It has been awhile since I've had the time to communicate with you all. I've missed you.
Today, we continue to explore the 'sola' foundations of the Reformers. I covered all these very quickly on one Sunday morning, received much input, so decided to explore each more fully individually.
This brings us to the 'sola' on which most of the others rest. Christ alone (or equally correct, 'only Christ'). The Reformers considered scripture and considered the current practices of the 15th & 16th century church. They found the current-day church disconnected from the truths in scripture. When this reality was brought back to the church leaders, rather than consider conforming to scripture, they persecuted the people who challenged the church. Kind of like an employee who reports an improper activity within an organization - and rather than change, the company fires the person and pulls their pension and destroys that person through lies.
Christ alone wasn't the stance the Church held in the 15th century. It taught one would pray to the saints and to Mary, the mother of Jesus. Mary was also without sin (a human conception, not scriptural). Our mediator to God was through Mary and the saints. The Reformers read in scripture that Jesus was our mediator and His death on the Cross and His Resurrection fulfilled any obligation thus allowing direct access to God and to salvation. The Church said that salvation came through the Church and fulfilling actions as defined by the Church. Paying indulgences helped one get to heaven. None of this was scriptural and the Reformers called the Church on these points. For that, they were excommunicated and persecuted and murdered.
Today, our call that Christ alone is all one needs is a call that everyone needs to hear. Whether one is associated with a current-day Catholic Church or a Protestant Church or no church at all, the same acknowledgement must be made. We need no other person nor tasks nor earned merits to be heaven bound. One just needs to proclaim Jesus as the Lord of that life. Call upon the name of the Lord and you will be saved - that's what God's Word says. What it means is to find the center of your life - what is most important - what is act the center? Replace that "center" thing with God. You life will be different for the rest of your life and for all eternity.
Not difficult - just Jesus.
