Scripture teaches justification by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, and this is revealed to us in Scripture alone. But what does that mean? Has it become a misunderstood, empty phrase? 

Let us unpack the phrase, “through faith alone.” May God help us. 

Faith is only as good as its object. The danger of “faith alone” is that we forget the object of faith and turn our attention inward. Faith is not a good quality within us. It is not an ethical act or improvement within. Faith does not spend its hours gazing at its heart, knowledge, decisions, or works. When “faith alone” is understood in these ways, the object of faith is forgotten. 

The object of faith is the grace of God. This means that we believe we are forgiven before God for Jesus’ sake. We could also say that the object of faith is Christ, meaning, we believe Christ obtained for us the grace of God given in the Gospel. 

Faith receives the forgiveness of God, the righteousness of Christ, and the kingdom He won. Faith makes all Christians equal before God because all receive the same Christ, the same Blood, the same forgiveness, the same grace. All are saved by grace alone through faith alone. This faith is not restricted to the mind, but involves the mind, heart, and will. “Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). Assurance, knowledge, and assent are not three parts or stages of faith, but different angles of the one Spirit-worked faith. The Apology says, “Faith is not only knowledge in the intellect, but also confidence in the will, i. e., it is to wish and to receive that which is offered in the promise, namely, reconciliation and remission of sins. Scripture thus uses the term ‘faith’” (AP III, 183). 

Man cannot create this. Faith is a work of God in man. The Apostle Paul says, “No one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’ except in the Holy Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12:3). Christ teaches, “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him” (John 6:44). All are born dead in sin (Ephesians 2:1). As a dead person cannot do anything to get life, so a sinner cannot do anything to get faith. God raised dead Lazarus by His Word. God gives us faith by His Word (Romans 10:17). No work, decision, or choice of man is needed. God makes the dead alive. God makes the unwilling willing. God makes the sinner a saint. God gives faith. To insert our work, decision, or choice undermines faith alone, not to mention grace alone (Romans 4:5). 

So faith alone saves because faith alone receives the Gospel of the forgiveness of sins won by the cross and given in the Word and Sacraments. 

Faith alone saves, but faith is never alone. Faith loves God and his neighbor. Good works flow from faith. They are fruits of faith. But they cannot justify us before God. “We hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law” (Romans 3:28). Our good works, good decisions, and right attitudes are pleasing to God, but they are still works of the law. So before God we have only faith in Christ, His forgiveness, His righteousness, His Blood. Faith alone saves not because of what it does, but because it receives forgiveness in Christ. It puts us in a right relationship with God because of what it receives. Again, the object of faith matters.

When the devil harasses us and our fallen flesh oppresses us, let us not look for faith in our works, decisions, or love, but let us fix our eyes outward on the object of faith, Jesus. We do that by hearing His Gospel of the forgiveness of sins and receiving His Body and Blood in the Supper. They are objective, external, and true. By these Means of Grace the Holy Spirit strengthens and sustains faith so we may stand before God now and hereafter as those justified by grace through faith.