We are saved by grace, and grace alone! Sola Gratia means, “Grace Alone,” and this mantra was essential to the heart of the reformation.
Grace is one of the predominant themes in all of Scripture. Throughout history God’s people have stood upon and celebrated the grace of God. Throughout history God’s people have approached God’s grace with awe and humility. Throughout history God’s people have worshipped God in response to the grace that He has shown. One of the most popular songs expresses this grace so beautifully,
Amazing grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me,
I once was lost, but now I’m found,
Was blind but now I see.
This is grace! This is God’s grace! And the Reformers stood upon this grace and cried out, “Sola Gratia!”
A Misunderstanding
As wonderful as the Sola Gratia mantra is, why was it necessary? Did Rome and Pope not believe in or proclaim the grace of God? Why did the Reformers need to declare “Grace Alone” in the first place?
Many have inaccurately accused the Roman Catholic Church of teaching a works based salvation. Many have accused Rome of teaching that salvation could be earned (or purchased). However, this accusation is unfair. Rome believed in grace (and still does). Rome preached grace (and still does). Rome celebrated the grace of God (and still does). The controversy does not lie in the word Gratia or “Grace.” The real controversy lies in the word Sola or “Alone.”
When the Reformers cried “Sola Gratia,” they were making the bold claim that a sinner does not earn his salvation, nor does he cooperate with God to merit his salvation, nor does he supplement his salvation with any work of his own. Salvation is exclusively an act of grace. The Reformers were clear in their attempt to strip away all additional merit and works from the work of God for the salvation of sinners. We are saved by grace alone! (Ephesians 2:8-9)
Grace Plus Nothing
Imagine if you were given a free gift. (By definition, a gift is free. However, for emphasis, I will use the adjective “free”) This gift was simply given to you, and it didn’t cost you anything. However, there is just a small catch. Imagine that in order to receive this free gift, you were required to work a bit on the side… Would that gift still be free? Could we still call that gift a free gift? Of course not!
The same is true for grace. A free gift plus any additional requirement, by definition, is not free. In the same way, grace plus any additional requirement, by definition, is not grace.
Now imagine that you were given a job, and you worked hard at this job for an agreed upon wage. Then, at the week’s end, came the day that you had been working for, payday! What is that paycheck? Is that paycheck an act of grace? No, of course it isn’t. It is an earned wage given by an employer to an employee for a job well done.
Sola Gratia reminds us of the danger of addition. It reminds us that we cannot add any work or wage to the free gift of grace and still call it “grace.” In other words, the Reformers remind us that grace that is not alone is not grace at all.
What a reminder for us today!