Review: The Beauty Of Divine Grace By Gabriel N. E. Fluhrer

by on April 23, 2026 | Comment

Divine grace is a beautiful thing. Though it is not a thing that we can hold on to or put under a microscope, it is a disposition of an Almighty God. What makes this grace of God so beautiful is that we as creatures do not deserve it. In fact, we deserve the opposite of grace, but God is merciful in his perfect, holy justice. We receive what we do not deserve and do not receive what we do deserve. This is grace.

The Beauty of Divine Grace, by Gabriel Fluhrer and published by Ligonier, is a dive into the waters of grace portrayed through the Reformation principles of the five solas. You might think that the theological book market may already be supersaturated with books on the five solas. You are not wrong, but it would be an error to disregard this work by Dr. Fluhrer on the solas and their emphasis on the grace of God. Fluhrer artfully moves through the solas a chapter at a time, connecting them to our need for God’s grace. To borrow from Derek Thomas in the foreword to this work, “Dr. Fluhrer’s expansions and elaborations on these five truths provide you with a sure and careful guide” (xiii).

A Reference Point

Why another book on the Reformation solas? Fluhrer draws our attention to the renewed need for these principles from the sixteenth century for our day. In a twenty-first-century culture of relativism, pluralism, and autonomy, the five solas of the Reformation serve as a necessary corrective. “Ultimately, any and every spiritual, theological, and philosophical error that we will ever encounter is a result of denying one or all of the solas” (3). Look around and a discovery of the need for the solas will become quickly apparent—biblical truth waxes and wanes with each passing generation, it seems.

The gracious gospel is summarized in the five solas. And that gospel is located in the Word of God. The gospel alone reshapes humanity and the world. These are the two themes that Fluhrer expands on in his book through the five solas: We hear and read Scripture alone, regarding our salvation by God’s grace alone, through faith alone, in the person and work of Christ alone, to the glory of God alone (3–5).1 This is what the world desperately needs to hear. “Only the gospel captured by the five solas presents Him as He is” (6).

One Standard—Scripture

God can and has revealed himself through extraordinary means and through various powerful acts. But with the appearance of the Son and through the ministrations of the prophets and apostles after him, God now ordinarily, by the work of the Holy Spirit, reveals himself through his Word (Heb 1:1–4). And so the Scriptures, the Word of revelation, is our final authority.

Fluhrer defends the doctrine of sola Scriptura by discussing Scripture’s scope and nature. The initiatory investigation begins with Paul’s words to Timothy: “All Scripture is breathed out by God” (2 Tim 3:16). Fluhrer makes note of how comprehensive this idea is (12). Modern objections to the divine authority of Scripture are not all that new. The tendency then, as now, is to reduce Scripture to mere human documents or to attribute a deified status to the text that eliminates any human involvement (13). But the nature of God’s inscripturated revelation to us is something else. It is from God: “God’s very breath is in our ears when our Bibles are open” (18). The word given to us is sufficient for faith and practice and is the final word of God for us. Once a biblical doctrine of Scripture is understood, we are then led on to the other four solas. 

The Way Back—Grace

What is grace? A definition of grace needs some nuance, but generally speaking, it is God’s to give. We are undeserving of it due to sin; nevertheless, God, in his mercy through Christ, bestows it on us. Fluhrer states, “Grace is not unmerited favor bestowed on disinterested sinners. Rather, grace is God’s demerited favor” (32). We are not sinful people merely waiting for the mercy of God, but we are actively at enmity with him until his grace shines in our hearts (2 Cor 4:6). Fluhrer gives an illustration of the difference between unmerited and demerited favor. He likens unmerited favor as a free one-hundred-dollar gift given for no reason, while demerited favor is like a million dollars freely given to a personal enemy, one who has wreaked havoc on life and family (32–33). This is where we find ourselves until the light shines and the breath of life is exhaled upon our dead bones.

This grace is all of God. No part of it can be attributed to any part of us. Either Christ is a whole Savior or not (see Heidelberg Catechism 30). Fluhrer’s chapter on sola gratia is a study of Ephesians. Like in other places, Paul in Ephesians 1–3 focuses on the work of redemption completed (the indicative word) before moving on to the ongoing work of the Spirit and our grateful response in chapters 4–6 (the imperative word) (30). By the grace of God we are accounted righteous with the righteousness of Christ. All we must do is accept this gracious gift with a believing heart—faith, which is the next sola to investigate (see Heidelberg Catechism 60).

An Instrument Unlearned—Faith

We are at the third of the five solas, and this one—sola fide—is a central tenet of reformational theology (47). In this chapter, the focal text is the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector (Luke 18:9–14). The Pharisee knows God to be gracious but also depends on his own holiness (51–52). The tax collector knows better; he knows he does not deserve God’s grace and simply trusts that God is merciful (56–57). “The tax collector’s words show that he believes the very essence of the gospel” (56). He is solely dependent on the merciful judgment of God.

Just as nothing but the grace of God redeems, so with faith nothing can be added. “We are not saved by the strength of our faith, we are not saved by faithfulness, and we are not saved by faith in faith” (47). Faith is the instrument of our justification. And what a gift it is! And the gift is a person: “He who sees the heart is He who sends His Son to provide the perfect righteousness that our sinful hearts require” (61).

One and Only Savior—Christ Jesus

“Christ alone is the way to God, Christ alone is the truth we need, and Christ alone is the way to the life we crave” (67). In the chapter on solus Christus, Fluhrer looks at the words of Jesus in the Gospel of John: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (14:6). First, there is no other way. The boastful cry of pluralism and syncretism will not do. There is no escaping the claims of God’s revelation and the words of Christ in the Gospels. “Indeed, the entire New Testament makes it clear that there is no salvation and no hope apart from Christ (Acts 4:12)” (68). The only way to be saved from judgment is Jesus the way.

Second, truth is found only in Jesus, who is truth. Postmodern relativism cannot argue competing truth claims. Two or more contradictory truths cannot be. The only true understanding of all reality, how we view everything in the world, is through Christ (75). Third, there is a life now lived and a life to come. The only one who can give meaning to the first life and truly give the second kind of life is Jesus, who is life itself. Through the life-giving Spirit, this life through faith is now ours as Christians.

Not to Us, But to You—The Glory of God

History shows how often human beings attempt to rob God of glory. We are vainglorious creatures. We sinfully rely on our own supposed autonomy. Even Christians err here. We think that we can contribute to God’s glory, but Fluhrer reminds us, “He is glorious in and of Himself” (83). This is a necessary God-centering corrective directed by this fifth sola: soli Deo gloria. God is completely independent, whereas we are dependent; he is Creator, we are creature (85–86). God, who relies on nothing, also knows all things perfectly and in his perfect wisdom leads all created time and space to his purposed, sovereign end (91–95). God is glorified in all of this because he is already the ultimate one of glory.

Without the God of glory in view, life seems pointless, especially if we are the autonomous arbiters of all things, self-glorying in the “purposeless and weightless” (95). In order to diminish the “cultural rot” that surrounds us, Fluhrer says, Christians must point to the glorious One, and through the gospel, once-blinded eyes may be opened to the glory of the saving God, and as we continue to be pilgrims in this life, more and more a watching world will in turn give all the glory to God (96–99).

The Solas for Life

In the last chapter, Fluhrer connects each of the five solas to our lives in the twenty-first century. There is much to import, not only theologically but also practically, as we seek to honor the triune God. First, we must learn to live under the authority of the Word of God: sola Scriptura. Second, we must daily rest in God’s grace: sola gratia. Third, we must continually walk by faith: sola fide. Paul admonishes us to live, or to keep in step with the Spirit (Gal 5:16–25). We do this daily—for today—while looking to the future (108–10).2 Fourth, we must believe that our identity is in Christ, through whom we are made new. We are in Christ (112–15).3 Finally, God is most glorious, and we should be amazed at this awesome truth! Even so, he has ordained creation with a creaturely glory in which we should glorify God. After all, this is our purpose: to glorify and enjoy him forever (115–16). Fluhrer remarks that we can do this in a number of ways: realizing his mercies are new each morning; gazing in awe and wonder at his creation; staying attentive to God’s holy salvation-judgment; meditating on Christ (116–21). These should move us to give all the glory to God alone.

This book would be a welcome addition to any library, whether at home or church. Reflecting on the five solas of the Reformation is needed in any generation, for our human tendency is to forget and to rely on self or another fake, idolatrous authority. Each of the five solas gives us a clear directive, a refocus on the beauty of a gracious God who has done everything to save a people for himself.

Notes

  1. The five solas: sola Scriptura, sola gratia, sola fide, solus Christus, soli Deo Gloria.
  2. Fluhrer looks to Geerhardus Vos in this description of lived faith in the already/not yet.
  3. Here, the important doctrine of our union with Christ is given brief exposure.

©Charles Vaughn. All Rights Reserved.

Gabriel N. E. Fluhrer, The Beauty of Divine Grace (Ligonier Ministries, 2022).

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    Post authored by:

  • Charles Vaughn
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    Charles lives in San Diego county with his wife and four covenant children. He has a B.A. in Biblical & Theological Studies from Regent University and an M.A. in both Biblical and Theological Studies from Westminster Seminary California. Charles works as a Junior High history teacher at a Christian school in Escondido, CA.

    More by Charles Vaughn ›

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