Sola Gratia

Ephesians 2:8–10 ESV

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

During a British conference on comparative religions, experts from around the world debated what, if any, belief was unique to the Christian faith. They began eliminating possibilities. Incarnation? Other religions had different versions of gods' appearing in human form. Resurrection? Again, other religions had accounts of return from death. The debate went on for some time until C. S. Lewis wandered into the room. "What's the rumpus about?" he asked, and heard in reply that his colleagues were discussing Christianity's unique contribution among world religions. Lewis responded, "Oh, that's easy. It's grace."

This passage is the dividing line between Christianity and all other religions. Every other religion preaches ‘do, do, do’ while the message of the gospel is ‘done, done, done.’

The gospel is ‘the good news’, not the good teaching, not the good method. it’s the good news because it’s a proclamation, it’s an announcement about what has been accomplished by Christ, not what needs to be accomplished by you.

SAVED BY GRACE

We are saved by grace, and by grace alone.

What does it mean to say that? It means that we are not saved by or because of ANY merit in us. This is the whole thrust of Paul’s argument in Ephesians 2:1-10. You were dead in your trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air; a child of wrath.

We are so prone to want to look for some kind of merit in ourselves that was the reason He chose us for salvation; whether that’s our good works, or our ministry, or our prayer life, our faith, or our intellect. It’s human nature.

Romans 5:8 ESV

8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Grace means favour - in this context it means the manifestation of God’s favour and love upon a people who did not deserve it and did not earn it.

Romans 3:24 ESV

24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,

SAVED THROUGH FAITH

Grace can’t earned - otherwise it would cease to be grace. The gift of grace is given to all those who have faith; to all those who believe.

To those who believe what?

John 3:14–18 ESV

14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. 16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

Saving faith is trust in Christ - it is looking to Him as our saviour.

Some will then say - “yes, God supplies the grace, and we supply the faith, and salvation is accomplished.” Synergism. But the Apostle Paul says that we can’t even lay claim to the faith that saves us as our own. It is not your own doing, it is the gift of God.

faith, which is coming to Christ, is the result of divine drawing. Grace is the first and last moving cause of salvation; - Spurgeon

It is not a result of works - Paul wants us to know, that no one in heaven will be able to lay even the slightest claim on their own salvation. The glory will belong entirely and wholly to God - for it is all of grace.

Titus 3:5 ESV

5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,

SAVED AS A NEW CREATURE

There are only two types of people in this world - those who have been born once and those who have been born twice.

A Christian is a new creation - we are God’s workmanship. He has fashioned us anew, created us in Christ. We are not the same as we were.

2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV

17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

John 1:12–13 ESV

12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

SAVED FOR GOOD WORKS

We’re not saved by good works, but we are saved to good works. We are saved through faith alone - but saving faith doesn’t come alone.

True faith in Christ isn’t only a one time profession of faith at an altar call - it’s a consistent and lasting trust that lays hold of Christ as though we were caught in a riptide and He were a rock to cling on to.

We are united with Christ in salvation, we share in His death, we share in his resurection, we share in His spirit and we take up our cross and follow Him.

Jeremiah 31:33 ESV

33 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

Before we did the walk of the world (Eph 2:2), but now we have a new walk, a walk of good works. Peripateo (walk/pattern of life)

And these good works have been prepared beforehand for you, they have been foreordained!

Not only has God foreordained good works for you, but we should walk in them.

But even as we walk in those good works we must remember the works themselves are God’s.

Philippians 2:13 ESV

13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

Dr Barnardo Story - Little dirty street boy approached the DR. Sir, take me into your home. Barnardo - I don’t know you? Who is there to recommend you? Little boy - lifting up ragged coat - I thought this would be enough to recommend me. This is a bit like how we must come to God.

Nothing in my hands I bring, Simply to Thy cross I cling; Naked, come to Thee for dress, Helpless, look to Thee for grace: Foul, I to the fountain fly, Wash me, Savior, or I die.

Rock of Ages, Cleft for Me