Sola Fide
The Reformation • Sermon • Submitted
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We’re considering the reformation… 500 years ago.
During the reformation period, there were 5 key foundational truths that were front and center of the teaching.
More recently, those were formulated / consolidated into what is known as the 5 solae...
Sola Scriptura...
Sola Gratia
Sola Fide
Solus Christus
Soli Deo Gloria
This morning - come to consider Sola Fide - By Faith Alone!
As we do that, we’ll be considering it from one of a number of key texts which set forth this most beautiful truth.
That text is found in .
But before we get there, just some comments of introduction...
When I began this mini-series on the reformation, I preached from the book of Galatians (Chapter 1), and the key reason that I did that was because this book of Galatians so clearly and forthrightly deals with the issue of salvation, and how that salvation message had been perverted by the churches in Galatia.
In that introductory message, I mentioned the fact that reformation didn’t truly begin at the time of the reformation…it began in the early church - the first century church.
And to be honest, reformation is going to keep being needed within the church.
When I say that, I mean that the church is going to keep needing to come back to the Scriptures, and to what the Scriptures teach.
This letter to the churches in Galatia really begins in the first chapter with an appeal to them, because they had deserted the Gospel.
And the way in which they had done that was by forsaking the free grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, and saying that certain works of the law were necessary in order to obtain salvation.
In fact, Paul stated very clearly in , that the Galatians had indeed deserted the one who had called them.
They had turned aside to a different Gospel, which was really no Gospel at all!!
That is the thrust of the message to the Galatians.
And that is a rough context as we come to our text this morning from Galatians 3...
Bible Reading
Bible Reading
1 You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. 2 I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard? 3 Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort? 4 Have you suffered so much for nothing—if it really was for nothing? 5 Does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard?
6 Consider Abraham: “He believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” 7 Understand, then, that those who believe are children of Abraham. 8 The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.” 9 So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.
10 All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.” 11 Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, “The righteous will live by faith.” 12 The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, “The man who does these things will live by them.” 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.” 14 He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.
Galatians 3:1-14
Introduction
Introduction
As I’ve mentioned, we’re looking together this morning at Sola Fide - by faith alone!
But what has this doctrine got to do with?
In other words, what sphere of theology, or what sphere of our relationship with God does this speak to?
It is essential that when we talk about “By faith alone” we are talking about justification.
So the question is: How does God justify us? Or...
How is it that we will stand before a Holy God one day and be declared righteous?
Last week we spent some time focusing our thoughts on the predicament of man - man is lost in his sin.
With man being dead in his trespasses and sins, there was nothing that man could do in order to make himself alive, in order to receive spiritual life...
There was no way that we could have right standing before our Holy God!!
Throughout Scripture, God has been revealed as a Holy God.
11 “Who among the gods is like you, O Lord?
Who is like you—
majestic in holiness,
awesome in glory,
working wonders?
When you look at the OT book of Leviticus, you find the nation Israel was continually required to consecrate themselves, purify themselves before they were able to present themselves to God.
7 “ ‘Consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am the Lord your God.
When the nation Israel was confronted by Joshua, because they were worshipping idols, and had abandoned God, he said to them...
19 Joshua said to the people, “You are not able to serve the Lord. He is a holy God; he is a jealous God. He will not forgive your rebellion and your sins. 20 If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, he will turn and bring disaster on you and make an end of you, after he has been good to you.”
Josh 24:19
All through the Psalms, we’re also given this wonderful picture of God’s holiness...
5 Exalt the Lord our God
and worship at his footstool;
he is holy.
9 Exalt the Lord our God
and worship at his holy mountain,
for the Lord our God is holy.
And so the question then would become, how does one who is a sinner, stand before this holy God.
How does the sinner become able to enter into the presence of the holy God!
1. The Doctrine of Justification
1. The Doctrine of Justification
And the Biblical answer to that, which we will begin by considering this morning, is through justification.
What is this doctrine of justification?
I’m going to touch on this only briefly...
In verse 8 of our passage, we read...
8 The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.”
The word Greek word for “Justify” is one which occurs some 39 times in the New Testament, most often being translated as “Justified”, but also translated as “proved right”, “considered righteous”, or “acquitted”.
7 Have nothing to do with a false charge and do not put an innocent or honest person to death, for I will not acquit the guilty.
The word “Justify” is one which occurs some 39 times in the New Testament, most often being translated as “Justified”, but also translated as “proved right”, “considered righteous”, or “acquitted”.
In fact the word that is used in the Greek has nuances of both justification and righteousness.
The same Greek word can be translated as “righteousness” is and can be translated “justification”...
The decision regarding which English word to use is based on the context.
Now with that in mind, it should give us a good idea of what is being spoken of....
It really talks about our righteousness, or our legal standing as being without fault.
Within the NT, the word really speaks to us about the legal standing that we have before God.
Within the NT, the word really speaks to us about the legal standing that we have before God.
For us as sinners, standing in front of this Holy God...
It is necessary that we somehow obtain to a right relationship with God.
Because without being just, without being Holy, we would necessarily find ourselves separated from God forever.
By nature, we are guilty before God.
Biblically, what justification then speaks to, is the fact that we, as those who truly are guilty, and stand condemned before God, are declared righteous.
This is a declaration by God that we now stand as those holy in His sight.
It is what is known as a Forensic Righteousness!
33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.
We have here the clear juxtaposition of Justification, and condemnation...
One further point that I should raise here, is that this justification really speaks to our deepest need as people - the means of being reconciled and brought back into relationship with our heavenly father.
Without Justification, it would be impossible to have that relationship with God that was enjoyed in the Garden of Eden before the fall.
2. Justification By Faith or the Law?
2. Justification By Faith or the Law?
With that in mind, we turn to our text, and our topic for today, to see what the means are of obtaining that right standing with God.
What is the means through which we obtain this legally righteous standing with God.
Paul addresses this very point in the verses that we look at this morning.
Recall, before we delve into this, that Paul is addressing throughout this letter the problem of the Judaizers requiring circumcision from the Gentile believers in order for them to be considered true believers.
Look then with me at how Paul speaks of this in these verses.
In verse 1, Paul raises the stinging rebuke: You foolish Galatians.
There is a bluntness about Paul’s words…he’s not beating about the bush.
He wants these Galatians to know that they have turned away to a different Gospel entirely, and that they’re missing the grace of of God.
This was not said in a sense in which Paul had it in for them.
He loved them deeply!!
In 1:11, he called them “brothers.”
In 4:19 he called them his children.
He simply had a deep concern for them.
And then he poses the question: “Who has bewitched you?!”
In some manner, these Galatian churches had lost sight of the Gospel.
In order to drive home the heart of the reason for his frustration, he asks them another question:
2 I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard?
This is an essential question - and we shouldn’t lose sight of what he’s saying.
When Paul spoke of the Spirit, he was talking about the Holy Spirit of God to whom he attributed the personal characteristics of deity.
The Holy Spirit leads believers and may be grieved by their sin; he reveals the mystery of the gospel and intercedes for the saints in prayer;
he baptizes, indwells, seals, fills, and empowers Christians to live a life pleasing to God.
Paul will also emphasize later in this letter that the presence of the Spirit gives the picture of sonship / being in relationship with God as His child
4 But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, 5 to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. 6 Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir.
4 But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, 5 to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. 6 Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.”
Clearly the Galatian churches had received the Holy Spirit, and they had known evidence of this.
And so that question is, through what means…or how was it that they recieved that Spirit?
Through Works of the Law? By Obeying Moses / the Law given through Moses?
Or by believing in this Jesus Christ who was clearly portrayed as crucified.
Did God give His Spirit due to obedience, or due to belief / faith?
The answer to this question becomes obvious through the further question that Paul poses in verse 3...
Why does Paul ask this question about them receiving the Holy Spirit?
George, T. (1994). Galatians (Vol. 30, p. 210). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.
3 Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?
Paul is saying, you know you received the spirit through believing…why now turn to human efforts?
Why are you as churches now turning to works being done in order to achieve your salvation?
2.1 Justification IS By Faith Alone (vv.6-9)
2.1 Justification IS By Faith Alone (vv.6-9)
Paul then, having posed these stinging questions to the Galatians, moves forward and is going to outline to them three examples from Scripture which demonstrate the doctrine of justification by faith.
All of the examples revolve around our center around Abraham...
What is the means through which we obtain this legally righteous standing with God.
The first: speaks about how Abraham was made right with God ()
Paul addresses this very point in the verses that we look at this morning.
The second: considers what the true purpose of the law was ()
The third: considers who the real heirs of the promise were ()
Recall, before we delve into this, that Paul is addressing throughout this letter the problem of the Judaizers requiring circumcision from the Gentile believers in order for them to be considered true believers.
We will only consider the first of these...
Recall, before we delve into this, that Paul is addressing throughout this letter the problem of the Judaizers requiring circumcision from the Gentile believers in order for them to be considered true believers.
In verse 6, he says: “Consider Abraham!”
Now immediately, it’s interesting that Paul goes to the Old Testament in order to emphasize to the church how we obtain this justification / right standing with God.
More significantly, he refers to this central figure, “Abraham”.
But if we understand the context of the people to whom he was writing, and the concern that Paul was addressing, we’ll probably better understand why he does this.
Paul addresses the negative impact that the Judaizers are having on the church
Those Judaizers (and possibly also the converted Jews in the Galatian churches) would have loved to boast about their descent from Abraham.
It was believed by them that this would have given them a higher rating / standing with God.
9 And do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.
When Jesus was teaching some Jews, there were a number who put their faith in Him, they believed in Him...
And he explained to them that if they hold to his teaching, that they would know the truth, and the truth would set them free.
And so they responded to him with these words...
33 They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?”
Abraham, of course, was not only the father of the Jewish nation, but he also was the original source of blessing for the Jewish people.
In the Jewish literature of this period Abraham is invariably depicted as the “hero of faith” whose fidelity and obedience merited the favor of God and brought divine blessing on him and his posterity.
Abraham is extolled as the “friend of God,” a man of hospitality, virtue, and conviction.
And so Abraham was regarded as a godly man, and a man of obedience.
But also of significance was the high regard that Abraham as held in by the Jews
Because ultimately, justification is through Jesus Christ - who in Abraham’s day wasn’t yet alive!
He was regarded as one to emulate.
Furthermore…they saw that Abraham received his sign of the
He goes pre-Christ…before the Saviour of the world had even come into existence, and even before a Saviour had properly been foretold.
But Paul diverts them away from their thinking....
Their thinking that they can somehow be considered righteous through obedience...
And he says to them...
And so as he does that, he’s essentially saying that since the days even of Abraham, justification has taken place by faith in God and His promises.
6 Consider Abraham: “He believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”
Paul takes these people all the way back to OT Scriptures...
…
Abraham had been given a promise by God, that he would have descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky.
And despite the fact that he had no children, and that Sarah was barren, Abraham believed God’s promise
Listen to how Paul puts it in
18 Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” 19 Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. 20 Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, 21 being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. 22 This is why “it was credited to him as righteousness.”
Romans 4:18-22
And this, says Paul is what makes you Galatians to be children of Abraham.
You are children of Abraham through faith.
You are children of Abraham through believing in what God has promised in and through Christ.
8 The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.”
But that blessing that would come was by faith, and not by any works of law. Not through any works of righteousness.
That’s why Paul can say in verse 9...
9 So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.
Here is our identification with Abraham.
Here is how we know today if we are children of the promises that God gave to Abraham to make him into a great nation.
We are children of the promises of God through faith.
We are children of God…Sons and daughters, through faith.
What is that promise that we believe?...
This is the crux of this message of Sola Fide, as I’ve already been trying to point out
Notice that phrase “credited to him as righteousness...”
This is the crux of this message of Sola Fide, as I’ve already been trying to point out
We all need to be credited with some form of righteousness in order to stand right with God.
But that righteousness comes by faith.
2.2. Justification ISN’T By Works (vv.10-14)
2.2. Justification ISN’T By Works (vv.10-14)
Paul, having clearly outlined that the righteousness that Abraham had was due to faith, and not his works, continues to point out from the negative perspective, that it was not by works.
Paul’s words in this regard are strong!!
10 All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.”
The point that Paul goes on to make is that everyone who desires to live by the law in order to be justified in God’s sight has the obligation to obey every iota of that law.
The righteous requirement of God is nothing short of perfection.
And so if you do not obey all of the law in its entirety, then you stand condemned.
You are cursed!!!!
Attempting to rely on the law in order to merit some kind of favour with God only leads you instead to be under a curse!!
Later on, Paul tells the Galatian churches:
4 You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.
4
It is an utter impossibility to be justified by the law.
And thus it is an impossibility to be justified by the law.
Notice Paul’s words in verse 13...
Notice Paul’s words in verse 13...
13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.”
Why does Paul speak about the law as if it is a curse?
After all, wasn’t it God who gave the law to Israel? Why did God do that?
Well because God had to show them, and all mankind just how sinful man was.
The Law can only point out our faults.
Example of diagnosis from a doctor / scan...
We all know that we cannot keep the law...
Even though we may try our utmost to keep it, we fail!!!
Do not lie....sounds quite straight forward...
Do not covet…sounds easy enough...
Honour your father and mother…again…sounds easy.
Not that we can’t understand these laws.
The problem is our utter inability to keep the laws.
And that is why no man could ever gain right standing before God through any works of the law.
And that’s why we need to recognise (at least in part) why no other religion can allow a man access to the Father.
All other religions are based on doing works in order to obtain favour with God.
And that is precisely what God says is impossible!!!!
Such a person is cursed!!!
In Martin Luther’s day, at the time of the reformation, there was much emphasis on the requirement for meritorious works.
I mentioned before how Luther tried his utmost to do these good works in order to have a conscience that was at rest / appeased.
But after long wrestling, he came to understand that it simply wasn’t through works that one could stand right before God.
He writes...
I greatly longed to understand Paul’s Epistle to the Romans and nothing stood in the way but that one expression “the justice of God” because I took it to mean that justice whereby God is just and deals justly in punishing the unjust. My situation was that, although an impeccable monk, I stood before God as a sinner troubled in conscience and I had no confidence that my merit would assuage him. Therefore, I did not love a just and angry God, but rather hated and murmured against him. Yet I clung to the dear Paul and had a great yearning to know what he meant.
Night and day I pondered until I saw the connection between the justice of God and the statement that “the just shall live by his faith.” Then I grasped that the justice of God is that righteousness by which through grace and sincere mercy God justifies us through faith. Thereupon I felt myself to be reborn and to have gone through open doors into Paradise. The whole of Scripture took on a new meaning. Whereas before “the justice of God” had filled me with hate, now it became inexpressibly sweet in greater love. This passage of Paul became to me a gate to heaven.
What about yourself?
What are you trusting in for your own salvation?
Do you feel burdened that you need to try and do works in order to be accepted by God?
You cannot do that! God will never accept you by your works…you need to get to the end of yourself, and place your faith in Christ!
4. But What About Works?
4. But What About Works?
Having considered all of the above, we need to ask the question: But What About Works?
What is the place of works?
What is the point of works…?!
Another way of asking this could be: “But what about James?”
24 You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.
James 2:14
Now that verse ought to make us stop and ask if the entire past 20 minutes has been all for nothing!?
The one place in the Bible we find the words “Faith Alone”, and they’re used in the negative....and where it’s said that a person is justified by what he does....that sounds like works-based justification.
We need to understand James in the sense that he brings a necessary caution against what the sinful heart of man will do.
Sinful man will attempt to say: “I believe, therefore I’m saved”...
But is that true belief? Is that a kind of belief that can save you…mere words?
Not at all!!
But that is not the case.
Look at what question James was answering as he arrived at the conclusion at verse 24...
14 What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?
Need to be cautious...
Consider
Even as he spoke, many put their faith in him.
To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.
The Church stands or falls on this one doctrine: Sola Fide! (Martin Luther)
This is the doctrine that makes authentic Christianity distinct from every other religion.
Long discussion about how they must leave their other ways of looking at things, and must trust in Christ’s word…otherwise will not be saved.
Ultimately, Christ said to those very people who were placing some kind of faith (not saving faith) in Christ.
There was some acknolwedgement of Him, but they didn’t wish to follow Him fully. This faith doesn’t save!
That’s the point that James is making.
A.W. Pink...
Men who are afraid to hazard the loss of their worldly positions, temporal interests, personal reputations, or any thing else that is dear to them, for Christ’s sake, are yet in their sins - no matter how they may be trusting in Christ’s finished work to take them to Heaven.
The principle is this:
“Faith alone saves, but a saving faith is never alone.” [1]
Freedom of soul and peace with God are the fruits of this doctrine. Without this doctrine, peace cannot be found. Freedom cannot be known.
“Faith alone saves, but a saving faith is never alone.” [1]
33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.
Romans 8:
4 You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.
Application
Application
1. What have you built your trust on?
Some of you here this morning have grown up in Christian homes.
You’ve spent your lives doing the right thing.
You’ve never smoked, drank, gone clubbing, run a red light...
You’ve been a good person.
If you in any way rely on that history...
If in any way you think that this kind of living has brought you some merit in God’s sight, you’ve missed the point. You’re building on the wrong foundation.
None of that is of value in terms of justifiying you before the Father!
Perhaps you’ve grown up rebellious.
Perhaps you did all of the things that I described the person before not doing…and a whole lot more...
And then somehow you came to realise that this wasn’t right, and so you changed, and you’ve become a better person.
If you rely on that becoming a better person, and this difference that you see in your life between now and your life 20 years ago when you were rebellious is your source of comfort, then you’re on shaky ground!
As a Christian, your hope is focused somewhere specific!
Your confidence is focused in one place, and that place is not in yourself!!!
2. This Doctrine Allows us to Have Peace
In Romans chapter 4, Paul made a very similar argument to the Romans as what he did to the Galatian chruches concerning justification through faith...
1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.
He used exactly the same argument, also using Abraham as the example, and citing circumcision as the work that was being seen as necessary for salvation.
After dealing with that issue, he begins in chapter 5 with these words:
1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
Romans 5:1
3. This Doctrine leads us to Freedom
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
1
You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.
gal 5
Bibliography
White, James R.. Justification by Faith (Kindle Location 197). Crowne Publications (1990). Kindle Edition.