“Sola Fide” Faith Alone - Cameron Jungles - Wed, PM - October 23, 2013

“Sola Fide” Faith Alone (Eastside Baptist/Wed PM/October 23, 2013)

 

Roman Catholic Distortions

Ø  Distortion of the meaning of justification

Ø  Distortion of the role of faith

Ø  Distortion of the place of good works in relationship to justification and faith

 

What is Justification?

Ø  A legal term that means to declare one “acquitted” or “innocent” in relationship to the law.

Ø  Justification has to do with legal standing; it is the opposite of condemnation.

 

What is Justification?

Ø  Justification means to “declare” one righteous, not to “make” one righteous.

Ø  A person could theoretically be justified on the basis of their own innocence or righteousness.

§  The problem is we are not innocent or righteous.

 

As it is written: "There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one." (Rom. 3:10-12, NIV)

 

What is Justification?

Ø  R.C. teaching suggests that we can actually become righteous and so be justified.

Ø  Scripture teaches that our righteous deeds are as filthy rags and cannot earn standing with God.

 

All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away. (Isa. 64:6, NIV)

 

…a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ…because by the works of the law no one will be justified. (Gal. 2:16, NIV)

 

What is Justification?

Ø  So, in order to be justified we need a righteousness that comes from outside ourselves.

Ø  In Christ Alone: Christ’s perfect life of righteousness is credited to us; our guilt is credited to him.

§  Through Faith

 

Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God's sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin. But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood--to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished–he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus. Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. Because of what law? The law that requires works? No, because of the law that requires faith. For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law. (Rom. 3:20–28, NIV)

 

there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith. (Rom. 3:30, NIV)

 

If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless. But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ--the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. (Phil. 3:4–9, NIV)

 

Christ, Grace, & Faith

Ø  The source of our justification is the grace of God alone.

Ø  The ground of our justification is the work of Christ alone.

Ø  The means of our justification is faith alone.

 

What is Saving Faith?

Ø  Saving Faith is a gift of God’s grace, merited by Christ’s work, and effected by the new birth.

Ø  Saving Faith involves 3 key components:

§  Knowledge

§  Assent

§  Commitment

 

Faith Involves Knowledge

Ø  In distinction from the Roman Catholic church that taught “implicit faith.”

Ø  “Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.” (Rom. 10:17, NIV)

Ø  Faith engages the intellect.

 

Faith Involves Assent

Ø  Moves beyond understanding to a personal acknowledgement and acceptance of those truth claims.

Ø  Many have an intellectual understanding of the gospel but are not converted.

Ø  Faith engages the emotions.

 

Faith Involves Commitment

Ø  Moves beyond knowledge of facts and acceptance of those facts to personal reliance and commitment.

Ø  A repentant faith that yields one’s whole self to Christ and relies on his work alone for salvation.

Ø  Faith engages the will.

 

Faith and Good Works

Ø  Good works do not earn justification; good works flow from justification.

Ø  Good works provide evidence of the work of regeneration and the presence of saving faith.

Ø  The distinction is crucial to the gospel!

 

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that no one can boast.For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Eph. 2:8–10, NIV)

 

What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? (Jas. 2:14, NIV)

In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. (Jas. 2:17, NIV)

But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds." Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. (Jas. 2:18, NIV)

You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that--and shudder. (Jas. 2:19, NIV)

As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead. (Jas. 2:26, NIV)

 

Avoiding Two Errors

Ø  Faith must not be combined with good works (or the church’s sacraments) as the means for earning justification.

Ø  Faith must not be reduced to mere intellectual assent without an accompanying repentance and commitment to Christ.