Title: “Sola Gratia” Script: Eph. 2:1-9
Type: 5 Solas Series Where: GNBC 10-15-17
Intro: There is a joke on the net that makes a good point about salvation by grace.
A man dies and goes to heaven. The admittance angel meets him at the pearly gates. The angel says, "Here's how it works. You need 100 points to make it into heaven. You tell me all the good things you've done, and I give you a certain number of points for each item. If you reach 100 points, you get in." "Okay," the man says, "I was faithfully married to the same woman for 50 years." "That's wonderful," says the angel, "that's worth one point!" "One point?" he says. "Well, I attended church all my life and supported its ministry with my tithe and service." "Terrific!" says the angel, "that's certainly worth a point." "One point? Golly. How about this: I started a soup kitchen in my city and worked in a shelter for homeless veterans." "Fantastic, that's good for one half a point more," he says. "Half a point?" the man cries, "At this rate the only way I get into heaven is by the grace of God!"“Now you understand!” replied the angel. Of course the problem with this joke is that you need to understand and receive God’s grace before you die. No second chances. We saw in Hebrews 9:27, “And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment.” Well, today we’ll look at the third Sola in our series, Sola Gratia, or by grace alone.
Prop: Exam. Eph 2:1-9 we’ll realize the 3rd Doctrine of Reformation: Sola Gratia.
BG: 1. Today is part 3 in series on the “5 Solas” of the Protestant Reformation.
2. Sola Gratia – By or through grace alone.
3.Ephesians written by Paul in 60-61 ad.
Prop: IN Eph. 2:1-9 we’ll realize three important aspects of Sola Gratia.
I. Sola Gratia Declares Jesus Has Rescued Us from God’s Wrath and Judgment. vv. 1-3
A. Man, by His very nature was condemned to spiritual judgment and death.
1. God, however, gloriously intervened with Grace!
a. According to Dr. JI Packer, “Grace” is the key word of the entire Bible. Many think that “salvation” is the message of the New Testament, however, it is not. But the NT salvation is of grace from first to last (v.5&8); it is the grace of God that brings it (Titus 2:11), and the praise of the glory of God’s grace that is the end of it (Eph. 1:6). It thus appears that this one word, “grace” contains within itself the whole of NT theology. The message of the NT is the announcement that grace has come to men in and through Jesus Christ with a summons from God to receive this grace (Romans 5:17; II Cor. 6:1). (18 Words, pp.91-92, Packer).
b. Pinpointing a concise definition of sola gratia from the perspective of those Reformers who championed the phrase is difficult. Martin Luther never wrote, “Here is what sola gratia means…” Neither did Calvin or Zwingli. There is, however, a common thread running throughout the Reformers’ writing on salvation and grace, and I believe that the Westminster Confession of Faith has successfully captured the core of the doctrine within the following passage: “Christ, by His obedience and death, did fully discharge the debt of all those that are thus justified, and did make a proper, real and full satisfaction to His Father’s justice in their behalf. Yet, in as much as He was given by the Father for them; and His obedience and satisfaction accepted in their stead; and both, freely, not for anything in them; their justification is only of free grace…”
2. Notice the Spiritual Condition of Everyone Outside of Jesus Christ.
a. v.1 we see the condition of natural man – The Bible makes it unmistakably clear that the person outside of Christ is not merely sick, he is not gravely ill, he is not even on life support, but rather he is “DEAD”. What is this spiritual death a result of? Paul states this as well: v. 1 – “trespasses and sins”. Spiritual death is alienation from God. We are all born into this world as dead men walking and remain in that condition until we experience new life in Christ.
b. I know, some of you may say, “Whoa!, that’s a bit strong Chris. Surely there is some inherent spiritual righteousness in our account.” Look at v. 3 if you please – “by nature children of wrath”. Here Paul is reminding the believers of their past condition prior to their conversion. Man is not innocent by nature, says the Apostle. He is not innocent in birth nor is he innocent in culture. (Some sociologists want you to think the “savage” is noble and innocent if left in his original environment. ( Heard a lot about protesting Columbus Day this past Monday. Speak on how horrible it was the Spanish came to new world. I suppose most of those protestors either did not know or conveniently forgot that the Aztecs weren’t exactly saints with their human sacrifices that caused the blood to run in the streets to the height of the horse’s bridles! All of mankind is fallen, primitive or “advanced”.) Paul says that is nonsense. Rather, whether born in the rain forest of Papau New Guinea, or in a housing project in Brooklyn, NY, we are born as children deserving of wrath. Now, I know that is not a pleasant or seeker-friendly message (as some may define). But it is true. Our sin nature, alienated us from a Holy God. Illust- Modern Evang. Must beware of its Pelagian leanings. Pelagius was a British monk of the late 4th century who basically denied original sin or its effects. Unfortunately, this view is gaining popularity again. Yet, not biblical. Thinks man is sick in sin but not dead.
B. Grace is the Necessary Antidote for man’s fateful condition.
1.Man has a fateful, terminal condition, however, there is in fact an antidote.
a. Illust: For the most part don’t have to worry about snake bites in Iowa. Back in SC, a different story. Bites by venomous snakes can cause severe paralysis that may prevent breathing; bleeding disorders that can lead to fatal hemorrhage; irreversible kidney failure; and severe local tissue destruction that can cause permanent disability and may result in limb amputation. A knowledge of which species of venomous snakes present the greatest risks to human populations in any particular region or country is essential to addressing snakebite problems. If venom from the wrong species is selected, the antivenin produced may not be effective against the effects of bites by specific snakes. Some people still ask: “Why did God have to come to earth as a man in the Son, Jesus Christ?” Well, a specific antivenin of the bite of sin and death had to be created and employed. That’s why Christ, though fully God, also had to become Christ, fully man!
b. Many people have a confused understanding about the concept of grace. Grace, as displayed in the Bible is not then an impersonal energy automatically switched on by prayer or the sacraments, but it is rather the heart and hand of the living, Almighty God. (Packer, p.95).
2. Salvation by Grace eliminates any middle ground of salvation.
a. Illust: Theological liberals have always emphasized God’s love and denied His wrath. But in our day, this kind of watered down thinking is not only in liberal circles. It is also popular among those who profess to be evangelicals. Several years ago, the TV show, “60 Minutes,” did a segment on Joel Osteen, pastor of America’s largest church and author of the best seller, Your Best Life Now [Warner Faith]. Host Byron Pitts was surprised at the absence of any mention of God or Jesus Christ in the main points of Osteen’s latest book, To Become a Better You, which was just released last week. Osteen’s response was, “That’s just my message. There is scripture in there that backs it all up. But I feel like, Byron, I’m called to help people…how do we walk out the Christian life? How do we live it? And these are principles that can help you. I mean, there’s a lot better people qualified to say, ‘Here’s a book that going to explain the scriptures to you.’ I don’t think that’s my gifting.” He got that right! But then why is he a pastor? How can you genuinely help lost people if you don’t point them to the cross of Christ?
b. Pitts got Michael Horton’s take on this. Horton is a professor of theology at Westminster Theological Seminary in Escondido, California. Horton rightly observed: “[Osteen’s] core message is God is nice, you’re nice, be nice….” (The above taken from, http://psalm8611.blogspot.com.) The point is, if we are not under God’s wrath, then Jesus didn’t need to go to the cross and we don’t need to be saved. By going to the cross, Jesus paid the penalty that we are under because of our sin. Paul here says, “For by grace you have been saved….” Either you have been saved or you haven’t. There is no middle ground. Either Jesus has rescued you from God’s wrath or you are not saved. The key word to understand is“grace.”
C. Applic: Jesus took God the Father’s wrath and judgment so we would not have to.
II. Sola Gratia Means We Did Nothing to Earn or Merit our Salvation.
A. Sola Gratia speaks to our need of grace due to our inability to earn any favor with God.
1. Very simply stated, Grace is God’s unmerited Favor.
a. If you did anything to earn it or deserve it, it is not grace. If God owes it to you because you’re a pretty good person or you’ve tried to do the best you can, it is not grace. If God gives it to you because He foresaw that you would believe in Him of your own free will, it is not grace. Grace means that you get the opposite of what you deserve. You deserve God’s wrath because you have sinned against Him. Instead, He saves you by His grace.
b. Illust: Justice is getting what you deserve. Mercy is getting less than you deserve. Grace, however, is getting what you do not deserve! With respect to the Lord, we are debtors who cannot pay. That’s why the Bible speaks of redemption in economic language—we were bought with a price (1 Cor. 6:20). Only someone else—Christ—can pay our debt. That’s grace. It’s not our good works that secure our rescue but only the works of Christ. It’s His merit, not ours. We don’t merit anything. He grants us His merit by grace, and we receive it only by faith. The essence of grace is its voluntary free bestowal. As soon as it’s a requirement, it’s no longer grace.
2. God is rich in His mercy towards all undeserving sinners.
a. Illust: Listen to the words of Charles Spurgeon, 19th century English preacher: “God forgives none because of payment made by them in any form. If we could bring him mountains of gold and silver, they would be worth nothing to him: if we bring him tears in rivers or alms in alps, or resolves, vows and promises in countless numbers, all will amount to nothing as a bribe of grace.
Forgiveness, like love, is unpurchasible by us. God’s pardons are absolutely free. He forgives because he chooses to forgive, out of sheer pity to the sinner, out of clear, unmixed compassion, but with no adulteration of anything like bribe or price.
b. Illust: At the end of the year Carol and I sit down and calculate all of our expenses for the year. So as to prepare our taxes. It is a very tedious and somewhat complicated process. Always have to be careful not to have spent too much in one area or another. Well, Spurgeon goes on to point out how there are verses that reference the “riches” of God’s grace. He contrasts God’s wealth of grace with our own charitable endeavors. “We have to calculate our incomes to see whether we may not be spending too much in charity; but those who have great riches can give and not calculate.”[7] God is not at risk of exhausting His stores of grace in pardoning transgressions, and that is very good news for the sinner.
B. In some ways Grace is Offensive to the Human mind and pride.
1. Grace is offensive because it gives what cannot be earned or deserved.
a. Grace cuts directly against the grain of human thinking, because it is not fair. We value fairness. If someone does wrong, he should get what he has coming. If someone does right, he should be rewarded. But if someone does wrong and gets rewarded in spite of it, we protest, “That’s not fair!” Grace is getting what you don’t deserve and not getting what you do deserve. Grace is the opposite of karma. Grace is the love of God shown to the unlovely, the peace of God given to the restless, the unmerited favor of God. Grace is free sovereign favor to the ill-deserving. Grace is unconditional love toward a person who does not deserve it. Grace is love that cares and stoops and rescues. Grace is God reaching downward to people who are in rebellion against him. Grace is one-way love.
b. Look in this passage to what we were: dead, lived formerly in defiance, walked in rebellion. Yet, what does it say about God’s attitude towards us: rich in mercy, love, grace, kindness! PTL!
2.
a. Illust: Take a guy who is a thief. He has stolen from hardworking people. On some occasions, he has hurt his victims or even killed them. But he shrugs it off and continues his life of crime. Finally, he is apprehended and convicted. On death row, he hears that God will forgive all of his sins if he will trust in Christ, even though he does not deserve it and he cannot make up for what he has done. At first, he can’t believe it. It sounds too good to be true. But then he does believe it. He trusts Christ to save him from eternal judgment. He dies and goes to spend eternity with God in heaven. That’s not fair! Or, take the case of a guy who is very religious. He prays several times a day. He fasts twice a week. He gives ten percent of his income to charitable causes. He doesn’t swindle people out of money. He treats others fairly. He has been faithful in his marriage. He thinks that doing all of these things will commend himself to God. But, he dies and goes to hell. We cry, “That’s not fair!”
b. But, I didn’t make up these stories. The thief was hanging next to Jesus on the cross. Jesus paid his debt and the thief went to heaven that very day (Luke 23:39-43). The religious man was the Pharisee in Jesus’ parable who thought himself to be righteous (Luke 18:9-14). He was not justified from his sins, because he was trusting in his own good works to save him.
If God were fair, we’d all go to hell, because we all have sinned. God did not compromise His righteousness or justice to forgive us. His justice demands that the penalty be paid. Jesus paid the penalty on the cross for all that trust in Him. In that way, God can be both just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus (Rom. 3:26). Someone has rightly described G-R-A-C-E as, “God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense.” We naturally resist God’s grace because it robs us of all our pride. But there is no other way of salvation. It is by grace alone. Sola Gratia!
C. Applic: We have a bold confidence and assurance in our salvation because we did not have to work for it, but received it by grace thru faith.
III. Sola Fide Means that We Receive Salvation thru Trusting in What Jesus did for Us on the Cross. (vv.6-9)
A. Jesus’ death on the Cross brought our salvation.
1. Jesus’ death on the cross was the ultimate example of God’s gratuitous love for man.
a. We often use the word “gratuitous” to describe unwarranted sex or violence in movies. In the Christian faith, there are many adjectives that have accompanied the word grace: amazing, free, scandalous, surprising, special, inexhaustible, incalculable, wondrous, mysterious, overflowing, abundant, irresistible, costly, extravagant, and more. John Calvin calls it gratuitous grace. Gratuitous is the idea of something being unwarranted or uncalled for. Though we yearn desperately for grace, the beautiful extravagance of God’s love in Christ is utterly uncalled for.
b. vv.8-9 – Read. Say it with me Church: “Salvation is a gift!” God has graciously given you and me the gift of salvation and He has given us the grace to accept that gift!
2. Jesus died on the cross in our place to take away the curse we bear for breaking God’s law. Galatians 3:13 says, “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us.” Because of the cross and resurrection of Jesus, there is an answer to the disciples’ question, “Who then can be saved?” The good news comes when Jesus says, “With man [salvation] is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God” (Mark 10:27 ). That’s the point of the law and the gospel: with us, salvation is impossible (law), but for God, everything is possible (gospel). It’s when we face the impossibility of doing anything to save ourselves that the grace of God floods in.
B. God’s Redemption is Purposeful.
1. You have been redeemed for a reason. (v.7)
a. IN God’s redeeming purposes He has saved you in order to put you on display to a world that needs to see His work. Illust – Do you remember GB Shaw’s Pygmalion? In that perennial HS production favorite, the snobbish & intellectual Professor of languages, Henry Higgins makes a bet with his friend that he can take a London flower seller, Eliza Doolittle, from the gutters and pass her off as a society lady. He raises her up and trains her, at first, for the sole purpose of putting her on display. Listen Christian, I hope you know this already, but if not, you are a trophy of God’s grace! And one of the reasons that Christ has saved you and me is to demonstrate the riches of His grace in your and my lives to a world that is lost and in need of His love.
b. v.7 (Read slowly). “surpassing riches of His grace in kindness towards us in Christ Jesus.” The word “kindness” (properly, facility, or readiness to serve another) is applied to that phase of God’s mercy in which it shows Him as “ready to receive, and most willing to pardon.” God’s kindness is all ‘in Christ Jesus’; in Him is the great channel through which His love comes to men, the river of God which is full of water. And that kindness is realized by us when we are ‘in Christ.’ Separated from Him we do not possess it; joined to Him as we may be by true faith in Him, it is ours, and with it all the blessings which it brings into our empty and thirsting hearts.
2. Grace should never cease to amaze us. God has an absolute, pure, holy standard of justice. That’s why we cling with all our might to the merit of Jesus Christ. He alone has the merit to satisfy the demands of God’s justice, and He gives it freely to us. We haven’t merited it. There’s nothing in us that elicits the Lord’s favor that leads to our justification. It’s pure grace.
And the more we understand what God has done for us as sinners, the more willing we are to do whatever He requires. The great teachers of the church say the first point of genuine sanctification is an increasing awareness of our own sinfulness. With that comes, at the same time, an increasing awareness of God’s grace. And with that, again, increasing love and increasing willingness to obey Him.When we truly understand grace—when we see that God only owes us wrath but has provided Christ’s merit to cover our demerit—then everything changes.
C. Applic:
