The month of October is Reformation Month, and apart from a Reformation Sermon by Dn Pang Wee at the end of the month, our next two Herald editorials1 will highlight the 5 Solas of the Reformation. These Solas (Latin, “alone”) are the pillars of Protestant Theology, and by God’s grace, grant us confidence and comfort in our walk with Him.
Ps Luwin Wong
The five solas were not exactly Reformation slogans, but they serve as a good summary of the Reformed faith. Neither Martin Luther nor John Calvin nor any other Protestant Reformer summarised his teachings in a tidy list including Scripture alone, Christ alone, faith alone, grace alone, to the glory of God alone. Taking flight in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, this fivefold summary became the shorthand version of what is known as Reformed theology. While this description of the Reformed faith came later, it still captures well the core of the gospel in all its graciousness and Christ-centeredness, just as it is revealed in the Scriptures. These five solas show the glory of God’s gracious way of salvation in a way that sets the tone for true theology, resounding in how we think and live in this world.
Sola Scriptura
Theology must be Scripturally grounded. God’s life-giving speech reveals to us His salvation and calls us to faith and repentance. We were once darkness, but now we are light in the Lord (Ephesians 5:8). Satan blinds the minds of unbelievers, lest they see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ (2 Corinthians 4:4). Yet the God who commands light to shine out of darkness shines in our hearts, giving us the light “of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6). God always does this by the Spirit working through the Word. The Holy Spirit is the Author of Scripture, and He speaks through Scripture (Hebrew 3:7). The Scriptures teach us everything that we need to make us wise for salvation through faith in Christ and to be thoroughly equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:15–17). This is why those who do not speak according to the rule of Scripture have no light in them (Isaiah 8:20). Yet without the Spirit, even the Scriptures cannot help us. We are dead in trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1–2), our minds and hearts are darkened (Ephesians 4:18; Romans 1:21), and we need someone to raise us from the dead and turn on the lights (Ephesians 5:14). If Scripture is sufficient to make us wise for faith and life in Christ, then Scripture alone can be our guide to walking with God. Everything else is both useless and superfluous. Yet we must be born of the Spirit in order to see God’s kingdom (John 3:5). Only through the Spirit working by and with the Scriptures in our hearts can we walk in the light with the God who is light (1 John 1:7).
Solus Christus
Theology must be Christ focused. We should believe everything Scripture teaches us because it is God’s Word (John 8:47). Christ is the main point of the Bible, and the whole Bible testifies to Him (John 5:39; Luke 24:27; 1 Peter 1:10–12). Without the Spirit, we could not receive God’s testimony in Scripture; without Christ, even God’s words cannot save us. Theology is Christ-focused because no one comes to the Father apart from Him (John 14:6) and because the Spirit seeks to glorify Him for our salvation (John 16:8–14). Jesus is truly God and truly man. He alone can reconcile God and man, killing animosity and creating friendship (Genesis 3:15). The Father is well pleased with His Son (Mark 1:11), and He is well pleased with us only when we are in the Son (Ephesians 1:6). Jesus alone can save His people from their sins (Matthew 1:21) because He alone is their Prophet revealing to them by His Word and Spirit the will of God for their salvation; He alone is their Priest who offered Himself as a sacrifice to satisfy divine justice for them; and He alone is their King who subdues them to Himself, rules and defends them, and restrains and conquers all His and their enemies (WSC 24–26). There is no fellowship with God apart from Christ, and we count all things loss compared to the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus our Lord (Philippians 3:8).
(1) Ryan McGraw, (Oct 27, 2021). What are the Five Solas? Ligonier Ministries.
コメント