Reforming the Family: Part 2—Sola Gratia
In honor of the 505th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation, thus far we have established the foundation of this series by focusing on sola Scriptura. In doing so, we have joyfully affirmed that the inspired, inerrant, clear, authoritative Word of God, alone, is sufficient for salvation and for Christian living, which includes our task as parents to raise our children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord (Eph. 6:4). We turn our attention, now, to the next “sola” of the Reformation: sola Gratia—by grace alone.
The year was 1525. With the Protestant Reformation in full swing, Martin Luther was engaged in a public debate with the Dutch philosopher and humanist, Desiderius Erasmus. Feeling the pressure to distance himself from Luther, Erasmus had written a work the previous year entitled, Discourse on Free Will. His position can be seen clearly in the conclusion of the document. Concerning the biblical passages he referenced in support of his position, Erasmus wrote:
“And so these passages, which seem to be in conflict with one another, are easily brought into harmony if we join the striving of our will with the assistance of divine grace.”[1]
If you haven’t perceived it already, the view promoted by Erasmus in the 16th century is the same view held by many professing believers, today. It espouses the idea that human beings work in cooperation with God for salvation. It’s a semi-pelagian belief that attempts to lessen the extent of humanity’s fallenness in order to make the gospel more palatable. For Luther, however, he understood that the real consequence of affirming such an unbiblical belief would be to cheapen God’s grace and undermine God’s glory. Therefore, in response to Erasmus, Luther wrote a treatise of his own entitled, On the Bondage of the Will. The conclusion to Luther’s work also helps us understand his overarching thesis:
“Therefore we must pray to God that He may open my mouth and your heart, and the hearts of all men, and that He may Himself be present in our midst as the Master who informs both our speaking and hearing.”[2]
Walking in the footsteps of Augustine before him, Luther successfully refuted the errors of Erasmus and unapologetically affirmed the clear teaching of Scripture. He battled with the truth in love and boldly declared that humanity’s redemption is completely and totally an act of God’s sovereign grace.
The Definition of Grace
So, what is grace? Well, Scripture essentially speaks of grace in two ways. The first one is often referred to as common grace. Common grace is the unmerited favor of God by which He shows a general kindness to all His image-bearers, both believers and unbelievers alike (Matt. 5:45). We experience this grace every day in seemingly ordinary ways. With every beat of our heart and every breath in our lungs, we have reason to thank God for His grace.
The second way we see grace defined refers to God’s special grace. Special grace is a unique love of God by which He predestines, calls, justifies, and glorifies His chosen image-bearers (Rom. 8:30). Once again, this grace is unmerited. According to God’s special grace, although His elect deserve to be crushed by His fierce anger and holy wrath for all of eternity, He sovereignly chooses to lavish us with the immensity of His love and kindness (Eph. 2:1–9).
The Purpose of Grace
Focusing specifically on God’s special grace, it’s important for us recognize the practical purposes God has for its demonstration. As always, we can never exhaust the full scope of God’s sovereign plans and purposes, but Scripture helps us understand them more fully. We’ll look at three of the primary purposes for this special grace, which God has revealed in His Word:
For the Purpose of Exaltation
From humanity’s earliest encounters with God, as described in the Old Testament, He has revealed Himself to be a God of grace. Responding to Moses’ request to see His glory, Scripture tells us that:
“The LORD passed before him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and truth” (Exodus 34:6).
Fast forwarding to the New Testament, we discover that God’s desire to exalt His grace remains. Paul describes this in his letter to the Ephesians, saying:
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us for adoption to Himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of His will, to the praise of His glorious grace, with which He has blessed us in the Beloved” (Eph. 1:3–6).
Without question, one of the unmistakable purposes God has in lavishing us with His special, saving grace is to exalt Himself that He might receive the praise, glory, and honor He so richly deserves. So, as we seek to establish a culture of gratitude in our homes, while consistently teaching our children the Word of God, it’s also vitally important that we diligently pray for the Lord to exalt His grace in and through their lives. Apart from His grace, our greatest efforts to disciple our kids will be ineffective. Therefore, day and night, may we petition our sovereign Lord that He might be pleased to bring Himself glory through the redemption of our children.
For the Purpose of Transformation
When God chooses to bestow His special, saving grace, He begins to powerfully change us into the people He desires for us to be. By the power of His Spirit, He increasingly shapes and molds us into the image of His Son (2 Cor. 3:18). This process of transformation is commonly called progressive sanctification. Titus 2:11-14 says it like this:
“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.”
Thus, not only is God’s grace working in our lives, but it’s working in the lives of our believing children as well. One of the profound realities of this truth is that God’s desire for our children’s sanctification is even greater than our own. Therefore, as parents, while we diligently seek to disciple our children, we can do so with the confidence that when God begins a work, He always brings it to completion (Phil 1:6). Moms and Dads, work hard to help your children understand the gospel. Be consistent in family worship, and be persistent in prayer. As you do, trust that, by God’s grace, He will do the work of transformation.
For the Purpose of Benediction
When we become recipients of God’s sovereign grace, there is a fundamental shift in our identity. As God sovereignly chooses to exalt Himself by regenerating and transforming our lives, and the lives of our children, we begin to increasingly recognize that we are a people who have been divinely blessed by God’s grace. We’re humbled by the overwhelming reality of what God has done. This is clearly seen in the Aaronic Blessing of Numbers 6:24-26:
“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.”
Statements of blessing like these rightly recognize that we are not receiving from God what we deserve, but rather, that we are receiving the goodness of God’s special grace, of which we are not worthy. This is also why the Apostle Paul often began his epistles with a consistent greeting:
“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (Eph. 1:2).
Benediction should be the heartbeat of our homes. Just as the reformation of our lives is a result of God’s grace, the reformation of our homes begins as we cultivate a culture of gratitude to God for the blessings of His grace. As parents, we must always remember that our children are watching how we live.
So, is the atmosphere of your home permeated with thankfulness to God for aspects of both His common and special grace (Ps. 9:1)? Are you modeling the importance of praising God for His grace in all circumstances (1 Thess. 1:18)? Would your children say that gratitude to God is a predominate characteristic of your family (Ps. 107:1)?
As we reflect upon sola Gratia, may we testify to the reality, in both words and actions, that we are the beneficiaries of God’s special grace in Christ. In the context of the family, this testimony fills our home with the pleasing aroma of gospel gratitude. May we rejoice in our identity as those who are blessed by God’s grace, alone.
References:
[1] E. Gordon Rupp, P. Watson, Luther And Erasmus: Free Will And Salvation (The Westminster Press, 1969), p. 74.
[2] Ibid, 104.