J.A. Matteson
"Yet they are Your people, even your inheritance, whom You brought out by Your great power and Your outstretched arm" (Deut. 9:29).
Salvation from physical bondage was beyond human ability and required the power of God. "For I am not ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone [Jew and Gentile] who believes..." (Rom. 1:16). What is the status of faith and where does it originate? It is the gift of God and the manifestation of grace, "For by grace you have been saved [the basis of salvation] through faith [the means by which grace is applied]..." (Eph. 2:8).
Sola fide must be understood in the broader principal of sola gratia. At stake is not merely the question of faith vs. works, but grace vs. merit. What can a dead man do? Can he hear, speak, reason? "And you were dead in your trespasses and sins...." (Eph. 2:1). But you contend that while a child of wrath, dead, blind, and deaf you somehow reached out and took hold of the offer of grace in your own ability. Really? Then you have something to boast about, but not before God.
Reflecting on your prior state of misery and helplessness in bondage to sin does the Apostle share your proud assessment of self-release from bondage to sin while dead? What does he say? "But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)" (Eph. 2:4-5). Note he does not begin with, "But man...."
If you think you contributed anything to secure your salvation, including a faith that you think you generated within your fallen nature apart from grace, you still have not grasped the Gospel. May the LORD give you understanding. For if you are trusting in your your confidence to believe and continue to believe you remain lost, for your faith is not in God, but in yourself. Only Christ saves, as it is written, "For the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith" (Rom. 1:17). That is, faith to come to Christ and faith to continue in Christ is pure grace. And faith is the grace gift of God by which a man is justified. Grace and faith come together as the gift of God unto salvation to His inheritance, to those foreknown to Him in eternity (Rom. 8:29-30).
Copyright (c) 2012 Immutable Word Ministries ("...the word of our God stands forever." Isa. 40:8).