Sola Gratia

AM Psalm 85, 86 • PM Psalm 91, 92
1 Sam. 2:1-10 • Eph. 2:1-10 • Matt. 7:22-27

“For it is 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. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

The means of salvation was a large part of conversation during the Reformation. The debate is ongoing in many ways. One strong proclamation of the Reformation and of reformed Christianity today is that of sola gratia; God’s grace alone saves us.

Sola gratia is contrasted with a theology that is based in both reliance on God and a confidence in the good works done during life. Critics of this theology would argue that it makes salvation something earned when our salvation is an unmerited gift from God.

I won’t solve this debate for you, but I will remind you of God’s generous nature. God’s grace saves us and draws us into relationship. It is grace, through faith, that makes us God’s own and that gives us everlasting life with Her.

So why do good works if we don’t need them for our salvation? Because we want to respond to God’s goodness in creation with thanksgiving, care, and mutual concern for all God’s children. I find it liberating to know that my actions are a response to God rather than an effort to earn God’s affection.

God’s grace is a gift we do not have to earn. Our good works are thanksgiving.

How do you approach your actions differently when they are a response, an offering, and an oblation of thanksgiving rather than a currency for salvation?

Written by Adelyn Tyler

...who loves a lively theological debate with Presbyterian pastor and fiancée Angela Williams! My Anglican identity and her deeply reformed identity make dinner time conversations about salvation, the nature of God, liturgy, and more a fun and very nerdy part of our lives.