A Moment With Pastor Fred

While millions know this day as Halloween it has a spiritual significance for believers worldwide.  Today is Reformation Sunday. On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the church door Wittenberg, Germany. In that culture, the church door was like a public bulletin board. Luther wanted to start a debate – not create a new movement, but his comments ignited what is today known as the Reformation. The world has never been the same since. Eventually the Reformation formulated around what is called the five solas – Latin meaning alone. 

Sola scriptura – by the Scriptures alone. We believe the Bible is our final authority for faith and life. Sola fide – by faith alone. We believe salvation is by faith apart from any good work we might do. Sola gratia – by grace alone. Salvation is granted by God’s grace – his unmerited, unearned favor. Solus Christus  –in Christ alone. Believers only have one mediator – Christ. Soli Deo Gloria – glory to God alone.

Our faith is not some recent phenomena. It is rooted in history – hundreds of years of faithful men and women who committed themselves to Christ and the authority of the Bible. We are blessed to have their example. They were not perfect – they had faults, like we, but we need to recognize the incredible debt we owe them. Many of these men and women paid the ultimate price. So let us thank them for blazing the path before us – and may we be faithful to the gospel we profess – defending it, sharing it and loving it till Christ calls us home.