Sola Gratia and Soul Care

I have met with and counseled numerous people who have been burned out or seem to be struggling with the idea that they aren’t doing enough for God. Somehow, as believers in Christ alone, they feel like major disappointments to God. This perception drives the legalism in them to a point of exhaustion and burnout. I have even met people who believed that they had to earn God’s favor through work in order to be saved. This fosters a “God helps those who help themselves” mentality. While they agree that salvation is a work of God, they feel they must earn the right to be saved and stay saved.

This reality extends beyond salvation for many who seek our help. Sola Gratia should be part of who we are and who we are becoming; it shapes us into more Christ-like individuals. By grace alone, through faith alone (Sola Fide), in Christ alone (Solus Christus), we are saved and transformed. This is what men like Martin Luther fought for and what Scripture attests to (Eph. 2:8-9; Rom. 3:24; Titus 3:4-5).

Understanding theological backgrounds is crucial for us as counselors. We aim to reveal false views that lead individuals into despair and fear instead of joy and peace. We want counselees to depend on God’s grace for everything in their lives rather than trying to be self-sufficient and living apart from Him.

What is Sola Gratia?

Sola Gratia, the second sola discussed in this blog series, is a Latin phrase that means “grace alone.” It affirms that salvation is a divine gift, unearned and not dependent on any human effort, merit, or deservingness. Salvation is entirely a work of God from start to finish, through His mercy and grace, freely given to His people. Because we are spiritually bankrupt and dead in our sin, we need the grace found in the person and work of Christ to save us (Eph. 2:1-10).

Paul reminds us in Romans 3:23-24 that we have all fallen short, and continue to fall short, apart from the grace of God in the person and work of Jesus Christ. As Augustine puts it, we “are simply God’s beggars” (Augustine in a sermon on the Sermon on the Mount). Outside of God’s grace, we can do nothing and remain dead in our sins; we are spiritually bankrupt. This beggarly state is an essential concept for us to understand, as it reveals our neediness and dependence on God’s grace for salvation and sanctification. True heart transformation only occurs through God’s grace.

Unlike some medieval and Roman Catholic teachings, Martin Luther challenged the idea that human works and effort contribute to God's saving work through Christ. The influence of this thinking, that we somehow earn favor and salvation from God, is significant. It leads to constant striving and an underlying uncertainty about whether one has done “enough” for God, resulting in despair if someone feels they haven’t done enough, or dangerous pride for those who believe they have gained God’s favor. Now, let’s see how this relates to soul care.

Sola Gratia in Soul Care

As counselors, we must help our counselees recognize the spiritual bankruptcy within themselves so they can see their complete dependence on God. Understanding our need for God’s grace fosters humility and genuine reliance on Him, guiding us away from self-reliance as the basis for spiritual growth. Therefore, the counselor’s role, guided by Sola Gratia, is to lovingly and firmly dismantle this merit-based thinking in the counselee and redirect them to the freeing truth of God’s unmerited favor in Jesus Christ.

Sola Gratia in soul care teaches that our works are the result of God’s grace and our response to it, not a contribution to earning God’s grace. Most traditions acknowledge the necessity of God’s grace but disagree on the extent of God’s grace and the need for us to contribute through good works. This affects the roles of justification and sanctification as well. If God’s grace is not a monergistic act in the lives of believers, then we rely on our good works and turn away from the empowering grace of God for justification and sanctification. True heart change becomes a human effort, which can lead to despair.

This shift in thinking, from a performance-based mentality to a grace-based one, removes the pain and uneasiness often linked to merit-based systems. We move from “Have I done enough?” to “Jesus is enough.” In turn, we find peace and security in the person and work of Jesus Christ rather than ourselves, which leaves us failing. Sola Gratia is essential in our counseling of others.

The Importance of Grace in Counseling

Understanding Sola Gratia is vital for effective counseling. It allows us to approach our work with a spirit of humility. When we recognize that our efforts do not earn God’s favor, we can better guide our counselees toward a deeper understanding of grace. This understanding fosters a spirit of gratitude, which is a natural response to God’s grace.

Counseling is not about our ability to change others but about being instruments of God’s grace. We must remind our counselees that heart change does not rely on our effort or power. Instead, it depends on God’s grace. This realization is liberating, as it shifts the focus from performance to reliance on God.

Conclusion

As counselors, we should aim to guide our counselees toward God’s unmerited favor in Christ. We must foster a spirit of humility and gratitude, which are natural responses to God’s grace. Understanding the five solas for soul care is essential. They inform our approach and anchor us in God’s redemptive work through the person and work of Jesus Christ, empowered by the Holy Spirit working within us.

In summary, Sola Gratia is not just a theological concept; it is a transformative truth that shapes our counseling practice. By embracing grace, we can help others find true peace and security in their relationship with God. This journey toward understanding grace will lead to profound changes in the lives of those we counsel, bringing them closer to the heart of God.