Sola Fide: Faith Alone
Galatians 5:1-16 (p. 1815) October 8, 2017
For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value.
The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.
Galatians 5:6
Faith vs. Burden
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then,
and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
Galatians 5:1 (p. 1815) see Galatians 2:15-20
48 AD [the Judaizers following Paul in Galatia]: ___________________________________
1545 AD [Council of Trent ruling on faith]: ___________________________________________
2017 AD [living by faith in Anacortes]: ____________________________________________
True faith is about who gets the credit
For it by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.
Ephesians 2:8-9 (p. 1891)
In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
James 2:17
- True faith is a GIFT
- True faith answers “WHOSE righteousness?”
- ACTION always accompanies true faith
Living by faith
The righteous will live by faith.
Romans 1:17 (p. 1747) quoting Habakkuk 2:4 (p. 1458)
But by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit
the righteousness for which we hope.
Galatians 5:5 (p. 1815)
- Celebrate the TENSIONS of freedom –> both the obligations (5:13-15) and expectations (5:7-12)
- SEEK righteousness by the Spirit, not by law (see Galatians 5:16-26)
- Passionately guard GRACE (and keep a sharp eye out the 21st Century “agitators”!)
More resources for studying sola Fide
Michael Horton’s article “By Faith Alone?” at https://www.monergism.com/are-we-justified-faith-alone
Calvin Theological Seminary’s Forum (Spring 2017), “500 Years of the Reformation”.
Kim Riddlebarger’s sermons on Galatians 5 at http://kimriddlebarger.squarespace.com/an-exposition-of-galatians/
Bob Deffinbaugh’s wonderful sermon on faith at https://bible.org/seriespage/14-goal-gospel-galatians-51-12
Heidelberg Catechism, Lord’s Day 7
Heidelberg Catechism, Lord’s Day 7: True Faith
Q 21. What is true faith?
- True faith is not only a sure knowledge by which I hold as true all that God has revealed to us in Scripture;1
it is also a wholehearted trust,2 which the Holy Spirit creates in me3 by the gospel,4
that God has freely granted, not only to others but to me also,5
forgiveness of sins, eternal righteousness, and salvation.6
These are gifts of sheer grace, granted solely by Christ’s merit.7
1 John 17:3, 17; Heb. 11:1-3; James 2:19; 2 Rom. 4:18-21; 5:1; 10:10; Heb. 4:14-16
3 Matt. 16:15-17; John 3:5; Acts 16:144; Rom. 1:16; 10:17; 1 Cor. 1:21
5 Gal. 2:20 6 Rom. 1:17; Heb. 10:107; Rom. 3:21-26; Gal. 2:16; Eph. 2:8-10