The Theological Rallying Cry
Solo Christo = Christ Alone What is the cornerstone of our salvation, the source of our reconciliation with God? It is Christ alone. In John 14:6, Jesus states clearly and absolutely, "I'm the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" New International Version (NIV) [emphasis mine].
This is an absolute claim that cuts against all other religious claims and against all forms of relativism. Jesus is not one of many ways to God. He is God's means of saving man as opposed to the religious attempts of other philosophies, such as those expounded in Hinduism, animism or Buddhism.
This also contrasts with any admixture with Christ (i.e., "Christ plus anything:" Christ and Caesar, Christ and the state, Christ and Mammon). Caesar did not burn Christians at the stake because they worshipped Christ, but because they refused to worship Caesar. To choose Christ is to reject all else. The Reformers understood — Christ alone. Today, the temptation (and often the reality) in the western church is to worship Christ and material prosperity. We want to be Christians just so long as it enhances and does not challenge our materialistic lifestyle.
Sola Fide = Faith Alone The Reformers understood the message of Ephesians 2:8-9: "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast" (NIV) [emphasis mine].
When we approach the throne of grace, we come with "empty hands." There is nothing we can bring. Our salvation is in Christ and His finished work and not in our works. This stands in contrast with belief systems that say that the sacraments save, penances save, good intentions save, good works save or even that "theological correctness" will save. Likewise, faith alone stands in contrast to the modern humanistic notion that "man is good." The optimistic faith of humanism is that human wit, will and technology will insure the evolution of a new man and a perfect society.
Sola Scriptura = Scripture Alone The Scripture, God's written word, is the final authority for all matters of faith and practice. God's revelation provides the foundation for knowledge and human reason. Without a transcendent revelation, knowledge, history and morals would have no meaning.
The apostle Paul understood this when he said: "All Scripture is God breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness." (II Timothy 3:16 NIV). Likewise the Bereans "examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true" Acts 17:11 (NIV) [emphasis mine]. When we have questions of faith and life, the scriptures are given to us for an authoritative answer.
This stands in contrast to modern man's relativism: "man is the measure of all things." In communist societies, the state is the measure of all things. In the West, "experts" are the final authority for all practices, including the raising of families.
The
theological rallying cry lays a strong moral, metaphysical and spiritual
foundation for life and the human disciplines of politics and economics.
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