Sola Gratia

Ephesians 2:8
"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God,"

2 Thessalonians 2:16
"Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort, and good hope through grace,"

Titus 3:7
"so that being justified by His grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life,"

Salvation is by grace alone. These three verses are just a few examples of many that teach it is the grace of God that brings us anything we have, especially the salvation unto eternal life and comfort with Him. Salvation comes to the people of God through His grace alone. This is what the Latin phrase, "Sola Gratia" means. There is no other way that salvation comes from God to His people, except through His extended hand of grace. There is no merit, qualification, or reasons that people should be saved except for the very grace of God being extended to them. And without the grace of God being extended to people, they will never experience salvation and instead face the perfect justice of God.

First, there is no merit, qualification, or reason that God hands grace to His people. If there was a merit that a person could achieve to get grace, then it is no longer an act of grace, but an act of something that person deserves. For example, if I earn an A in my current class, then receiving an A is not grace but what I rightly deserve. If there was a qualification, say for example, good works, then again, it is no longer the grace of God that is being bestowed, but something that the person has earned and achieved on their own and God is simply giving to the person what they deserve. And lastly, there is no reason that a person is given the grace of God except the fact that it is the grace of God. If there was a reason inside a person that they should be given grace, then lastly again, it is no longer grace. Grace is simply unmerited favor of God being bestowed on the person. Grace will always be unmerited, undeserved, and have no reason in the person, That is why grace and salvation are a gift from God.

Second, there are only two choices and actions that a person will receive from God. Every single human being will either receive what they deserve from God or they will receive grace from God. That is it. There is no third or fourth choice in how God will interact with a person. For all eternity to come a person either receives what they deserve from God or they will receive grace from God. And what does a person deserve from God? Every single person who was ever conceived (except Christ alone) deserves the justice of God. And what is the justice of God? The justice of God is God being satisfied in payment for the sin nature and sins that are inside each and every person. And how is the justice of God bestowed on a person? The justice of God is met in a person by them bearing the wrath and judgement of God, which is done in eternity by being place in the real place called hell. So a person has only two results in this life, either they receive what they are due, which is the justice of God being poured out on them in wrath or they receive the grace of God. That is its. It is really simple, yet very hard to think through. it is either justice or grace. And grace will never be  grace without justice in place already.

Third, the love of God does not save people without the grace of God overshadowing and running through it. I love my children, but there are times they deserve the punishment for what they do. So even in my love for my children, they get what they deserve becasue I love God above all and true love has to be met even in the judgment I bestow as a parent. God can love us, every single one of us. Which He does. But God loves Himself above all and to the highest degree. And since God loves Himself first and foremost every single person must meet His demands and the justice of God must be met. That means without the grace of God (in that Christ met the demands of God for His sheep) love is not enough to save. It is grace alone that bring salvation to His people.

So in closing, Sola Gratia means that it is the grace of God alone that saves. It is God in His grace giving the gift of His Son's imputed life and death to those whom He chooses to show grace to. God's love is the glue that keeps this all together, but it is the grace of God alone which will bring about, from the very beginning to the very end, His plan to save His people. God is a gracious God and without His grace, everyone is damned to Hell for what they rightly deserve. But God is grace and in that grace alone, salvation can come to me and anyone else that have faith in Christ alone for the glory of God alone told by Scripture alone. Oh what a glorious and gracious God we love and serve in that He showed me His unmerited favor in grace to save me from what I deserve. Thank you Lord for your grace shown to me.