I’m not sure I could have been more excited for Black Panther. I’m already a comic book nerd to start with, but this movie had some serious hype behind it. In fact, it was so hyped up that I was getting nervous. What if the movie couldn’t live up to the hype? I started managing my expectations so I wouldn’t be disappointed.
A friend and I made plans to go on the Friday night after it released. We picked a theater that let us reserve our seats. We identified where we would meet and when. Our plan was all set…except for one detail my friend didn’t share with me. He wasn’t going to let me pay for my ticket. I had no say in the matter since he had already bought the tickets. This gesture wasn’t for anything I did, but simply because my friend loves me and wanted to do something kind for me. I wasn’t allowed to pay him back. All I could do is receive the gift.
The Protestant Reformation is often identified by five statements called the Five Solas. Over the next few weeks we’re going to consider these statements and what they mean to our faith. This week we start with number one: Sola Gratia – By Grace Alone. Not into Latin? How about this? Grace means God paid for your ticket. It’s not based on anything you’ve done. You didn’t earn it. God paid your fare because he loves you. You can’t pay him back. All you can do is receive the gift.
The Apostle Paul says it this way in Ephesians 2:8-9: “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” In Jesus Christ, God has saved us from sin and death. He didn’t do it through our works, as that would let us brag. No, God gives salvation as a gift of grace – his unmerited favor. Grace means that God offers the fullness of life to ill-deserving sinners like you and me.
Perhaps you already know that. Maybe you’ve heard enough sermons or read enough books to know that Christians are saved by grace and not works. But how deeply do you believe it? If you’re anything like me, it’s tempting to turn to works instead. Works give us a sense of control. Works give us something of which we can be proud.
How do you know if I’m talking about you? If you’ve ever caught yourself thinking that God loved you more because of something you did, you’ve trusted in your works. If we think giving our time or money away gains us any extra favor before God, we’re trusting in works. If we think what we say makes God love us more, we’re trusting in works. Whenever we think we’ve done something to deserve our salvation, we’re putting our faith in works and not Jesus.
Where have you trusted in works instead of grace this week? How does it change your stress level to know that Jesus Christ paid for your ticket with his blood, not with your works?