Salvation is by grace alone. Paul declares, “By grace you have been saved through faith… it is the gift of God” (Eph. 2:8). Grace means God saves the undeserving, not the worthy. Calvin reminded us that salvation is “solely by the grace of God, through redemption in Christ.” To deny sola gratia is to rob God of His glory. Doctrine safeguards the church by proclaiming that grace alone saves.

The doctrine of man begins with humility: we are fallen, dependent, and needy. Scripture declares, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). Calvin taught that apart from God, man is “nothing but vanity.” Berkhof explained that sin left us spiritually dead. Doctrine protects us from pride by reminding us that we are helpless without grace. To know man rightly is to know our desperate need for Christ.