The Five Solas of the Reformation (III)

Today, we will deal with two solas because of how close these two are. Sola gratia “Grace alone” and Sola Christo “Christ alone” are these two solas. As previously discussed,  justification is by faith alone, it is based on grace alone. It is not according to one’s deed that God justifies him but according to God’s grace. If the Lord counted our iniquities, none would stand before Him. We would all be condemned. None deserves to be justified. If it is not according to God’s mercy, love, and grace towards us, who would be bold with his chest out to declare that he deserves to be justified according to his meritorious work? None! The Psalmist saw this and declared, “If You, LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with You, That You may be feared” (130:3-4). It is because God forgives that is why we can stand. We stand with our chests out because of God’s clemency and His graciousness. We are saved by grace alone as declared by Paul to the Ephesians.

For God to justify us freely, He had to deal with sin. He could not just wink over sin that would speak against His nature and being. To this end, God became for us, Just and Justifier. That is, for God to be gracious, loving, and kind to us, He must forgive our sin and acquit us from the penalty of sin and guilt. Nonetheless, one of His attributes is a Jealous God. In many instances, in the biblical text, when the Israelites sin, it is God’s jealousy for the sanctity of His name that moved Him to act. To this end, He told the Israelites that He is a Jealous God. It is in this jealousy that His justice springs from. Yet, the Jealous God is also the gracious God who forgives iniquity. How can God show clemency, grace, and love to the fallen human race and remain God who is firm to punish iniquity? God’s answer was CHRIST ALONE.

It is in Christ alone that God becomes for us both Just and Justifier. God’s indignation against sin was seen in Christ’s crucifixion. The Son of God carried the sins of the world and suffered the penalty we all deserved. The sin of the world was imputed upon Him. The just punishment that sin deserves was served in Christ. He suffered in His body once and for all. God’s love for mankind is seen in the revelation of His Son, but at the same time, His faithfulness, justice, and holiness are seen in Christ. This is why Christ alone is the only mediator between man and God. In Luther’s time, Mary seemed to have been elevated to an equal authority to Jesus when it comes to the intermediatory work. The Reformers saw that it is only Christ alone or nothing else so they emphasized Jesus Christ in the Protestant Reformation.

It is Christ alone that makes Grace meaningful. God’s grace without Christ would be seen as a mere pampering of sinners to be stiffnecked. Biblical Christianity affirms that it is grace alone that leads us to God. It is grace alone but this grace is in Christ alone. Anytype of grace that does not rest in Christ is no grace. If anyone would trust anything else apart from Christ, they are doomed. John the apostle concluded, “He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life” (1 John 5:12). He said this because it is the Son that makes grace meaningful and efficacious. It is in the Son that God’s righteous standard is met. So yes, salvation is by grace alone but this grace rests in the vicarious offering of Christ and His righteousness imputed to us. Soli Deo Gloria 

Michael Yaw Tano

tanomichael65@gmail.com

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