Sola Fide and Sola Christus

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” ~John 3:16

Ligonier Ministries surveyed 3,000 professing evangelicals in 2018. A staggering 74% claimed that they somehow contribute(d) to their own salvation! As we noted in last week’s meditation, Sola Gratia, we don’t contribute to our salvation in any way – we are saved only by the red-cap, full-fat grace of God (or put better, we are saved by the God of grace).

Now how does the God of grace save us? By the person and work of Jesus Christ! But how do we receive Jesus Christ? Faith! Faith alone. We raise our beggar hand of faith and receive Him for salvation. And even the exercise of faith is a gift: “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ – by grace you have been saved . . . 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 2:4-5, 8-9).

So the foundation of our salvation is the person and work of Jesus Christ, whom we receive by God’s gift of faith alone. I cannot save myself. I cannot contribute to my salvation in any way. “Not the labors of my hands can fulfill thy law’s demands; could my zeal no respite know, could my tears forever flow, all for sin could not atone, thou must save, and thou alone.” It’s all Jesus!  It’s not a hybrid of faith and works; it’s by grace alone through the gift of faith alone in Christ alone (Romans 3:23-28).

The founder of Nike wrote in his autobiography, Shoe Dog, “Have faith in yourself but also have faith in faith. Not faith as others define it. Faith as you define it. Faith as faith defines itself in your heart.” Gibberish! As Christians, we don’t put faith in ourselves, we don’t put faith in our efforts, we don’t put faith in a prayer we prayed once, we don’t even put faith in faith (even as the Bible defines faith). The direct object – the only direct object – of our faith, the only one to whom we lift our beggar hand of faith for salvation, is the Lord Jesus Christ! “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 the works of the law no one will be justified” (Galatians 2:16).  

Brothers and sisters, let’s remember in whom we trust for salvation. Let’s not – even on a subconscious level – imagine that somehow we contribute to our salvation in any way. Rather, let’s marvel and rejoice in salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone!   

Rev. Rob Dykes, Pastor of Preaching & Congregational Care