2000-02-29 - Sola Scriptura

The Sola Series, Part 4

2 Timothy 3:16. "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, correcting, and training in righteousness."

This is the fourth of five Latin slogans of the Christian faith that have historically been used to explain some of the essential beliefs of Christians. We have covered, Solus Christus (Only Christ), Sola Fide (Faith Alone) and Sola Gratia (Grace Alone). Today we look at the basis of where those beliefs originate, Scripture.

Sola Scriptura is a phrase that signifies that the Christian only recognizes one authority, Scripture. Personal revelations are subject to error and abuse. Church tradition has often led people down the road of heresy.

Church leaders have often abused their privilege of leadership and led those that follow them astray. Human opinions are often wrong on every issue under the sun.

But Scripture is that one source, that one foundation that is true. From Scripture, and not from any other source, we derive our thoughts on doctrine, life, God, salvation, and every other belief we possess. This has been called the "formal principle" of the Christian faith.

Some Christians look to a leader, or to their particular tradition to understand what it is they believe. This is an unfortunate practice in our modern times. We certainly wish to honor the learning and experience of others, but we should never be so unwise as to simply make their beliefs ours.

Bibles are so abundant in most areas of the world. There is only one excuse for not studying the Scriptures and learning for ourselves what it teaches, and that excuse is laziness. What if the leader you are following is wrong on a particular teaching of Scripture you have adopted from him? Will that be an excuse that will clear you from the responsibility of knowing and understanding God's Word? Surely not.

Romans 14:22 "The faith which you have, have as your own conviction before God..."

Each of us must study ourselves as the Bereans did in Acts 17:11, who, "...examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true."

These are the types of Christians the world needs today.

We have a lot of Christian causes that are worthy of our time. There are a lot of great activities and causes that we can get involved in. However, we often over extend ourselves and the Bible, the careful study of God's Word, often takes a back seat, or plays 2nd, 3rd, or 7th fiddle. It should not be so among us. Let us give the study of God's Word a first priority in our lives. Sola Scriptura!

"The Bible is a rock of diamonds, a chain of pearls, the sword of the Spirit; a chart by which the Christian sails to eternity; the map by which he daily walks; the sun dial by which he sets his life; the balance in which he weighs his actions." Thomas Watson

Soli Deo Gloria,
T-

comments@papercutpress.com
http://www.cfdevotionals.org