Since we have been justified by faith alone, in Jesus Christ alone, and have been made sons of God by this same faith alone in Jesus Christ alone, we must not turn our faith into a works-based religion.
1. Remember who we once were (v.8).
“The basic principle of the world is that we need to save ourselves. We will worship what we think we need to fulfill ourselves, to give us ‘life.’ And Paul is saying that any basic ‘thing’ —money, sex, mountains and so on— can be worshipped, treated as a god, and become the basis of your religion. And whatever it is that we worship, we will be enslaved by. —Tim Keller
2. Remember who are now (v.9).