Sola Gratia
May 30, 2004
Ephesians 2:8-9
Pentecost Sunday
Galena-Warwick United Methodist Charge
Warwick & Galena, Maryland
Rev. Dr. Lawrence D. Jameson
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For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:8-9
Grace
That’s one of the prettiest words in the dictionary.
Grace
Here is what it means.
Before you were born, God was thinking about you.
God already had plans to bless your life.
That’s prevenient grace.
When you became a Christian,
God forgave all of your sins.
That’s justifying grace.
As you learn to let go of your problems,
and let the Holy Spirit make you more like Jesus:
that’s sanctifying grace.
Some day, Jesus will come back to earth.
The new bodies we will receive
will last forever.
That’s glorifying grace.
We use the word grace
to describe God’s unmerited love.
Grace.
It’s a totally wonderful word.
Grace Alone
As Protestant Christians
we firmly believe
that grace, only grace, just grace, Sola Gratia,
is all it takes to make us right with God.
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith
– and this not from yourselves,
it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:8-9
We are Protestant Christians.
We are part of a movement
that started with Martin Luther,
John Calvin, and the reformers of the 1500s.
The concept of Sola Gratia
is one of the building blocks
of our identity as Protestant Christians.
It helps us to remember who we are.
What does Ephesians 2.8 mean when it says:
"For it is by grace you have been saved"?
It means that the Savior paid it all.
When Jesus died on the cross,
he completely paid for all of your sins and mine.
There isn't any left over payments to be made.
You don't have to earn even a fraction of your salvation.
Jesus paid it ALL.
That is grace.
You can find this idea
written down in the United Methodist Book of Discipline.
I put these words in the bulletin.
From the United Methodist Book of Discipline 2002 page 103
The offering Christ freely made on the cross is the perfect and sufficient
sacrifice for the sins of the whole world, redeeming man from all sin, so that
no other satisfaction is required.
When we rely completely on Jesus
without trying to impress God
or bargain with God,
that is faith.
One day a man came up to Jesus and said:
"Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life.?"
(Matthew 19:16)
That one sentence sums up
exactly how the world sees religion.
People want to know, "What is it going to cost me?"
"What do you want ME to do?"
But the Gospel turns worldly wisdom on its head.
Salvation has a price tag,
but it has been marked in red letters,
"PAID IN FULL BY JESUS CHRIST".
Do you remember Minnie Pearl?
Minnie Pearl used to wear a dangling price tag on her hat.
It was her trade mark.
Christians have a price tag.
It is the cross.
That cross has become our trade mark.
The cross stands for
the price that has been paid
for every human sin
by a gracious, loving Savior.
Jesus paid it ALL!
That is what "Sola Gratia"
is all about.
I sing the song
Grace Alone
by Scott Wesley Brown and Jeff Nelson
Every promise we can make,
every prayer and step of faith,
every difference we can make
is only by his grace.
Every mountain we will climb,
every ray of hope we shine,
every blessing left behind
is only by his grace.
Grace alone which God supplies,
strength unknown he will provide.
Christ in us our Cornerstone;
we will go forth in grace alone.
Every soul we long to reach,
every heart we hope to teach,
everywhere we share his peace
is only by his grace.
Every loving word we say,
every tear we wipe away
every sorrow turned to praise
is only by his grace.
Humility
What about faith?
Isn’t faith something that we do?
If God gives us grace,
then that obviously comes from him
and we can’t brag about it.
But what about our faith?
Isn’t that something we can take credit for?
Actually, NO.
The Bible is really clear about that.
The faith you have
was given to you by God.
It is a gift. You can’t brag about something you didn’t make.
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith
--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God
- not by works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:8-9
Take a look at two words in this verse:
the word “this” and the word “it”.
Both of these words refer back to “faith”.
If you study this verse, it gets really clear.
You can’t take credit for your faith.
God gave you the ability
to say YES to his grace.
Sola Gratia.
A deep understanding of grace
will make you humble.
When you stand before the mountain
you learn how very small and frail you are.
When you stand before the cross of Jesus Christ
your emotional defenses fall away,
your desire to look good in front of people vanishes.
You see just how deeply you are loved,
and how wonderful God's provision is for you.
Boasting about yourself becomes the least important
part of your life.
Proverbs 3:34 says:
"He mocks proud mockers
but gives grace to the humble."
Liberty
There is incredible liberty in being a Christian.
We are a people who have already won the victory!
We are a people who have read the end of the book.
We are a people who can relax and enjoy
God's wonderful world!
Why?
Because we don't earn salvation.
By faith, we celebrate the victory that is certainly coming!
Yes, Christians still have problems
and sickness, and crisis, and difficulties.
But, even in the midst of trouble,
we have grace
and that makes all the difference!
Evangelism
Understanding the meaning of grace
has tremendous consequences for evangelism.
Jesus has already defeated
the sins, the problems, and the enemies
of every person we know.
There isn't anyone who doesn't need God's grace.
All the other religions
have rules
for people follow
to save themselves through their own effort.
We have a message of grace.
The price has already been paid.
We get to say something
that is always fresh
always counter-cultural
always powerful
always specific to each situation and need.
We get to tell people
about the wonders of God’s grace.
Conclusion
Sola Gratia
means grace alone.
It sure cuts down on bragging rights.
It sets you free.
It gives us a message worth sharing.
PRAYER
Lord God, on Memorial Day, throughout the land, Americans will
gather, pausing to honor the valiant defenders of our freedoms.
We bring before you, in remembrance, and for your blessing,
the soldiers of the past, and all who are presently making sacrifices to
overcome evil and to preserve liberty and justice.
Give guidance and blessing to our Commander in Chief,
President George W. Bush. Protect every soldier and sailor in the armed forces
of the United States of America.
In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.