The Five Solas: A Cry for Truth (Part 1 of 5)‏

Hello Friends!

Welcome to a new 5-part EC series titled The Five Solas: A Cry for Truth. This series will investigate these often misunderstood beliefs and convictions based on the Bible – The Word of God. Please join us over the next five weeks as we learn more about the specifics of these cries for truth. 

 

The Five Solas are five Latin phrases (or slogans) that emerged from the Protestant Reformation intended to summarize the Reformers' basic theological principles in contrast to certain teachings of the Roman Catholic Church of the day. "Sola" is Latin meaning "alone" or "only" and the corresponding phrases are:

• Sola Fide - by Faith alone
• Sola Scriptura - by Scripture alone
• Solus Christus - through Christ alone
• Sola Gratia - by Grace alone
• Soli Deo Gloria - glory to God alone

These phrases may be found individually expressed in the various writings of the 16th century Reformers, either explicitly or implicitly, but they are not found presented as a list per se. It is most likely the list of Solas came about later.

Let’s begin our study with the Sola known as SOLA FIDE…

The Five Solas: #1 - Sola Fide

Justification is by grace alone through faith alone because of Christ alone. In justification Christ's righteousness is imputed to us as the only possible satisfaction of God's perfect justice. Our justification does not rest on any merit to be found in us, nor upon the grounds of an infusion of Christ's righteousness in us, nor that an institution claiming to be a church that denies or condemns sola fide can be recognized as a legitimate church.

By faith alone, from the Latin Sola Fide, is one of the five Solas of the 16th century Protestant Reformation. This was Martin Luther’s cry in reference to our "right-standing" before God. Justification, he declared, is by faith alone, not faith plus anything else. Luther believed this was a critical doctrine and regarded it as the truth by which the church would either stand or fall.

"The doctrine of free justification by faith alone, which became the storm center of so much controversy during the Reformation period, is so often regarded as the heart of the Reformers theology but this is not accurate. The truth is that their thinking was really centered upon the contention of Paul, echoed by Augustine and others, that the sinner’s entire salvation is by free and sovereign grace only, and that the doctrine of justification by faith was important to them because it safeguarded the principle of sovereign grace. The sovereignty of grace found expression in their thinking at a more profound level still in the doctrine of monergistic regeneration." – J.I. Packer 

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast – Ephesians 2:8-9

Thank you for reading! Don’t miss next week’s edition as we investigate Sola #2 – SOLA SCRITURA…

Keep looking up and sharing the Gospel while there is still time… Hallelujah and Maranatha – come quickly Lord Jesus!

We are not guaranteed tomorrow – tomorrow may be too late! If you haven't yet made that most important decision of your life, won't you make Jesus Christ your personal Lord and Savior today - before it's too late? Today is the day of Salvation!

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Blessings!
Shane K. Morin <><

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