, but yours might have done.

For wasn't the whole point of the Reformation that medieval Roman Catholicism falsely taught salvation

by works.

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