SOLA FIDE

Sola Fide is the Latin phrase for “faith alone.” This phrase was the motto of the Protestant Reformation. “Faith alone” was a phrase coined to answer the question, “By what means are sinners justified before a Holy God?” This was considered the material cause of the Reformation and was of such vital importance that it was argued to be “the doctrine by which the church stands or falls.” While the phrase arose during the Reformation, it was certainly not a doctrine that was invented during this time. Even Martin Luther, who nailed the 95 Theses to start the Reformation, admitted to not fully understanding the doctrine of justification by faith alone until nearly two years after this pivotal event. Quite simply, the doctrine of justification by faith alone goes as far back as the writing of the Scriptures. In this article, we will look at what the Bible clearly says about our justification before God taking place by faith alone. 

One of the main texts that will be cited when discussing Sola Fide is the passage of Romans 4:1-5:1. In this passage, Paul discusses the nature of both Abraham and David’s faith. Was Abraham justified before his act of obedience or after? Was Abraham justified before circumcision or after? Paul then cites David saying, “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.” (vv. 7-8, citing Ps 32:1-2). Paul makes it clear that Abraham was counted righteous before circumcision. More than that, Paul’s argument here is that faith is in contrast to works. To further this point, Paul says in verse 4, “Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due.” What Paul is trying to convey is the absurdity of an argument that says a man could work for his justification and then God is indebted to that man. 

A phrase Luther often used was another Latin phrase “Simul Justus et Peccado,” which means that we are simultaneously justified and sinner. This means that we are a sinner by nature, but that we are just and righteous because of Christ’s righteousness. The reality of believers being given Christ’s righteousness is our hope and the backbone of Sola Fide. 

The question that remains is how do we gain this righteousness outside of ourselves? We can find this answer in Romans 5 which states that righteousness comes through faith in Jesus Christ. Many will agree that it comes through faith but will say that it is a combination of faith and works or faith through works. But a closer look at verses 1 and 2 shows that we are justified by faith and that we obtain access to God by faith. Our friends in the Roman Catholic church have argued, “but it does not say faith alone.” While at first glance this may seem correct, we see that Paul’s words in 5:1-2 are the tail end of a point that he started back at verse 13 of chapter 4. Paul states that the promise of salvation did not come through the law but through faith. Paul here is making a contrast between the works of the law and faith. Is Paul pointing merely to the Mosaic law? Not at all, because Paul points back before the Mosaic law to Abraham and his act of obedience. Then Paul makes an application from his statement that Abraham’s faith was “counted to him as righteousness.” Finally, Paul applies to all believers by saying, “were not written for his sake alone, but for ours also.” So, it is that faith precedes works, and thus justification is done by faith alone. 

It is precisely this point that we also find made in James 2:14-26. Faith precedes works, but true faith is truly followed by works; a dead faith is not followed by works. So when James says in verse 24, “You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone,” it is in context of being justified by God by faith alone (see verse 23) and that this real faith is then followed by works. So James is contrasting two kinds of faiths, a real one which actually saves is followed by works, and a fake one that doesn’t actually save (see verse 20) and it is not followed by works, because it is not a real faith. So James is not saying that a man is justified before God by faith and works, but that his works prove his faith to his neighbor.

One final passage to address is Titus 3:4-7 which says, “But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” We see that it says that God saved us not because of any of our works, but because of who He is, namely merciful and gracious. Our salvation is a gift given to us by God, a gift that we receive by faith alone. Unlike most every other religion, Christianity states that there is no way to work our way up to God or earn our way to eternal life. Our God has given us salvation through faith alone in the person and work of Jesus Christ alone, who died to forgive our sins and rose from the grave to defeat death. This is great news for every Christian and should give us reason to shout the foundational words of the Reformation- Sola Fide!

Book Recommendations 

The God Who Justifies by James White

Faith Alone by R.C. Sproul

The Doctrine On Which The Church Stands or Falls by Matthew Barrett