Illustrations from Sermons

In Philippians 3, we are found in Christ with a righteousness not our own, but one that comes through faith in Christ.



Here’s an analogy. I think I gave this a few years ago. I’ll do it quickly, but it helps me think about this. It’s a track-and-field analogy. You were all hoping!



The high jump world record belongs to Javier Sotomayor from Cuba, set in 1993. It’s been around for a long time. Just over eight feet.



Okay, I’m 6’3″, and when I put my hand up here, I can touch an eight-foot ceiling. So, let’s say you have to—all of us, we have to—break the world record in the high jump. Most of you can’t even touch this high.



And let’s make it even harder. Let’s make it 8.5 feet, because six inches is about my vertical these days.



All right, there. You and I have to jump higher than any man has ever jumped—over 8.5 feet.



You say, “Well, that seems impossible. How are we going to meet this impossible standard so that we can become the world record holders and win the gold medal?”



Well, one view would be to say, “You do have the capability. If you would just work hard enough and train hard enough, you can do it.”



Well, that is a kind of hardcore Pelagianism. Pelagius was one of the theologians Augustine argued with. Augustine argued with about a hundred different theologians in his lifetime, but Pelagius said, “You’re not born with a sin nature. You have the capability. You can do this.”



So, that would be one way of achieving this seemingly impossible standard: “No, you really can do it if you just work hard enough.”

That’s Pelagianism.

Dr. Kevin DeYoung, The Grace of God in His Counting