Last lesson we observed "The Five Solas" that were established in the Reformation.

• Sola Scriptura ("Scripture Alone") - ("Scriptura" = "Scrip-tura")
  The Bible is our only authority and source for all that pertains to life and godliness.


• Sola Gratia ("Grace Alone") - ("Gratia" = "Grah'-tee-ah" or "Grah'-she-ah")
  Salvation is entirely a work of God - His Grace, not a joint effort of God and man.


• Sola Fide ("Faith Alone") - ("Fide" = "Fee'-day")
  Salvation is by faith only (Not faith plus works, but faith that works - Martin Luther).


• Solo Christus ("Christ Alone") - ("Solo - Chris-tus")
  Salvation is only by and through Jesus Christ. God has revealed Himself to us only through His Son, Jesus Christ.


• Soli Deo Gloria ("To the Glory of God Alone") - ("So'-lee - Day'-Oh - Gloria")
  To God only is the Glory. All honor, all praise / thanks, all credit goes to God. Salvation is of the Lord.

These 5 points establish the basic fact that salvation is of the Lord - Not the result of any institutional religious rules and rituals - Not the work of man. The Spirit of God speaks through Scripture, invisibly ministers grace, creates faith, reveals Christ, and focuses attention to the glory of God. "The Five Solas" do not push man into the spectator seats. Rather, they draw us in, causing us to seek the Lord, to desire and seek the sovereign, spiritual work of God. They give us assurances that we may come to Christ and have the blessed assurance of salvation according to His power and promises. See Acts 2:36-40; 3:18-26; 4:8-12; 10:43; 13:38-41; 15:11,13-18; 17:24-31; 26:18; II Timothy 1:11-12; 2:8-10; I John 1:1-4; 2:25; 3:1-3; 5:4-5,20; Revelation 22:17.

Note about Acts 2:38

Repent… (Change your mind and turn to God - Acts 3:19; 17:30; II Timothy 2:24-26; Romans 2:4)

… And be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ… (Confess Christ publicly. Identify with Him and His people before others - Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 2:41-42; 8:12.)

… Jesus Christ for the remission of sins… (Only Jesus Christ can take away your sins and grant you forgiveness - Luke 24:44-48; Acts 4:12; 10:43; John 3:16-21,36; 14:6; I John 5:12.)

…And you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (When you believe, repent, and receive Christ, He gives you His Spirit to dwell in you - Ephesians 1:12-14; 4:30; John 14:15-18; Galatians 4:4-6; I John 3:23-24; 4:12-13.)

Let us Follow on to know the LORD! (Hosea 6:3)

In the words of the old gospel hymn, "Pass Me Not, O Gentle Savior," we see the bridge between God's sovereignty and man's need to seek the Lord.

Pass me not, O gentle Savior,
Hear my humble cry;
While on others Thou art calling,
Do not pass me by.

God's call is mentioned everywhere in Scripture. Are we partakers of God's calling? See Acts 2:36-40; Romans 1:6-7; 8:28; I Corinthians 1:26-31; II Timothy 1:9; I Thessalonians 2:12-14; 1:4-6; II Thessalonians 2:13-14 (cp. Galatians 1:11-24); I Peter 5:10; II Peter 1:3. See also John 5:24-25; 6:44-45, 63.

Besides the concern for our eternal destiny, we should consider that salvation gives us the wonderful privilege of knowing and loving God (I John 4:9-19). Andrew Murray suggests that salvation is designed to bring us to a blessed state of faith, humility, and submission. That is to say that we are being restored to the original design that God had when He created us. Pride is the enemy of our soul and keeps us from this blessedness. Soli Deo Gloria

"Faith is the means by which we perceive and apprehend the heavenly world and its blessings. Faith seeks the glory that comes when God is all. As long as we take glory from one another, as long as we seek and love and jealously guard the glory of this life, the honor and reputation that comes from men, we do not seek and cannot receive the glory that comes from God. Pride renders faith impossible. Salvation comes through the cross and the crucified Christ. Salvation is the fellowship with the crucified Christ in the Spirit of His cross. Salvation is union with and delight in, even participation in the humility of Jesus. Is it any wonder that our faith is weak when pride still reigns and we have hardly learned to long or pray for humility as the most necessary and blessed part of salvation?"

["The Essential Andrew Murray - Humility", chapter 9 "Humility and Faith," pg. 82; Bethany House - Preface and chapters 1 & 2 are foundational to this quote. ]

The words "fellowship", "union", and "participation" were purposely made bold for the theme of this series, "Partakers of Christ." These words define the idea of what it means to be a partaker of the heavenly call (Hebrews 3:1; Ephesians 3:6) - a partaker of Christ (Hebrews 3:14; II Peter 1:4). Our salvation is not a spectator sport. It is an active / interactive relationship with the living God! Do you have that relationship? Are you enjoying and fulfilling what God has planned for you through that relationship?