Soli Deo Gloria
Thoughts on Reformation Month
A causal visit to The Well website provides a brief description of Our Church. The first sentence of that description reads: THE WELL International Church is an unaffiliated English-speaking Protestant church serving Ho Chi Minh City’s expatriate community.
The Well is a Protestant Church. That word Protestant sets the church apart in some ways, as it implies what we are not. And it defines us more clearly as well.
This is Reformation Month, so named because, on October 31, 1517, Martin Luther famously nailed his Ninety-Five Thesis to the door of All Saints Church, Wittenberg. That act, and the subsequent response to it, launched what has been historically called The Reformation. While The Well is neither Lutheran nor Reformed (in a denominational sense), as a Protestant Church, we are in some sense products of the Reformation. And at the heart of the 16th-century Reformation were five short but world-changing Latin phrases, known as the Five Solas:
Each of these phrases captures a truth that defined the Reformers’ theology and set them apart from the teachings of Rome. But more than a theological dispute, these Solas are a celebration of the gospel itself—a gospel worth living for and, as many discovered, worth dying for.
Sola Scriptura – Scripture Alone
The Reformers insisted that the Bible alone is the final, inerrant authority for the church. Tradition, councils, and leaders may serve the church, but they do not stand above God’s Word.
Paul writes, “All Scripture is breathed out by God” (2 Tim. 3:16). That divine breath means the Scriptures are completely true, fully trustworthy, and entirely sufficient to teach us what we need for salvation and godly living.
In short, Scripture rules over every other authority because it is the very Word of God. The Reformers called this the “formal principle” of the Reformation—everything else flows from it.
Solus Christus – Christ Alone
Scripture points us to Christ. And the Reformers proclaimed with joy that salvation rests in Christ alone.
We cannot add to his work. Our obedience, rituals, or religious acts cannot contribute one ounce to our justification. As Paul declared, “None is righteous, no, not one” (Rom. 3:10). But Christ came to live the life we failed to live and die the death we deserved to die.
On the cross he bore God’s wrath against sin, and in his resurrection, he triumphed over death. As the hymn says, “Jesus paid it all.” Nothing more is required—nothing more could be.
Sola Fide – Faith Alone
How do sinners receive the salvation Christ accomplished? By faith alone.
Faith is not a work we perform, but the empty hand that receives Christ’s finished work. The Reformers spoke of a “marvelous exchange”: Christ takes our sin and its penalty, and in return we receive his perfect righteousness.
This “alien righteousness” comes from outside us—it is Christ’s record credited to our account. Paul makes it clear: “The righteous shall live by faith” (Rom. 1:17). Our standing before God is not earned but received through trusting in Jesus.
Sola Gratia – Grace Alone
If salvation is through Christ alone and received by faith alone, then it follows that it is entirely by grace.
Grace means we contribute nothing to merit our rescue. From beginning to end, salvation is God’s initiative.
The Reformers emphasized that grace is not God helping us “do our part.” It is God doing for us what we could never do. He calls, regenerates, grants faith, and preserves us to the end. That is why John Newton could sing with such confidence: “’Twas grace that brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home.”
Soli Deo Gloria – Glory to God Alone
When salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, according to Scripture alone—then there is no room left for human boasting. All glory belongs to God alone.
The Reformers wanted this truth to echo in every area of life—whether in worship, vocation, or family. Every breath we take, every gift we use, and every act of service is meant to magnify God. “From him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever” (Rom. 11:36).
Why the Solas Still Matter
Though centuries have passed, the Five Solas remain at the core of evangelical faith. They tell us where our authority lies (Scripture), who saves us (Christ), how we receive it (faith), why we receive it (grace), and who gets the credit (God alone).
On this upcoming Reformation Day, may we join the Reformers in celebrating not just a set of doctrines but the gospel itself, the good news that God saves sinners. And may we, with grateful hearts, declare: Soli Deo Gloria!
A causal visit to The Well website provides a brief description of Our Church. The first sentence of that description reads: THE WELL International Church is an unaffiliated English-speaking Protestant church serving Ho Chi Minh City’s expatriate community.
The Well is a Protestant Church. That word Protestant sets the church apart in some ways, as it implies what we are not. And it defines us more clearly as well.
This is Reformation Month, so named because, on October 31, 1517, Martin Luther famously nailed his Ninety-Five Thesis to the door of All Saints Church, Wittenberg. That act, and the subsequent response to it, launched what has been historically called The Reformation. While The Well is neither Lutheran nor Reformed (in a denominational sense), as a Protestant Church, we are in some sense products of the Reformation. And at the heart of the 16th-century Reformation were five short but world-changing Latin phrases, known as the Five Solas:
- Sola Scriptura (Scripture alone)
- Solus Christus (Christ alone)
- Sola Fide (faith alone)
- Sola Gratia (grace alone)
- Soli Deo Gloria (glory to God alone)
Each of these phrases captures a truth that defined the Reformers’ theology and set them apart from the teachings of Rome. But more than a theological dispute, these Solas are a celebration of the gospel itself—a gospel worth living for and, as many discovered, worth dying for.
Sola Scriptura – Scripture Alone
The Reformers insisted that the Bible alone is the final, inerrant authority for the church. Tradition, councils, and leaders may serve the church, but they do not stand above God’s Word.
Paul writes, “All Scripture is breathed out by God” (2 Tim. 3:16). That divine breath means the Scriptures are completely true, fully trustworthy, and entirely sufficient to teach us what we need for salvation and godly living.
In short, Scripture rules over every other authority because it is the very Word of God. The Reformers called this the “formal principle” of the Reformation—everything else flows from it.
Solus Christus – Christ Alone
Scripture points us to Christ. And the Reformers proclaimed with joy that salvation rests in Christ alone.
We cannot add to his work. Our obedience, rituals, or religious acts cannot contribute one ounce to our justification. As Paul declared, “None is righteous, no, not one” (Rom. 3:10). But Christ came to live the life we failed to live and die the death we deserved to die.
On the cross he bore God’s wrath against sin, and in his resurrection, he triumphed over death. As the hymn says, “Jesus paid it all.” Nothing more is required—nothing more could be.
Sola Fide – Faith Alone
How do sinners receive the salvation Christ accomplished? By faith alone.
Faith is not a work we perform, but the empty hand that receives Christ’s finished work. The Reformers spoke of a “marvelous exchange”: Christ takes our sin and its penalty, and in return we receive his perfect righteousness.
This “alien righteousness” comes from outside us—it is Christ’s record credited to our account. Paul makes it clear: “The righteous shall live by faith” (Rom. 1:17). Our standing before God is not earned but received through trusting in Jesus.
Sola Gratia – Grace Alone
If salvation is through Christ alone and received by faith alone, then it follows that it is entirely by grace.
Grace means we contribute nothing to merit our rescue. From beginning to end, salvation is God’s initiative.
The Reformers emphasized that grace is not God helping us “do our part.” It is God doing for us what we could never do. He calls, regenerates, grants faith, and preserves us to the end. That is why John Newton could sing with such confidence: “’Twas grace that brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home.”
Soli Deo Gloria – Glory to God Alone
When salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, according to Scripture alone—then there is no room left for human boasting. All glory belongs to God alone.
The Reformers wanted this truth to echo in every area of life—whether in worship, vocation, or family. Every breath we take, every gift we use, and every act of service is meant to magnify God. “From him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever” (Rom. 11:36).
Why the Solas Still Matter
Though centuries have passed, the Five Solas remain at the core of evangelical faith. They tell us where our authority lies (Scripture), who saves us (Christ), how we receive it (faith), why we receive it (grace), and who gets the credit (God alone).
On this upcoming Reformation Day, may we join the Reformers in celebrating not just a set of doctrines but the gospel itself, the good news that God saves sinners. And may we, with grateful hearts, declare: Soli Deo Gloria!
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