Sola Gratia

Introduction

"Grace" in the New Testament is translated from the Greek word charis. Charis is related to the verb chairō, which means "rejoice," "be glad," and is even employed as a greeting, such as "hail." Among the many ways it is used, the noun charis can refer to looks or bearing, that is, physical beauty (of a person or thing) or beautiful way of doing things. It can also refer to favor shown to someone. It is given or received freely. Thus, in the Bible it is given like this, "For by grace are ye saved...," it is saying that we are saved by an unearned favor.

Sola Gratia

            Sola Gratia meant grace at the start, grace to the end, grace in the middle, grace without fail, grace without mixture, grace without addition, grace that allows no boasting, grace that precludes all glorying but in the Lord. All false concepts of grace would seek to eliminate at least one of these clauses, but the biblical Gospel stands firm. Unless Grace alone is understood in this manner, man will always have some room for boasting

It means "only grace" and it excludes the merit done by a person to achieve salvation. Sola gratia is the teaching that salvation comes by divine grace or "unmerited favor" only, not as something merited by the sinner. This means that salvation is an unearned gift from God for Jesus' sake. Some refer to it as a "de-earned" gift since unbelievers lived in such a way as forfeit any gift from God. While some maintain that this doctrine is the opposite of "works' righteousness" and conflicts with some of the aspects of the Roman Catholic doctrine of merit, while the doctrine that grace is truly and always a gift of God is held in agreement between both views, the difference in doctrine lies mainly in two facts: that of God as sole actor in grace, and second, that man cannot by any action of his own, acting under the influence of grace, cooperate with grace to "merit" greater graces for himself. This doctrine asserts divine monergism in salvation: God acts alone to save the sinner. The responsibility for salvation does not rest on the sinner to any degree as in "synergism" or Arminianism. Lutheranism holds that this doctrine must not be maintained to the exclusion of gratia universalis (that God seriously wills the salvation of all people).

Biblical unerstanding

While it is true that for the Christian, God's grace empowers us for Christian service (sanctification), the Bible makes it abundantly clear that the works we do play no role whatsoever in our salvation (justification) (Romans 4:4,5). In contrast, Rome confuses justification with sanctification for in their scheme, only when a man is fully sanctified will be be declared right with God (or justified). Yet Romans 5:1 declares that justification is a past tense event for the believing Christian - having been justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 2 8, 9 also declares, According to the Bible, for grace to truly be grace, works cannot be mixed in. Romans 11:6 says, "But if it is by grace, it is no longer on
the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace.”

The Reformers understood that man's only contribution to the table of redemption is in fact his sin. Man's will is not a deciding factor (Romans 9:16) because it is inseparately linked with his heart which is desperately wicked and while still in the flesh, he cannot submit to God (Rom 8: 7,8). It takes a new heart - a regenerated or born again heart - to enter or even see the kingdom of God (John 3). As Martin Luther said, ""If any man ascribes salvation, even the very least, to the free will of man, he knows nothing of grace, and he has not learnt Jesus Christ aright." Even though we are justified by simple faith, without any human works or human merit involved, even this faith is the gift of God and not a reason for which to boast, for any boasting of man robs God of His glory. The works we do are the fruit and not the root of our salvation. The fruit is necessary to affirm that the faith is genuine, but Jesus Christ is the Savior who saves through faith alone - plus nothing! Only when Sola Gratia is properly understood does Soli Deo Gloria (the fifth sola) maintain its integrity. The issue has never been the necessity of grace but the sufficiency of grace. All man made religion believes grace is necessary but cannot embrace grace's sufficiency, and because of this, stands in opposition to the only Gospel that saves.

In Ephesians 2:8-9, the apostle Paul writes, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." Clearly, this Scripture is teaching that we are saved by grace and not by works. That is sola gratia, by grace alone. There are many who teach that we are saved by grace. But their grace is laced with works. It is not grace alone. This is not just a dogma of Catholics; it is now the teaching of many Evangelicals and other Protestants.

Salvation by Grace Alone

By its very definition, grace cannot be accompanied by our works. If God saves us by grace, He is doing it by unearned favor, not as a reward for our works. When we receive salvation by grace, we receive it as a favor we have not worked for. Paul is writing of this concept in Romans 11:6: "And if by grace, then is it no more works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work." In other words, as a means of giving or receiving something, grace and works are mutually exclusive. God is not looking at our works when He gives us salvation. Our works have nothing to do with our receiving salvation. Thus, according to both the definition of the word and its use in Scripture, grace must mean grace alone—sola gratia.

Luther’s understanding

Martin Luther (1483-1546) wrote, Jesus Christ, our God and Lord, died for our sins and was raised again for our justification (Romans 4:24-25). He alone is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29), and God has laid on Him the iniquity of us all (Isaiah 53:6). All have sinned and are justified freely, without their own works and merits, by His grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, in His blood (Romans 3:23-25). This is necessary to believe. This cannot be otherwise acquired or grasped by any work, law or merit. Therefore, it is clear and certain that this faith alone justifies us ... Nothing of this article can be yielded or surrendered, even though heaven and earth and everything else falls (Mark 13:31).

In the Small Catechism prepared by Luther, I believe in the Holy Ghost; one holy Christian Church, the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen, which means, I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Ghost has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith; even as He calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian Church on earth, and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith; in which Christian Church He forgives daily and richly all sins to me and all believers, and at the last day will raise up me and all the dead, and will give to me and to all believers in Christ everlasting life. This is most certainly true.

Here  Luther describes sanctification by first addressing our helplessness. He then speaks of sanctification as the work of the Holy Spirit, who "sanctified and kept me in the true faith" and "sanctifies the whole Christian Church on earth, and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith," thus also associating sanctification with what the Holy Spirit leads us to believe. Our own works are nowhere in evidence here.

This misunderstanding of Luther's concept of sanctification might have arisen because he uses Paul's first-century message of grace as opposed to works to attack legalistic salvation found in the sixteenth-century church. Because of Luther's emphasis on grace and liberty, many might accuse him of a weak concept of sanctification basis for the Christian Life.

Actually, Luther's concept of sanctification is difficult to understand without looking at his doctrine of justification. Both doctrines for Luther are grounded in the Person of God. "But the fact is, that for Luther, justification and sanctification, although distinguishable in theory, are quite inseparable in factors". Luther goes on to state, "Justification and sanctification are related like cause and effect and from the presence of the effect we may conclude that the cause is at work"

Where many people try to add something to grace is in their misconception of sanctification. They may understand justification as being by grace alone, but then they think the Christian must sanctify himself by keeping the law. There are times that Luther can also sound like this, but read here how he defines the law for a Christian:

First, we must receive the Holy Spirit, who enlightens and sanctifies us so that we can begin to do the Law, i.e., to love God and our neighbor. Now, the Holy Ghost is not obtained by the Law, but by faith in Christ. In the last analysis, to do the Law means to believe in Jesus Christ. The tree comes first, and then come the fruits.

Conclusion:

For Luther, the Holy Spirit sanctifies us and the law is to believe in Jesus Christ. Similarly like 1 John 3:23-24: "And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us." This is salvation by grace alone accomplished freely by the Holy Spirit.