MARTIN LUTHER [REFORMATION SUNDAY.

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 THIS OCTOBER 31st WILL BE THE 500th ANNIVERSARY OF THE DAY THAT MARTIN LUTHER NAILED HIS "95 THESES" ON THE DO0R OF THE WITTENBERG CASTLE CHURCH. THIS DOCUMENT, WHICH CHALLENGED THE ROMAN CATHOLIC
CHURCH'S  POSITION ON THE SALE OF "INDULGENCES " IS VIEWED AS THE BEGINNING OF THE REFORMATION. IT IS IN THAT HERITAGE THAT OUR CHURCH, AND EVERY PROTESTANT CHURCH. STANDS EACH WEEK AT WORSHIP, AND IT SHOULD BE A REMINDER OF OUR REFORMATION HERITAGE, HOLDING UP A BIBLE, WITH MARTIN. " GOD SAID IT, AND WE BELIEVE IT: ANSWERING IN  THE "SLOGAN: "SOLA SCRIPTURA--SOLA GRATIA--SOLA FIDE--SOLA CHRISTUS--SOLA CHRISTUS--SOLA DEO GLORIA" SOMETIMES REFERRED TO AS THE "FIVE SOLAS" OF THE PROTESTANT REFORMATION. THEY ARE BIBLICALLY GROUNDED THEOLOGICAL PRINCIPLES THAT GUIDED THE REFORMERS AS THEY SOUGHT TO RESTORE THE WORD OF GOD TO ITS RIGHTFUL PLACE IN THE LIFE OF THE CHURCH. HERE IS A BRIEF SUMMARY OF WHAT THIS MEANS.
 SOLA SCRIPTURA--" SCRIPTURE ALONE." THIS IS THE BASIS OF THE CHRISTIAN
 CHURCH.

 AND THE REFORMATION. AT A TIME WHEN TRADITIONNS AND HUMAN IDEAS WERE SUPPLANTING GOD'S WORD, THE REFORMERS SAID "NO"- GOD'S WORD ( THE BIBLE) ALONE IS OUR AUTHORITY FOR BELIEF AND BEHAVIOR. IN 1521, MARTIN LUTHER WAS ON TRIAL FOR HIS FAITH AND TEACHINGS. IT WAS DURING THAT INTERROGATION THAT HE DECLARED THAT HIS CONSCIENCE WAS CAPTIVE TO THE WORD OF GOD. HE SAID " UNLESS I AM OVERCOME WITH TESTIMONIES FROM SCRIPTURE OR WITH EVIDENT REASONS-- FOR I BELIEVE NEITHER THE POPE NOR THE COUNCILS, SINCE THEY HAVE OFTEN ERRED AND CONTRADICTED ONE ANOTHER-- I AM OVERCOME BY THE SCRIPTURE TEXTS WHICH I HAVE ADDUCED, AND MY CONSCIENCE IS BOUND BY GOD'S WORD.."

WHAT DOES THE  BIBLE SAY ABOUT ITSELF.? " ALL SCRIPTURE IS INSPIRED BY GOD AND POFITABLE FOR TEACHING, FOR REPROOF, FOR CORRECTION, FOR TRAINING IN RIGHTEOUSNESS; THAT GOD'S PERSON MAY BE ADEQUATE, EQUIPPED FOR EVERY GOOD WORK" (2 TIMOTHEY 3:16-17). TODAY, IN THE CHURCH AND IN THE WORLD, THE POSITION OF THE WORD OF GOD HAS BEEN GREATLY REDUCED. WE NEED TO AFFIRM WITH THE REFORMERS " SOLA SCRIPTURA"!

 

SOLA GRATIA- "GRACE ALONE." A CENTRAL TENET OF THE REFORMATION WAS THAT SALVATION IS BY GOD'S GRACE- AND GRACE ALONE. THE CHURCH AT LUTHER'S TIME AND (EVEN SOME TODAY) TAUGHT THAT IN ADDITION TO THE GRACE OF GOD IN JESUS CHRIST, A PERSON NEEDED TO DO " WORKS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS", AGAIN LOOKING TO SCRIPTURE, WE READ, " FOR IT IS BY GRACE YOU HAVE BEEN SAVED, THROUGH FAITH- AND THIS IS NOT FROM YOURSELVES, IT IS A GIFT OF GOD-NOT BY WORKS, SO THAT NO ONE CAN BOAST" (EPHESIANS 2:8-9)

OUR SALVATION IS BY THE FREE GIFT OF GOD'S GRACE; THERE IS NOTHING WE CAN DO TO EARN IT. AS ROMAN'S 5:8 SAYS, GOD DEMOSTRATES HIS OWN LOVE FOR US IN

THIS: WHILE WE WERE STILL SINNERS, CHRIST DIED FOR US.

 

SOLA FIDE-"FAITH ALONE.".  THE TRUSTED WORD OF GOD TELLS US THAT WE ARE SAVED BY GRACE ALONE. HOW DO W RECEIVE IT? BY FAITH ONLY-NOT BY ANY EFFORT OR WORK. NOTE THAT WE ARE SAVED BY GRACE (GOD'S GIFT), NOT BY

FAITH. IF IT WAS OUR FAITH THAT SAVED US, THAT WOULD BE WORK. BUT WE RECEIVE GOD'S FREE GIFT BY FAITH: BELIEVING THAT RESULTS IS ACTION. THIS FAITH IS NOT APART FROM REASON, BUT A FAITH BASED ON CLEAR EVIDENCE IN SCRIPTURE, ARCHEOLOGY, AND ALL CREATION AROUND US.  EVEN FAITH ITSELF IS A GIFT OF GOD. 1 PETER 1:7 SAYS, "THESE [ TRIALS YOU EXPERIENCE IN LIFE]  HAVE COME SO THAT YOUR FAITH-GREATER WORTH THAN GOLD, WHICH PERISHES EVEN THOUGH REFINED BY FIRE REVEALED (THIS LAST PART IS NUMBER FIVE!)

SOLAR CHRISTUS-"CHRIST ALONE." ALL OF THE ABOVE IS BECAUSE OF JESUS CHRIST.