Luther’s Five Solas

After Martin Luther nailed his Ninety-Five Theses to the Castle Church door he became a marked man in all but his hometown of Wittenberg. The dangers he faced afforded him the time to devote himself to the study of Scripture and the writing of his books and commentaries. As the Reformer continued to grow in his understanding he ultimately developed his “five solas (sola means only or alone in Latin).”

Sola Scriptura. Luther concluded that everything a person needs to know in order to be saved is be found in Scripture alone. As Paul noted in Romans 1:16, the gospel “is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believes.” As the English Reformers would later declare in their Thirty-Nine Articles, if something is not written in Scripture, it “is not to be required…or necessary for salvation.”

Sola Gratis. Martin Luther realized that salvation is by grace alone, as clearly stated in Ephesians 2:8, “For by grace you are saved…” Were it not for the grace of God no human could ever have the opportunity to be saved. No saved person can boast of their salvation unless they are boasting in God’s grace.

Sola Fide. Ephesians 2:8 continues, “you are saved through faith…” Luther learned that grace is God’s part, but we must respond in faith alone. Buying indulgences, confession before a priest, making pilgrimages, and observing the mass cannot save a person; it is only by grace through faith.

Solus Christus. Neither grace nor faith would be possible were it not for the finished work of Jesus on the cross. Acts 4:12 says, “There is salvation in no other, for there is no other name [than Jesus] under heaven by which we must be saved.”

Soli Deo Gloria. Everything must be done for the glory of God alone (1 Corinthians 10:31). Even our salvation brings God glory, but the warped actions of the priesthood glorified man in place of God. Luther fought to put the focus on God alone.

If Martin Luther could speak to you today, he would want you to make sure your salvation is founded on Scripture alone, because of grace alone, with you responding in faith alone, based on the work of Christ alone, to the glory of God alone.

    

95 Theses

When Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the door of the Castle Church he started a reformation that has changed the world. Five centuries later we still reap the benefits of the writings of the discontented monk of Wittenberg. What was so important in these writings? Why did they anger the entire priesthood, including the pope himself?

Luther began by hammering the selling of indulgences. The idea being presented by the priests was that purchasing indulgences brought forgiveness of sin on earth and could speed up the release of a soul from purgatory (purgatory is not mentioned in the Bible, but the common person did not have access to a Bible in his own language at the time). The selling of indulgences became the first pyramid scheme; a man would get a personal loan, purchase his way into becoming a priest, then sell indulgences to pay off his loan. The victims in this were the people scrounging up money in belief that they were getting grandma out of purgatory, or worse, thinking they were securing salvation for themselves. Here are some of Luther’s theses on this matter:

“The pope neither desires, nor is able to remit any penalties except those imposed by his own authority…Thus those indulgence preachers are in error who say that a man is absolved from every penalty and saved by papal indulgences…They preach only human doctrines who say that as soon as the money clinks into the money chest, the soul flies out of purgatory. It is certain that when money clinks into the money chest, greed and avarice can be increased…Those who believe that they can be certain of their salvation because they have indulgence letters will be eternally damned, together with their teachers.”

Luther continued with more biting language and stinging rebukes. It is no wonder he was excommunicated by the pope (another non-biblical invention that the commoner was duped into believing). His point was clear: man is forgiven of sin without buying indulgence letters, which was good news for the poor who could not afford them. Salvation is a free gift. If you think you can earn it by being a good person, you are just as deceived as those who thought they could buy it. The only way to have your sins forgiven is to accept the free gift of Jesus Christ. Ask Him to forgive you and save you, and you can rest assured that He will.

“For by grace you are saved through faith, and not of yourselves. It is a free gift of God.”

Ephesians 2:8-9

Protestant Reformation

500 years ago Martin Luther changed the world forever. On October 31st, 1517, the Augustinian monk nailed his now-famous Ninety-Five Theses to the front door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany, which sparked the Protestant Reformation. His theses were a collection of questions, instructions, and criticisms for the Catholic Church.

To appreciate Luther’s work one must understand the world in which Luther lived. He ministered in a day where priests were padding their pockets on the sale of indulgences, taking advantage of people by selling worthless certificates. They taught that it was of more value to purchase indulgences than to help the poor; the money collected from indulgences was used for the priests to buy promotions for themselves and their friends. 

Luther also pointed out that God alone has the power to forgive sin, yet the church was selling forgiveness. The church was teaching that through seven sacraments the priests could give salvation to the laity, independent of faith or repentance. When they administered the Lord’s Supper, the priests taught that they were sacrificing Jesus all over again, and each sacrifice would guarantee salvation to the one who received it. Because the Bible was written in Latin, the common person could not read it for himself and had to take the priest at his word. Luther learned Latin and Greek, and slowly realized how the church had mishandled God’s Word. 

Martin Luther found himself faced with a choice: he could go along with the system and profit from it, or he could expose it and try to correct it. The former promised him a good life, while the latter promised excommunication and shame. He had earned the right to live by the system; he paid his dues as a monk, secured his Phd, and lectured at the university, but Luther decided to throw that away and do what he knew was right. When he nailed his document to the church door he forever severed himself from his old life; he was soon excommunicated and forced to spend time disguised and in hiding; he even staged a fake arrest and lived in prison for a time. While he escaped martyrdom, Luther led a lonely, dangerous life. 

Luther is proof that God can accomplish great things through one obedient person.