Sola gratia versus sola fide

[Katzpur]

Could someone who believes in these two doctrines please explain the difference between them? I am particularly interested in how a belief that salvation by faith alone differs from a belief in salvation by grace alone. (And by "alone," I mean apart from works of righteousness one might do.) Thanks!

 

[Terrywoodenpic]

Both those routes to Salvation, suppose that we believe that we can be saved from sin and its effects in this life.
As if the slate is simply wiped clean. Either by our faith alone or by the Grace of God.
It would seem to me that those who rely on Faith alone, are also relying on the Grace of God to achieve it.

I am not convinced that Forgiveness of sin comes so easily or is once and for all.
But that every one has the opportunity to be forgiven in this world and the next.
Provided that they truly repent.
It is inconceivable that God does not have a preference for how we live and conduct our lives, both in respect of our fellow man and for his creation.
I am sure that this take precedence over what we "Believe" or have been taught about religion.

The notion "Of being Saved" as an event in this life is patently false. Finding God or Jesus and all the rituals of our faiths
are only steps on a path that we may not continue to follow.
The "Truth of Everything" is not revealed to us during our lifetimes.
Our various expectations might be fulfilled, "whatever they might be", in the life to come.
This of course would infer that everyone's outcomes might differ according to their religious expectations.
Conversely the life to come might be far beyond any of our expectations or imaginings..... This is far more likely.

 

[Katzpur]

Both those routes to Salvation, suppose that we believe that we can be saved from sin and its effects in this life.
As if the slate is simply wiped clean. Either by our faith alone or by the Grace of God.
It would seem to me that those who rely on Faith alone, are also relying on the Grace of God to achieve it.

I'm not going to debate the veracity of these doctrines since this is a DIR, but I was thinking about it last night, and I came to more or less the same conclusion. When you are combining the two, neither one is any long "alone." Whether other "works" are involved or not, "faith" in an of itself is a work of sorts. It is something required of the person who wishes to be saved and is not reliance on grace alone. That's what confuses me. "Grace alone" seems to mean that absolutely nothing is required of us -- not even faith. That's why I'm wondering if I really understand either term.

 

[RedDragon94]

I'm not going to debate the veracity of these doctrines since this is a DIR, but I was thinking about it last night, and I came to more or less the same conclusion. When you are combining the two, neither one is any long "alone." Whether other "works" are involved or not, "faith" in an of itself is a work of sorts. It is something required of the person who wishes to be saved and is not reliance on grace alone. That's what confuses me. "Grace alone" seems to mean that absolutely nothing is required of us -- not even faith. That's why I'm wondering if I really understand either term.

I see faith as a gift from God. Therefore it is by his grace we have faith. We do not generate faith on our own, it is a work of God in a person's life.