October is Reformation Month. This year there are five Sundays in October, one for each of the five solas of classic Protestant theology. I love when it works out like this! Sola is the Latin word for “only” or “alone.” Think of the word “solo” and you get the idea. The five solas refer to the five “alone’s” that summarize the heart of the Reformation. Think of these solas as slogans of protest against significant doctrinal errors taught by the Roman Catholic Church of the late medieval period. The Reformers believed the Catholic Church was compromised by serious false teaching on matters of supreme importance to the Christian faith. There were many other abuses, problems, and points of protest in the 16th century, but these five stand out as the most important. The solas stand for the dividing line between Protestants and Catholics to this day.
Why are you Protestant? Why do you find yourself on that side of the line? Many people have never even thought about the question. I would venture to say that most are Protestant merely out of comfort and convenience, not out of conviction. Reformation Month is a time to remember why we are Protestant and to celebrate our inheritance. During the Reformation, under God’s wonderful providence, the church reclaimed the Bible, the gospel, and purified worship. The five solas summarize this inheritance. We must embrace these solas with firm conviction. We must learn them, understand them, and be able to explain them to others. When your Catholic friends and family members ask you why you are Protestant, or when you are urged and challenged to convert to the Catholic Church, you need to be ready to give a defense of your faith. Many convert to Rome because they were only Protestant out of comfort or convenience, not conviction, and they collapsed under pressure because they didn’t have an answer.
Let me encourage you this Reformation Month to establish firm, Protestant convictions. Memorize these five solas. Look up where they come from, what they mean, and what errors they are intended to correct. Most importantly, find where the solas are taught in Scripture and study those passages carefully. Let the solas carry you back to the word of God. That is where all Reformation teaching should lead. The absolute best way to establish Protestant convictions is to see for yourself where the Bible teaches these convictions. So let Reformation Month be a back-to-the-Bible month! Let us know for sure why we are Protestant, why the Reformation was so important, and why our Protestant inheritance is worth remembering and defending.
A good place to begin studying the five solas is our new church website. Under the “About Us” tab you will find a link called “Our Beliefs.” On that page you will find a detailed summary explanation I have written for each of the five solas. Other essential beliefs of our church are briefly explained there as well for those who are interested. May the Lord strengthen your faith this Reformation Month and give you joy in his truth as we celebrate our Protestant inheritance.
Grace and peace,
Pastor Wesley
Created and Hosted with BUILD by One Eleven