Sola Fide

(Rom.3:28) “For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law.”

(Rom.4:4-5) “Now to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but as what is due. 5 But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness…”

BY FAITH ALONE

The Main Cause of the Protestant Reformation

‘The Doctrine of Justification by Faith’

The Question: “How can an unjust

person be made right with a perfectly holy and just God and escape from His judgment?”

A Historical overview of A Historical overview of justificationjustification

Acts 13:38-39 Acts 13:38-39 ““Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through Him forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, through Him forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, 3939 and and through Him everyone who believes is freed from all things, through Him everyone who believes is freed from all things,

from which you could not be freed through the Law of Mosesfrom which you could not be freed through the Law of Moses.” .”

The Rabbis taught that mankind could, by some means, acquire merit with God by personal efforts.

Clement of Rome (late 1st.c) “We therefore, who have been called by His will in Christ Jesus, are not justified by ourselves, neither by our wisdom or understanding or piety, nor by the works we have wrought in holiness of heart, but by the faith by which almighty God has justified all men from the beginning”

Chysostom (mid 4th.c) In a sermon on Rom.1:17 he notes that man’s righteousness is “not thine own, but that of God…. For you do not achieve it by toilings and labors, but receive it by a gift from above, contributing one thing only from your own store, ‘believing’.

Martin Luther: His study in the Pauline epistles (Romans & Galatians) led him to embrace the doctrine of ‘Sola Fide’ – a justification by faith alone apart from any works of the law.

ROMAN CATHOLIC VIEW OF

JUSTIFICATION:

Roman Catholics believe and teach that justification is:

• By grace

• Through faith

• Because of Christ.

ROMAN CATHOLIC VIEW OF JUSTIFICATION:

What Roman does not believe is that justification is:

• By grace Alone

• Through faith

Alone

• Because of Christ Alone

The Council of Trent (6th.session)

January 13th. 1547

• CANON IX.-If any one saith, that by faith alone the impious is justified; in such wise as to mean, that nothing else is required to co-operate in order to the obtaining the grace of Justification, and that it is not in any way necessary, that he be prepared and disposed by the movement of his own will; let him be anathema.

THE ROMAN CATHOLIC

DECREE CONCERNING JUSTIFICATION

The Roman Church mistakenly held to a faith that is made active through good deeds contradicting Sola Fide.

The Roman Catholic Formula for

Justification

• By grace plus merit

• Through faith plus works

• By Christ plus the sinner's contribution of inherent righteousness.

REFORMERS (biblical) VIEW OF JUSTIFICATION:

We have:

• No Works

• No Merit

• No Inherent

Righteousness

to bring.

• By God’s grace alone

• Received Through faith

alone

• Because of Christ alone.

ROMAN CATHOLIC INSTRUMENTAL CAUSE

OF JUSTIFICATION • The first plank –

The Sacrament of Baptism:

• Baptism is the instrument God uses to cause justification. At baptism one gets an infusion of divine grace in the soul.

ROMAN CATHOLIC INSTRUMENTAL CAUSE

OF JUSTIFICATION • The second

plank – The Sacrament of

Penance:

• Justification then is acquired instrumentally through the sacraments.

• The giving of ‘Indulgences’ was linked to the sacrament of penance.

The R/C ‘Power of the Keys’ The penitent would:

Come to the priest

Confess sin(s) to the priest

The priest would give absolution to the sincere penitent

The penitent would do penance = ‘Works of Satisfaction’

“I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.” (Matt.16:19)

Do penance = ‘Works of Satisfaction’

• ‘Works of satisfaction’ performed by the penitent earn the penitent ‘merit’.

• The ‘Treasury of Merit’

• The Merit of Christ• The Merit of

Joseph and Mary• The Merit of the

Saints of the church

• Excess Merit

When a person dies:– If they die with mortal sin (baptismal grace was

killed) – they go to Hell.

– If they die with mortal sin – and they receive the sacrament of Extreme Unction – they may go to purgatory for some time and have their impurities purged.

– If they die with any impurity short of mortal sin their soul goes to purgatory where the dross is purged. You can’t get to heaven until you are purified.

– If true righteousness inheres in a person and God declares that person just – they go directly to heaven. Very few people go directly to heaven!

Roman Catholic’s Basis for Justification

• By grace plus merit

• Through faith plus works

• By Christ plus the sinner's contribution of inherent righteousness.

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SCRIPTURE’S & THE REFORMER’S BASIS FOR

JUSTIFICATION:

The only grounds in which God

declares anyone just is the imputation

of the Righteousness

of Christ.

• By God’s grace alone

• Receive Through faith alone

• Because of Christ alone.

The Imputation of Christ’s Righteousness

SIN DEBT CANCELLED IN

CHRIST

TRANSFERRED TO YOUR ACCOUNT

YOUR SIN

CHRIST’S RIGHTOUSNESS

Faith is the instrument in which we embrace Christ.

Faith Justification Works • (Rom.3:28) “For we

maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law.”

(Gen.15:1-6)

Paul points to justifying faith before he did any

works. He believed God’s promise and it

was Imputed to him for Righteousness.

• (Js.2:24) “You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.”

(Gen.22:1-14)

So James is simply saying, any body can say they have faith. If your faith in Christ is genuine

it will manifest itself in works.

THE HUGE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BOTH VIEWS OF JUSTIFICATION

Scripture & Reformers:

GOD CALLS ME JUST BEFORE I AM MADE JUST!

Roman Catholics:

I am made just (by the sacraments) before I am called just.

A Persons Life Righteousness ChartBy faith Christ’s Perfect

Righteousness is Imputed.

Even if one lives a good long life

perfect righteousness is unattainable.

• His death is God's only provision for the forgiveness of man's sin and the appeasement of God's wrath against him. (Isa.53:6; Jn.3:36; Acts 4;12)

The Essential of:

Christ

• Jesus Christ's death was the substitute payment for the penalty that we deserved for our sin.

What The Gospel Is:

He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him (John 3:36).