Romans 1:16 - "I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile."


Tuesday, January 30, 2007

The Doctrines of Grace


The Doctrines of Grace like the Five Solas are equally as foundational and have been taught since the earliest of church fathers. It was taught by the likes of the Apostle Paul, the great Augustine, Martin Luther, John Bunyan, and Mathew Henry. In more recent times we see those such as Jonathan Edwards, Charles Hodge, Charles Spurgeon, A.W. Pink, Martin Lloyd-Jones, James I. Packer and James Montgomery Boice.

Most protestant denominations that had been founded within the reformation times had been built on confessions of faith that clearly uphold these doctrines, such as the Westminster Confession (Presbyterianism), the Canons of Dort (Reformed), the Thirty-nine Articles (Episcopalianism), the Baptist Confession of 1869 (Baptists), and the Savoy Declaration (Congregationalism) to name a few.

The Doctrines of Grace also hold high the sovereignty of God and His gift of salvation to those which He alone chooses. They emphasize over and over that God is God and man is man.

There is a popular acronym for these doctrines which is TULIP, tulip like the Solas also has five main points.

  • Total Depravity
  • Unconditional Election
  • Limited Atonement
  • Irresistable Grace
  • Perseverance Of The Saints

We will look at each of these doctrines individually over the next several weeks and the truth of these doctrines will become clear on the question of who is in control of the universe.

Sunday, January 21, 2007

Putting It All Into Perspective


The purpose of these "Five Solas" is really to make us think long and hard as Christians. Who is our God and is He the powerful and mighty God we read about in His infallible word, The Bible? The answer is yes to these questions.

We read in Ephesians 2:8-9 - 8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9not by works, so that no one can boast.

Within these two verses we see the truth of these Solas unfold. It all becomes clear that God is the mighty and powerful one that is in complete control of our destiny of Salvation. To attempt to take credit for our salvation in any way, by removing credit from God and applying it to us, is not only an injustice to God but it in some ways strips Him of the Glory deserving only to Him and to His Son Jesus Christ who was perfect and sinless, given by God as a sacrifice for the payment of our sins.

Friday, January 12, 2007

Soli Deo Gloria


SOLI DEO GLORIA - “To God alone be the Glory”

It is the great goal of all of God’s purposes in Jesus Christ. All that God does, He does for His own glory. He created all things for His glory. He sustains and rules over the world and our lives for His glory. Our salvation is all of grace through Christ for all His glory. One important thing to notice, the word alone. God and God alone is worthy of all glory and praise!


(Romans 11:36) For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever!

Friday, January 5, 2007

Sola Christus


SOLA CHRISTUS - “Through Christ Alone”

It is in Christ alone that we have salvation. In His perfect life and substitutionary death, alone we have salvation. Through Him and Him alone, we have the forgiveness of our sins and are declared righteous before God.

(Titus 3:5-7) He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.