Sola Fide
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October 31st, 1517 Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the door of the Wittenburg castle.
Out of the reformation came the 5 sola’s. These are the 5 things that distinguish protestants from the Roman Catholic Church.
In the evening service we have looked at sola gratia (by grace alone), sola scriptura (by scripture alone), this evening we will be looking at sola Christus (through Christ alone) and this morning we are going to look at sola fide (by faith alone).
When we speak of by faith alone, what we are really looking at is the doctrine of Justification. How are we made right in the eyes of a Holy God.
The idea of being saved by faith isn’t the problem when we are speaking of the difference between us and the Roman Catholic church. The problem is in the word alone.
The Roman Catholic view is that baptism is the instrument cause in regeneration. After baptism, works must be added so that you can be justified.
The big idea being that justification is the process of making you just.
If you commit sins you must then go to confession, partake of the mass, and perform acts of penance in order to cleanse your soul and continue to be made just.
2 Problems:
2 Problems:
This downplays the holiness of God
This downplays the holiness of God
Our God is holy, no blemish, completely perfect.
He requires this of His people.
God cannot be in the presence of sin.
The most damnable and pernicious heresy that has ever plagued the mind of men, was the idea that somehow he could make himself good enough to deserve to live with an all holy God. -Martin Luther
This downplays the depth of our sin
This downplays the depth of our sin
Even the 10 commandments in their base form we cannot keep.
God looks not just at the blatant sins. He looks at the desires of our heart that lead us to commit certain sins.
He also looks not just at the sins of commission, but the sins of omission.
We cannot be good enough.
Martin Luther, before he became a monk was on the road to become a lawyer.
He understood how often he broke the commands of God. Thus he was always discouraged and fearful knowing that his righteousness, wasn’t enough.
The law proves to us that we cannot stand before God in our own righteousness, and that drives us to the gospel. -Martin Luther
This is where the gospel comes in:
2 Corinthians 5:21
21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Jesus was made sin.
This means that our sin was imputed to Jesus.
God removed our sin from us, then Jesus took it to the grave.
We might become righteousness
Not only was our sin taken from us, but Jesus righteousness was imputed to us so we might be the righteousness of God.
Our righteousness isn’t in what we have done. But what Jesus did and gave to us.
Our Justification doesn’t come from us being good enough. Us earning righteousness of our own but from Jesus Christ giving us His righteousness!!
What do we do to receive this righteousness?
What do we do to be justified?
Ephesians 2:8-10
Ephesians 2:8-10
v.8
Faith is what saves us.
Grace and not of our own doing is a redundance. So is verse 9.
v.9
It is by faith alone because it is not of works.
God creates faith in the human heart the same way that He created the world. He found nothing and created something. -Martin Luther
What is saving faith?
What is saving faith?
Understand the data
I am a sinner.
I must be saved from the wrath of God.
Jesus died, that I might be saved.
Believe it’s true
Believe that Jesus is God.
Believe that he can save you.
Trust the data
Place you trust in Jesus, believing that He has done all he said that He would do.
v.10
It may be by faith alone, but our faith doesn’t remain alone.
We were saved for good works.
Roman View
Faith+Works=Justification
Antinomian view
Faith=Justification-works
Reformed view
Faith=Justification=works
The faith that God has given us, makes us justified in the eyes of God and works follow.
Religion says, “I obey, therefore I am accepted.” Christianity says, “I am accepted, therefore I obey.” -Alistair Begg
22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror.
24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like.
Our works don’t save us, but when we are saved it will naturally lead to good works.
Hebrews 11
The faith that they all had, provoked them to action.
Abel=offered a sacrifice
Noah= built a boat
Abraham= Left to go receive his inheritance.
All the hero’s of faith believed God, then their faith provoked them to action.
When we have faith, we abide in Him.
John 15:5
5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
When we have faith, we abide in the one who our faith is placed in.
When we abide in Christ, we bear the fruit of Christ.
If you say you love Jesus, but all you bear is the works of the flesh, I would greatly re-evaluate your assumption of being saved.
If you have faith in Jesus, it will lead you to love Him.
If you love Him, you will want to please Him by obeying His commands.
What we believe, the Holy Spirit is the instrument cause of regeneration. He gives you the ability to have faith. After you have faith your sin is accounted to Christ and the righteousness of Christ is accounted to so. Therefore you are now justified in the eyes of God, not becasue of what you have done and not at a later date, but now.
If you have faith, it will cause actions to flow from that faith, so that you live a life pleasing to God.