I (still) Believe

I typically write about my experiences and practical observations on life from a Christian perspective. Today, I feel compelled to share what I believe and why. My relationship with God is everything to me. Without God’s love and mercy I would have given up long ago.

Over the past couple of years my faith was challenged, not by bad things, but by the “almost right” thoughts and ideas presented to me. This caused me to dig deep into God’s Word and my prayer life to understand what God was saying to me. I feel peace in my spirit as I am assured in God’s Word that He alone is my hope and salvation. The Reformation in 1517 found Martin Luther and others examining what they believed and identifying five core tenets that defined their belief. These tenets called “solas” are derived from the word “alone” in Latin. These same solas anchor my belief in God.

Sola Scriptura (Scripture Alone) – I believe there is no higher authority than the Bible. It is the inspired Word of God. Did you hear that? God is talking to us! The Bible teaches me what is true and shows me how to conform to God’s will as I seek to live my life and build relationships with others.

Solus Christus (Christ Alone) – Although I try to do all the right things in my life, my efforts are not good enough (not even close!) to save me from my sins. Only Jesus, Christ alone, can do that. There is nothing I can do to contribute to that effort. God gave His greatest sacrifice, His Son Jesus, to make this possible for all of us.

Sola Fide (Faith Alone) – Most of us were raised to believe in ourselves and our abilities. We gained confidence through our successes and embraced the theory that if we work hard enough we can achieve anything. I suppose that is true for lots of things but I can never work hard enough to do something only Christ can do. He sacrificed His life to save mine. It’s through faith and faith alone that I trust Jesus Christ to redeem my life. The burden is taken from me and placed in the hands of the One who loves me most.

Sola Gratia (Grace Alone) – My salvation is by God’s grace and His grace alone. The sacrifice of Christ is the reason I can stand blameless before God. My faith and belief in the sacrifice of Jesus is rewarded with the undeserved gift of God’s mercy and grace.

Soli Deo Gloria (Glory to God Alone) – I cannot claim any part of my salvation. My responsibility is to say “yes” to God’s invitation to believe in Him by faith and accept His grace. God receives all the glory for this transformation in my life. He is the author and finisher of my salvation and He alone is to be praised.

I am humbled as I think of the simple foundation these solas give me for my hope in God, through the sacrifice of Jesus, and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. To God be the glory!

Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.

Romans 5:1-2 (NLT)