The Five Sola's
~Sola
Scriptura - it is by the Holy
Scriptures alone which we stand.
*THESIS
ONE: SOLA SCRIPTURA
We reaffirm the inerrant Scripture to be the sole source of written
divine revelation,which alone can bind the conscience. The Bible alone
teaches all that is necessary for our salvation from sin and is the
standard by which all Christian behavior must be measured.
We deny that any creed, council or individual may bind a Christian's
conscience, that the Holy Spirit speaks independently of or contrary to
what is set forth in the Bible, or that personal spiritual experience
can ever be a vehicle of revelation.
"Your Imperial Majesty and Your Lordships demand
a simple answer. Here it is, plain and unvarnished. Unless I am
convicted [convinced] of error by the testimony of Scripture or (since I
put no trust in the unsupported authority of Pope or councils, since it
is plain that they have often erred and often contradicted themselves)
by manifest reasoning, I stand convicted [convinced] by the Scriptures
to which I have appealed, and my conscience is taken captive by God's
word, I cannot and will not recant anything, for to act against our
conscience is neither safe for us, nor open to us. On this I take my
stand. I can do no other. God help me."
Martin Luther;
When he sat before the Diet of Worms
Scripture
proofs from the WCF
~Solo
Christo - Salvation is by Christ alone
and none other.
*THESIS
TWO: SOLUS CHRISTUS
We reaffirm that our salvation is accomplished by the mediatorial work
of the historical Christ alone. His sinless life and substitutionary
atonement alone are sufficient for our justification and reconciliation
to the Father.
We deny that the gospel is preached if Christ's substitutionary work is
not declared and faith in Christ and his work is not solicited.
Scripture proofs from
the WCF
~Sola
Gratia - Salvation is by grace of God alone.
*THESIS
THREE: SOLA GRATIA
We reaffirm that in salvation we are rescued from God's wrath by his
grace alone. It is the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit that brings
us to Christ by releasing us from our bondage to sin and raising us from
spiritual death to spiritual life.
We deny that salvation is in any sense a human work. Human methods,
techniques or strategies by themselves cannot accomplish this
transformation. Faith is not produced by our unregenerated human nature.
Scripture proofs
from the WCF
~Sola
Fide - Salvation is by faith alone
*THESIS
FOUR: SOLA FIDE
We reaffirm that
justification is by grace alone through faith alone because of Christ
alone. In justification Christ's righteousness is imputed to us as the
only possible satisfaction of God's perfect justice.
We deny that justification rests on any merit to be found in us, or upon
the grounds of an infusion of Christ's righteousness in us, or that an
institution claiming to be a church that denies or condemns sola fide
can be recognized as a legitimate church.
Scripture proofs
from the WCF
~Soli
Deo Gloria - Everything is to be done only for the
glory of God.
*THESIS
FIVE: SOLI DEO GLORIA
We reaffirm that because
salvation is of God and has been accomplished by God, it is for God's
glory and that we must glorify him always. We must live our entire lives
before the face of God, under the authority of God and for his glory
alone.
We deny that we can properly glorify God if our worship is confused with
entertainment, if we neglect either Law or Gospel in our preaching, or
if self-improvement, self-esteem or self-fulfillment are allowed to
become alternatives to the gospel.
Scripture proofs from
the WCF
Back To Top
*Thesis
taken From
The Cambridge Declaration
of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals
