The five Sola Reformation

Scripture alone: Scripture is the sole authority

The doctrine that the Bible is the sole supreme authority was the “formal principle” of the Reformation. In 1521 during Luther's historical interrogation at the Diet of Worms, he declared that his conscience was a prisoner of the Word of God saying: “If they are not overcome with evidence from Scripture or with obvious reasons – because I believe neither the Pope nor Councils, since they have often erred and contradicted each other – they are surpassed by the texts of Scripture I have adduced, and my conscience is bound by the Word of God”. Likewise, the Belgian Confession declared: “We believe that Scripture is holy and completely contains God's will, and that whatever man must know about salvation is sufficiently taught there … Nor can we consider giving to men's writings, however holy these men may have been, equal value to that of the Holy Scriptures, nor should we consider the great multitude of ancient writings, or the succession of people over time, or ecclesiastical councils, decrees or statutes, giving them equal value with God's truth … Therefore, let us wholeheartedly reject everything that is not in accordance with this infallible rule “(VII).

As the Scripture says

Open my eyes, that I can see wonderful things from Your right …. I bow to your holy temple, and give thanks to your name for your kindness and your truth, because you have magnified your word, according to all your name …. IS, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced, knowing from whom you learned them and that since childhood you have known the sacred scriptures that are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through the faith that is in Christ Jesus. (Salmo 119:18; Salmo 138:2)

All Scripture is inspired of God and useful for teaching, to convince, to correct, to train for justice, that the man of God can be adequate, equipped for every good work. (2Tim 3,14-17)

Only grace: salvation is by grace alone

The central teaching of the Reformation is salvation by grace. Even if the Roman church teaches that the Holy Mass is "a truly propitiatory sacrifice” and that from “Mass of God … [granting of grace and the gift of penance], he forgives our sins and even our greatest sins” – the reformers restored to this doctrine the biblical doctrine of salvation by grace through faith. Our sins have been forgiven us once and for all before God by granting his grace and thanks to the sacrifice of Jesus Christ our Lord. In contrast to the doctrines of self-merit taught by the Church of Rome, the only grace and the doctrines of grace – total depravazione, unconditional election, limited redemption, and the perseverance of the saints – they were preached by all the reformers throughout the Protestant movement. As well as the Baptist confession of 1689 dice: “Christ, with his obedience and death, he has completely paid off the debt of all who are justified … their justification is due only to the grace of God.”

As the Scripture says

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in heavenly places in Christ. In him he elected us before the creation of the world so that we might be holy and blameless before him, having predestined us in his love to be adopted through Jesus Christ as his children, according to the benevolent design of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, which he granted us in his beloved Son. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace, which he poured out abundantly upon us, giving us all sorts of wisdom and intelligence (Ephesians 1:3-8)

Christ alone! We are saved only with the work of Christ

The Reformation said the Church should return to faith in Christ as the only mediator between God and man, as the Bible says. While the Roman church declares that “there is a purgatory and that the souls of the dead are found there who are helped by’ intercession of the faithful” is that “the saints are venerated and invoked” that their relics are venerated”. The Reformers teach that salvation is only in Christ's work through faith. As Giovanni Calvino said “Christ intervened, he took punishment and judgment upon himself because of sinners. With his blood he atoned for the sins that made them enemies of God and, therefore, he redeemed humanity… we look only to Christ for divine favor and fatherly love!”. Likewise the Heidelberg Catechism says: “Do as those who seek their salvation and happiness in the saints? They lack it, because, although they boast of him in words but in fact they deny Jesus the only savior and savior: they add complements to the Savior thus making it his only sacrifice to redeem us is incomplete and useless”.

As the Scripture says

For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, The man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom price for all; this is the testimony given at the time (1Timoteo 2:5-6)

God freed us from the power of darkness and transported us to the kingdom of his beloved Son. In him we have redemption, forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature; for in him all things that are in the heavens and on the earth were created, the visible and the invisible: thrones, lordships, principati, powers; all things were created through him and for him. He is first of all and all things subsist in him. He is the head of the body, that is, of the church; he is the principle, the firstborn from the dead, so that in everything he has the primacy. (Colossesi 1:13-18)

Sola Fide: justification is by faith alone

The principle of the Reformation is justification by faith alone. As the Westminster Confession of Faith says: “Christ is the only instrument of justification by faith not only in justified people, but it is always accompanied by all the other graces of salvation, and it is not dead faith, but it works through love.” The Swiss confession also emphasizes the need for those who live justified by the faith by saying: “We confess that the access we have to the great treasures to the riches of the goodness of God who has deigned to us and has given us faith; because, in this trust is the guarantee of the heart, we believe in the promises of the gospel, and to receive Jesus Christ as he was offered to us by the Father and the Word of God (Helvetic 11).

As the Scripture says

So Abraham also believed in God and this was counted on him as righteousness. Therefore recognize that those who have faith are children of Abraham. Writing, foreseeing that God would justify strangers by faith, he foretold this good news to Abraham: "In you all nations will be blessed". In tal modo, those who have faith are blessed with the believer Abraham. In fact, all those who rely on the works of the law are under a curse; because it is written: "Damn anyone who doesn't stick to all the things written in the book of the law to put them into practice". And that no one by the law is justified before God is evident, because the righteous will live by faith. (Galati 3:6-11)

Glory to God alone! Only to gave the glory

The Reformation exalted the Scriptural teaching of God's sovereignty over every aspect of the believer's life. All life must be lived for the glory of God. As the Westminster Minor Catechism says: “What is the main purpose of man? The main purpose of man is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever”. This great statement was underlined by those who, in the 16th and 17th centuries they tried to reform the Church according to the Word of God. In contrast to the monastic life perpetuated by the Roman Church, reformers are active in every aspect of life, from politics to social works and do not lock themselves up in convents with the sole purpose of praying, however important prayer remains in the life of the believer. They live lifetime under the lordship of Christ. Every Christian activity is sanctified and has the glory of God as its goal.

As the Scripture says

So let it be that you eat, whether you drink, whether you do something else, do everything for the glory of God. (1Corinthians 10:31)

If one speaks, do it as the oracles of God proclaim; if one performs a service, do it as a service is performed by the strength that God provides, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to which glory and power belong for ever and ever. Amen. ( 1Pietro 4:11)

he who loves us, and he delivered us from our sins with his blood, who made us a kingdom and priests of his God and Father, to him be glory and power forever and ever. Amen. (Apocalypse 1:5-6)

«Amen! Praise to our God, the glory, wisdom, thanksgiving, honor, power and strength, forever and ever! Amen». (Apocalypse 7:12)

Why from him, through him and through him are all things. To him be the glory forever. Amen. (Romans 11:36)

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