Sola Fide

Last week, we began a new series on the five solas. The five solas are the five basic tenets of the Reformation. The Reformers realized there were some problems with the teachings and practice of the church and desired for people to turn back to the sound foundations of God’s Word.

"Why shouldn't I?" he said.

I said, "Well, there's so much to live for!"

"Like what?"

"Well ... are you religious or atheist?"

"Religious."

"Me too! Are you Christian or Jewish?"

"Christian."

"Me too! Are you Catholic or Protestant?"

"Protestant."

"Me too! Are you Episcopalian or Baptist?" "Baptist."

"Baptist."

"Wow! Me too! Are you Baptist Church of God or Baptist Church of the Lord?"

"Baptist Church of God."

"Me too! Are you Original Baptist Church of God, or are you Reformed Baptist Church of God?"

"Reformed Baptist Church of God."

"Me too! Are you Reformed Baptist Church of God, reformation of 1879, or Reformed Baptist Church of God, reformation of 1915?"

"Reformed Baptist Church of God, reformation of 1915!"

To which I said, "Die, heretic scum!" and pushed him off.

That’s a terrible joke, but sometimes we become so narrowly focused and divided that we end up hurting the cause of Christ.

Last week, we began a new series on the five solas. The five solas are the five basic tenets of the Reformation. The Reformers realized there were some problems with the teachings and practice of the church and desired for people to turn back to the sound foundations of God’s Word.

Last week, we looked at the doctrine of sola scriptura or the Scriptures alone. God’s Word is our final authority. It is sufficient for all matters of life and godliness. It is clear in what it says.

Today, we are going to look at a second teaching, sola fide or faith alone.

Every other religion in the world is based on what man does. Man needs to do something to earn favor and curry blessing with the one being worshipped. Maybe it is about participating in communion or going to confession. Perhaps the religion teaches the necessity of making a pilgrimage to a particular location. Some religions think that doing what is deemed morally good is the way of salvation. Others put their trust in how much money is given to fund the religion’s efforts. The point is that religions are based on man’s efforts. Man has to do something to earn favor with the one being worshipped. Biblical Christianity is distinct in that it is centered on what God has accomplished through Christ’s finished work. It is not about what we do. It is about what God has done. We have faith in what God has done for us. The writer of Hebrews said,

Biblical Christianity is distinct from every other religion in that it is centered on what God has accomplished through Christ’s finished work, while all other religions are based on human achievement. If we abandon the doctrine of justification by faith, we abandon the only way of salvation. 

Hebrews 11:6 CSB

6 Now without faith it is impossible to please God, since the one who draws near to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

Faith must have an object. The object of someone’s faith isn’t always God, of course. People have faith in their family, in their career, in their gifts, in their religion, and in themselves. But faith is always in something, and it is that something that provides faith its worth.

The Scripture writer stated, “without faith it is impossible to please God”. He didn’t say, “Without keeping all the rules” or “without right doctrine”. He didn’t even say, “without love”. He said, “without faith”.

The word “impossible is used in 7 different passages of Scripture. Three times it is used in the gospels to say that salvation is impossible without God’s intervention. Salvation cannot be obtained through man’s effort. Salvation is only made possible by God.

1. We are saved by faith

The word “impossible” is used in 7 different passages of Scripture. Three times it is used in the gospels to say that salvation is impossible without God’s intervention. Salvation cannot be obtained through man’s effort. Salvation is only made possible by God.

On one occasion a rich young man came to Jesus and wanted to know how he have eternal life. Jesus told him to keep the commandments and the young man said that he had kept all of them. He wanted to know what was still lacking in his life. Jesus told him to sell all that he had and give it to the poor. Jesus exposed what the rich young man was really worshipping. He wasn’t worshipping God alone. He heart was set on earthly possessions. Then Jesus said this...

Matthew 19:23–26 CSB

23 Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it will be hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” 25 When the disciples heard this, they were utterly astonished and asked, “Then who can be saved?” 26 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

The more material wealth you have, the harder it is to trust in God alone and not in the power of what your wealth can achieve. The disciples thought, as is commonly thought, wealth was a sign of God’s blessing and if you are being blessed by God, then you are loved by God. If you are loved by God, then you are saved. Jesus flipped all of this on its head. Without faith it is impossible to please God.

This word “impossible” is also used three other times in the book of Hebrews. says that it is impossible to be saved if you reject the way of salvation. says it is impossible for God to lie. says it is impossible for animal blood to take away our sins. This same word is used in to say that it was impossible for a man to walk who had been born lame. The point is it can’t be done. It is not possible. Without faith it is impossible to please God. You must have faith to please God.

So then, what is faith?

- it is impossible for God to lie

Hebrews 11:

Hebrews 11:1–2 CSB

1 Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen. 2 For by it our ancestors won God’s approval.

To the author of Hebrews, faith is the “reality” and “proof” of the existence of something that at the moment cannot be seen.

Faith is having complete confidence.

Faith is living as if something is real, even if it hasn’t happened yet. Faith is choosing to trust even when the circumstances are not clear. This is why in , Paul said that the Old Testament patriarchs were justified by their faith in the promise—a promise that was yet to be seen. These Old Testament saints hadn’t seen the object of their salvation yet, but they trusted in God’s promise to one day provide it, which He did in Jesus Christ.

This is why in , Paul said that the Old Testament patriarchs were justified by their faith in the promise—a promise that was yet to be seen. These Old Testament saints hadn’t seen the object of their salvation (yet), but they trusted in God’s promise to one day provide it, which He did in Jesus Christ.

Just like the patriarchs, our faith looks forward with hope in that which is still not seen. Our faith is not only in who Christ is and what He has done but also in what He has promised to do. Our salvation is already and not yet. We are saved from the judgment of sin, but we eagerly await the fullness of our salvation when we will finally be rid of sin and when Christ finally redeems creation itself.

2. We are justified by faith.

In the book of Hebrews chapter 11, the Scripture writer gave several examples of people who were justified by their faith.

Justified - to be declared righteous

The Scripture writer cited the example of Enoch.

Hebrews 11:5 CSB

5 By faith Enoch was taken away, and so he did not experience death. He was not to be found because God took him away. For before he was taken away, he was approved as one who pleased God.

Enoch walked with God. We actually know very little about Enoch. There is only one passage of Scripture that really talks about him. You can find it in . His entire way of living was about drawing close to God. Enoch demonstrated a resolute commitment to living according to God’s ways. He never looked back. He never gave up. He never wavered in his commitment to God’s ways. He was justified by his faith in God.

We are declared righteous when we put our faith in God’s ability to save us from our sins through the shed blood of Jesus Christ.

Titus 3:5–7 CSB

5 he saved us—not by works of righteousness that we had done, but according to his mercy—through the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit. 6 He poured out his Spirit on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior 7 so that, having been justified by his grace, we may become heirs with the hope of eternal life.

Righteousness is obtained, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but through the work of Christ. God’s favor can only be gained through the shed blood of Jesus Christ and we accept Jesus through faith alone. Any addition to the shed blood of Jesus Christ is a false gospel and leads to damnation. Martin Luther said that it is on this doctrine the church stands or falls.

We are saved by faith. We are justified by faith. We live by faith.

3. We live by faith.

Look at again.

Hebrews 11:6 CSB

6 Now without faith it is impossible to please God, since the one who draws near to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

A life of faith is defined by three areas.

Living a life of faith

- Seeking God earnestly

Do you remember the story in the Scriptures about the woman who lost a piece of her heirloom necklace in . The necklace was made of 10 silver coins. One of the coins fell off the necklace and she was distraught. She searched for it and did not rest until she found it. Then, she called all her friends and neighbors to rejoice with her because she had found what was lost.

Are you seeking God with the same earnestness you search for your missing keys or the remote to the TV? I know that might sound weird, but if you are anything like me, when the remote goes missing and the big game is coming on, I will tear the house apart looking for it. When your cell phone goes missing, you are in a full scale panic until you find it. Are you that passionate about seeking a deeper relationship and understanding of God and who he is? We should be even more passionate than that about seeking God. It should be like the desire for water after an intense workout. It should be like the longing to be back together with a loved one. The Psalmist wrote it this way,

Psalm 42:1 CSB

1 As a deer longs for flowing streams, so I long for you, God.

A life of faith is defined by seeking God with your whole heart.

- Believing that God exists

Again, this might sound strange to you, but many people who attend worship gatherings are in reality practical atheists. What do I mean by saying they are practical atheists? I mean they come to worship on Sunday, but deny God by how they live their lives the rest of the week. The American author, Brennan Manning said,

“The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians who acknowledge Jesus with their lips then walk out the door and deny him by their lifestyle that is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable.”

Do people know, by the way you live your life, that you believe that God exists? Does the existence of God impact how you are living your life? The call is to live with purpose. Live in the reality of God’s existence by allowing the reality of God’s existence to permeate every facet of your life.

Seek God earnestly. Believe God exists. Be confident that God rewards those who seek him.

- Be confident that God rewards those who seek him.

God rewards those who seek him. He rewards the faithful. Jesus told a parable in which a wealthy man was going on a business trip and he left 3 people in charge of making investments. So that we can understand it, I am going to use terms we use today. He gave one a million dollars to manage. He gave one $500,000 to manage. He gave one $100,000 to manage. When he returned, he wanted a report of how they used his money. It was as if he knew who would be faithful and who would squander the opportunity. The one who he gave a million dollars invested it and doubled it. The same happened with the one he gave $500,000. To those he said,

Matthew 25:21 CSB

21 “His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You were faithful over a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Share your master’s joy.’

Matthew 25:

He was not pleased at all with the one he gave $100,000.

Matthew 25:24–30 CSB

24 “The man who had received one talent also approached and said, ‘Master, I know you. You’re a harsh man, reaping where you haven’t sown and gathering where you haven’t scattered seed. 25 So I was afraid and went off and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’ 26 “His master replied to him, ‘You evil, lazy servant! If you knew that I reap where I haven’t sown and gather where I haven’t scattered, 27 then you should have deposited my money with the bankers, and I would have received my money back with interest when I returned. 28 “ ‘So take the talent from him and give it to the one who has ten talents. 29 For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have more than enough. But from the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. 30 And throw this good-for-nothing servant into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

Matthew 25:24-

God rewards those who seek him and he punishes those who reject his grace. His rewards are lavish. He adds to us everything we need. He gives us peace that passes all understanding. He protects us. He prospers us and when this life is over, he provides eternal life.

We are saved by faith. We are justified by faith. We live by faith. Salvation is by man’s total and complete faith only. Faith calls for the abandoning or surrender of trust in any other means or way to obtain favor with God. The opposite of faith is not distrust. It is not really even unbelief. It is continuing to look for another way. It is resistance. It is rebellion.

Perhaps that is you this morning. Up to this point, you have lived in rebellion against God. Perhaps you are here this morning and you have never made the decision to follow Jesus. You have never made the decision to give Jesus control of your life and right now, you are just living for whatever makes you happy. You are running from one relationship to the next, one experience to the next, and one empty promise to the next. You can’t find happiness and you can’t find satisfaction because you are trying to find peace and happiness apart from Jesus. Let me tell you. You will never find what you are looking for unless you give your life to Jesus, unless you place your faith in him.

Perhaps you are here this morning and you have never made the decision to follow Jesus. You have never made the decision to give Jesus control of your life and right now, you are just living for whatever makes you happy. You are running from one relationship to the next, one experience to the next, and one empty promise to the next. You can’t find happiness and you can’t find satisfaction because you are trying to find peace and happiness apart from Jesus. Let me tell you. You will never find what you are looking for unless you give your life to Jesus, unless you place your faith in him.

Let me tell you what Jesus has done for you because he loved you so much. Jesus was born of a virgin and without sin; Jesus became sin for us. You are a sinner. Your sin leads you to do ungodly things and separates you from the God who loves you. We have a sin problem inside of us. Jesus went to the cross and shed his blood. He died and he rose again. He did all of this because he loves you and he wants to save you from your sin. He wants to transform you, so you can experience his goodness, so we could experience his grace. He wants to heal you and bring peace to your life.

To reject Him is to reject life. To delay this decision is to continue on the way that leads to destruction. God, in his love decided to give mankind the opportunity to escape the wrath of his judgment. Jesus came and laid down his life for us. God expressed his love for humanity and paid for the sin of mankind through the shed blood of Jesus Christ.

promises,

Romans 10:13 CSB

13 For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

The word “call” means “to appeal unto.” Lost sinners who come to Jesus for forgiveness of sins, believing that He is the Christ, the Son of God, will be saved. The amazing grace of God, no matter how bad you have been, no matter how dark your life is, no matter how many people you’ve let down, when you call on Jesus, he hears your prayer and he will forgive every sin and make you brand new.

The amazing grace of God, no matter how bad you have been, no matter how dark your life is, no matter how many people you’ve let down, when you call on Jesus, he hears your prayer and he will forgive every sin and make you brand new.

This morning, if you are here and you know that you need God’s forgiveness for your sins; realize that you are not here by accident. Will you surrender your life to God and experience his forgiveness? Please bow your heads and close your eyes. Will you pray this prayer with me expressing that you are trusting in God’s ability to forgive you and save you?

“Heavenly Father, forgive me for my sins, make me new. I ask Jesus to be my Savior and to be the Lord of my life, first in every way. My life is not my own, I give it to you. Thank you for new life. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Our deacons will be coming forward to pray with you and for you. If you prayed to receive Jesus, please come and let us pray with you and celebrate your new life in Christ. If God is dealing in your heart and life right now, don’t let this moment pass.

As you stand and we sing together.

<after closing the time of invitation>

Perhaps you didn’t come forward for one reason or another, but you really do want to talk with us about what is going on in your life. Perhaps you need help, prayer, or you just want to know more about being a follower of Jesus. I would encourage you to do one of two things. After we are dismissed, just stay where you are. One of our deacons will come and talk with you and pray with you. The other thing you can do is check one of the boxes on the Connection Card. Put it in the offering plate as it passes. We will get in touch with you this week. You see, this church exists to minister to one another. We are here to support you in your walk with God.