It’s the Only way….

Let’s start with the obvious verse: John 14:6. Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Jesus says that He is the Only way.  But we are going to be talking about more than just One Only; we have five more only’s to discuss.

Everyone who calls himself a Christian believes that salvation comes by grace, through faith, in Jesus, to the glory of God as recorded in scripture.  But let’s pump up the claim.  Let’s make it big.  Let’s make it loud.  Let’s make it “only.”

Salvation comes by Grace alone, through Faith alone, in Jesus alone, to the Glory of God alone as recorded in Scripture alone.  Now, we have something to talk about.  Now, we’ve gone and upset the apple cart.  Now, people are going to scratch their heads and wave us off.  What’s all this alone business?

Grace alone.  Sola Gratia.  This means that salvation, justification and sanctification, are by the action of the triune God alone.  We have nothing to offer to the equation.  We are fallen creatures who have no ability to operate in the vertical direction towards God.  We contribute nothing to our salvation.  What do we have to offer anyway?  Every part of us, every aspect of our natures, every thought, word and deed that originates with us is tainted by sin.  Therefore, all of our contributions are unworthy of God.  We cannot satisfy the perfection required by God.  Our condition of sin, inherited from the federal headship of Adam, prevents any offering from being sufficient to contribute to our salvation.  That leaves Grace.  Fortunately, God’s Grace is sufficient, even for us.  Grace alone.

Faith alone.  Sola Fide.  We receive this grace by faith.  Faith alone.  Receiving only.  We do not seek.  No one seeks God.  No, not even one.  God finds His own.  God gives us the gift of faith.  We receive this faith and believe.  There are no actions that can add anything to this faith.  As we stated above, what could we do that would have any value in God’s eyes?  Nothing.  And so it is faith alone.

In Jesus alone.  Sola Christus.  Faith must have an object.  In Grace alone, we learned that faith has a subject, and it is Jesus.  But there must also be an object.  The object is also Jesus.  Jesus does it all.  What do we contribute?  Nothing.  What can we contribute?  Nothing.  Jesus does all of the work.  His resurrection is sufficient.  His resurrection propitiaties, atones, expiates, justifies, reconciles, sanctifies, saves.  Jesus alone.

To the Glory of God alone.  Sola Deo Gloria.  If we think we can help out with this, then we are trying to steal God’s Glory.  We are attempting to place ourselves on His level.  We are idolatrous of ourselves, our egos.  Of course, this isn’t possible.  It was always about God.  The Glory of God.  The perfect sacrifice to appease the Wrath of God and reconcile His people to Himself is made by Himself to the Glory of Himself.  To the Glory of God alone.

Scripture alone.  Sola Scriptura.  There is no second book.  There is no 29^th chapter of Acts.  There is no continuation of prophesy.  There is no magisterium.  There is no modern day prophet who speaks of things other than Jesus.  The prophets in the Old Testament pointed to Jesus.  Jesus points to Himself.  Revelations and the other Eschatological passages of the New Testament point to the Second Coming of Jesus.  It all points to Jesus.  We have it all already.  It’s called Scripture.  It is our most precious possession.  It is our guide.  It is our teacher.  It is the Word.  It testifies to the Word made flesh.  It is Scripture.  Scripture alone.

Jesus said He is the Way.  The Way to what?  Salvation.  Salvation from What?  The Wrath of God.  Why do we need Salvation?  Because we are born in the condition of sin and doomed to die and to suffer eternal separation from God, and we are powerless to change this.  How do we get saved?  By Grace alone, through Faith alone, in Jesus alone, to the Glory of God alone, as testified in Scripture alone.

Those are the five Solas or Only’s of the Reformation.  Those are the words that make us heretics in the eyes of Rome, since the Council of Trent.  Those are the words that most clearly articulate the message of the Bible.  And the key word is Only or Alone.

Unwarranted confidence in human ability is a product of fallen human nature ... God's grace in Christ is not merely necessary but is the sole efficient cause of salvation. We confess that human beings are born spiritually dead and are incapable even of cooperating with regenerating grace. We reaffirm that in salvation we are rescued from God's wrath by his grace alone. It is the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit that brings us to Christ by releasing us from our bondage to sin and raising us from spiritual death to spiritual life. We deny that salvation is in any sense a human work. Human methods, techniques or strategies by themselves cannot accomplish this transformation. Faith is not produced by our unregenerated human nature. - Cambridge Declaration 

For more on this topic, try this link.

By the way, why are the solas in Latin?  So, Rome could read it and be indicted by the truth!

--Troll--