Saved from guilt and fear
First, from the guilt of all past sin. The whole world is guilty before God. If he kept a strict count of what is done wrong, no one could stand. By the law comes the knowledge of sin, but not deliverance from it. By doing the deeds of the law, no person is counted righteous in his sight. But now the righteousness of God, which is through faith in Jesus Christ, is shown to all who believe. They are justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. God put him forward as the sacrifice that covers sin, through faith in his blood, to show his righteousness in the forgiveness of sins that are past. Christ has taken away the curse of the law, by being made a curse for us. He has blotted out the record that stood against us, taken it out of the way, and nailed it to his cross. There is therefore now no condemnation for those who believe in Christ Jesus.
And being saved from guilt, they are saved from fear. Not from the childlike fear of offending a Father. They are saved from slavish fear. From the fear that has torment in it. From the fear of punishment. From the fear of the wrath of God. They no longer look at him as a harsh master. They look at him as a generous Father. They have not received again a spirit of slavery. They have received the Spirit of adoption, by whom they cry out, Abba, Father (Romans 8:15). The Spirit himself bears witness with their spirit that they are children of God. They are also saved from the fear of falling away from the grace of God and missing the great promises, though they are not saved from the possibility of it. So they have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. They rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. And the love of God is poured into their hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to them (Romans 5:5). By this they are persuaded, though not always, and not always with the same fullness, that neither death nor life, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, can separate them from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
1872 text
3. First. From the guilt of all past sin: for, whereas all the world is guilty before God, insomuch that should he "be extreme to mark what is done amiss, there is none that could abide it;" and whereas, "by the law is" only "the knowledge of sin," but no deliverance from it, so that, "by" fulfilling "the deeds of the law, no flesh can be justified in his sight": now, "the righteousness of God, which is by faith of Jesus Christ, is manifested unto all that believe." Now, "they are justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ." "Him God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for (or by) the remission of the sins that are past." Now hath Christ taken away "the curse of the law, being made a curse for us." he hath "blotted out the handwriting that was against us, taking it out of the way, nailing it to his cross." "There is therefore no condemnation now to them which" believe "in Christ Jesus."
4. And being saved from guilt, they are saved from fear. Not indeed from a filial fear of offending; but from all servile fear; from that fear which hath torment; from fear of punishment; from fear of the wrath of God, whom they now no longer regard as a severe Master, but as an indulgent Father. "They have not received again the spirit of bondage, but the Spirit of adoption, whereby they cry, Abba, Father: the Spirit itself also bearing witness with their spirits, that they are the children of God." They are also saved from the fear, though not from the possibility, of falling away from the grace of God, and coming short of the great and precious promises. Thus have they "peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. They rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And the love of God is shed abroad in their hearts, through the Holy Ghost, which is given unto them." And hereby they are persuaded (though perhaps not at all times, nor with the same fullness of persuasion), that "neither death, nor life, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate them from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
About this text
Rendered in modern English, to be read and heard. Open the 1872 text under each part to check the claims and the scripture.
Rendered in modern English. The 1872 panel is the public-domain sermon. Its disputed lines were checked against the University of Toronto scan of the forty-four sermons: a public robber, a common harlot, sons of perdition, the Romish delusion, and Popery.
Catalogue & scope
Sermon 1. Saint Mary's, Oxford, 18 June 1738. Ephesians 2:8.
Witnesses
- Copy-text Salvation by Faith, 1872 wording (English · The whole sermon, divided to match the reading)
- Checked print Forty-four Sermons, University of Toronto scan (English · Checked the robber, harlot, perdition, Romish, and Popery lines)
This is an AI-assisted study translation. Source fidelity and completeness have not been independently certified. It is not a complete critical edition.