Getting Job-ed
As stated in the last article, Sola Gratia (Grace Alone) and Sola Fide (Faith Alone) go hand in hand, yet they are not the same. In part 4 of 6 of our study on the 5 Solas, we’re looking at Faith Alone. What are the conditions that bring someone in right standing with God (justification)? Deep down we all ask, “what must I do to be saved?” At the time of the Reformation, the Catholic church never stated you didn’t need faith for salvation, as faith is a necessary part of salvation. But is it all that is required? The Catholic church said we need faith plus works to be saved. At the time of the Reformation, the Catholic church was selling “indulgences,” which was a piece of paper that basically could buy someone or their family out of purgatory. Johann Tetzel, who marketed the indulgences for the church, coined the phrase, “As soon as the coin in the coffer rings, the soul from purgatory springs.” (1) This is real-life church history.
The question of how someone is justified in the sight of God is a big deal and we will explore this in Scripture. (Also, if you get tripped up on James 2’s use of the term “justification,” check out RC Sproul’s teaching on James vs. Paul’s theology on justification- click on this RC Sproul video discussing that topic, you will not be disappointed.)
Faith Alone
The concept of justification (right standing with God) by faith alone is central to the New Testament, and I would argue to the whole Bible. Paul makes the argument in Galatians, Ephesians, and Romans for the matter- even pulling Old Testament examples into the picture such as Abraham being justified by faith (quoting back to Genesis 15:6). Here are key quotes from Paul in these letters:
We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified. Galatians 2:15-16 ESV
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. Ephesians 2:8-9 ESV
For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law… Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 3:28, 5:1 ESV
Why is this such a big deal? The question is: are we relying on the sufficiency of Christ and His work to save us, or am I relying on myself and my works to save me? God does not plan to give anyone else the glory for saving His people. In God’s eyes, who gets the glory of the work of salvation?
What does this mean for us today?
For the most part, we’re not dealing with the blatant atrocity of paying for us or family members to get out of hell or purgatory. Those seem obvious to us today (not to say horrible corruptions do not still exist to exploit people within certain churches). However, the issue may be more subtle, but still equally as offensive to God. Do you rely on your religiosity to satisfy God? Do you rely on how much you tithe in order to be in right standing with God? Or does it depend on how much of the Bible you read each day? Or what about making sure you never miss a church service? Or what about a certain style of dress while you go to church? What version of the bible you read? Do you listen to the right Christian music? Did you say the right prayer with the right verbiage to make sure God is satisfied with you? Did you recite the sinner’s prayer when the pastor made an altar call, verbatim? Do you remember the exact date and time you accepted Jesus as your savior? Did you write it in your bible? Were you sprinkled with water or fully dunked under for baptism? And on, and on, and on… Those aren’t all necessarily bad on their own, but it’s when we begin to rely on them to put us in right standing with God that it becomes an issue, or as I would like to call it, an idol. God hates idol worship. What idols do you hold on to in order to make you in right standing with God? Test yourself (2 Corinthians 13:5). Do you understand why the concept of Faith Alone is so important?
-Austin
Bibliography
- Wikipedia, “Reformation Day,” accessed October 19, 2022, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reformation_Day
