Sola Fide (By Faith Alone)
OT Lesson: Genesis 12:1-9 (CEB)
The Lord said to Abram, “Leave your land, your family, and your father’s household for the land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation and will bless you. I will make your name respected, and you will be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you,
those who curse you I will curse;
all the families of the earth
will be blessed because of you.”
Abram left just as the Lord told him, and Lot went with him. Now Abram was 75 years old when he left Haran. Abram took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all of their possessions, and those who became members of their household in Haran; and they set out for the land of Canaan. When they arrived in Canaan, Abram travelled through the land as far as the sacred place at Shechem, at the oak of Moreh. The Canaanites lived in the land at that time. The Lord appeared to Abram and said, “I give this land to your descendants,” so Abram built an altar there to the Lord who appeared to him. From there he travelled toward the mountains east of Bethel, and pitched his tent with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the Lord and worshipped in the Lord’s name. Then Abram set out toward the arid southern plain, making and breaking camp as he went.
NT Lesson: Romans 4:13-25 (NRSV)
For the promise that he would inherit the world did not come to Abraham or to his descendants through the law but through the righteousness of faith. If it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. For the law brings wrath; but where there is no law, neither is there violation.
For this reason it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his descendants, not only to the adherents of the law but also to those who share the faith of Abraham (for he is the father of all of us, as it is written, ‘I have made you the father of many nations’)—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. Hoping against hope, he believed that he would become ‘the father of many nations’, according to what was said, ‘So numerous shall your descendants be.’ He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was already as good as dead (for he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, being fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. Therefore his faith ‘was reckoned to him as righteousness.’ Now the words, ‘it was reckoned to him’, were written not for his sake alone, but for ours also. It will be reckoned to us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was handed over to death for our trespasses and was raised for our justification.
Sermon
Introduction
Good morning. I hope you had a wonderful week. As you know, the great wild fire in Canada is not contained at all, burning crazy. The smoke covered the sky of the East Coast. A few friends of mine said that it is very difficult to breathe, and everybody is getting sore throats and sore eyes. The news said that the smoke reached even to Europe. This is the direct release of great amount of carbon-dioxide into the air which will accelerate the global warming. Many American fire fighters were sent to Canada to fight the wild fire. Let us pray for the safety of all those fire fighters, and for the fire to be put off as soon as possible.
Anyway, I am still learning English, and recently I looked up the encyclopaedia for the different names of groups according to animals. As you all know, a group of lions is a pride, a group of sheep a herd, a group of wolves a pack, a group of coyotes a band, a group of vipers a brood, and a group of dolphins a pod. Just for fun, let me test how good your English is. Which animal is the most showing-off? Elephants because a group of them is a parade. Which one is the most academic? Fish—school. Most compromising animal? Cheetahs—coalition. Most social animal? Vultures—venue. Most political animal? Owls—parliament. Finally, which animal is the most religious? Alligator because a group of them is a congregation. So, I guess you all know that.
But let me put the fun aside because I got to do what I got to do. Today’s sermon title is Sola Fide, which means ‘By Faith Alone’ in Latin. Sola Fide is one of the five Solae of the Protestant Reformation and those five are: Sola Scriptura (by Scripture alone), Sola Fide (by faith alone), Sola Gratia (by grace alone), Solus Christus (in Christ alone), and Soli Deo Gloria (glory to God alone). The full name is Justificatio Sola Fide, that is, justification by faith alone. This powerful truth holds immense significance in our Christian journey, for it not only sets us free from the burden of self-righteousness but also reminds us of God’s immeasurable love and mercy. So let us explore this vital teaching and allow it to ignite a fire of faith within our hearts.
Problem of Self-Righteousness
Gift of Faith
In the midst of our desperate striving, God graciously offers us a lifeline—the gift of faith. Ephesians 2:8-9 reminds us, “For it is by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Salvation is not something we can achieve through our own merit; it is a gift from a loving God who desires to restore us into a right relationship with Him.
Example of Abraham
The Apostle Paul points us to the faith of Abraham, highlighting how this patriarch exemplifies the principle of Sola Fide. In today’s NT lesson, Paul writes, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” Abraham’s righteousness was not based on his obedience to the law but on his unwavering trust in the promises of God. In the same way, our righteousness is not earned through good works but is imputed to us by faith in Christ.
Role of Faith
Faith is not a passive acceptance of a set of intellectual propositions; rather, it is a dynamic and transformative force. Faith involves surrendering our lives to God and trusting in His faithfulness. It moves us to repentance, acknowledging our sinfulness and turning toward God, and there shall be no turning back. Faith is the catalyst that ignites our relationship with God, as we respond to His love with a resounding “yes” of trust and obedience.
Intersection of Faith and Works
While we are justified by faith alone, it is important to understand that genuine faith produces good works. James 2:17 reminds us, “Faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” Our faith is not a mere intellectual assent but a living faith that compels us to action. Good works flow naturally from a heart transformed by God’s grace. We are not saved by our works, but our works serve as evidence of the authenticity of our faith.
Assurance of Salvation
The doctrine of Sola Fide brings us great assurance in our journey of faith. We can rest in the knowledge that our salvation is secure, not because of our own righteousness but because of Christ’s finished work on the cross, that He said, “It is finished.” Our faith in Him becomes the anchor for our souls. As we trust in the sufficiency of Christ’s atonement, we are released from the burden of constantly striving to earn our salvation. Our confidence rests in the faithfulness of our Saviour.
Living in the Freedom of Sola Fid
Sola Fide liberates us, frees us to live a life of joy and freedom in Christ. When we understand that our righteousness is not based on our own efforts but on the imputed righteousness of Christ, we can abandon the shackles of legalism. We are no longer burdened by the weight of perfectionism but instead we are invited to walk in the lightness of God’s grace. This freedom empowers us to love and serve others, knowing that our acceptance before God is secure.
Conclusion
Friends, Sola Fide reminds us that our salvation is not earned through works but received by faith in Christ alone. It liberates us from the bondage of self-righteousness and opens the door to a life of freedom in God’s grace. Let us hold fast to this foundational truth, cultivating a living faith that propels us to love, serve, and glorify our Lord. May our lives bear witness to the transforming power of faith, drawing others to the life-giving message of salvation by grace through faith. Then we can truly invite all our family, friends, and neighbours to this truth of Sola Fide which gives us and gives them the true freedom by the grace and love of Jesus Christ, who is the foundation of our faith. Amen.
Comments
Post a Comment