Updated by Chris Blair 03/24/26
What is Sola Fide?
What are the Five Solas? Well, one very important sola is “Sola Fide”. This is Latin for “Faith Alone”. But what does “Faith Alone mean”? To answer this question in full would take an entire book to describe, because it is such an important thing to understand. R.C. Sproul describes in his book Faith Alone the importance of Sola Fide to the 16th century church reformers like Martin Luther; “He viewed justification by faith alone as necessary and essential to the gospel and to salvation.” [1] The reformers truly believed that if you reject justification by faith alone, you are rejecting the gospel itself.
To have “Faith” means we receive God’s grace as a gift when we trust in Jesus Christ. Adding the modifier “Alone” emphasizes that this grace is truly a gift, it is freely given, not earned by anything we do. Paul states this clearly 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.” (ESV). If you think your good works will get you into heaven, “Houston… we have a problem.”
We just need to believe in Jesus, and we are saved and going to heaven, so it doesn’t matter what we do? I have heard this from both Atheists and Catholics mocking the Protestant claim of by Faith Alone. I have also heard something similar repeated, not as an insult, but as a motto of life from some self-proclaimed Christians.
But wait, faith and good works go together? In the debate The Battle for the Bible, John Mcarther insisted, “that true saving faith must necessarily and inevitably yield works of obedience”.[2] Followed by support from John Gerstner, who added, “not only are works of obedience necessary and inevitable results of true faith, but they also begin to manifest immediately, being inseparable from faith”.[3] Both giants of Biblical theology agree that when one is in a state of true and saving faith, that person has a significant change from the inside outward.
If a man told me he was hit by a massive, five-ton oak tree, but I didn’t see a single scratch or bruise on him, I would doubt his story. Gravity and hard wood leave a mark. How much more should we doubt a man who claims to believe in the awesome power and holiness of God, and the severe suffering and amazing sacrifice of Christ on the Cross, yet shows no signs of change? A direct impact with God is infinitely bigger than a five-ton oak tree.
James, the half-brother of Jesus, states in James 2:17-26 “So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless?” (ESV). James is not saying that faith plus works equals salvation. He is making the point that if you have no works, can you even have saving faith?
It is helpful to distinguish between a “living” (saving) and a “dead” (false) faith. Think of repentance and good works as the “vital signs” of faith. Just as a palpable heartbeat or audible breath indicates life, these actions prove that a faith is alive. However, the palpable pulse is not what causes the body to live; it is the evidence of internal life. Similarly, works do not create a living faith, they are the outward signs that a transformation has already occurred in a man’s heart. If you found a friend with no pulse, you would immediately question if they were alive. In the same way, if there is no repentance or good works in your life, you must urgently ask if your faith is dead.
[1] R. C. Sproul, Faith Alone: The Evangelical Doctrine of Justification (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2017), 23.
[2] Ibid, 31.
[3] Ibid, 32.
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