Grace Alone (Sola Gratia)
The Five Solas (“Alones”) of the Reformation
In the week leading up to Oct. 31 (Reformation Day) we will be looking at the 5 Alones (Solas), watchwords of the Reformation: Grace Alone, Faith Alone, Scripture Alone, Christ Alone, and To God’s Glory Alone.
Grace Alone (Sola Gratia)
Acts 15:6-11 (NRSV)
6 The apostles and the elders met together to consider this matter. 7 After there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “Apostles and elders, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that I should be the one through whom the Gentiles would hear the message of the good news and become believers. 8 And God, who knows the human heart, testified to them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he did to us; 9 and in cleansing their hearts by faith he has made no distinction between them and us. 10 Now therefore why are you putting God to the test by placing on the neck of the disciples a yoke that neither our ancestors nor we have been able to bear? 11 On the contrary, we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will.”
This passage from Acts describes a crucial moment in the history of the church, how would they understand how salvation took place? Did all people, even non-Jews, need to follow the law Moses received from God on Mount Sinai in order to be saved? The leaders of the church gathered and there was much discussion as they tried to discern what God was saying. Finally, Peter spoke, verse 11 is crucial: “we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they (the Gentiles) will.”
Salvation comes through God’s grace revealed in Jesus Christ. God saves us, we don’t save ourselves. Not good works, not right living, not even thinking the right thoughts saves us – it is God’s grace from beginning to end that is the source of salvation. It is a gift – freely offered. We cannot earn it, we don’t deserve, God simply offers grace to us.
We try to claim we deserve grace, because gifts make us nervous. We don’t know how to receive gifts. We may resist the gift, because it is a gift. And that would be a tragic decision.
God’s grace stands in contrast to society’s expectation that people get what they deserve. People who do right things have earned the blessings in their lives. Those who do wrong should receive nothing good. People should get what they deserve, that is fair, so says society.
God’s way is completely different, grace is undeserved, unearned, unmerited. At times, people take offence at God giving grace to the undeserving. People are upset that God shows love and mercy to individuals who are unworthy of love and mercy.
If we cannot earn and don’t deserve the grace God offers in Jesus Christ, then we cannot expect others to do things to earn or deserve the grace of God either. If it is freely offered to us, it is freely offered to all.
The grace of God changes us, shaping us into the people of God, who give as freely as we have received, living in thankfulness for the gift given.
PRAYER:
God of grace, we thank you for your unmerited, undeserved gift that you pour into our lives. Use your grace to shape us into people who live lives of thankfulness, that in gratitude we may share your grace with the world. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.