By Grace Alone.
Term referring to the Scriptural doctrine that man is saved by grace alone without the deeds of the Law. - Christian Cyclopedia
sola gratia—“without any merit or worthiness in us.” Out of his mercy and
grace, God looks with favor on our lives and forgives our transgressions through Christ.
God’s gift of love in Christ, totally undeserved... - LCMS.org
Ephesians 1:3-10 - Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.
Ephesians 2:8-9 - For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
Showing posts with label Solas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Solas. Show all posts
Monday, May 5, 2008
Solas Part 1: Solus Christus
Also know as solo Christo = by Christ Alone.
"Solus Christus is the teaching that Christ is the only mediator between God and man, and that there is salvation through no other....absolution reconciles the penitent with God directly through faith in Christ's forgiveness rather than with the priest and the church as mediating entities between the penitent and God." - Wikipedia
Colossians 1:13-20 - He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
1 Timothy 2:5-6 - 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, which is the testimony given at the proper time.
"Solus Christus is the teaching that Christ is the only mediator between God and man, and that there is salvation through no other....absolution reconciles the penitent with God directly through faith in Christ's forgiveness rather than with the priest and the church as mediating entities between the penitent and God." - Wikipedia
Colossians 1:13-20 - He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
1 Timothy 2:5-6 - 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, which is the testimony given at the proper time.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Where the Apple Falls
Last night my oldest child (Seventeen) went to youth group at a friend's church. I will tell you beforehand that this child is very outgoing, headstrong and a bit bossy (think Lucy Van Pelt but less self-centered).
When she came home the first thing she asked me was, "It's Christ that accepts us, right?"
When she came home the first thing she asked me was, "It's Christ that accepts us, right?"
"Yes?" I replied, knowing this was just the tip of the iceberg.
Seventeen: The teacher at Friend's church said we need to accept Christ into our hearts.
Me: (eyebrows raised) Synergism?
Seventeen: Huh? (looks at me weird) No, she just said that God begins faith, but it is up to us to accept Christ into our hearts.
Me: What did you say?
Seventeen: I didn't say anything.
Me: Faith is the work of the Holy Spirit...
Seventeen: I know, I know. Anyway, she said we have to strive to be like Jesus.
Me: (jaw dropping) What did you say?
Seventeen: I said, but aren't we the sheep and Jesus the shepherd. The sheep can't become the shepherd. The shepherd does everything for the sheep - finds them when they're lost and stuff like that. Sheep can't do anything.
Me: What did she say?
Seventeen: She said that yes, Jesus is the shepherd, but He is also the rabbi and we are His disciples and as disciples our job is to become rabbis.
Me: What did you say?
Seventeen: I told her there was no way possible for me to become God, no matter how hard I try. I'm just a sinner.
Me: Did anyone agree with you?
Seventeen: No. They just argued with me.
Me: Did they change your mind?
Seventeen: No! I know I'm right.
Me: (Smiling so big my face hurts) Good.
Indeed it is a smorgasbord out there (thanks, Sara, for the analogy). There are a lot of differing views, theologies, doctrines and ideas. Many are biblical, many are not. It seems, from my humble perspective, that the ideas we find most appealing (appetizing) are those that agree with our human reasoning (easy to digest).
But as we survey what lays before us on the buffet, remember that God's way is not man's way.
Oh, I almost forgot, the denomination of the church Seventeen visited last night : ELCA.
Hebrew 13:20-21, 25 Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen....Grace be with all of you.Saturday, November 10, 2007
The Solas explained
This is from an article by Rev. Timothy Kinne in The Lutheran Witness, page B, October 2007.
"Sola Scriptura - by Scripture alone means we believe that the truth of the message of salvation is found nowhere else than in the inspired text of the Holy Scriptures. Sola Gratia - by Grace alone means we believe that the reality of salvation is given to us only by the grace or undeserved love of God in Christ Jesus - and not by anything we have done. Sola Fide - by Faith alone means we believe that only by the power of the Holy Spirit, working through the Word of God, is one drawn into a faith relationship with the Lord.
...Eternal salvation in heaven is not based on me and what I may have done or not done. Rather my salvation is based only on what Jesus Christ has done for me."
"Sola Scriptura - by Scripture alone means we believe that the truth of the message of salvation is found nowhere else than in the inspired text of the Holy Scriptures. Sola Gratia - by Grace alone means we believe that the reality of salvation is given to us only by the grace or undeserved love of God in Christ Jesus - and not by anything we have done. Sola Fide - by Faith alone means we believe that only by the power of the Holy Spirit, working through the Word of God, is one drawn into a faith relationship with the Lord.
...Eternal salvation in heaven is not based on me and what I may have done or not done. Rather my salvation is based only on what Jesus Christ has done for me."
Friday, October 26, 2007
Salute to Legalism
An easy, obvious example...more on this topic later when I have time.
From The Global Anabaptist and Mennonite Encyclopedia Online.
Old Order Amish:
"In theology the Amish have retained the basic doctrines of their forefathers, but have certain characteristic emphases. One of these is the denial of assurance of salvation; they commonly hold that one can only hope to be saved, that it is pride to claim certainty of salvation. There is also little teaching or preaching of conversion, and no pietistic type of piety. There is a strong emphasis on living a righteous life, being and doing good, and obeying the rules of the church."
Rules of the Amish church:
"The Ordnungen comprise the rules and regulations of the church community. The word is used in Mennonite, Amish, and Hutterite tradition to cover both the written and oral compendia of modes of behavior and organizational structure which give form and meaning to daily life. The Ordnung may contain broad principles of faith, e.g., nonresistance and common ownership of goods (in the case of Hutterites), as well as very specific applications of principles, e.g., permissible styles of clothing, (dress) or home furnishings.
The purpose of the Ordnung is not only to provide a list of individually acceptable or proscribed ethical behaviors but to structure a whole way of life, lived according to God's will, as expressed in the gospels. The Ordnung reflects God's order as opposed to the order of the world."
From The Global Anabaptist and Mennonite Encyclopedia Online.
Old Order Amish:
"In theology the Amish have retained the basic doctrines of their forefathers, but have certain characteristic emphases. One of these is the denial of assurance of salvation; they commonly hold that one can only hope to be saved, that it is pride to claim certainty of salvation. There is also little teaching or preaching of conversion, and no pietistic type of piety. There is a strong emphasis on living a righteous life, being and doing good, and obeying the rules of the church."
Rules of the Amish church:
"The Ordnungen comprise the rules and regulations of the church community. The word is used in Mennonite, Amish, and Hutterite tradition to cover both the written and oral compendia of modes of behavior and organizational structure which give form and meaning to daily life. The Ordnung may contain broad principles of faith, e.g., nonresistance and common ownership of goods (in the case of Hutterites), as well as very specific applications of principles, e.g., permissible styles of clothing, (dress) or home furnishings.
The purpose of the Ordnung is not only to provide a list of individually acceptable or proscribed ethical behaviors but to structure a whole way of life, lived according to God's will, as expressed in the gospels. The Ordnung reflects God's order as opposed to the order of the world."
More from Religious Tolerance:
"Knowledge of one's salvation: For Evangelicals and other conservative Protestants, salvation is an unmistakable experience which happens when one trusts Jesus. Amish are different. They don't believe that anyone is guaranteed salvation as a result of a conversion experience, baptism, joining the church, etc. "...they would consider it arrogant or prideful to claim certainty of salvation." The Amish believe that God carefully weighs the individual's total lifetime record of obedience to the church and then decides whether the person's eternal destiny will be the reward of Heaven or the punishment in Hell. If a person is baptized into the Amish church and later leaves the church or is excommunicated, they have no hope of attaining Heaven. As a result, an Amish believer lives their life and dies not knowing if they are saved and will attain Heaven. This lack of certainty has made the Amish church susceptible to raiding from other Christian evangelists at various times in its history."
"Authority: They believe that their church has received the authority from God to interpret his will. "Submission to church is submission to God."
Friday, October 19, 2007
Good Works vs Faith Alone
From the WELS:
Some believe that we are saved by good works, period. For them, faith in Jesus as Savior is nice, but not absolutely necessary. Others believe that we must start the process by trying to do good works, but we won’t be able to do enough. That’s where God’s grace in Christ “kicks in” and takes us the rest of the way. Others believe that God’s grace gets us started, but then it’s up to us to complete the “salvation process” by doing good works. Still others believe that the one good work that we can do is to invite Jesus into our heart. They believe that no other good works will save us, but this one will.
All possible views of the way of salvation can be reduced to just two. That’s because all the views listed in the paragraph above have something fundamental in common. They all make our salvation depend on something we do. Whether the good works are supposed to be done before,after, or apart from our believing in Jesus as Savior really makes no difference. Mixing salvation by grace with salvation by works always yields salvation by works, just as mixing milk and poison always gives you poisoned milk, or multiplying a negative and a positive number always yields a negative. There are only two ways of salvation: trust in God’s grace to do it all, or rely on your own ability to do enough good works (See Galatians 2:16, Romans 4:4-5, 11:6, etc.). No compromise between the two ways is possible.
Why is this important? First, understand that how many good works someone “feels” that he or she has done or can do has no importance at all. The only thing that matters is how many good works God demands, and God demands absolute perfection (Matthew 5:48). What Luther recognized about himself is true of all of us. None of us has or can live the perfectly righteous life that God demands (Romans 3:9-20, 23, etc.). But depending on our good works to save us, even a little, obligates us to do the impossible—i.e., to keep God’s whole Law perfectly (Galatians 3:10, 5:2-4,etc.) In other words, to depend on our own good works to save us, even partially, is essentially to throw our salvation away. It’s like refusing to let a helicopter carry us across a canyon because we would rather try flapping our arms and flying across. Whether we try to fly all the way across, or only part of the way, the result will be the same.
There are other reasons why this matter is important. If our good works can achieve salvation for us, even a little bit, then Christ died for nothing (Galatians 2:21). To trust in our own works to save us, even a little bit, is to rob God of the glory he deserves for accomplishing all of our salvation from beginning to end. Perhaps worst of all, it destroys the certainty of our salvation that God wants us to have. If our salvation depends on us, even a little, it immediately becomes uncertain. But if it depends 100% on God--and it does--then we can be absolutely sure it will get done.
Amen to that. Have a great weekend. See you Monday.
Some believe that we are saved by good works, period. For them, faith in Jesus as Savior is nice, but not absolutely necessary. Others believe that we must start the process by trying to do good works, but we won’t be able to do enough. That’s where God’s grace in Christ “kicks in” and takes us the rest of the way. Others believe that God’s grace gets us started, but then it’s up to us to complete the “salvation process” by doing good works. Still others believe that the one good work that we can do is to invite Jesus into our heart. They believe that no other good works will save us, but this one will.
All possible views of the way of salvation can be reduced to just two. That’s because all the views listed in the paragraph above have something fundamental in common. They all make our salvation depend on something we do. Whether the good works are supposed to be done before,after, or apart from our believing in Jesus as Savior really makes no difference. Mixing salvation by grace with salvation by works always yields salvation by works, just as mixing milk and poison always gives you poisoned milk, or multiplying a negative and a positive number always yields a negative. There are only two ways of salvation: trust in God’s grace to do it all, or rely on your own ability to do enough good works (See Galatians 2:16, Romans 4:4-5, 11:6, etc.). No compromise between the two ways is possible.
Why is this important? First, understand that how many good works someone “feels” that he or she has done or can do has no importance at all. The only thing that matters is how many good works God demands, and God demands absolute perfection (Matthew 5:48). What Luther recognized about himself is true of all of us. None of us has or can live the perfectly righteous life that God demands (Romans 3:9-20, 23, etc.). But depending on our good works to save us, even a little, obligates us to do the impossible—i.e., to keep God’s whole Law perfectly (Galatians 3:10, 5:2-4,etc.) In other words, to depend on our own good works to save us, even partially, is essentially to throw our salvation away. It’s like refusing to let a helicopter carry us across a canyon because we would rather try flapping our arms and flying across. Whether we try to fly all the way across, or only part of the way, the result will be the same.
There are other reasons why this matter is important. If our good works can achieve salvation for us, even a little bit, then Christ died for nothing (Galatians 2:21). To trust in our own works to save us, even a little bit, is to rob God of the glory he deserves for accomplishing all of our salvation from beginning to end. Perhaps worst of all, it destroys the certainty of our salvation that God wants us to have. If our salvation depends on us, even a little, it immediately becomes uncertain. But if it depends 100% on God--and it does--then we can be absolutely sure it will get done.
Amen to that. Have a great weekend. See you Monday.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Sola Fide Today
Luke 10:38-42
Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”
Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Oops, Sola Fide is not enough!
It has to be paired with Solus Christus.
In Christ alone.
Sola Fide means nothing if one doesn't have faith in Christ alone.
Today's Sola Fide example:
Luke 23:39-43
One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: "Aren't you the Christ? Save yourself and us!"
But the other criminal rebuked him. "Don't you fear God," he said, "since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong."
Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."
Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."
In Christ alone.
Sola Fide means nothing if one doesn't have faith in Christ alone.
Today's Sola Fide example:
Luke 23:39-43
One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: "Aren't you the Christ? Save yourself and us!"
But the other criminal rebuked him. "Don't you fear God," he said, "since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong."
Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."
Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."
Friday, October 5, 2007
The Solas
Sola Fide, Solus Christus, Sola Gratia. Faith alone, in Christ alone, by God's grace alone.
Perhaps it is too simplistic.
Perhaps the simple answer is just that....The Answer.
Why do some wish to complicate things? To whose advantage would that be? Satan's, perhaps?
Perhaps it is too simplistic.
Perhaps the simple answer is just that....The Answer.
Why do some wish to complicate things? To whose advantage would that be? Satan's, perhaps?
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