October 31st marks the 500th anniversary of the momentous day in church history when a Catholic monk nailed a document containing 95 theses to the door of the church in Wittenberg. Although, most do not believe that Martin Luther intended to launch a worldwide movement in the church with his theses, the fire of change was sparked, and that spark would grow and begin a movement called the protestant reformation.
The reformation was founded on what is now known as the “Five Sola’s, and over the next couple weeks we will look at each of these Sola’s. Are they still important for us today? Do they still matter? And in 2017, should we still cling to the 500 year old fundamental tenets of the reformation?
The five sola’s are; Sola Scriptura, Sola Fide, Sola Gratia, Solus Christus, and Soli Deo Gloria. In English, they are Scripture alone, faith alone, grace alone, Christ alone, and the glory of God alone.
Over the next five weeks we will look at each of these Sola’s individually, as each of them make incredible claims about the Gospel.
Sola
so-la. adj. only; single; lonely; alone; having no companion
Each of these statements use the term sola, and it is important to understand the full weight of this adjective.
The reformers did not just value these five mantras. They did not simply see Scripture, faith, grace, Christ, and God’s glory as positive aspects of the Christian faith. Instead, they claimed complete exclusivity, and this exclusivity was the definitive backbone of the reformation. For example, as we consider “sola scriptura,” it is important to understand that the reformers did not just claim that Scripture was important, or that it was an authority in a Christian’s life. Instead, they claimed Scripture is the authority. Scripture is the authority alone. Scripture is the single authority. Scripture has no companion.
The reformers were fully aware of the exclusive claims they were making, yet they were bound by Scripture and conscious to make them. As we consider the “Five Sola’s,” I believe that it is going to challenge each of us to evaluate our beliefs, and ultimately I believe that it will increase our joy and confidence in the Gospel of Jesus Christ!
