Sola Fide | #TheSolae
Hello again dear ones! It has indeed been a while since the last post on this series, and I do feel bad for breaking the promise I had made, to put up these posts weekly.
Not to dwell on the past and could-have-beens, and to move forward with this wonderful trip we have been having of exploring the pillars of Reformed Christianity.
A bit of an update about where I vanished to; work took a rather interesting and deep dive, and a lot of my efforts went there (stewardship and priorities, and rent doesn’t pay itself 😅). It was a whirlwind of activity. Now that things have settled a bit, I had better get this going before I (probably) disappear again into that black hole.
Here we go!! Buckle up!
From where we left off, we saw that it is only by God’s grace that we are saved. There is nothing we can do to earn our salvation; it is free, given without any meritorious advantage to us who believe. What we do cannot save us, no matter how well intentioned it may seem, or how altruistic the heart behind it appears. The church led the masses to believe that, yes, truly it is God’s grace that saves us, but you have to supplement that grace with good works. Then, and only then, will you be truly saved.
Not so.
After a look into what Scriptures had to say, plus the life story of John Newton, we can clearly say it is only God’s grace that saves us. Our response, then, should be to seek how to live a life that shows the beauty of God’s grace; love the unlovable, kindness and generosity to those who seemingly would deserve the opposite, joy in every circumstance.
Let’s continue with this journey; onto the next stop. The Reformers had been able to show where the church had failed in showing with whom supreme authority lay with, and that whatever power traditions and human achievements held had no means in play at redeeming the human soul from its sin and wickedness. A prevailing question then arose; on what basis is man justified before God?
A question which I believe dwells deep within the hearts of many. And with good reason too.
God’s grace is indeed great, that even the most vile of hearts is not too far to be redeemed. How can we reconcile these two extremes, a holy God and a sinful people? How is this holy God able to welcome the most impure of people into His family and call them His own?
Of course, it would automatically make sense to include good works onto the grace already given, but we saw that would nullify grace as grace. If, then, man is not justified (pronounced righteous) before God by works, on what basis then is one able to stand before Him?
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God
Ephesians 2:8, NIV
Faith alone. Sola fide.
Faith is a word we have heard over and over again, preached from the pulpit, proclaimed as a means (by some sects) through which someone can gain material wealth, but what exactly is it? Martin Luther described it as a vital, deliberate trust in God’s grace, so certain that one would die a thousand times for it. Hebrews 11:1 describes faith as the confidence of things not seen; the assurance of things hoped for.
What then do we hope for, may have most probably been the very next question that followed. Obviously not our works, because we can see them, and they are already nullified in the steps that lead one to salvation.
We who are Jews by birth and not sinful Gentiles know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified.
Galatians 2:15-16, NIV
According to sola Scriptura, this holds to be true and inerrant. We are made right in the sight of God solely by hoping in and placing our trust and confidence (faith, in simpler terms) in what Christ has done. This truth is echoed in many other places within Scripture itself; Romans 4:4-5, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Romans 5:19 are just a few to mention.
As simple as it may seem, it couldn’t be further from the fact that this is one of the most difficult things to accept. It is easy to say, I gave of myself in church, so God must save me, or, I volunteer to feed street families and the poor, and give almost half of what I earn to charity. That must count for something.
It is noble, and from our moral viewpoint, it does indeed make sense that one good turn deserves a reward or another good turn. But it doesn’t work that way with God.
Faith means seeing yourself as incapable of even approaching the throne of God, yourself being your entire being; your deeds, your strengths and weaknesses. It means seeing all the grand things we have done as nothing of value before God. It means even seeing our own selves as pitiful striving vapours in the wind.
Faith is knowing and understanding that we can’t save ourselves, but that a means has been offered. That means is the man Jesus. None of us have seen Him, but we believe He is God the Son made flesh, lived among us perfectly and died having fully obeyed and loved God and loved people. Thus, in Him we place our trust and confidence. This is faith that saves.
Much like grace, faith is a great gift we know we don’t deserve, but try to justify our deserving of it anyway. Much like the Catholic Church at the time of Luther. Make penance, go to confessions, recite this prayer and count those beads. Then you will be saved.
How I pray that we turn our gaze fully upon Jesus, and see in Him the perfection of our imperfections; that we may be granted the ability to even see Him in that light because of the darkness that fills our being.
On our next post, we will take a look the object, or person, of our faith; Jesus Christ. We will see why faith in Him alone, and no one else, is what makes us right in God’s eyes. I pray we all may be strengthened and preserved until then.
Peace! 🤸🏾
