Romans 3:21-4:12. Justification by Faith Alone (Sola Fide). 

1. What is grace? Verses 21-24. 

   1. “Grace is something that comes from God. What makes grace grace is that it starts "from God," freely, without being merited or earned. So the little phrase "from God" is rich with meaning. Grace is the overflow of God's total self-sufficiency. He has no deficiencies that we could remedy by our works, and so he cannot negotiate with us for some good we could offer....Grace is the overflow of God's free goodness and power and wisdom. Saying that God is a God of grace is a way of saying that God is God—that he is the infinite, all-sufficient, self-existent, complete source and sustainer and owner of all being and all value and all worth in the universe. When goodness comes from him, it comes freely. It can come no other way. Therefore all his goodness is grace.” 

• John Piper, 1994, “Grace to You” and “Grace with You” 

2. “Focusing on our performance, we forget the meaning of grace: God's unmerited favor to those who deserve only His wrath. Pharisee-type believers unconsciously think they have earned God's blessing through their behavior. Guilt-laden believers are quite sure they have forfeited God's blessing through their lack of discipline or their disobedience. Both have forgotten the meaning of grace because they have moved away from the gospel and have slipped into a performance relationship with God.” 

• Jerry Bridges, The Discipline of Grace 

1. Sola gratia is one of the five solas that came to define the key issues of the Protestant Reformation. This is Latin for “grace alone.” 

2. Grace is unmerited divine assistance given to humans for their regeneration and/or sanctification. In other words, there is nothing we have done or can do to deserve it. It allows us to rest in God’s embrace rather than feel as if we must live up to a certain level of performance. Grace is whatever God gives to us that is freely given and an overflow of his goodness. 

2. What is Saving Grace? Sanctifying Grace? Common Grace? Means of Grace? 

   1. Saving grace is the grace that saves God’s people from His wrath towards sin. 

      1. This is where we are filled with the Holy Spirit, freed from the bondage of sin. Verses include Romans 1:18-30, Romans 3:23, John 3:16-17, Ephesians 1:3-14. 

   2. Sanctifying grace refers to both saving grace (positional sanctification) and progressive sanctification, which is the grace that God gives us to continue growing in knowledge, discipline, and obedience to His Word. 

      1. Sanctify means to set apart a person for holiness, our sanctification process is the continual renewing of our hearts/minds (increasing spiritual maturity). Verses include Hebrews 10:8-14, 1 Thessalonians 4:1-12, Hebrews 6, Philippians 1:6. 

   3. Common grace is the grace God shows to all of His creation. 

      1. Examples include rain, sunshine, technology, advances in medicine - all of which are good gifts from God given to both the believer and the unbeliever. Verses include Psalm 145:9, Matthew 5:45, Luke 6:35, Matthew 13:24-30. 

   4. Means of grace are the things that we do or experience as Christians that God uses to accomplish His good purposes in our lives. 

      1. Examples include Bible reading, prayer, attendance at corporate worship on Sundays, Christian fellowship, and other such activities. 

      2. Verses include Hebrews 10:16/Jeremiah 31:33, 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18. 

3. Other doctrines of grace you can look into: 

   1. What is prevenient grace? (this is not Biblical, but it’s good to understand why)

   2. Irresistible Grace - is it biblical? (short answer, yes)

   3. What is cheap grace? (nothing about grace is cheap, read to learn more)  

   4. What are the five solas? (5 key points of the protestant reformation) 

4. When did we start receiving God’s grace?

1. Scripture tells us that has been showing us His grace since before the foundation of the world God has been showing us His grace (Ephesians 1:3-6). 

2. Beloved is another term for Christ (Luke 23:15-25). 

5. What kind of person were you when grace invaded your life and saved you?

   1. Scripture says that we were by nature children of wrath, we were dead in our trespasses, we were sons of disobedience. Our flesh has a sin nature. Thank God for His grace and mercy in making us alive in Christ (Ephesians 2:1-10)! 

6. If we are saved do we still need grace? Or is it just for unbelievers? 

   1. We need grace so desperately! It is not about our own will or ability to do good, it is about how we need to rely on God’s grace daily. God’s grace is the very thing that allows us to be zealous for good works! We need God’s grace as desperately as we need oxygen (Titus 2:11-14). 

7. Should we ask for more grace? If so, when? 

   1. As we can see we absolutely must continue asking for grace! We must do this always, especially in times where we so clearly recognize our need for it. Rather than feeling guilty for not asking for it sooner, just ask for it! God loves it when we ask Him for what we need most, He desires to give it to us. 

      1. Psalm 37:4 (to “delight yourself in the Lord” is to align your heart with His)

      2. Matthew 11:29 (major theme throughout Gentle and Lowly) 

      3. Hebrews 4:14-16 (our sympathetic high priest)

8. Was this grace truly free? 

   1. The price for grace coming to us was the sacrifice of Christ, the Son of God. His holy and unblemished blood was the needed currency for God to bestow His grace to us in a just manner. Now that the price has been paid, He gives us His grace freely and joyfully, it’s free in that we did not pay for it (1 Peter 1:13-23). 

9. How do we continually receive grace? 

   1. Abide in Christ (John 15)! 

10. To read more about grace, visit this link: 2 Grace.pdf

11. What is faith and who is it in? Verses 25-26. 

    1. Faith: In the Bible faith is always a gift from God, and never something that can be produced by people. 

       1. Pistis in Greek, meaning the conviction of the truth of anything, belief. To be fully persuaded or come to trust. Appears 243 times in the NT. 

          1. In short, faith for the believer is "God's divine persuasion" – and therefore distinct from human belief (confidence), yet involving it. 

    2. Three aspects of faith: Faith Defined | Reformed Bible Studies & Devotionals 

       1. Notitia. Notitia refers to the content of faith, or those things that we believe. We place our faith in something, or more appropriately, someone. In order to believe, we must know something about that someone, who is the Lord Jesus Christ. 

          1. Examples of notitia are God’s promises, the gospel, etc. 

       2. Assensus. Assensus is our conviction that the content of our faith is true. You can know about the Christian faith and yet believe that it is not true. Genuine faith says that the content — the notitia taught by Holy Scripture — is true.

          1. The Holy Spirit and Word of God convict us. 

       3. Fiducia. Fiducia refers to personal trust and reliance. Knowing and believing the content of the Christian faith is not enough, for even demons can do that (James 2:19). Faith is only effective if, knowing about and assenting to the claims of Jesus, one personally trusts in Him alone for salvation. 

          1. The demons are not saved because they do not exercise a saving kind of faith. This is James’ very point, namely, not any kind of faith can save a person. Only the kind of faith that produces good works can save (James 2:17-20). While we are saved by faith alone, nevertheless, the faith that saves is not alone. It is always accompanied by good works. We are not saved by works (Ephesians 2:8-9), but we are saved for works (Ephesians 2:10).

    3. The difference between saving faith and non-saving faith is that the former is only the belief that God exists. The latter is faith in God (trusting God). No one can be saved by believing that God exists. 

       1. The wording here can be confusing as some will say it’s not believing in God but believing God. The main point is that there is a clear difference between the acknowledgement that God does or may exist and a genuine trust in God, a genuine trust in who God is (His character) and what He desires for you (His will).

    4. In like manner, no one can get to the top floor by an elevator if she simply believes that elevators can get her there. She must believe in the elevator (i.e., trust it) enough to step in it and allow it to get her there. The demons do not believe in (trust God) for their salvation—they simply believe that God exists, but they continue in their rebellion against Him (Jude 6; Revelation 12:4).

12. Who is the world’s “faith” in?

    1. As for those of this world, their faith is not in Christ. 

       1. Things that it could be in: 

          1. Themselves, their own abilities

          2. Politicians, celebrities, athletes

          3. Other religions (Islam, Hinduism, Judaism, Athiesm, etc.) 

          4. The world or universe (Pantheism, Taoism) 

          5. Nothing (Agnosticism, Skepticism) 

          6. Philosophy (Humanism)

          7. Science (Atheism) 

       2. Every single one of these, and anything else outside of Christ, will never be enough to save. They will send those who put their faith in them straight to hell. 

13. Can we be given more faith? 

Or are we to lean further into the faith that we have already been given?

1. Matthew 7:7-8   

   1. Does this passage apply to faith as well? Yes, the Father will be glad to produce more faith within you! 

2. 1 Corinthians 16:13 

   1. Here it says “the faith,” referring to faith in Christ and the resurrection. For those who are saved, we already have this faith and therefore must stand firm in it. 

3. Matthew 17:20 and Romans 12:3 

   1. Different people have different levels of faith. 

4. So which is it? Both! We must not let ourselves think that we cannot accomplish much because of how little faith we feel we have. Therefore, we should pray for more faith, but also stand firm in the faith we have already been given. 

14. What are four great implications in this concluding passage? Verses 27-31. 

    1. We cannot boast for we have done nothing to merit salvation. 

    2. We are justified by faith alone in Christ alone. 

    3. God is the God of both the Jews and the Gentiles. 

    4. Though we are saved by faith, we should desire to uphold God’s law.

15. What does it mean to be saved by grace through faith? Chapter 4, Verses 1-12. 

    1. Think about this, is it your faith in your car’s brakes that save you from getting into an accident, or is it the brakes that have been tested-tried-and-true that save you from getting into an accident? 

       1. We are saved by the perfect life (works), death (atonement), and resurrection (showing God’s power over sin and death) of Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9). 

          1. If all of this were fake, if Christianity were false, it would not matter how much “faith” we have because it would all be in vain, we would be no better off than Muslims (1 Corinthians 15:12-19). 

    2. When we are given faith by God, that faith is counted to us as righteousness. God no longer sees our sinful selves, instead He sees the righteousness of Christ (Romans 4:1-12, 2 Corinthians 5:17-21). 

16. To read more about faith, visit this link: 

3 Faith and Going to God with Confidence and Reverence.pdf

17. Resources: 

    1. Amazing What? 6 Questions about Grace Answered 

    2. Is there a Bible contradiction in James 2:19? 

    3. What does it mean that salvation is by grace through faith?

18. Sermons: 

    1. Romans, Vol. 03 (3:1-4:3) GTY, John MacArthur.  

    2. God’s Gift of Righteousness (Romans 3:21–25)

    3. The Gospel Satisfies the Sinner’s Need (Romans 3:21-25)

    4. Christ Died for God (Romans 3:25–31)