Sola Gratia
Sola Gratia: It’s a Free Gift
In our previous devotionals on the five solas, we covered sola scriptura (God's Word alone), sola Christus (In Christ alone), and sola fide (through faith alone). Now we move on to sola gratia, by grace alone. We've seen that Scripture is the authoritative source of God's plan, design, and calling for us. Jesus Christ is the focus of all of Scripture. Faith in Jesus is the only hope for our redemption, reconciliation, and realignment with God's plan. Building off this foundation, we come to what has allowed for all of this, grace alone.
To start, we need to recognize what grace is. We do this with a simple, familiar comparison between justice, mercy, and grace.
Justice (κρίσις - kree-sis) refers to a judgment or ruling on a matter. In the context of Sola Gracia, it relates to our sin. Since God is just, holy, and righteous the only appropriate ruling against our sin is guilty and the fair consequence is eternal separation and damnation.
Mercy (ἔλεος - el'-eh-os) is an active of goodwill towards an otherwise undeserving individual. Strong's concordance gives this definition.
of God towards men: in general providence; the mercy and clemency of God in providing and offering to men salvation by Christ.
(Source: Blue Letter Bible app, retrieved Nov. 2023)
The Apostle Paul expresses this in Romans 5:8, “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Despite our undeserving state, God made a way to address His requirement for justice for our sin.
Grace (χάρις - khar'-ece) is a gift given freely without the giver having a pre-existing obligation to the recipient.
Simply put, justice is getting what we deserve. Mercy is not getting what we deserve, Grace is getting what we don't deserve. Paul sums it up this way in his epistle to the Ephesians; For by grace, you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, (Ephesians 2:8)
The gift of course is Jesus Christ. Jesus lived the perfect life, took our punishment, and provided a means to avoid the second death. Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years. (Revelation 20:6) Apart from this gift, transferred to us by faith in Christ through the indwelling of His Spirit, we would be hopelessly lost for eternity. Paul expresses this clearly in his letter to the Romans.
But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, Whom God put forward as a propitiation by His blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in His divine forbearance He had passed over former sins. It was to show His righteousness at the present time, so that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. (Romans 3:21-26)
Additional verses covering grace alone include.
Galatians 2:21
I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.
The law can’t save us, it only points out our need for a Savior.
Titus 3:4-5
But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit,
The gift of Jesus Christ is the ultimate demonstration of mercy.
1 Peter 1:10-11
Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories.
The need for grace is not simply a New Testament doctrine, it is first found in the Old Testament.
1 Peter 1:13
Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Through grace we have the assured hope which can only come from Jesus.
2 Corinthians 12:9
But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
No matter what we face, grace will always see us through.
Titus 2:11-12
For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age,
Once we receive the gift, our actions should reflect our transformation and appreciation.
With grace, the chains of sin and its negative consequences are broken. With grace, we have a peace beyond all understanding. Through the grace shown to us we're able to extend grace to others. The magnitude of the gift of grace is comprehensible and apart from grace, life is void of hope, joy, and contentment.