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This morning we have the privilege of sinking our hearts into some of the most wonderful and assuring truths in the Bible about our salvation. From Romans 3:27 through 4:5 Paul is going to press into our hearts exactly what justification by faith means. And not just faith, but faith alone, or the Latin phrase, sola fide.
You’ll remember it was that one little word “alone” that sparked the Reformation. The Protestants and Rome agreed on the trinity, on the deity of Christ, even on justification by faith. But when Luther insisted the Bible teaches justification by faith alone, that did it for Rome. That meant people could just believe in Christ, have assurance of heaven, and not have to depend on the church and all the sacraments to get them to heaven. As R. C. Sproul put it, the eye of the Reformation tornado was this one little word – alone. In fact, at the Council of Trent in the mid-1500s, Rome pronounced a curse on anyone who taught that justification is by faith alone and that Christ’s righteousness is imputed to the sinner’s account. They said God only justifies you as He infuses righteousness in you through the sacramental system.
But the Scriptures so clearly teach we are justified by faith alone in Christ alone that it’s hard to believe anyone can miss it. I agree with the author who said, “If there is one thing I love in life, it is the doctrine of justification by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. This is the biblical truth that liberates me from the crushing burden of ever having to stand before God on my own merit but covers me instead with the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ, the Son of God” (Philip Ryken). From Romans 3:27 through 4:5, Paul gives us five implications of sola fide.
SOLA FIDE ELIMINATES ALL BOASTING
Romans 3:27-28, Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith. 28 For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law.
We saw in verse 26 that God is just and the One who justifies or declares righteous the person who has faith in Jesus. If that is true, and it is, then what place is there for human boasting? Men are naturally inclined to boast in their human achievement. When the defense sacks the quarterback, what does he do? He puffs out his chest, flexes his muscles, struts down the field, and crows like a rooster. Spurgeon wrote, “Pride is most obnoxious to God.” And when it comes to our standing before God, pride or boasting is eliminated. There is no place for it. Boasting is excluded because a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law. What does he have to boast in?
Luther used the word “alone” in his German translation of verse 28 and that is exactly what the verse is saying. It isn’t saying we’re justified by faith plus our sincere efforts. But that’s what most people think. They stand with the Pharisee in the temple who prayed, “Thank you God that I’m not like other men, like that tax collector over there.” How about, “I may not be perfect, but I’m better than a lot of people.” Many people think if you’re sincere, God will accept you. If you do your best, surely God will not keep you out of heaven. They believe if their good works outweigh their bad works, God will let them in. I’ve heard men like Bill O’Reilly and Dennis Prager confidently assure their listeners that if they do the best they can, if they aim to keep the ten commandments, they can rest assured they’ll go to heaven when they die. This is the most common and fatal error about how we get to God.
Listen to Paul again in verse 27. Boasting is completely excluded, shut out. Not even a little boasting is allowed. Spurgeon says, “Boasting says let me in and I will just sit on the floor and be quiet.” No, there is no room here for boasting. Don’t even let his tail in the door. Paul says we are justified or declared righteous “by faith apart from works of the law.”
Instead of boasting, sola fide (only faith) produces the humility and gratitude that says, “Nothing in my hand I bring; simply to Your cross I cling.” Be honest. What are trusting to get you to heaven? Are you trusting in your own good, your own religious works or service, you being a good moral person, keeping the commandments, or being nice to people to help you get to heaven? Have you ever said, “If anyone went to heaven it was Aunt Sally. She was the paragon of virtue. If she didn’t make it, nobody will.” That statement exposes an unbiblical understanding of justification by faith alone in Christ alone. As nice as Aunt Sally was, her virtue didn’t get her there.
SOLA FIDE ELIMINATES ALL DISTINCTIONS BETWEEN PEOPLE
Romans 3:29-30, Or is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, 30 since indeed God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith is one.
There is tremendous pride in race and heritage and nationality. And somehow, we think God favors one group of people over another. The Jews certainly believed that. But sola fide knocks the props right out from under that false thinking.
Nationality or ethnicity make no difference when it comes to justification by faith alone. Paul says whether you’re a Jew or Gentle, or if you’re circumcised or not, makes no difference. We could add, baptized or not baptized makes no difference. Jew and Gentile…all sin and God justifies all sinners the same way, through faith alone in Christ alone. Therefore, the same gospel message is for the Chinese and Indians and Africans and Europeans and Spaniards and Kentuckians and Hoosiers and any other people group. No group has an edge with God. All come to Christ the same way with the same message, by faith alone in Christ alone. You may be worth as much as Elon Musk, but your net worth makes no difference when it comes to standing before God. One God, one Savior, one cross, one gospel, and one way to be justified – that is by faith alone.
SOLA FIDE DOES NOT ABOLISH THE LAW
Romans 3:31, Do we then nullify the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law.
If the works of the law do not save us, then you’d think the law has no more authority, that faith alone means the law of God is nullified. And that’s the charge they brought against Paul. But Paul surprises us with this response, “May it never be!” Don’t even think about parking there. The fact is that justification by faith alone in Christ alone by grace alone actually establishes the Law. How does sola fide establish the Law? Remember, Jesus said He didn’t come to abolish the Law but to fulfill it (Matthew 5:17). So first, the law’s purpose is to expose our sin and send us to the Savior. Galatians 3:24 says the Law was our tutor to lead us to Christ. Paul added in Romans 10:4 that Christ is the end or goal of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. The second way God’s law or standard of righteousness is established is when you put your faith in Christ, what happens? We’ll see this more later in Romans 4, but the perfect righteousness of Christ, who kept the law perfectly in His life and in His death, is imputed or credited to your account before God. Christ is your perfect law keeper. He established or honored and fulfilled the law for us.
So far, sole fide (faith alone) eliminates all boasting, all racial distinctions, and fulfills the law through Christ. Remember, Paul is still dealing with the Jews. And they are going to be thinking, “Hold it, what about Abraham?” Alright, let’s look at Abraham. This is one of those places where chapter divisions divide what should continue together.
SOLA FIDE IS NOT A NEW MESSAGE
Romans 4:1-3, What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, has found? 2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. 3 For what does the Scripture say? “ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.”
This is so good. Abraham was their main guy, their faith hero. And the Jews believed he was a righteous man. He’s the beginning of their nation. Surely, he was accepted by God based on his works. If anyone got to heaven, surely Abraham did. They even said Abraham kept the law before it was even given.
Paul disagrees. If Abraham was justified by his works, which he wasn’t, he would have something to boast about among men, but not before God. I love what Paul says next. “What does the Bible say?” The King James Version says, “What saith the Scriptures?” That’s exactly what you and I ought to always ask when presented with a question. Evolution and millions of years? What does the Bible say? Marriage? What does the Bible say? Homosexuality or lesbianism or gender issues? What does the Bible say? Abortion? What does the Bible say? The end times? What does the Bible say? Truth is not about your opinion or your feelings or what does the church or the scholars or the culture say. What does the Bible say? What does God say?
Now Paul reaches back into Genesis and marches out Father Abraham, the Jews’ heavy hitter. All the way back in Genesis 15, around 2000 BC, God gives us this doctrine of justification by faith alone in Christ alone. We must go back there and see what happened.
Genesis 15:1 says God appeared to Abraham. God had promised Abraham a seed, a son. Abraham is confused and asks, “Where’s the seed you promised? Tell you what, God. We’ve got this Eliezer our servant, and around here when couples don’t have offspring, they just adopt their servant. So, God, we’ll help you out. We’ll name Eliezer as our heir.” What is God’s response? “Not on your life!” God doesn’t need our help. Here is the first revelation of justification by faith alone.
Genesis 15:4-6, Then behold, the word of the LORD came to him, saying, “This man will not be your heir; but one who will come forth from your own body, he shall be your heir.” 5 And He took him outside and said, “Now look toward the heavens, and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.” 6 Then he believed in the LORD; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness.
All Abraham did was follow God outside and looked at all those stars up there. “Your seed is going to be like that!” Now, what did Abraham do? He didn’t work. He didn’t promise to be good. He didn’t do anything. He simply believed what God told him. He said, “Amen” to what God promised. And what did God do? He reckoned or computed it to Abraham as righteousness. Abraham was given a preview of the gospel. He didn’t understand it fully like we do, but God declared him righteous by faith alone! Not by works.
Abraham’s faith isn’t his righteousness. Faith is simply your empty hand receiving what God promised. Faith is like your foot on the gas pedal in your car. Your foot doesn’t speed you down the road. Your foot is the means by which the engine revs up. If there’s no engine under the hood, you’re not going anywhere. You can have faith in a false teaching, but it won’t save you. You can have faith in a bogus $20 bill, and you’ll probably get arrested. Faith has no merit unless it is placed in the right thing. Faith is the means, not the basis of salvation. Christ is the basis. Faith must be placed in Christ. Abraham’s faith was in God’s promise of a seed. That seed turns out to be Christ. He was justified all the way back there by faith alone in Christ alone. Now Paul gives us the most wonderful teaching on sola fide in the whole Bible. I rejoice in these next two verses. Don’t miss them.
SOLA FIDE MEANS NO HUMAN MERIT WHATSOEVER
Romans 4:4-5, Now to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but as what is due. 5 But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness,
Paul here is crystal clear and easy to understand. This isn’t rocket science. In these two verses, Paul contrasts the principle of works with the principle of grace. First the principle of works. You are hired to do a job and promised $1000 for your labor. You work hard, do a good job, and go to collect what the guy owes you. He comes out and says, “Hey, you’re a nice guy. I know you have some financial needs. So out of the goodness of my heart, I’m going to cut you a check for $1000.” And you immediately think, “Are you serious? Nonsense with this goodness of your heart business. I worked hard all week for that $1000. You owe it to me. It is due me.” That’s the principle of works. That’s not how anyone is justified by God.
Now look at verse five for the principle of grace and the clearest statement on justification by faith alone in the entire Bible. Look closely. First, this man doesn’t work. He does nothing to merit God’s favor. Nothing, which means not a thing. Imagine if the Bible said, “For by your efforts to better yourself you are saved?” “Jesus came into the world to save good people, of whom, Paul says, ‘I am the best!’” No, verse five says God justifies people who do nothing, nada, zip, zilch, to earn this gift of righteousness.
But that isn’t all. He’s ungodly. Ungodly is even worse than unrighteous. And what does it say? God justifies the ungodly. He doesn’t wait for him to clean himself up. This is just amazing. Martyn Lloyd-Jones says verse five proves once and forever justification is entirely God’s act and is based in no way on our activities. You don’t clean up your life first and then come to be saved. And this verse proves that justification doesn’t make us righteous. God imputes or credits righteousness to the ungodly. I’m so thankful for this truth because even on my best day my heart is still ungodly. Let me tell you, it’s good God justifies the ungodly while they are still ungodly. Otherwise, none of us would be justified.
Let’s visit the courtroom to illustrate all this. Here’s an ungodly man. He’s a serial murderer, a rapist, stolen millions of dollars, and his computer is full of child pornography. He’s a guilty, filthy, wicked, ungodly man. Agree? Now his day in court has come. The judge looks at his record, the jury has no question of his guilt, he is brought in for the final verdict, and he is declared guilty! Rightfully so! He’s guilty as sin, ungodly.
But God comes to him in the Bible, in the gospel, and says, “I have a Son who died for ungodly people just like you. His death can completely free you of all guilt and condemnation. Not only that, but my Son lived a perfect life. While you never loved God and your neighbor perfectly, He always loved God and His neighbors, including His enemies, perfectly. He has a perfect record. If you are willing to receive Him as your Lord and Savior and believe my promise about Him, I will credit His righteous record to your account. Will you believe Me?” And this ungodly man, who has nothing in his own heart or life that is righteous, who is still guilty, says “Yes! I believe you!” That is by faith alone…sola fide.
Now this man comes into court again, same man, same crimes, same guilt, same ungodly character, but now he is clothed in the righteous robe of Jesus Christ. The judge looks at the man’s record and sees perfect righteousness, then leans forward and says, “I declare you righteous, all crimes forgiven, all sins erased.”
Now, the basis of the verdict is not his faith, nor is it any righteousness in him. It’s purely the record of Jesus Christ imputed or transferred to his record! He is justified by grace alone, through faith alone, based on Christ alone, God’s perfect righteousness. That’s how you and I and every believer get to heaven. Sola fide.
But, you say, isn’t God going to change his life? Won’t he pursue a godly life? Yes, he will, but let’s not mix up justification and sanctification—nothing is more important than understanding the difference. True faith always shows itself in a changed life of obedience to God, but faith has no merit. God justifies the ungodly by the merit of Christ alone, period and praise the Lord! Good works has no merit before justification takes place. The man who has trusted Christ for justification will pursue holiness, which is sanctification, but pursuing holiness is not the basis of his justification. Justification comes first, then sanctification follows. Sanctification never comes before justification. Christ and His perfect righteousness alone is the basis of this ungodly man’s justification. God gets all the praise and glory!
Could it be any clearer? Where is your faith? Are you counting on your good deeds outweighing your bad deeds? Or are you trusting in Jesus Christ alone for your eternal salvation?