What is this “Sola Fide” of the Reformation?

It’s one of the five solas of the Reformation. They are: sola scriptura, sola fide, sola gratia, solus Christus, and soli Deo gloria. The Latin means: scripture alone, faith alone, grace alone, Christ alone, and to the glory of God alone. Last week, we talked about Sola Scriptura. This week Sola Fide is on the menu. Sola Fide is a corrective reaction to an error of Rome in teaching the Christian faith.

The error, simply stated, is the attribution of works, to merit salvation for Christians. Popes and councils, cardinals and bishops had developed a teaching apart from the scriptures, that salvation came by way of baptism and the works done by Christians. It’s obvious to us, when we observe ourselves, that our righteousness isn’t greater than our sin. The papal solution was “treasury of merits” stored-up by the canonized saints. These could be bought and earned by the faithful.

The methods: confession, penance, indulgences, and the like deserve their own treatment elsewhere.

Martin Luther and the reformers who follow him found a different teaching in the Word of God. Our righteousness before God comes by way of faith. Our works merit us nothing before God. St. Paul says, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, ‘The righteous shall live by faith.’” [Romans 1:16-17]

Our salvation is from God. His righteousness is revealed by the faith we have been given. And, in this faith we dwell. The faith we received clings to Jesus. And through that faith, we are clothed in the righteousness of Jesus.

Paul also teaches us, “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.” [Romans 3:21-24]

Grace and faith to believe are these gifts to us in Christ. Now, the opposite error lives among us in modern Christianity. We are tempted to think of our believing like a work. When asked we may say, “I’m going to Heaven because I believe.” We’re so trained in that idea, that the inconsistency passes right by us. Placing confidence in our “believing” is just another works-righteousness method of salvation. We’ve traded external works for an internal one. But, we make faith into a new work that we do for salvation.

The Disciples reacted differently concerning their faith in response to the command to forgive your brother. “The apostles said to the Lord, ‘Increase our faith!’ And the Lord said, ‘If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.’” [Luke 17:5-6]. They realized the smallness of their faith and the lack of its power to accomplish anything. The apostles also see that its source, Jesus, will make them better from without rather than from within.

The writer of Hebrews also exhorts us concerning good works and church attendance. “Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” [Hebrews 10:19-25]

The faith we receive in baptism clings to Jesus for salvation. But, it also does things in us. It drives us to good works for the benefit of our neighbor. It drives us to gather with the faithful in the Lord’s house. We tend to think that great faith can exist in us, or more commonly, in our loved ones apart from works and the church. This just isn’t so.

The faith dwelling in us desires only to love and serve our neighbor. The faith dwelling in us desires only to dwell in the Lord’s house among His people. Selfishly keep our works from our neighbor, willfully absenting ourselves from the Lord’s house on Sundays, these are the marks of unbelief. We are called to exhort each other concerning this unbelief.

We: “Where have you been lately? I haven’t seen you in church.”

They: “Well, I’ve been busy hunting/attending kids’ games/sleeping in/out of town on vacation/attending an unfaithful church.”

We: “You know, faith can’t be kept from the House of God and the gathering of the faithful.”

That’s a brutally uncomfortable conversation. But, you owe it to your neighbor to serve them in love like this. Silence towards the marks of unbelief is the opposite of love.

Faith alone can never hate its neighbor, encouraging their unbelief.

Rev. Jason M. Kaspar
Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church & Preschool
La Grange, TX