Rest in Christ's Completed Work, by Faith Alone!

Probably the first thing most people think about when they think about the Reformation and Calvinism is the doctrine of predestination. This is a strange thing, since the doctrine of predestination is not at all unique to Calvinism. It was clearly taught by both Augustine and Thomas Aquinas, the greatest theologians claimed by the Roman Catholic Church. The most important doctrine of the Reformation was also not that we are saved by grace alone. Again, both Augustine and Aquinas taught that doctrine clearly. What then, was the Reformation about?

Let me get to this by looking at the theology of Thomas Aquinas, the most important medieval Catholic theologian. Aquinas clearly taught that salvation belongs to those whom God predestines sovereignly before the foundation of the world. He taught that every element of that salvation was by grace from start to finish. On paper, in other words, Aquinas seems solid at first glance. But Aquinas erred on one key doctrine that led the church down its dark path in the centuries preceding the Reformation. Aquinas believed that in order to reach the beatific vision, in order to enjoy the fullness of eternal salvation, Christians had to be made worthy of that salvation. They had to merit it by gracious works.

Aquinas certainly did not argue that men could merit salvation from God apart from grace. He was absolutely clear that merit only operates within the world of God's sovereign grace to sinners through the church. Only those changed by grace could merit anything with God, because God had so ordained it that men would have an active part in their salvation. The problem was, Aquinas did not believe that Christians could ever be absolutely sure of their salvation. Part of the reason for this was that although he believed Christians had to merit the beatific vision, he did not believe they could merit perseverance. All of this seems strange when we consider that Thomas believed in the doctrine of gracious predestination. But although he believed in predestination, and salvation by grace alone in theory, his doctrine is constructed in such a way that the glorious realities of those truths could not be applied to the lives of individual Christians. No individual Christian could rest completely in the knowledge that he was saved, that he was being saved, and that he would be saved, all because he had faith in the sufficient work of Christ alone, both on the cross, and in a life of perfect obedience.

As a result, Aquinas spends far more time in his Summa Theologica talking about penance, merit, and sacraments than he does about the efficacious sacrifice of Christ. And although Thomas's theology was probably better than that of many other medieval Catholic theologians, his theology did not preserve the medieval church from the basic curse of works righteousness. Millions of Christians in the centuries between Aquinas and Luther continued to believe they would be saved only if they were good enough, only if they had gone through certain ceremonial rituals, or only after a fearful journey through purgatory. There was no rest in salvation.

How clearly does the teaching of Paul, recovered by Calvin and Luther, contrast with these doctrines of Thomas Aquinas?

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ--by grace you have been saved-- and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 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. (Ephesians 2:4-9)

Only after we have been raised with Christ to the “heavenly places,” having been saved by grace through faith, “not as a result of works,” only then does Paul say, For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Thomas was wrong to think men had to merit their final salvation. And praise God that the Reformers reminded us that we can enjoy our salvation right now, today, because all is complete. As Christ said in his last words before death, “It is finished!” (John 19:30)