Sola Fide – Justified By Faith Alone

We will continue our studies on the five solas. So far we have done two, Sola Scriptura and Sola Christus. Solus Christus. And today we're going to do Sola Fide, that is, by faith alone. And like we did the last time, we will also today look at couple of scriptures. I want you to have your Bibles with you, as we will read multiple scriptures. Last time we have primarily focused on the book of Hebrews, and today we will primarily focus on the book of Romans.

Romans, as we contemplate on this aspect of by faith alone. Let's turn our Bibles to Romans chapter 5, and we will read verses 1 and 2. Romans chapter 5, verses 1 and 2. We will read together.

I'm reading it from the NASB version, and you can follow me. Or if you have your mobiles, you can probably open to NASB. Let's read it together. “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we exult in hope of the glory of God.” Let's pray. Father, we thank you for your word and your work in us, and thank you, Lord, for these precious truths that you have preserved for us in your word.

And may we know, Lord, how we are redeemed. And we pray that our faith would be strengthened in you. And we pray, God, that you would bless our time together in your word. And we pray for the work of your Spirit. In Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.

Today we are going to look at this topic very briefly. That is Sola Fide. And we are looking at this topic primarily in the context of the Reformation. And by the early 16th century, the medieval Catholic Church had developed a complex system of salvation that involved multiple components. And the prevailing teaching of the Roman Catholic Church included faith as the initial foundation. They believed in faith in Christ, but they also believed that faith should always be accompanied by the sacramental system as a primary means of grace.

And also there is this penance and good works as necessary for salvation, and indulgences that could reduce temporal punishment, and purgatory as a place of purification before entering into heaven. And the treasury of merit from Christ and the saints. So the Roman Catholic Church had developed an integrated system of salvation that combined faith with human merit. And salvation became a kind of a transaction. The faithful were taught that Christ's work made salvation possible, but individuals have to earn it through their own efforts and the church's sacramental mediation.

And this caused a great deal of spiritual anxiety among the people, because they were uncertain whether they would be saved. There was no assurance of salvation. And when Martin Luther, at the age of 22, he was caught in a thunderstorm and knocked to the ground by a lightning bolt, and in a state of panic Luther cried not to Jesus directly, but he cried to Saint Anne, and he said these words: “Saint Anne me, I will become a monk.”

And when he survived the storm, he kept his promise and left his law school to join an Augustinian monastery in Wittenberg, Germany, beginning the long journey toward modifying his sins and preparing himself for the kingdom of heaven. Luther adopted a strict monastic lifestyle in 15 and 1512 he earned his doctorate and became a professor of biblical studies he dedicated himself to intense prayer consistent life of fasting and also work despite his efforts to seek God's favor Luther was haunted by a constant paralyzing fear he tried all recommended remedies from the church and his superiors such as attending the mass venerating saints and relics and even making a pilgrimage to Rome.

And when he climbed the steps of Pilate's judgment seat and kissed each step in order to receive mercy, despite these acts to save himself from his sins, nothing worked. Luther realized that sin could not be defeated simply by becoming a monk or adhering to some church rules. He repeatedly confessed his sins to his superiors and fellow monks, and to the point that one priest, frustrated with his constant confessions, he finally said to Luther, “Look here, Brother Martin, if you're going to confess so much, why don't you do something worth confessing?”

“Kill someone. Kill your mother or father. Commit adultery. Quit coming here with such fake sins.” Gabriel Biel, a precursor to Luther, he understood righteousness in covenantal terms. He emphasized that human beings must meet the conditions of the covenant to be in a right relationship with God. So you must earn it in order to be in right relationship with God. God is bound according to the terms of the covenant he established himself to grant grace to those who do

their best. This was a prominent teaching during that time, the Council of Trent. It’s a counter-Reformation council, it’s a Roman Catholic council after the Reformation, the Council of Trent. There was a council among the Roman Catholic priests and the cardinals, and they have formulated a series of confessions of faith, and the Council of Trent emphasizes that we are justified by faith. Not because it is based on Christ’s righteousness. But because of its ability to produce fruit. It may sound very holy. And good. Right? But it states that. Works done with divine grace. And motivated by the gospel. Are crucial for justification.

or to be made right with God. The Council of Trent teaches that justification grace is infused rather than imputed. Justification is seen as an ongoing process of becoming righteous. It's combining sanctification and justification. And mortal sin results in the loss of salvation or loss of justification. Which must be regained again through the sacrament of penance and good works. And good works performed in grace can earn eternal life. And believers can merit for themselves and others an increase of grace.

The Council of Trent also states that good works contribute to justification, increasing grace for those who belong to God as they perform pleasing works. It rejects the idea that someone can be justified or be made right without God’s grace, clarifying that humans cannot obtain grace through free will alone.

The free will must cooperate with divine grace and through works individuals gain justification and merit. So they say that good works are both the fruits and signs of justification and a cause of the increase of justification. Forming part of the basis of the justification.

So the notion that justification is solely by faith in Christ or Christ’s imputed righteousness is rejected. And the Council of Trent states that in the Canon 9, “If anyone says that the sinner is justified by faith alone, let him be anathema,” or let him be cursed.

This was the tea— was and is the teaching of the Roman Catholic Church, and this was an integrate system that caused believers not to have assurance of salvation. And Luther’s breakthrough came through intense study of the scriptures, particularly the book of Romans and Galatians. And Paul’s letter to the Romans became the theological bedrock of this doctrine. Romans chapter 3 verse 28, that Paul said that “we hold that one is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.”

Luther rejected the idea that human beings can do anything to prepare for grace. They cannot do their best and as a result receive God’s righteousness. And Luther categorically rejected the notion that one can prepare oneself for grace by doing good works. And this doctrine of justification is more clarified by his fellow workers.

And also it is more clearly written by Calvin. So what is the Roman Catholic view on justification? Justification for them includes a legal declaration along with an infused transformational grace, which can be increased by good works or can be lost. So what is a biblical view of justification? It is a forensic declaration or a legal pronouncement by God, where God declares the believer righteous based solely on Christ’s imputed righteousness.

Christ’s imputed righteousness. And it happens instantaneously at the moment of faith and is complete and is complete. We will see more on this. When Paul wrote his epistle to the Romans, is said in Romans chapter 1 verse 17, “for in the righteousness of God, for in it the righteousness of God is revealed

faith to faith,” as it is written, “But the righteous one will live by faith.” Paul quoted this verse from Habakkuk chapter 2 verse 4, and Paul expounds on this truth in the rest of this letter, but we are not going to do that now, but we are going to look at a few verses from the book of Romans. But before we could understand verse 17, we must properly understand verse 16.

Let's turn our Bibles to Romans chapter 1 and read verse 16. Then Paul says, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” In verse 1 Paul says that, in Romans chapter 1 verse 1 Paul says that the gospel is a gospel of God, which means that God is the source of the gospel. God is the source of the gospel. Here in verse 16, we see that the gospel is the power of God. And the word power, it comes from the word dunamis, or from which we get our English word dynamite.

What is a dynamite? It is a high explosive material that explodes. Paul here uses a powerful word to describe the nature of the gospel. It means that the gospel contains God's omnipotent power that no one can restrain or no one can limit. Right, and it has God's power capable of saving those who are far from him, those who are very far from his grace and mercy. And this gospel as is powerful enough to change even the wildest offender. It cannot be restricted by even the greatest rebel on this earth if God determines to show his mercy upon that person.

If the gospel is so powerful, why do some people reject it? Not because they have deliberately chosen to reject it. Yes, in a sense they choose to reject, but actually they were never exposed to the transforming power of the gospel. Brother, sister, if you claim to believe in the gospel, if you claim to believe in the gospel, let me ask you this: have you been exposed to the transforming power of the gospel? Is the gospel at work in you? Is the gospel at work in you? You who claim to be a believer, have you been exposed to the transforming power of the

gospel? Let me tell you this, you cannot remain the same when you claim that you believe in the gospel. It is not merely an intellectual assent. It is God's powerful truth that works in your life and transforms your life. It transforms you from a sinner to a saint. It translates you from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of his son, meaning it's — it puts you on the pathway of sanctification. You are on the path of sanctification. You are on the path of experiencing God's grace daily. Even if you fall, you rise, you look to Christ and you press forward by His grace and His power.

But you cannot remain unchanged. Look at verse 17 now. “For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith.” The word righteousness here, it means that the same word used for equity, justice or righteousness. The idea presented is conformity to a standard.

So it refers to what is deemed right by the Lord. What is deemed right by the Lord. Imagine a weighing balance, a way balance. On one side there is God's perfect holiness, which is the standard, the holy standard of God. And on the other side is our morality.

God weighs by the standard of Christ's holiness, and the failure to meet that standard brings God's judgment. And that's the reason Paul clearly says in this epistle, in Romans chapter 3 verse 23, that all have sinned and have come short of what the glory of God. All have sinned and have come God's glorious standards. No matter what you do, how you do, where you do, we will always fall short of God's glorious standards. No matter in which family you were born, which denomination you belong to, no matter how many Bible verses you recited, doesn't matter, doesn't matter. No matter what others perceive of you, it doesn't matter.

We will always fall short of God's glorious standards. How can I measure up? That's the question. How can — how can I ever measure up? How can I reach that standard? What must I do to go up there? Will my works suffice to meet that standard? The book of Romans is a beautiful commentary on this aspect.

It shows that humans, both Jews and Gentiles, he deals with this aspect in the first three chapters of the book of Romans. It shows that both Jews and Gentiles are bound in sin. Look at this verses in Romans chapter 1 verse 18: “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.”

And Romans chapter 2 verse 12: “For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law.” Then Paul argues and establishes that all who are under the sun.

are in sin. Right? Romans chapter 3 verse 9. “What then? Are we Jews any better off?” And he says, “No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin.” Romans chapter 3 verse 10. “As it is written, now none is righteous, no, not one.” That includes both Jews and Gentiles. And Romans chapter 3 verse 11, “no one understands, no one seeks for God.” No one seeks for God, both Jews and Gentiles. Romans chapter 3 verse 23, he says all have sinned, both Jews and Gentiles, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” This is the testimony of the Scriptures. Paul establishes that Jews who had the law and the Gentiles who did not have the law are both unrighteous, and nothing of their deeds can measure up to the standards of God. No matter what

we do, we always fall short of God’s holy standards. The gospel reveals the righteousness of God. Look at verse 17 again, chapter 1 verse 17. It says that “for in it the righteousness of God is revealed.” In what it is revealed? It is revealed in the gospel.

The righteousness of God is revealed in the gospel. And he says that from faith to faith. What does it mean? What does from faith to faith mean? And again, the book of Romans is a beautiful exposition on this. We are, we here begin by faith, right, and continue by faith and finish by faith. All aspects of Christian life, that is the justification, sanctification and glorification, are by faith alone, are by faith alone. When a, when a person is first converted to God, that is a moment when the person is first given the, given the gift of faith. Ephesians chapter 2 verses 8 and 9, Paul says there that “for by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not of yourselves”

it gift of God. Faith is the gift of God. It is in verse 9 it says, “not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” It is the gift of God. And salvation is not earned, but it is the gift of God. The faith we place in God is a gift of God. The gospel reveals righteousness of God and God allows it to work powerfully. God allows the gospel to work powerfully in our lives, and through the gospel God gives us faith to trust in him. And when we see our complete inability, he gives us faith to trust in his word and his character. And based on this faith we receive other gifts, and by gospel faith we

look to God. We see our sinfulness and trust in God’s provision for our salvation, and we repent of our sins and are converted. God grants us a new heart and we are born again. John chapter 3 verse 3, regeneration is the work of the Spirit of God. Even our repentance is granted by God. Acts chapter 11 verse 18, 2 Timothy chapter 2 verse 25, it says that God grants repentance.

This new heart is not yet perfect, and though our repentance is genuine, it may not be perfect. Our prayers may not be perfect. Our knowledge of God may not be perfect. But our faith in God may have been genuine at the time of conversion, but it may not be perfect. But God requires perfection. Right? God requires perfection.

According to Romans chapter 3 verse 23. We all come short of God’s glorious standards. Then how can God accept something less than perfection? How can God accept something less than perfect? If our faith in God is not perfect. If our repentance and prayers and knowledge of God is not perfect, how can God accept anything?

Though God granted us faith and repentance, they are not in isolation. It is not some vague faith. The greatest thing in our salvation is the object and realm of our faith. It is faith in the perfect person of Christ Jesus and its finished work.

This is called justification by faith alone in Christ alone. There are two federal heads in the entire humanity or two covenantal heads as we see in the storyline of the Bible the first one is Adam first Corinthians chapter 5 verse 22 says that he's the first federal head and the second one is the last Adam a Lord Jesus Christ first Corinthians chapter 15 verse 45 the first Adam he pleased the madam right sorry which means that he did not please God not all who are and all who are born of him did not please God our covenantal head sin and in him we all sin we inherited that sin nature we

any we inherited that sin nature, and because of Adam’s sin all his descendants are born in sin. And theologically, this is called as the original sin. His disobedience in the garden is imputed to all humanity. No matter which race you belong to, which caste you belong to, which country you belong to, you and I are infected, affected by Adam’s sin. Therefore, we all stand condemned before God.

Right? But the second Adam, Christ Jesus, he pleased God. He pleased God. He is the covenant head of a new race. Because of the miraculous virgin birth, he is free from Adam’s sin. He is free from original sin. Our Lord Jesus is impeccable in his nature. While on this earth he lived a perfect sinless life. And he alone perfectly pleased the heavenly Father. Luke chapter 3 verse 22 says that. “And the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my beloved Son. In you I am well pleased.’”

In you I am well pleased. And on the Mount of Transfiguration, when Peter is uttering things like crazy things, right? Matthew chapter 17 verse 5 says that while he was still speaking, while Peter was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them and behold a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased. Listen to him.”

The writer of Hebrews says in Hebrews chapter 7 verse 26, “For it was fitting for us to have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens.” Our Lord Jesus lived a perfect life. He alone pleased the Father. He fully pleased the Father. No son of Adam ever pleased Father perfectly. Only our Lord Jesus Christ was the last Adam, the second Adam, the new covenantal head. He alone pleased the Father perfectly. And Second Corinthians chapter 5 verse 21, Paul says, “He made him who knew no sin to be sin in our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in him.” He knew no sin but became sin for us. So that we might become righteousness of God.

Not by ourselves. In Him. In Him. We are made righteous by our union with Christ. Not apart from Him. Our sins were laid on Christ Jesus. He suffered on behalf of His people under God’s holy anger. And he died as our representative, as our substitute, and rose again on the third day victorious. Christ suffered and died by taking the penalty of our sins to satisfy God’s justice, his holy demands against our sins. He suffered fully once for all. This is called as the penal substitution.

The work of Christ removes all our sins, the past, present and future. On the cross of Jesus Christ God dealt with all of our sins together once for all. Our sins are atoned for in one finished work of Christ Jesus on the cross. Christ finished the work on behalf of our sins and he ascended to the heavens and is now seated at the right hand of the majesty. And we, and we receive the benefits of Christ’s suffering on our behalf because he is now resurrected. And Paul says this, clarifies this in Romans chapter 4 verse 25. Please turn your Bibles to Romans chapter

4 verse 25. He says that, “who was delivered for our trespasses and raised for our justification.” And raised for our justification. What happened in our justification? What happened in our justification? All our sins were placed on Jesus on the cross. And he suffered in our stead.

Our sins were laid on him, and we could never, ever live perfect lives. Righteousness, Christ lived a righteous life on this earth. And his righteous life or his righteousness, which is a sum of his entirety of his life, is credited to us through his death. His death made it possible for Christ’s righteousness to be imputed into our lives through faith.

When we believe in Jesus’ sacrifice, God cleanses our sins and credits us with Jesus’ righteousness. Making us justified and righteous before God. By nature we were children of wrath, Ephesians chapter 2 verse 3, but through the gospel and Jesus’s perfect life and finished work we are no longer guilty but acquitted. Christ’s resurrection sealed our justification, which is what God did for us. This justification cannot be altered. This justification cannot be altered. So, you’re getting this? We have sinned. We could have never earned the favor of God.

We could have never measured up to God’s standard or His holiness. But Christ through his perfect life, his righteousness, his perfect righteousness, which is the resultant summary of his perfect life, right, is imputed to us, is credited to us because we are in Christ.

His sacrifice on that cross atoned for our sins, cleanses us from all our sin and God imputes Christ’s righteousness. He credits His righteousness into our account, right? It’s as if you have a zero balance in your bank account and someone put money into your account, someone credited into your account. God credited Christ’s righteousness into our account. And how does that look like? Romans chapter 5 verse 1 and verse 2, “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

And as I was comparing these words with different versions, I realized that ESV is a little clearer. And verse 2 says that “through him we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”

Here in chapter 5, Paul is introducing a conclusion based on the teaching of justification by faith in chapters 3 and 4. because Paul because no people are justified by faith not by the works of the law but by faith Paul is expecting a response Paul is expecting a response and what is that Paul expects believers to rejoice here in verse 2.

Paul expects believers to exult or rejoice because of the effects of the justification of faith. And what does justification produce in us? Number one, look at verse 1. It produces peace. Paul isn’t urging believers to seek peace with God, but to celebrate the peace which is ours through our union with Christ.

We were once God’s enemies, but now we are God’s children. And this peace guarantees that God won’t view us as his enemies anymore. God is not going to cancel this peace treaty. This is not something like a peace treaty made between India and Pakistan.

It is God, a sovereign God, making a peace treaty with his people. Though our sins may displease him, we will not lose this justification like Catholics believe. Though our sins may displease him, he may discipline us as a loving father, but he will never ever treat us as his enemies. We can have that assurance of salvation. And the second blessing that we see is grace. Verse 2. “Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand.”

We obtain. The tense in Greek suggests an abiding significance. We obtained, it’s an abiding significance, right? We have access into this grace. The word “this” here, it points us to verse 1. Not only do we have peace with God, we also have an intimate access to the presence of God. And because of sin, man has lost access to God’s presence. And the veil in the temple signifies that a sinful man cannot access God’s holiness, cannot enter into God’s presence. And because of the death of Christ, that veil was torn apart.

Now there is no longer a barrier between God and man because of the mediator Christ Jesus. In Christ, through Christ, a believer can have access to God. He or she can approach the throne of grace daily, boldly. Christ is our eternal high priest, our mediator, and through him we have access. And because of him we can, we stand justified in this grace. We stand, we stand justified. Paul says in verse 2, “in which we stand.” This means we are fixed before God in this position in Christ, which means that righteousness are is imputed to us from Christ. That is our stand. We stand in the righteousness of Christ all the time before God, looks at us with mercy and grace, not because of what we have done, but because what Christ has done.

And because we are united with Christ. God looks at us in mercy. When we repent of our sins, he forgives us because he looks at us in Christ Jesus. He forgives us because of Christ Jesus. Not that we deserve his mercies, not that because no, we are eligible for God’s mercies or deserve God’s mercies, but God forgives us in Christ Jesus. And then thirdly we see the hope. Verse 2, the last part, “we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” Your hope is connected to the glory of God. It is the hope for the future. Again later in Romans chapter 8, verses 17, 18 and 21, and verse 30 of Romans chapter 8, Paul shows us that we shall all be glorified. We still await future glorification which will involve moral perfection and conformation into the image of our Lord Jesus

Christ. So the grace and hope which are the fruits are of the justification will give us strength to stand firm in our trials and sufferings. Romans chapter 5, verse 3. The, we stand firm, we stand strong in our trials and tribulations. So justification is the basis of a life. We stand not on a merit, we stand on the person and the work of Christ Jesus alone. He is the basis for our peace with God. He is the basis for our access to his throne. He’s the basis also for our future glorification. Justification is what God has done on behalf of us.

Justification is what God has done for us. By faith, which is the gift of God, we receive justification. By faith, we also receive our sanctification.