The Five Solas are a way of summarising what the Church Reformers taught in the 15th and 16th centuries.

When we talk about the Five Solas, we're using the Latin word solar, meaning only or alone.

Now I should point out that these five solas were never written down together in exactly that form

at the time of the Reformation. The complete collection of five solas were assembled in the 20th century

thanks to several different writers after the fact. But they do give a very

accurate summary of what the reformers were teaching and preaching and they show how radically different it was and still is from Roman Catholicism.

First, Solar Scriptura.

Scripture alone is the highest authority, not some mixture of

scripture, tradition and church teaching. That doesn't mean that there aren't

important things to be learned from tradition or other sources.

It just means that if you put them together in the boxing ring, only one holds the knockout blow.

Only one remain standing at the end. Nothing can ever be allowed to override or

overcome or overthrow what God has said in his word. Second, Solus Christus, meaning Christ alone. Salvation is and can only be by Jesus

Christ alone. We don't get saved by anything we do or a mixture of things we do

plus Jesus. That's because we are, as it says in scripture, dead in our transgressions.

In other words, we are entirely up the creek

and we do not have a paddle, not even a small one.

We are truly powerless to save ourselves,

which is why Christ and only Christ can save us.

Third, Sola Gratia meaning grace alone.

Salvation is by grace alone, meaning the whole thing is a gift from God, not just a part of it.

We can't earn our salvation.

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