Sola Gratia (By Grace Alone)

OT Lesson: Genesis 6:1-8 (KJV)

And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose. And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.

There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.

And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them. But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.

NT Lesson: Ephesians 2:1-10 (NRSV)

You were dead through the trespasses and sins in which you once lived, following the course of this world, following the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work among those who are disobedient. All of us once lived among them in the passions of our flesh, following the desires of flesh and senses, and we were by nature children of wrath, like everyone else. But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness towards us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God—not the result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.

Sermon

Introduction

Good morning. We have the annual meeting and the monthly luncheon after the worship service. So I am pressured not to speak long. So I am going to skip the introduction and go into the main topic right away.

Sola Gratia: Embracing the Boundless Gift of God's Grace

We are exploring the five Solae of the Protestant theology. If we see the Christian theology as a big picture or a tapestry, today’s topic, “Sola Gratia” stands as a radiant thread, interwoven with the other foundational principles of the Protestant Reformation. “Sola Gratia” is a Latin phrase, translated as “by Grace Alone,” and it encapsulates a profound truth that has echoed through the corridors of history and continues to resonate within the hearts of believers today. Of course one days is not going to be enough, but we will today delve into the depths of grace—its essence, its transformative power, and its call to a life of discipleship.

Understanding Grace

Grace, in its essence, is the unmerited favour and love of God extended to humanity. It is a gift beyond measure, freely given by a benevolent Creator to His creation, as apostle Paul writes in his letter to the church in Ephesus, “for by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God—not the result of works, so that no one may boast.”1 With this famous Bible verse, apostle Paul gave us the essence of grace and laid the foundation for our understanding of “Sola Gratia”—salvation is not a reward for human efforts, but a gift lavishly bestowed by the gracious God. The grace is not something we can possibly earn with our human endeavour or buy with money, but it is always freely given.

Hannah’s Case

The word ‘grace’ first appears in the Bible from today’s OT lesson that Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord,2 and the last occurrence is in Revelation 22:21 that the grace of the Lord Jesus be with you all.3 And this is the very last verse of the Bible. It is חֵן (heyn) in Hebrew and χάρις in Greek, and both words mean grace and/or favour. The Bible ends by saying ‘the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.’4 So I may say that the conclusion of the entire Bible is the grace. We are sinful and we cannot go to heaven by our own strength. We cannot even have faith by ourselves. Only by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, we can get all those good things mentioned in the Bible. The Hebrew word חֵן (heyn) is masculine and its feminine form is חַנָּה (hannah), which is the name of Samuel’s mother in the Bible whose variants include Hannah, Anna or Ann in many different spellings. Hannah was barren, that is, she cannot get pregnant even though her husband loved her so much. She cannot have a baby by herself. But when she cried out to the Lord, God granted her grace and did her a favour. Only by the grace of God, Hannah became a mother of six.5 After Hannah dedicated Samuel to God, she was granted five more children—three sons and two daughters. As I said before, Hannah means grace in Hebrew, so whoever married Hannah with the church wedding, they can say that they found Hannah in Hebrew or in English that they found grace in the eyes of the Lord. I myself found Hannah. And for that reason, I think the name of Noah’s wife is Hannah because today’s OT lesson says in English that Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord, or in Hebrew, Noah found Hannah. So his wife must be Hannah.

Noah’s Case

So let’s talk about Noah because the word grace in the Bible first used for him. Noah was the very first human being on whom God showed grace. As you all know, Noah was the only person who survived the great flood and extinction. His wife, his sons and his daughters-in-law survived together only because of Noah. And the Bible testifies that he was the most righteous person at that time. So did Noah earned his salvation through his righteousness? Did he deserve his salvation? It is very difficult to answer because we don’t know much about Noah actually. We know that he built an ark and the Bible says that he was the most righteous person but the Bible does not tell us how he was except one episode in Genesis 9. After the flood, the family settled and farmed the lands. Noah then planted vineyard and later he made the world’s very first wine. He drank it and became drunk, very drunk that he got naked and fell asleep. After he woke up later he found out that his sons saw him sleeping naked. He became very upset and I quote ‘cursed his children.’ So in a nutshell Noah was a drunkard and an abusive father, and yet he was the most righteous person in the entire world. If a drunkard and an abusive father is the most righteous person, it is needless to say about the rest of the world. No wonder God decided to wipe out the whole world.

So how can we process it? The Bible says Noah was the most righteous person and yet the same Bible says that he was a drunkard and an abusive father. Is Bible non-sense or contradicting itself? A few months ago, Hannah took Samuel to the Indianapolis zoo, and on that day, there was a turtle race. Several turtles raced and one of them finally won the race. So that is the fastest turtle. If you ask me, “Is this turtle the fastest?” then my answer is yes. But if you ask me, “Is this turtle fast?” then my answer is no. No, that turtle is slow. Even though it is the fastest turtle, it is still slow because being slow is the nature of turtles. Likewise, Noah was the most righteous, but he was still sinful because being sinful is the human nature. So back to the original questions, “Did Noah deserve his salvation? Did he earn his salvation?”, my clear answer is no. No, even Noah did not deserve. No, even Noah could not earn his salvation. And this is exactly why the Bible says that Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. If not, the Bible must have said that he earned his salvation.

The Condition of Humanity

In light of Noah and Hannah, to fully grasp the significance of grace, we must acknowledge the condition of humanity—stained by sin and separated from the holiness of God. Because of the sinful human nature since the fall of Adam and Eve through all the generations even to us, the humanity is in a desperate state, incapable of bridging the gap between ourselves and God the Creator.

Grace as God's Gift

In this bleak landscape of human frailty, grace emerges as a radiant beacon of hope. It is a gift that transcends human understanding—God’s divine initiative to rescue His creation from the clutches of sin. The ultimate expression of this grace is found in the person of Jesus Christ, as apostle Paul testifies in his letter to the church in Rome, “but God has shown us how much he loves us—it was while we were still sinners that Christ died for us!”6 Christ’s sacrificial death on the cross is the embodiment of God’s grace in action—a selfless act of redemption that offers reconciliation and eternal life to all who believe.

Transforming Power of Grace

Grace is not merely a theological concept; it is a force that has the power to transform lives. Countless stories bear witness to the miraculous metamorphosis and transformation that occurs when an individual encounters God’s grace. From the apostle Paul’s dramatic conversion on the road to Damascus to the testimonies of modern-day believers including myself who have experienced God’s grace in the midst of brokenness, grace has the unparalleled ability to mend what is shattered and breathe new life into the weary soul.

Living in Response to Grace

As recipients of God’s lavish grace, we are called to respond in a manner that befits such a wondrous gift. Gratitude becomes the natural overflow of a heart that comprehends the enormity of what has been freely given. Humility follows closely, as we recognise that our salvation is not of our own making but the result of God’s unwavering love. Apostle Paul aptly captures this sentiment in his first letter to the church in Corinth, “but by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace towards me has not been in vain.”7 Moreover, grace propels us toward a life characterised by forgiveness and compassion. Just as we have received unmerited grace, we are called to extend it to others. Jesus’ parable of the unmerciful servant from Matthew 18 underscores the importance of forgiving as we have been forgiven. Our interactions with others should mirror the grace-filled nature of our relationship with God.

Grace and Discipleship

Embracing “Sola Gratia” is not a passive endeavour; it is a call to active discipleship. Grace is not a finish line but a starting point—the launching pad for a life devoted to following Christ. As Jesus told His disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me,”8 grace empowers us to walk in the footsteps of our Saviour, imitating His love, His compassion, and His selflessness. Discipleship fuelled by grace is marked by a desire to serve others. Just as Christ humbled Himself to wash His disciples’ feet, we are also called to serve those around us with the same spirit of humility and grace. Whether it is feeding the hungry, comforting the broken-hearted, or standing up for justice, our acts of service become an outpouring of the grace we have received.

Conclusion

In the tapestry of “Sola Gratia,” we find the radiant thread of God’s unmerited favour, weaving its way through the human history. This grace, freely given and boundlessly abundant, calls us to a profound transformation—from recipients of divine mercy to bearers of grace to others and to our community. As we contemplate the depths of “Sola Gratia,” may our hearts be stirred to gratitude, our spirits be emboldened to forgive, and our lives be consecrated to discipleship. And let us carry the torch of grace, illuminating the path of redemption for all who seek refuge, leading them to the rock of salvation. Amen.