On October 21, 1517, Martin Luther’s hammer echoed forth on the wooden door of the castle church in Wittenberg. The ninety-five theses that were affixed that day are the hallmark of what the Protestant church confesses. Imbedded in these ninety-five complaints against the Roman Catholic Church, are the three solas and one solus. The Protestant church is much divided into its various denominations and associations, but they all accept the Bible as the absolute standard of their faith and practices, rejecting the supremacy of the pope, the sacramental system of the Roman Church, and the works salvation as a means to God.
SOLA SCRIPTURA
Scripture Alone: The Bible is the absolute and final authority for all beliefs and practices. Whenever something is to be found contrary to the scriptures it must be discarded. This confession cuts deep into the Roman Catholic, emphasis of tradition and canonical law equal to or more than equal to Holy Scripture. This belief means that the Scriptures alone, carries all that is necessary for salvation and atonement. The emphasis that Protestant’s place on the importance of the Bible separates us from the Roman Catholic Church, which places its emphasis on the Pope, as the Vicar of Christ.
SOLA GRATIA
Grace Alone: This is rooted in the grace that God offers us; His gracious act of offering atonement and justification to undeserving mankind. God alone is the source of this grace. There us no chance a human could merit his own favour with God. Ephesians 2 declares “For by grace are ye saved through faith and that not of yourselves.” This verse declares that salvation comes from God by faith, not by any work we can to by our own selves.
SOLA FIDE
Faith Alone: Salvation is by grace, but we must respond to it by faith, believing in Christ alone for our salvation. Ephesians 2 declares again “ye are saved through faith.” Good works are not the way to God, but are rather the fruits of the faith that we place in God.
CHRISTUS SOLUS
Christ Alone: Together the three solas, affirm that Christ is the object of the Protestant faith. The Easter message or Christ incarnate, crucified, risen again, is the entire object of the Protestant faith. We are saved by Him alone.
MARRIAGEUS SOLUS
Marriage Alone: Lastly we are Protestants because God has not called us to be celibates, and to be alone the rest of our days. God has given us the privilege of accepting marriage as an honourable estate founded in the very structure of the Church. Protestant clergyman can not be Roman Catholic, for this very important reason, they must find a helpmate for their ministry. If we are going to be Protestants, we must follow Martin Luther’s example in this area of his life, and ascend upwards to the high calling of matrimony.
CONCLUSION
The term Protestant means that we stand for something. Our forefathers had something to say against the established Church, and took their stand. In many cases this stand, cost them their lives, but they realized that truth merits any price. The Protestant Reformation caused a beam of light to shine once more in the Church, causing people to truly have right relationship with God. May the Protestant church always confess in their creeds: Scripture Alone, Grace Alone, Faith Alone and Christ Alone!
