For Protestant believers, October 31 is Reformation Day. Reformation Day marks the anniversary of Martin Luther’s posting of his 95 theses on the church door in Wittenberg, Germany. Luther had no intention of breaking away from, or dividing, the Catholic Church. His intention was to invite discussion about what he believed to be abuses related to the selling of indulgences. In Luther’s day, the Catholic Church promoted purchasing indulgences as a means of freeing loved ones from the agonies of purgatory. In Thesis 32, Luther stated, “Those who believe that they can be certain of their salvation because they have indulgence letters will be eternally damned together with their teachers.” In Thesis 52, he declared, “It is vain to trust in salvation by indulgence letters, even though the indulgence commissary, or even the pope, were to offer his soul as security. For such statements, Luther was tried by the Catholic Church and condemned as a heretic. Still, Luther’s 95 theses touched a nerve. The discontent of many within the Church rose to the surface and the Protestant Reformation was born.
In light of the Reformation what does it mean to be Protestant? The fundamental beliefs that gave birth to the Reformation are often referred to as the “Five Solas.” They are as follows:
Sola Scriptura (Scripture Alone). The Bible is our ultimate authority for what we believe and how we are to live. All truth claims rooted in lesser authorities—including personal experience, teachers, preachers, popes, self-professed prophets, etc.—must be measured against the truth of God’s written Word. It was Luther’s commitment to the authority of Scripture that compelled him to stand firm during his trial in Worms. He declared, “I am bound by the Scriptures I have quoted and my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and I will not retract anything, since it is neither safe nor right to go against conscience. I cannot do otherwise, here I stand. May God help me, Amen.”
Sola Gratia (Grace Alone). Every religion, except biblical Christianity, is rooted in the idea that forgiveness and salvation are—at least in part—dependent on our own efforts and obedience to God’s law. The reformers rightly rejected this understanding. Scripture teaches that, in the light of God’s holiness, we are each fallen and hopelessly depraved. This means our best thoughts and deeds are stained by sin and unacceptable to God (Isaiah 64:6; Romans 3:10-18, 23, etc.)! Our only hope for forgiveness of sin and deliverance from divine wrath is God’s grace.
Sola Fide (Faith Alone). Along with the understanding that salvation is by grace alone, the reformers recovered the biblical truth that God’s grace must be received through faith in Christ. Saving faith means entrusting our lives and destinies to the person and work of Jesus. Having lived the perfect life we cannot live, he died on the cross to pay our sin penalty in full. On the cross, God made him to be sin who had no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). Saving faith is not a human work. It is the gift of God. “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8-9).
Sola Christo (Christ Alone). The reformers embraced the truth of the exclusivity of Christ as Savior. “For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all” (1 Timothy 2:5-6). Jesus alone can save us from sin because only Jesus is God become man. Only Jesus paid our sin penalty when He died on the cross. Only Jesus conquered death when He rose from the grave. Jesus himself declares, I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me (John 14:6). Turning away from Jesus to trust anyone or anything else for salvation—be it a person (including yourself), institution, religion, or church—leads to eternal condemnation.
Sola Deo Gloria (Glory to God Alone). It is God who reveals Himself to us in His Word. It is God who initiates and completes our salvation in Christ. It is God who gives His gifts of repentance and faith. It is God who gave His Son to be our Mediator and Savior from sin. Thus, it is God alone worthy of our unending gratitude and praise!
This Reformation Day, thank God for men like Martin Luther, John Calvin, John Knox—and many more. Because of their commitment to his Word, God used such men to clarify and restore the gospel. Tragically, the saving truths the reformers recovered are now ignored, or denied, in many self-professed “Bible-believing” churches. Perhaps we need another reformation. May we be faithful to proclaim God’s truth in our day like the reformers were faithful to proclaim it in theirs?