Gawa-gawa lang ba ang "Salvation by Grace"? Debunking the Myth!

 

Mga kapatid, may narinig na ba kayong nagsabi na ang turo ng Protestantismo na "Salvation by Grace through Faith" ay imbento lang ni Martin Luther? Common itong accusation. Ang sabi ng iba, bago lang daw ang teaching na ito isang "theological novelty" na lumabas lang noong 16th century Reformation. Before that daw, ang turo ng church ay kailangan ng "works" at cooperation with God para maligtas.

So, lumalabas na parang nag-imbento lang ng sariling interpretasyon si Luther at tinalikuran ang 1,500 years ng church history. 

Pero real talk tayo: Totoo ba ito? Kung totoo ito, nakakatakot isipin. Ibig sabihin ba nito, pinabayaan ng Holy Spirit ang church na magturo ng maling gospel sa loob ng mahigit isang milenyo? Diba nangako si Jesus na hindi Niya tayo iiwan (John 14:16)?

Today, let’s unpack history. Titingnan natin ang mga "resibo" mula sa history ng church para makita natin na ang Sola Fide (Faith Alone) ay hindi gawa-gawa lang.

Ang Myth: "Walang Faith Alone Noon"

May mga critics, like Thomas R. Thompson, na nagsasabing mahirap daw i-trace ang doctrine ng justification by faith bago ang 1500s. Sabi nila, walang clear line mula sa mga Apostles papunta kay Luther. Pero ang totoo, nami-misunderstand lang nila ang history. Orthodox Christians have always believed that salvation is by grace through faith. While may mga panahon na naging magulo ang turo ng iba, the Holy Spirit has been faithful to preserve the truth. Tingnan natin ang evidence.

The "Resibo" from the Early Church Fathers

Bago pa man ipinanganak si Martin Luther, ang early church ay nagbabasa na ng writings ni Paul (tulad ng Ephesians 2:8-9 at Romans 4:3-5). Kilalanin natin ang tatlong "Lolo" ng pananampalataya na nagpapatunay nito.

1. Clement of Rome (c. 35–99 AD)

Si Clement ay bishop sa Rome noong 1st Century pa lang. Isipin niyo, sobrang aga nito! Sabi niya:

"We... are not justified through ourselves or through our own wisdom or understanding or piety, or works that we have done in holiness of heart, but through faith..."

Malinaw pa sa sikat ng araw: Hindi tayo justified dahil sa sarili nating galing, kabanalan, o gawa. It is through faith. Si Clement mismo, na nabuhay malapit sa panahon ng mga Apostles, ay nagtuturo na ng justification by faith alone.

2. Polycarp of Smyrna (c. 69–155 AD)

Si Polycarp ay disciple mismo ni Apostle John. Sabi niya sa kanyang sulat:

"Knowing that by grace you have been saved, not because of works, but by the will of God through Jesus Christ."

Again, not because of works. Grace ang dahilan, ayon sa will ni Lord.

3. Athanasius (290–374 AD)

Kilala si Athanasius bilang defender of the Trinity, pero malinaw din siya sa salvation. Even sa Old Testament saints, sabi niya:

"The Patriarch Abraham received the crown, not because he suffered death, but because he was faithful unto God..."

Para kay Athanasius, hindi "great works" o pagpapakamatay para sa bayan ang nagligtas sa kanila, kundi pananampalataya. Kaya kung sasabihin ng iba na "bago" lang ang turo na ito, ipakita niyo sina Clement, Polycarp, at Athanasius.

The Drift: Anyare sa Middle Ages?

So, kung malinaw naman pala noong una, bakit nagkaroon ng confusion? Dito papasok si Augustine (354–430 AD) at ang kanyang ka-debate na si Pelagius. 

Augustine: Naniniwala siya na dahil sa sin (kasalanan), "dead" ang tao spiritually. Kailangan ng grace ng Diyos para manampalataya tayo. Grace is necessary and sufficient.

Pelagius: Sabi niya, free daw ang tao pumili kay God from birth. Grace is not strictly necessary; kaya mong iligtas ang sarili mo through good choices.

Kinondena ng church ang turo ni Pelagius sa Council of Carthage (418 AD) at Council of Ephesus (431 AD). Later on, sa Second Council of Orange (529 AD), officially na-reject ang idea na kaya ng tao na mag-cooperate sa God gamit ang sariling lakas without grace. Pero habang tumatagal, sa Medieval period, unti-unting nakalimutan ng church ang decision ng Council of Orange (nawala ito sa circulation for centuries!). Dahan-dahang pumasok ulit ang idea na kailangan ng "human cooperation" para ma-earn ang grace. Parang ilog na nahaluan ng putik nandoon pa rin ang tubig, pero lumabo na.

Enter Martin Luther: The Cleaner, Not the Inventor

Dito pumasok si Martin Luther at ang mga Reformers. Hindi sila nagdala ng "bagong" turo. Instead, para silang naglinis ng bintana na puno ng putik para makapasok ulit ang liwanag. Binalik lang nila ang tanong sa original: Does God give grace freely, or does He give it based on our actions? Ang sagot ng Bible, at ng Early Church, ay Freely. 

Kaya ang "Sola Fide" ay hindi invention. Ito ay restoration ng ancient apostolic doctrine na natabunan lang ng traditions noong Middle Ages.

Mini Myth: The "Five Solas"

Pahabol lang, mga kapatid. Madalas nating marinig ang "Five Solas" (Sola Scriptura, Sola Gratia, Sola Fide, Solus Christus, Soli Deo Gloria) bilang summary ng Reformation. Did you know? Yung term or packaging na "Five Solas" ay 20th century na lang na-formulate! Hindi ito ginamit exactly as a listahan noong 1500s. Pero, kahit bago ang "label," ang laman at turo nito ay 100% na pinaniwalaan ng mga Reformers at ng Early Church. Labels can be new, but the truth is eternal.

Application: Huwag Angkinin ang Glory ni Lord

Ano ang lesson dito para sa atin mga Pinoy? Likas sa kultura natin ang pagiging masipag at pagtanaw ng utang na loob. Minsan, nadadala natin ito sa theology gusto nating isipin na may "ambag" tayo sa kaligtasan natin. Gusto nating isipin na, "Ligtas ako kasi mabait ako," o "Ligtas ako kasi nag-serve ako sa church."  Pero ang history ng church ay nagpapaalala sa atin: Don't steal God's glory. 

The Holy Spirit preserved this truth throughout history: Ligtas tayo dahil sa biyaya ng Diyos, tinatanggap sa pamamagitan ng pananampalataya. Wala tayong pwedeng ipagmalaki.

Huwag tayong matukso na dagdagan ang ginawa ni Christ. Instead, magpahinga tayo sa katotohanan na God loves us enough to save us by His grace alone. 

References

Athanasius. "Letter to the Bishops of Egypt and Libya." The Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Series 2, edited by Philip Schaff and Henry Wace, vol. 4, Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1892, ch. 13.

Augustine. The Enchiridion on Faith, Hope, and Love. Translated by J.F. Shaw, Regnery Gateway, 1961, ch. 32.

Clement of Rome. "The First Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians." The Ante-Nicene Fathers, edited by Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson, vol. 1, Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1885, ch. 32.

McGrath, Alister E. Iustitia Dei: A History of the Christian Doctrine of Justification. 3rd ed., Cambridge University Press, 2005.

Polycarp. "The Epistle of Polycarp to the Philippians." The Ante-Nicene Fathers, edited by Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson, vol. 1, Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1885, ch. 1.

Thompson, Thomas R. "Nineteenth-Century Lutheran Theologians on Justification." Justification by Faith, edited by Mark Husbands and Daniel J. Treier, InterVarsity Press, 2005.

Victorinus, Marius. Commentary on Galatians. Translated by Stephen A. Cooper, Oxford University Press, 2005.

Help keep this content free for everyone. I am committed to sharing these truths and resources freely. If you have found value in my articles since 2021 and would like to partner with me in this ministry, your support on Ko-fi would be greatly appreciated. It helps cover the costs of maintaining this blog and creating new content.

❤️ Partner with me on Ko-fi

FAP Commentary on SDA Sabbath School Lesson: (December 27, 2026 – January 2, 2026) Title: "Persecuted but Not Forsaken"

Scripture Focus: Philippians 1, 4; Colossians 1, 4; Ephesians 3

Overview

This week’s Sabbath School lesson, titled "Persecuted but Not Forsaken," launches a new quarter focused on the "Prison Epistles" of Paul, specifically Philippians and Colossians. The lesson examines Paul’s imprisonment (likely in Rome) and his remarkable ability to "Rejoice in the Lord always" despite being in chains.

Key themes presented in the lesson include: 

• The Reality of Suffering: The lesson details Paul’s physical and emotional hardships, listing trials like beatings, shipwrecks, and imprisonment. It emphasizes that suffering does not mean God has abandoned His children.
  
  
• Mission Strategy: It highlights Paul’s strategic evangelism, such as targeting influential cities like Philippi and Ephesus and training co-workers like Timothy and Epaphras.
  
  
• Joy in the Spirit: The central application is maintaining joy and resilience through the "love of Christ," which sustains believers during persecution.
  
  
• SDA Specifics: The lesson weaves in Ellen G. White's commentary to explain Paul's mindset at martyrdom and to define the role of the Holy Spirit in overcoming "hereditary and cultivated tendencies to evil." It also asserts that the SDA church organization follows the New Testament model established by the apostles.

FAP Response

As Former Adventists, we can deeply appreciate the biblical focus on Paul’s resilience. However, we must view the commentary through the lens of the New Covenant and be aware of the subtle denominational distinctives woven into the text.

1. The Definition of "Persecution."

The lesson rightly points out that persecution is a reality for Christians. However, within the Adventist worldview, "persecution" is often heavily coded to mean the future "Time of Trouble" and Sunday Laws.

The lesson quotes Tertullian: "the blood of Christians is seed."

Our Perspective: We must remember that Paul was persecuted for the Gospel of Grace for preaching that Gentiles were co-heirs with Jews without needing the Law of Moses. He was not persecuted for keeping the Sabbath. In fact, Paul was often in conflict with the "Judaizers" who tried to enforce days and laws on believers.

When we face rejection from the Adventist family or friends for leaving the church, we share a small taste of this suffering for the sake of the true, unmixed Gospel.

2. Sanctification vs. Perfectionism.

The lesson quotes The Desire of Ages to say the Spirit empowers us to "overcome all hereditary and cultivated tendencies to evil."

Our Perspective: While we believe in the power of the Spirit, we must be careful with the SDA tendency toward perfectionism. In the New Covenant, our standing before God is not determined by our success in overcoming every tendency (which often leads to anxiety), but by our union with Christ. We are "complete in Him" (Colossians 2:10). The Spirit produces fruit in us naturally as we abide in Jesus, not as a requirement to secure our final salvation.

3. Church Organization and Authority.

The lesson claims that SDA pioneers followed the "New Testament model" of organization and implies that the hierarchical structure (overseers, deacons) supports the SDA system.

Our Perspective: The New Testament church was organic and centered on local leadership, quite different from the centralized General Conference structure. Furthermore, the lesson uses Ellen White to validate biblical interpretation, for example, describing exactly what Paul saw before his execution ("the calm blue heaven").

As FAP, we affirm Sola Scriptura. We do not need extra-biblical revelation to validate Paul's hope; the Scripture is sufficient.

FAP Theological Conclusion & Reflection for Former Adventists.

This lesson reminds us that our identity is not in our circumstances, but in Christ. Paul called himself a "prisoner of Jesus Christ," not a prisoner of Rome.

For the Former Adventist, this is crucial: 

• We are Free: We are no longer prisoners to a system of fear, date-setting, or investigative judgments.
  
  
• We are Secure: The lesson asks, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?" While we must remain in the faith, we have a strong assurance that God is the one keeping us. The "love of Christ" is not a prize for good Sabbath-keeping; it is the fuel of our existence.
  
  
• We are Missional: Just as Paul used his imprisonment to spread the Gospel to the "palace guard," our experience of leaving Adventism is our mission field. We have a unique testimony to share with those still trapped in legalism. We can show them that leaving the organization does not mean leaving Jesus; in fact, it often means finding Him more fully.

The lesson mentions "rejoice always." True joy is hard to find when you are constantly worried if you have unconfessed sin or if you are "overcoming" enough. But in the New Covenant, joy is the natural response to Grace. We rejoice because the work is finished.

Real Talk Reflection: Joy Even When It’s Messy

"Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!" (Philippians 4:4, NKJV)

Mga kapatid, let’s be honest. Sometimes, leaving the SDA church feels like you just entered a different kind of prison, ‘di ba? You lose your community, your childhood friends, and sometimes even your family treats you like an outsider. It’s painful. It’s lonely. When the lesson asks, "Rejoice always," you might want to say, "Paano? How can I rejoice when my parents won't talk to me because I go to church on Sunday?" But look at Paul. He was literally in chains. He wasn't rejoicing because the prison food was yummy or the floor was soft. He was rejoicing because he knew who held him.

When we were Adventists, our "joy" often depended on our performance. Did I keep the Sabbath right? Did I pay my tithe? Am I ready for the Time of Trouble? It was exhausting. Now, under the New Covenant, our joy is different. It’s steady. Why? Because it’s not based on us. It’s based on Jesus. Even if people judge us, even if we are misunderstood, we are "Persecuted but Not Forsaken." God has not left you. In fact, He led you out so He could hug you tighter without the barrier of legalism.

So today, if you’re feeling the weight of judgment from your SDA past, take a deep breath. You are safe in His grace. You are free. And that is enough reason to smile again.

Next Step: This week, if an SDA friend or relative sends you a "guilt-trip" message or a prophecy update, don't argue. Just reply with grace and say, "I am just so happy resting in what Jesus did for me." Let your joy be your defense.