Hello Friends!
Welcome to a new 5-part Daily Devotions
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 Sola 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 short
study with the Sola known as SOLA FIDE…
The Five Solas: #1 -
Sola Fide
Justification is
by grace alone through faith alone because of Jesus Christ alone. In justification,
Jesus 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 Jesus 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.
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
"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
Thank you for reading! Don’t miss next week’s edition as we investigate Sola #2 – SOLA
SCRITURA…
May the
Lord Jesus Christ continue to bless you with His perfect love, mercy and grace!
Keep looking up and sharing the Gospel while
there is still time… Hallelujah and Maranatha – come quickly Lord Jesus!
Blessings!
Shane <><