Sola Scriptura

1 Peter 1:21
"For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit". 

Deuteronomy 8:3
"And He humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers now, that He might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of God". 

2 Timothy 3:16-17
"All Scripture is breathed out by God ad profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work". 

Scripture alone is the final piece to the sola puzzle by the Reformers. Sola Scriptura wraps the bow nicely around the 5 Solas in a clear, concise, yet very critical way. This week we have seen that salvation from God comes by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, for the glory of God alone. Sola Scriptura makes it clear first, that the only way to know the other 4 in any saving securing way, is through Scripture alone. Secondly, Sola Scriptura is very clear that since Scripture is the Word of God, then it is the final and highest authority alone. And finally Sola Scriptura was made clear in that Scripture alone is where a life of obedience can only be found for those who love God.

First, Sola Scriptura is the only place salvation can be found. Yes, the Gospel or good news is told by mouth from person to person. And yes, through preaching ministries, like Billy Graham, many people have found faith in Christ. But whether it is Billy Graham, the local Pastor, or even through friendship, the words of life and the good news is only found in the Bible itself. A person can't go into the woods and listen to the trees or birds tell them the good news. A person can't sit by the ocean and experience the roll of the waves and get saved. Salvation or more clearly, the plan of God to save His people will never be know, discovered, or learned without the Words of life being proclaimed. Sola Scripture or in Scripture alone is where our hope rest for the salvation of people. Experience, conscience, nature, or emotions will never lead a person to the saving knowledge of Jesus. Only in Scripture alone will the salvation of man be know.

Second, Sola Scriptura was a huge point for the Reformers in that Scripture alone was the final authority on all of life and faith. The Reformers stood in the face, of the Pope and the church, in their claim that there were other authorities that were equal to or even greater than the Bible. If, as the verses above show, the Bible is the very words of God to His people, and if God is the highest authority in the universe (spoiler alert; He is since He created it all), then that would mean His Word is the highest authority in this world and to His people. Now, we must be clear here and understand this is sola and not solo. Solo would imply that the Bible is all a person needs to live life. The Reformers were advocating Sola, in that Scripture alone is highest authority (and as seen in the last paragraph the only when it comes to true salvation knowledge). The Reformers were some of the clearest people to write about the importance of the faith community, the civil government, and family. So there are definitely other things that a person needs in this life, partnered with Scripture. But Sola Scriptura means that in authority, the Bible trumps every other authority in this world, every time.

Lastly, Sola Scriptura makes clear that it is the Bible where true obedience and a life lived for the glory of God will be found. From Genesis 1:27, through the final thought of Revelation 22 by John, the Bible makes known, through commands, what God wants His people to do. Through the commands of Christ and the application by Paul, the Bible tells a member of the family of God, how to live. Through the stories of Jacob and the Psalms of David, the Bible makes know what the child of God must think, feel, and understand. The Bible, if it is followed, will never steer a person wrong or lead a reader down the path of evil. If someone is following the Bible and goes that direction, it is always their misunderstanding, not the Bible leading them there. The Bible is the rule book for life, as the John Calvin rightly stated.

Sola Scripture is the icing on the cake. Without the Bible we would not know that salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone and for the glory of God alone. Without the Bible we would be our own highest authority. Without the Bible we would have no real clue about God, His eternal plan that leads to Himself, or how a life of obedience is a life of fruit. The Doctrine of Scripture is my favorite and most cherish doctrine. Without the Bible we will never know the nature of God, the life of Jesus, the point of the church, the work of the Spirit, our sin nature, the will of God, or what God has planned for the future. The Bible is all sufficient for what we need. The Bible is necessary for a life of faith and obedience. The Bible is God's perfect, a never erroring Word. The Bible is the highest authority in this life. And becasue of the Bible's highest critical place, someday I know I will be able to stand before the writer of the Bible and hear His words, face to face. Without the Bible, the train will roll off the tracks, the car will drive off the road, and we would walk off a cliff (spiritually speaking). Thanks be to God, who told us all we need to be a part of His eternal saving plan. Because salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, for the glory of God alone, we can read Scripture and know Scripture and submit to Scripture alone to enjoy and delight in God for all eternity, Sola Scriptura.