High Five- Sola Fide

Today continues our series on the 5 solas of the reformation. Click the following links for parts 1, 2, and 3. This week I have asked Jason Lapp to post in my place. I have written a guest post on his blog www.jrldailythoughts.blogspot.com. Also, if you have any interest in looking more into the seeming contradiction between James and Paul on this issue of justification by faith alone you can see my old post here.

Grace and Peace,
Stephen

Forsaking All I Trust Him

Let’s first look at a biblical definition of faith. Hebrews 11 is the best place I know to go to see a clear definition: “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (1). Assurance and conviction are the two key words in the definition of faith. Assurance indicates this faith is not a blind faith but rather a given faith to see the realities of life and the reality of life eternal. We have the promises of God in his word to cling to as our hope. Conviction is our clinging to those promises. We hold fast to them because God has opened our eyes to see the truth about him from his word. The ESV Study Bible says, “Biblical faith is a confident trust in the eternal God who is all-powerful, infinitely wise, eternally trustworthy.”

Faith is an imparted gift from God to us so that we may see the reality of Jesus Christ and his accomplished work on our behalf at the cross. “A person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ” (Galatians 2:16). We are saved by grace alone (which we looked at last week) through faith alone in Christ alone. Grace is a gift given to us from God (Eph. 2:8-9). But we must remember faith is also a gift given to us from God. In this text in Galatians we read that we are “justified…through faith in Jesus Christ.” We read of God’s beautiful work of justification in Romans 5:

“For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person – though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die – but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God” (6-9).

God can justify (declare us righteous) because of the work of his Son on the cross. He is able to turn his wrath away from us because he poured it out on Jesus. Faith is the assurance and conviction that Christ’s work on our behalf is sufficient. Only the Spirit’s work of opening our eyes to this truth are we able to cling to this promise. Faith is a great gift given to us.

If we can now look at another passage that has some confused about faith because of the teaching that faith is granted by our works. I also want to look at this text because it is a great way for those who claim to have put their faith in Christ to see whether they genuinely love Christ or not. James 2 says:

“What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, be warmed and filled,’ without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, ‘You have faith and I have works.’ Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works” (14-18).

Here is where we visible see faith worked out. Our lives completely change. If you are under the impression that works will save you then you are in dire need of Christ. No man will ever be declared right in the sight of a holy God for his own actions. Only the work of Christ can bridge that huge canyon.

But for those who have submitted by faith to Christ’s finished work it is impossible to go on with life as it was. We have been made new creatures in Christ. The old is passed away and all things are made new. Our faith will pour out in our service and love for others as we strive to magnify the Savior. The whole point of the justified life in Christ is to bring his name the glory. All of the believer’s conviction and assurance is found in trusting Christ’s work on our behalf. If you don’t know Christ I plead with you to repent and trust in him. Look at his promise that while you and I were weak, at the right time, he sent is Son to die in our place. The Father’s love is so great that he sent his only Son to bear the wrath we rightfully deserve. The text says he died for his enemies! None of us were seeking God yet he saves.

Grace upon grace,
JRL