Salvation by Grace Alone

Justification answers this question, “How and when do we gain a right legal standing before God? A right understanding of justification is absolutely crucial to the whole Christian faith. Once Martin Luther realized the truth of justification by faith alone, he became a Christian and overflowed with the new-found joy of the gospel. He proclaimed rightly, “The only contribution we make to our justification is our sin which God so graciously forgives."The primary issue in the Protestant Reformation was a dispute with the Roman Catholic Church over justification. If we are to safeguard the truth of the gospel for future generations, we must understand the truth of justification. Even today, a true view of justification is the dividing line between the biblical gospel of salvation by faith alone and all false gospels of salvation based on good works.

What is justification? Dr. Wayne Grudem states it is “an instantaneous legal act of God in which he (1) thinks of our sins as forgiven and Christ’s righteousness as belonging to us, and (2) declares us to be righteous in his sight."

According to God's Word, salvation is not obtained by anything one does, either by religious ritual or by keeping some code of laws. Salvation is only obtained by grace alone through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone for the glory of God alone.

Salvation is by grace alone! What is grace? “Grace is a provision for men who are so fallen they cannot lift the axe of justice; who are so corrupt they cannot change their own natures; so adverse to God that they cannot turn to Him of their own strength; so blind they cannot see Him, so deaf they cannot hear Him, and so dead that He Himself must open their graves.” -G.S. Bishop

Charles Hodge said, “If salvation be in any form or to any degree dependent on the merit, the goodness, or the stability of man, it never can be sure, nay, it must be utterly unattainable. Unless we are saved by grace, we cannot be saved at all. To reject, therefore, salvation by grace is to reject the only method of salvation available to sinners.”

Are you confident that God has declared you "not guilty" forever in his sight? Did you do anything that resulted in God's justifying of you? Did you do anything to deserve justification? If you are not sure that God has justifed you fully and for all time, is there something you need to do before that will happen? What would persuade you that God has certainly justified you?

You cannot be saved by going through some religious rituals or sacraments. You cannot be right with God by keeping the law. You must obtain it by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. Just like Abraham did. You must have a righteousness outside of yourself to gain a right standing before the one true God. This is “the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe” (Romans 3:22). As Horatius Bonar wrote.

Not what these hands have done
can save this guilty soul;
Not what this toiling flesh has borne
Can make my spirit whole.
Not what I feel or do
Can give me peace with God.
Not all my prayers and sighs and tears
Can bear my awful load.
Thy work alone, O Christ,
Can ease this weight of sin;
Thy blood alone, O Lamb of God,
Can give me peace within.
Thy grace alone, O God
To me can pardon speak,
Thy power alone, O Son of God
Can this sore bondage break.
I bless the Christ of God;
I rest on love divine;
And with unfalt’ring lip and heart,
I call this Savior mine.