We have seen from our last look at the 5 Solas of the reformation that Scripture alone is our supreme authority both of Gods revelation of Himself, and also regarding His people. The doctrine of Sola Fide literally means “faith alone” and can be summarised this way: that, upon repentance of sin and faith in Jesus death in our place and for our sins on the cross, God imputes (or credits) His righteousness to our account so that when we stand before Him, he does not see our sin, but His own perfection. This is the crux of biblical Christianity that sets it apart from all other religions and cults.
We Get God’s Righteousness
So exactly how does this work. Don’t we have to do good to get to heaven? Well, No and yes. This idea of imputation is intertwined with the idea of justification:
“But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” (Romans 3:21-26)
You cannot have one without the other. Imputation means to transfer from one account to the other. A simple way of understanding this is to think about a bank account. Imputation is a little like transferring money into an account that owes that amount of money, or attaching a credit statement over the top of a debit invoice. Spiritually, this is not something that happens within us but a legal, forensic, and external thing declared in the courts of Heaven. This divine act makes us legally righteous in the sight of God. This is done by grace through faith and without works. In other words, through faith alone or “Sola Fide”.“For 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.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)
Working For The Man
However, there are those today in cults and groups like the Romans Catholic Church who either ignore this doctrine, waters it down, or argue against it, often for shameful gain (Titus 1:11). Anyone who is a believer as a result of the Reformation would says that grace is not infused but is imputed by Christ alone and without good works. However, Roman Catholics teach that God's righteousness is not imputed but rather instilled or infused into us through the sacraments (baptism, communion, confirmation, confession, anointing the sick, and marriage or ordination as a minister of the church) and works of the Roman Catholic religion. This begins at infant baptism where grace is first infused into the baby so as to delete original sin. This grace then has to be renewed regularly by the communion and the other sacraments. The Vatican says: “Justification is conferred in baptism...it conforms us to the righteousness of God” (Catechism of the Catholic Church).
Roman Catholic 'justification' actually follows 'sanctification' and Catholics must be constantly gaining a personal righteousness through the sacraments and other works. The Roman Catholic sacramental system becomes a replacement for Christ, since only by the sacraments does an 'unrighteous man becomes righteous' ('Grace and Gifts', Council of Trent, Sess.6, Ch.7). It is worrying to note how the tense here is in the “ongoing future”.
What The Bible Teaches
The biblical refers to justification as a past thing:
“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ… Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.” (Romans 5:1,9)
“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1)
The idea of infusion of grace through the Roman Catholic sacramental system in practice becomes a good works programme attempting to obtain righteousness with God by doing stuff. The Bible however, says: “And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted, as righteousness.” (Romans 4:5)
This verse says at least four things in regard to salvation:
- The justified one does not work
- The justified trusts in another
- The Lord justifies the sinner
- The justified one does not have faith in his own faith but sees his faith as only 'counted' (imputed, not infused) to him for righteousness.
The word “counted” here is the Greek word “logizimai” (λογίζομαι) and this word is mentioned eleven times in this one chapter of Romans. Here, the Greek word is translated as the English word counted in the ESV (vs.3,4,5,6,8,9,10,11,22,23,24). Other passages in the New Testament also translate 'logizomai' as “discussed” (Mark 11:31); “suppose”, (Romans 2:3); “hold”, (Romans 3:28); “regarded” (Romans 8:36); “thinks” (Romans 14:14); “thought” (1 Corinthians 13:11); “consider”, (2 Corinthians 11:5); and “charged”, (2 Timothy 4:16).
Its important to make the distinction between this imputation of righteousness which is an outside thing that legally justifies us, and sanctification, which is an inside work done by the transforming work of the Holy Spirit within, over the course of the believers life. The reformers called the righteousness of justification an 'alien' ('alienum') righteousness - a righteousness residing with another and given by another, on our behalf:
“Only in the Lord, it shall be said of me, are righteousness and strength; to him shall come and be ashamed all who were incensed against him. In the Lord all the offspring of Israel shall be justified and shall glory.” (Isaiah 45:24-25)
“and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses.” (Acts 13:39)
“And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” (1 Corinthians 6:11)
“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,” (Ephesians 1:7)
This substitutionary righteousness exists in Christ and resides in Heaven. Our righteousness is literally Christ.
“In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness.” (Jeremiah 23:6).
For Some, The Bible Is Not Enough
The Reformation brought the Bible back to the people and the people back to the Bible. Through making the bile readable again in the language of the people instead of in Latin (readable only by the clergy), it forced a counter-reformation from the Roman Catholic Church. Rome met at the Council of Trent and concluded: 'If anyone says that the guilt is remitted to every penitent sinner after the grace of justification has been received, and that the debt of eternal punishment is so blotted out that there remains no debt of temporal punishment to be discharged either in this world or in the next in Purgatory...let him be anathema [cursed]" (Council of Trent, Session 6, Canon 30). "..'If anyone says that by the said sacraments...grace is not conferred through the work worked but that faith alone...is sufficient for obtaining the grace, let him be anathema [cursed]." (Council of Trent, Session 7, Canon 8)...."If anyone says that men are justified either by the imputation of the righteousness of Christ alone...let him be anathema [cursed]." (Council of Trent, Session 6, Canon 11)
Does line up with scripture? It doesn’t take a great deal of work to discover that it does not. Lets recall our greek word from earlier: logizimai (λογίζομαι) Abraham believed God, and it was counted [ 'logizomai' ] to him as righteousness....his faith is counted ['logizomai'] as righteousness... God counts ['logizomai'] righteousness apart from works... his faith was ['logizomai'] “counted to him as righteousness.....it was counted ['logizomai'] to him for righteousness... It will be counted ['logizomai'] to us who believe..., (Romans 4)
“and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith” (Philippians 3:9).
The last veses is explicit in its statement of “the righteousness from God, ('dikaiosune Theou'). It should be really obvious from the bible that there is no justification without imputation.
So then, as we have seen from the verses about Abraham, faith is integral to this sovereign act of God… but what part does it play? Faith alone is the instrument of justification:
“For by grace you have been saved through faith. ['dia pistei']. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast“ (Ephesians 2:8-9)
This use of the preposition 'dia' ('through') with the word 'pistei' ('faith') shows clearly that even faith in itself is not grounds for any merit for salvation. If it were, the words used would be 'dia ten pistin' or 'on the ground of'; 'on account of'. Its interesting to note that whenever faith is connected to salvation, it is presented in the bible only as the means of justification. Faith can be likened to an empty cup or bucket. Faith gains you no merit in itself and is in fact a gift from God. With this in mind, justification is on the grounds of Christ and His righteousness alone, not any works of our own, including our faith.
Saved For Good Works, Not By Good Works
So, what part does works play in salvation? Initially, none. We are saved apart from the merit of works, but not apart from the presence of works after salvation. This is why we said at the start that you do not need to do good to go to heaven.
“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. “(Ephesians 2:10)
“What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good[a] is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” (James 2:14-18).
Faith in the finished work of Christ alone saves, but out of that salvation will come good works. Faith is linked with works like a train engine is linked to the carriages by its couplings. Without the couplings the engine will not move a single carriage. We are called to do these Good works by God, but they are impossible to us without the empowering of the Holy Spirit. In a sense, we are the conduit for Gods good works.
The bible is pretty clear about our salvation: “So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.” (Romans 9:16).
In fact, no humans naturally wants to come to God on their own and so he must draw them to himself for salvation: “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.” (John 6:44)
“no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” (Romans 3:11-12)
So, a sinner by nature, will not seek God unless first draw. Then he or she must receive the truth of Jesus Christ to be saved. “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. “ (John 1:12-13)
At salvation, God’s sovereign grace which imputes the righteousness of Christ through faith alone justifies and separates the sinner from the penalty of the law and sin.
Justification and Sanctification
You might have noticed that often justification is confused with sanctification. It is important to distinguish between the two, but not to separate them. Christ’s work externally is the grounds for justification and the work of the Holy Spirit internally is the fruit of sanctification. Only justification, is the cause of right standing with God; sanctification is the effect of right standing with God. Sanctification in itself and by itself it does not make a sinner righteous before God. In practical terms any form of 'holiness' or good works that does not stem from the imputed righteousness that comes from the saving grace of God is nothing more than human effort and 'filthy rags' to God (Isaiah 64:6).
On the other hand, justification without sanctification is impossible. Justification declares us sinners righteous, sanctification produces the fruit of that declaration. One is legal and complete, the other is progressive and incomplete until the day we meet Jesus. One gives us the title for Heaven, the other prepares and trains us for Heaven. One gives us the right of salvation, the other begins at salvation and then progressively works it out. One is objective, the other is subjective. But God does not give justification without also giving the free gift of the Holy Spirit to sanctify us, conforming us into the image of Christ in holiness (Romans 8:29).
No Such Thing as a Fruitless Christian
The idea that a Christian can be carnal or fruitless defies Jesus words “a good tree will produce good fruit” (Matthew 7:17), and also James' words that “faith without works is dead” (James 2:16). Justification without sanctification is as a faith without works: dead and not genuine. Of course, those who are justified by Christ are at various stages of their walk with God and so show varying degrees of the fruits of the faith, However they will exists in some form and grow:They will have the fruit of repentance (Luke 3:8), the fruit of holiness (Romans 6:22), the fruit of righteousness (James 3:18; Hebrews 12:11; 2 Corinthians 9:10; Philippians 1:11); the fruit of the Spirit, (Galatians 5:22) and the fruit of good works, (Colossians 1:10). They should be obedient to Christ and the word of God, increasing as they know more, (Luke 14:26-33). They should deny themselves, take up their cross, and count everything else as dung by comparison, (Philippians 3:8). This list may stand in stark contrast to those who call themselves Christians, but it is both a warning to look out for, and an encouragement to see in your own life.
The Ditches Either Side of The Path
The doctrine of justification by faith through the imputed righteousness of Christ, like any truth, can fall into extremes. On one side there is what is called 'antinomianism' and on the other 'legalism'. Both are well used by Satan to divert the church from the truth. He may not be able to posess and control a christian, but he sure likes to mess with peoples witness, and so both of these need to be things that we look out for in our own lives.
Ever since the beginning of the twentieth century, the idea of 'easy believism' has unfortunately been prominent. Great revival meetings have been held and multitudes have made 'professions', 'confessions' or 'decisions' of faith, causing many to assume they are saved despite there being little or no evidence of sanctification. The term antinomianism can be used to describe this sort of problem, meaning “against the law”. This idea can be used to describe Christians who believe they can remain carnal; that is to continue in sin, keep the baggage of the world, and generally lack any indication that the Holy Spirit is working their sanctification out. These people call themselves Christian, but the bible has something very different to say about them:
“What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?” (Romans 6:1-2)
“For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace. What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means!” (Romans 6:14-15)
“But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we too were found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not!, (Galatians 2:17).
If being a so-called “carnal christian” was the ditch on one side of the royal path of life, legalism is the other ditch. This is no new error and Paul wrote to the church at Galatia about this problem, as they were adding various laws to the simple and pure Gospel. Paul condemned it as 'another gospel':
“I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.“ (Galatians 1:6-9).
This idea of Jesus plus stuff can be seen in all sorts of forms, whether it be adding Old Testament laws on to the gospel, as the Galatians had done, or adding man made rules, rituals and regulations to the gospel. It sounds silly, but there have always been those who try to add things like what a person eats and drinks to their access to heaven and salvation (Colossians 2:16), and even wear. Roman Catholicism is fundamentally similar to the Galatian heresy in that laws, works and sacraments are added to the Gospel. Even from the time of the counter-reformation, this form of legalism has even used phrases such as salvation 'by grace alone' or 'by grace through faith' and even the 'imputed righteousness of Christ'. The definition of these terms under these legalistic systems has been changed from what historical, orthodox biblical Christianity has taught. Often these terms are used to hide the many added sacraments, rules and rituals that are otherwise foreign to the truth.
Sometimes the dividing line between error and truth literally one degree away. One degree in an angle is small at one end but can have a massive effect at the other vertex of the angle. The doctrine of Sola Fide helps us stay on the path and not fall into the ditch either side: antinomianism on one side, and a legalistic works-righteousness on the other. Antinomians are easy to spot as they do not care to test their faith to see if it is genuine (2 Corinthians 13:5; 2 Peter 1:10). Legalists adds something to faith in order to be justified.
The Implications of a Lack of Sola Fide
The doctrine of Sola Fide brought a return to biblical Christianity down through the centuries. However, today there are groups both Roman Catholic and Evangelical who are showing great interest in experiences and 'revival' phenomena, supposedly of the Holy Spirit. Charismatic/Pentecostal 'revivals' worryingly share familiar impartation theology to Rome. Evangelicals are now majoring on the Pentecostal type infusion of power and experiential 'anointings'. And there is even a call from some leaders to unite the two groups, especially with a lot of evangelicals looking favourably on the Roman Catholic Church.
In some ways, a lot of Christians seem closer to Rome, not just in the current ecumenical movement but in doctrine. A lot of so-called ‘revivals' centre around mystical experiences and phenomena. There are now so many Christians who through lack of understanding the doctrine of Sola Fide are closer to a Roman Catholic and mystical type sanctification than that of the bible. However, no amount of ecstatic religious experiences will not make anyone right with God. Only the imputed righteousness of Christ alone does this.
The emphasis has indeed swung from Christ to a counterfeit spirit. This is not the desire of the Holy Spirit but something that the bible says greives Him. “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.” (John 16:13-14)
The Holy Spirit never attracts attention to Himself and only ever points to and glorifies Christ's finished work. No work of the Holy Spirit in itself gives us righteousness with God, but only the finished work of Christ. The gift that God gives those who receive Him is the Holy Spirit to work out our salvation within us. The fruit of the Spirit is not the grounds for righteousness before God but rather the result of it. The only righteousness we have is not in us but in Christ and through His blood.
Do The Impossible!
We are commanded to be 'perfect' (Matthew 5:48), which is humanly impossible - except positionally in Christ! This is logically why justification and the imputed righteousness must be all the work of God and not of man. It is a forensic and legal declaration made in the courts of Heaven.
“When justification is attributed to faith, it is attributed to the mercy of God; it is taken out of the realm of human efforts, works and merits.”– Philip Melanchthon