Portal:Reformed Christianity/Article Archive/2007/April

The Five solas are the great Latin catchcrys that emerged during the Protestant Reformation. They were the heartfelt cries of those who believed they had regained clear sight of the road to salvation after stripping away the trappings of men which encumbered the church's message at the time. The Latin word "Sola" means "alone". These foundational principles are:

• Sola gratia: By grace alone. Salvation is given by God without us doing anything to deserve it
• Sola fide: By faith alone. Salvation is given to those who have faith, regardless of their obedience to the law of God (see Justification vs. Sanctification)
• Sola scriptura: By the Bible alone. Only the Bible speaks with God's authority; the church merely speaks with its own authority, not God's
• Solus Christus: By Christ alone. Only Christ interacts with God on our behalf; praying to saints is ineffective as they can not intercede with God for us
• Soli Deo gloria: Glory to God alone. Glory should not be given to others (dead saints, church officebearers), but to God

These truths laid the foundation for the direction of the Protestant church for the following centuries. Read more...