#5 No One May Boast - Sola Deo Gloria (Glory of God Alone)
We are saved, sanctified, and glorified by the power of God’s grace through faith ALONE. The moment man claims any responsibility, no matter how little, it removes glory that belongs to God alone.
#4 Speculation Ends Nowhere - Sola Scriptura (Scripture Alone)
If our theology isn’t informed by God’s actual words, it will be formed by something else entirely. When scripture is not upheld as the objective authority, we shift toward subjectivism where people, through experiences, and blends of world religions will put themselves in authority.
#3 Faith And Then Faithfulness - Sola Christus (Christ Alone)
That which actually saves us before God is Christ. His faithfulness and not ours is what’s most important. The faith that brings justification does so because it is in the “Lord Jesus Christ.” The faith that saves is in Christ alone, Sola Christus.
#2 Alone Is Better Than Together - Sola Gratia (Grace Alone)
The word that really matters is Sola. Whether discussing faith, grace, Christ, Scripture or the Glory of God it is this idea of “alone” which carries the most weight in this discussion. In terms of the Reformation Sola Gratia is very different than Gratia.
If Saul Met Paul
What if Saul met Paul? What if in some Steven Spielberg-esk way this could happen? A Freaky Friday of biblical proportions. What if the once committed legalist, Saul, met his eventually broken and transformed self, Paul? What if the man who hunted down Christians met the man who fearlessly gave his life to multiply them?
#1 The Good Old Days - Sola Fide (Faith Alone)
Christians can argue theology all day long in theory, but what we believe about justification has consequences in real life. It plays out either in faith that rests in Jesus’s righteousness credited to our account, or destructive self-righteous legalism.
Stump the Chump (Questions for the Pastor): What About Kevin DeYoung & Hebrews 12:14?
Sometimes DeYoung’s statement is offered up to me as a sort of theological Gordian Knot. “How are you going to explain this pastor?” I think they imagine DeYoung’s comment represents some irreconcilable dilemma. A bombshell observation. Of course, this discussion (the one underneath the quote) is not new. The relationship between justification and sanctification has been puzzling Protestants for fifteen hundred years. It’s part of who we are.
The Danger of Defining Yourself by What You Are Against
You will attract people with gnarled and rancorous dispositions. Brawlers. Sword drawn zealots ready to throw themselves on an edge over the smallest disagreement. Often, it’s not us but those who come behind us and take our opinions to the next level who do the most damage.