Dear Church,
As we consider the five solas, we now come to Sola Fide (Faith Alone). In many ways, this is the foundation of the Reformation.
When Martin Luther came to the realization that man is "justified (counted righteous before God) by faith and not by works, this truly turned the world of Christendom upside down. Or more accurately, turned it right side up again.
Roman Catholicism affirms that we are justified or accounted as right before the Lord by faith in Christ and that no one is saved apart from Him.
However, they deny that faith is sufficient for justification. Instead, good works of obedience must accompany faith in order for God to declare us righteous.
The Council of Trent declared in CANON IX
If any one saith, that by faith alone the impious is justified; in such wise as to mean, that nothing else is required to co-operate in order to the obtaining the grace of Justification, and that it is not in any way necessary, that he be prepared and disposed by the movement of his own will; let him be anathema.
And again in CANON XII
If any one saith, that justifying faith is nothing else but confidence in the divine mercy which remits sins for Christ's sake; or, that this confidence alone is that whereby we are justified; let him be anathema.
In response to the Reformers, the Church of Rome said that we are NOT justified (declared righteous) or saved by faith alone. Instead one must persevere in good works and participate in the sacraments of the church, in order to attain full justification or salvation. In our sin, this sounds pleasant. Who doesn't want to co-operate with God to attain justification. But this only creates a great burden for no man is good enough.
Getting back to Martin Luther, his soul was in turmoil and no amount of work, no amount of tears, and no amount of penance was enough to cleanse his guilty soul. He was in such despair that he would later say, "I came to hate this righteous God who would punish sinners." But God began to work in Martin Luther's life and he began to consider Roman 1:17, which says
"For in it (in the gospel) the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written the righteous shall live by faith"
Because Luther had been trained in the theology of Roman Catholicism, he had always seen this as referring to God's judgement of the unrighteous. Suddenly, he came to see that this text was not referring to God's righteous judgement, but rather is referring to God's righteousness given as a gift (from faith for faith). When Martin Luther realized this verse taught that we are righteous through faith, he wrote "I felt that I was altogether born again and had entered paradise itself through open gates." Now Luther saw through new eyes.
Luther had come to understand what Paul wrote about in Romans 3:28, which says, “For we hold that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.”
This is such a central doctrine that Paul wrote a whole chapter on it (Romans 4).
He explains in Romans 4:5
“to the ONE WHO DOES NOT WORK BUT BELIEVES in Him who justifies the ungodly... HIS FAITH is counted as righteous."
Notice that Paul refers to the one who has done no work. It is not our works, but our faith in God, which is counted as righteous.
How can I know this is true???
Paul's entire argument = Abraham.
He points back to the central figure, the father of the Hebrew nation. The one through whom GOD promised ALL the nations would be blessed (Gen. 12:1-4). Paul quotes from the Old Testament Scriptures, which teach that Abraham was justified BEFORE circumcision, before the law, and before Isaac on the Altar.
We find this clearly stated in Genesis 15:6, where we are told: "And he believed the Lord, and He counted it to him as righteousness."
If righteousness depended on circumcision, then how could Abraham be justified before circumcision?
If righteousness depended on the law, then how could Abraham be justified before the law?
He couldn't... unless righteousness depended on faith.
Paul picks this up in the book of Galatians, saying "so then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham the man of faith" (Gal. 3:9).
Or take Paul’s words in Philippians 3:9 about being found in Christ… " not having a righteousness of my own which comes through the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith."
These Scriptures teach us that faith alone saves.
What about James???
James is often used as an objection to the idea that "faith alone saves."
Let's consider that for a moment.
James is writing to the Jewish Believers scattered across the Roman Empire and he writes to tell them what true saving faith looks like in day to day life.
He writes that faith without works
- is dead (James 2:17).
- is like a body with no breath (James 2:26).
- is useless (James 2:20), and incomplete (James 2:22).
If there is justifying faith, it has works (James 2:17), so, he says, “I will show you my faith by my works” (2:18).
The works will come from faith.
Notice that James, does not say I will show you my faith plus my works, but I will show you my faith BY my works.
The Apostle Paul wrote something similar in Galatians 5:6, where he says "In Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor circumcision counts for anything, but only FAITH working through love."
Both Paul and James, are saying that genuine faith produces the fruit of righteousness. Think of an apple tree. When you plant an apple tree you expect it to bear apples, you don't expect an apple to produce contrary to its nature. So it is with faith. Faith in Christ naturally produces godliness for God's Spirit has come to dwell within the heart of the believers. Works are not the root of faith, but rather the fruit of faith. Faith alone justifies, and faith alone produces the good fruit of righteousness through Jesus Christ.
John Calvin put it this way, “It is therefore faith alone which justifies, and yet the faith which justifies is not alone, just as it is the heat alone of the sun which warms the earth, and yet in the sun it is not alone, because it is constantly conjoined with light” (cited from Calvin’s Antidote to the Council of Trent).
Let's Recap
In Roman Catholic Theology Faith Alone does not justify the sinner. But Luther, burdened by sin, found hope in the words of Scripture, which teach that righteousness is a gift given to those who believe in Christ. And this same hope continues to be carried forward today, a bright light in a dark world.
The Bible teaches that Faith alone produces Salvation + good works. For faith not only saves, but also produces the fruit that is righteous.
I close with the words of Paul in Romans 4:7-8, where Paul quotes
Psalm 32:1-2 "Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven and whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man against whom the Lord does not count his sins."
Praise God. Do you believe that? What do you put your confidence in on a day to day basis? The good news has been proclaimed.
"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved" - Acts 16:31
Grace and Peace,
Matt
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