A Doctrinal Sermon on Ecclesiology

By

PTR. BRIAN TRACY L. DOMINGUEZ

Hope In The Word Ministries, International

31 January

Anno Domini 2010

The 5 Solas of the Protestant Reformation

An OVERVIEW of CHRISTIANITY as one of the world’s religion.Graphic presentations & comparisons of the WORLD’S RELIGIONS

RELIGIOSITY IN THE WORLD:

IRRELIGIOUS versus RELIGIOUS :

The WORLD’S RELIGIONS:

The PREVAILING RELIGIONS:

ABRAHAMIC versus BUDDHISM:

CHRISTIANITY versus ISLAM:

“There is approximately over 250 Religions in the world today and thousands of factions, divisions, fragmentations, and schisms all across the globe.”

BUT CHRISTIANITY STANDS AS THE NUMBER ONE RELIGION!

Regrettably, CHRISTIANITY ITSELF is DIVIDED in REALITY BASED FROM THE RECORDS OF HISTORY…

According to David Barrett et al, editors of the "World Christian Encyclopedia:

A comparative survey of churches and religions - AD 30 to 2200:

" there are 34,000 separate Christian groups in the world today. "Over half of them are independent churches that are not interested in linking with the big denominations." 1

Divided Christianity:

The REFORMATION! A powerful call for change! “In 1517 AD, Martin Luther triggered the Protestant Reformation.”

The date most historians would say as the starting gun of the Reformation when

Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the church door atWittenburg, GERMANRY

A date generally regarded as the birthday of the Protestant Reformation.

OCTOBER 31, 1517. –

THE PROTESTANTS:

OUT OF THE MANY, WHAT MAKES US CLAIM TO BE THE TRUE CHRISTIANITY?

What sets us apart other groups claiming as “CHRISTIANS”?

The ANSWER IS…

A Doctrinal Sermon on Ecclesiology

By

PTR. BRIAN TRACY L. DOMINGUEZ

Hope In The Word Ministries, International

31 January

Anno Domini 2010

The 5 Solas of the Protestant Reformation

SOLA - The Latin word sola means "alone" or "only" in English.

The 5 SOLAS - The five solas articulated five (5) fundamental beliefs of the Protestant Reformation, pillars which the Reformers believed to be essentials of the Christian life and practice.

Definitions:

The 5 Solas of the Protestant Reformation is the TOUCHSTONE of Evangelical Christianity.

It is the test of genuine truths and beliefs in the midst of an ocean of beliefs and multiple religious mysteries and teachings.

The 5 Solas stands as the guidepost for all TRUE CHRISTIAN LIFE AND PRACTICE.

The 5 SOLAS:

The Scripture Alone is the StandardIn 1521 at the historic interrogation of Luther

at the Diet of Worms, he declared his conscience to be captive to the Word of God saying, "Unless I am overcome with testimonies from Scripture or with evident reasons -- for I believe neither the Pope nor the Councils, since they have often erred and contradicted one another -- I am overcome by the Scripture texts which I have adduced, and my conscience is bound by God's Word."

1. Sola Scriptura ("by Scripture alone")

But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;

And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

2 Timothy 3:14 – 17, KJV

Deuteronomy 31:9,12-13; 32:46-47

Psalm 119:18Psalm 138:2

Other References:

By Christ's Work Alone are We SavedHebrews 9:23-281 Timothy 2:5-7Hebrews 9:11-15John 3:16Solus Christus is the teaching that CHRIST is the

only mediator between God and man, and that there is salvation through no other (hence, the phrase is sometimes rendered in the ablative case, solo Christo, meaning that salvation is "by Christ alone").

2. Solus Christus ("Christ alone”)

Sola gratia is the teaching that salvation comes by God’s grace or "unmerited favor" only — not as something merited by the sinner. This means that salvation is an unearned gift from God for Jesus' sake.

All men are sinful and falls short of God’s glory! (Romans 3:10-12)

1 Kings 8:46; Matthew 15:19; Job 14:1-4; Proverbs 20:9; Romans 8:7-8;Jeremiah 13:23 ; 1 Corinthians 2:13; Jeremiah 17:9; Ephesians 4:17-24

3. Sola Gratia ("by grace alone")

Tit 2:11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,

Tit 2:12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;

Tit 2:13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;

Tit 2:14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

Tit 2:15 These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.

The Essential Grace of God

“Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree.”

Galatians 3:13:

Perhaps no other doctrine caused as much turmoil during the Reformation as Sola Fide.

It was the very doctrine that prompted Martin Luther in his 95 theses to challenge the Catholic position of indulgences.

The starting point of the REFORMATION.

4. Sola Fide ("by faith alone")

Sola fide is the teaching that JUSTIFICATION (interpreted in Protestant theology as, "being declared right by God", and assumed to mean exactly "salvation"), is received by FAITH only, without any mixture of or need for good works, though in classical Protestant theology, saving faith is always evidenced by good works. Some Protestants see this doctrine as being summarized with the formula "Faith yields justification and good works" and as contrasted with the Roman Catholic formula "Faith and good works yield justification."

FAITH = JUSTIFICATION / SALVATION = BORN AGAIN (SANCTIFICATION AND REGENERATION)

Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved.2 For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for

God, but not according to knowledge.3 For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own

righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God.

4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes (sola fide).

Romans 10:1-4 NKJV:

For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.

For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect:

Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression. Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might

be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,

(As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.

Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.

And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara's womb:

He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;

And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.

And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness. Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up

Jesus our Lord from the dead;

Romans 4:13-24

The distinction here can best be summarized by the notion that the Scripture declares that we are saved by grace

through a faith that works rather than faith and works. Or another way to think of Sola Fide is that we are saved by grace through

faith alone but not through a faith that is alone. It is faith alone that is the basis for our salvation, but our salvation is made

clearly evident by our works.

BY FAITH:

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth (sola fide) in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

John 3:16

Ephesians 2:1-10 declares that the basis of our salvation is the grace of God in the perfect fulfillment of the law in His Son.

This perfect righteousness, which is the righteousness from God, is imputed to us through faith. Knowing that the heart is deceitfully wicked, God knew that some might be tempted to boast even in this faith.

Therefore, God, protecting grace (sola gratia), provided the faith necessary for salvation as a gift so that even the faith could not be the object of boasting.

Our boasting is then in the Lord alone.

This Faith is a Gift

Soli Deo gloria is the teaching that all glory is to be due to God alone, since salvation is accomplished solely through His will and action — not only the gift of the all-sufficient atonement of Jesus on the cross but also the gift of faith in that atonement, created in the heart of the believer by the Holy Spirit.

The reformers believed that human beings—even saints canonized by the Roman Catholic Church, the popes, and the ecclesiastical hierarchy—are not worthy of the glory that was accorded them.

That is that one should not exalt such humans for their good works, but rather praise and give glory to God who is the author and perfecter of these people and their good works.

5. Soli Deo Gloria ("glory to God alone")

We come to this last of the five Solas because truly the other four are summed into the fifth. It is the Scriptures alone that are our only ultimate and infallible source of authority. This is so because God in His mercy and faithfulness has seen fit to preserve the Scriptures down through the centuries.

The proper roles of Church tradition or the teachings of the officers within the church are the same; all in submission to the ultimate authority of the Scriptures.

God is therefore glorified alone.

GLORY TO GOD ALONE!

Psalm 148:13;Romans 16:27;1 Timothy 1:16;Jude 25;Revelation 15:4The Scriptures declare that God is a jealous God and

requires that nothing else be worshipped in His place.

Whether we substitute the church or ourselves, any substitution of the ascribing of greatness and declaring glory is idolatry.

A Biblical Defense of Soli Deo Gloria

In 1 Corinthians 10:31 Paul teaches that whatever it is that we do whether mundane or extraordinary, all should be done by faith to the glory of God.

They also used the term talent to be that given by God for the purpose of accomplishing work.

The Reformers made no distinction between the spiritual or temporal; sacred or secular. They believed that God had created us to be workers or producers and that whether you were in the pulpit, orchard, or kitchen all that we do when done by faith would bring glory to God.

Isaiah 60:21.

TO GOD BE THE GLORY!

1. Sola Scriptura2. Solus Christus

3. Sola Gratia4. Sola Fide

5. Soli Deo Gloria

The 5 Solas of the

Protestant Reformation

Religion: CHRISTIANMeta-group: Evangelical (a.k.a. Protestant)Wing: MAINLINE / PROGRESSIVEBy religious family: Pentecostal

(Holy Spirit Emphasis / Experiential)By Theological Belief: Arminianism By Denomination / Organization: National

Council of Christian Community Churches; Local Church: HOPE IN THE WORD

MINISTRIES, INTERNATIONAL , Antipolo Main / Central

We are CHRISTIANS: