Basic Beliefs of Christianity: Sola Gratia

One of my old ministers used to describe grace to me as Gods riches at Christ's expense (G.R.A.C.E.) and whilst this is a handy way to remember how Christ's death gives us a heavenly inheritance there is more we should say about grace.

Sola Gratia is latin for "Grace Alone", the idea being that Christians are saved by grace alone. But what does this mean and why was it such a big deal?

Grace in the Reformation was a hotly debated topic. What was the problem? It was that words can have many different uses and meanings depending on their context. Take the word bomb for example. It can be used to describe things in many different ways. "That car is a bomb" meaning the car is a broken wreck that I wouldn't get into if my life depended on it. It can be used to say "That party was the bomb" meaning wow what an awesome party. Another it could be used is to say "A BOMB!" meaning, look there is an explosive device, let us calmly depart. The same word can have a different meaning depending on how it is being used. If I were to say to you "A BOMB!" it is likely that you would know I mean an explosive device and not a description for a party. How would you know? Because of the situation and the words used around it. That is what we call context and it helps us understand the meaning of words.

When we come to the Bible we find that grace (and many other important words) can be used in many different ways. There are some meanings that occur more than others or that are more central but it is the context that helps us understand how the word is being used.

The Roman Catholic understanding of grace was that grace is something that God gives us, and we use and cooperate with grace to earn our salvation. The Reformers believed that the Bible said grace was a totally undeserved gift which God gives to us to save us. The Roman Catholic idea is that we work with grace, the protestant idea is that grace is totally a gift. Most of the Roman Catholics and the Reformers would have agreed that grace is a gift but the argument is over how the gift is used, what it does and whether we need grace alone. The difference may seem small but it is important.

The problem is that the Bible can speak of grace working in believers (1 Corinthians 15:9-10), it can speak of the state of a believer before God (Romans 5:1-2). But behind all these the foundational meaning of grace is that it is an attitude of mercy shown by God. From there we can see that God can give grace that works in a believer and can also give grace that changes the state of a believer (saved or not saved).

But really the debate is not about how you can use the word grace (though it is an important part of it). The debate is about whether we are saved (how we come and stay in a right relationship with God) by "Grace Alone". As a Christian you are given God's grace and work with God's grace so you live a godly life. But when it comes to how we are friends with God and remain friends with God it is all God's mercy, there is nothing I can contribute.

Ephesians 2:1-10 is a great passage to read on this. It starts by saying we were dead in our sins. When you are dead there is nothing you can do to make yourself alive again. All your options have been exhausted. You are unable to help yourself. But in verse 5 we see that it is God who made us alive in Christ by grace. This leads us to verse 8-9. It is by grace we are saved and it is not by anything we have done. Verse 10 shows us that we are saved to DO good works but we are not saved BY good works. This is where understanding that you are saved because God chose you to choose him is important. When we understand that God predestined (chose us) to be saved it safeguards grace. We have nothing to boast in because we are saved by God's mercy alone. This also means God gets all the glory because I contribute nothing to my salvation.

What you need to know
To sum up there are 2 important things you need to know:

1. Words get there meaning from their context. It is okay for words to be used in many ways but what we want to do is find the foundational meaning behind a word.
2. God's grace is all about his attitude toward us. It is about how he is merciful and gracious. All forms of grace are gifts (and there are more than what I mentioned). But when it comes to salvation the grace we have is one where God does all the work on his own. He takes us from death to life and keeps us there too. Salvation comes by Grace Alone! 

What Grace Alone will do to you

Grace alone has many applications to the Christian life:

1. Christians who know that they are saved by Grace Alone have great assurance (confidence of heaven). Being saved is not about my abilities to be or stay a Christian but are about how God has chosen me and will save me. I am saved not by what I do but by what Jesus has done. I can be 100% confident heaven is mine. Other religions people have no confidence, they are always asking am I good enough. Is this you? If so, take some time to think about how Jesus' death has totally satisfied and completed every requirement God has for you
2. Grace alone also leads us to be thankful and humble. We are thankful for God's grace, when we did not deserve it. If we are thankful we will now live obedient lives to God. We will be humbled because we will realise that everything we have is a gift from God. Nothing I have is of my own ability (even my own skills and abilities are gifts from God). As Christians we should live to give God glory not ourselves.

Awesome verses you need to know

•  For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
• What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all! For he says to Moses,
     “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy,
     and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”
  It does not, therefore, depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy. (Romans 9:14-16)
• So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace. (Romans 11:5-6)
• For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. (Titus 2:11-14)