The Five Pillars Of Christian Faith

Word-Of-The-Day: ‘(1) Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, (2) through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God.’ (Romans 5:1-2)

31 October is more notable today for Halloween, or as I refer to it, ‘the Day of The Dentist’, as kids rot their teeth out eating excessive sugary treats handed out by their neighbors. But another event occurred, an often-overlooked event that had far more benefit to the world and to the Christian community (not to mention it does not cause cavities to form), the Reformation by Martin Luther in 1517, when he posted the ’95 Theses of Indulgences’ upon the church doors of Wittenberg in what is now Germany. 

The Catholic Church was the preeminent denomination for Christians in Reverend Luther’s day, and since the early days of the Church, being led by a Pope (traditionally the first Pope was the Apostle Peter) it was supposed to follow the Gospel of Christ.  Over time, similar to the Jewish faith in Jesus’ time, it became less focused on Jesus and His Saving Grace, and more on what works and contributions could be done to ‘save’ people.  The office of the Pope became more powerful and unfortunately the men holding the office became more carnal with that power. 

Martin Luther, a teacher of theology, found that the focus of Christianity had been misplaced and misrepresented; works were not needed for Salvation, nor could one ‘buy’ Salvation for themselves or others.  The key to Salvation is to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, believing His Deity as part of the Triune God, and that the Gift of Salvation comes with no strings attached, but it must be accepted by each person individually.  The Word of God, the Scriptures of the Holy Bible, were not just for the priests to read but for all people to learn what God provides and who He is. 

Like Galileo of his day (who was excommunicated for pronouncing the Earth was not the center of the universe, and the Earth revolved around the Sun), Martin Luther was deemed a ‘heretic’ and excommunicated from the Catholic church for telling the Truth (which is happening today, as well).  The Truth seems to have a way of winning in the end, though; Reverend Luther’s actions started the Protestant movement, which led to a separation and repudiation from Roman Catholic doctrine and the return to the basic Gospel message of Jesus. 

Part of Martin Luther’s message was the five ‘solae’ or ‘alone’ slogans as pillars for proper Christian worship; Christ alone (only Christ alone can save), the Holy Bible alone (the Bible’s canonical books are the only Scriptures from God in His Hand), Faith alone (only Faith in Jesus, and His Lordship as part of the Trinity, is needed for Salvation), Grace alone (only God’s forgiveness and mercy can bring Salvation), and God’s Glory alone (only the Triune God (the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit) are to be given Glory and worshipped, no other god and no person should be worshipped or glorified). 

One may ask, these 5 ‘alone’ pillars; where in Scriptures does it say that?  Well, I’m glad you asked as they can all be found in the first two verses of Romans 5…

The first one that can be spotted is ‘Faith alone’ in verse 1, ‘we have been justified through faith’; only our Faith in Jesus can justify our claim to eternal Salvation.  Nothing else we do, including our works we do willingly for the cause of Christ, gives us that eternal Salvation. 

The second pillar, ‘Christ alone’ is also found in verse 1, ‘we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ’; who else except Jesus has been given the ability to provide Salvation?  No one else was given this responsibility by God; Jesus is the only Sacrifice worthy to have all of man’s sins forgiven.  His death upon the cross, with His blood shed upon the whipping post and in His crucifixion, is the only Sacrifice that satisfied this debt – no one else and nothing else can save us from the eternal punishment we deserve.

In verse 2, we find the third pillar, ‘Grace alone’, ‘through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand’. God never had to provide His mercy or forgiveness to us; He could have said, ‘Nope, <Your name here> is too far gone for me to forgive <him/her>.’  Instead, God provides His Agape Love to us in the form of His son, Jesus (John 3:16-17).  God, providing Jesus as our Sacrifice, gives us Himself in order to show His mercy and forgiveness to us.  By accepting and in Faith believing God did this for us, unlocks His grace to be given.

Then, in the last half of verse 2, comes the fourth pillar, ‘God’s Glory alone’, ‘And we boast in the hope of the glory of God’.  Only God could have provided us with His Word, His Son, and His Grace; in return we need to provide Him our Faith in God that He is who He says He is; the Almighty Creator of All Things, the Omnipotent, Omniscient, Omnipresent Jehovah God.  He alone is the only One worthy of our praise and worship.  No one else need apply as He is the only One who can be our God.

That leaves one more pillar, ‘the Holy Bible alone’.  Where is that in these Scriptures?  It’s the two verses itself, along with all the other verses that comprise the Bible.  The entire Bible, including Romans 5:1-2, is the only authentic, authorized, and accepted ‘instruction manual’ for Christian life by God Himself.  What is in the Bible is God’s Truth, and the only ‘Truth’ that is true.  It is not perception, or what someone says to accept as truth, it is Truth with a capital ‘T’. 

There are other ‘holy’ books, but only the Holy Bible, with the Old and New Testaments that complement and complete each other, is the ‘Official Word of the Gospel message of Jesus Christ’. The great thing is with these ‘alone’ statements, you are not alone!  The Lord is with you, His Word is with you, and in fellowship your brothers and sisters in Christ are with you.