We have seen that the 5 Solas of the Reformation were a rediscovery of the truth of God’s Word So far we have seen that Sola Scriptura is of great importance for seeing the revelation of God to His people. Scripture is the supreme authority and contains all we need for teaching about God, all things necessary for salvation and the life of faith. We have seen to that Sola Fide is the biblical idea that our faith (resting on Christ and His righteousness) is the only means by which we can receive justification (a right standing before God).

We have seen from our last look at the 5 Solas of the reformation that Scripture alone is our supreme authority both of Gods revelation of Himself, and also regarding His people. The doctrine of Sola Fide literally means “faith alone” and can be summarised this way: that, upon repentance of sin and faith in Jesus death in our place and for our sins on the cross, God imputes (or credits) His righteousness to our account so that when we stand before Him, he does not see our sin, but His own perfection.

It has come to my attention through various events and Christian gatherings that there is a lot of misunderstanding about the idea of Baptism in the Holy Spirit and the manifestations that arise from this baptism. Some church groups actually hold as part of their understanding of the gospel that every single Christian will experience what they call Baptism in the Holy Spirit, and that this will manifest as speaking in tongues.

"To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father." (Colossians 1:2)

This is a verse that is often skipped over, but one which holds a huge truth. Every christian is a saint and a member of the family of God. When we meet together as Christians, it’s a time to celebrate this fact. In doing so, we celebrate something that the reformer Martin Luther called The Great Exchange:

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”. Salvation is a one step process: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved”. (John 3:16)

As the Gospel community, living within the kingdom of God, the Church should seek to prioritise the kingdom purposes. These kingdom purposes are the Invitation to join the Kingdom (Evangelism), the Participating in the Kingdom (Edification), Sharing the Kingdom (Social Concern), and Celebrating the King (Worship). These four purposes are the primary priorities of the Church.

“As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us. For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.” (2 Corinthians 7:9-10)

Ever since I have been sharing about what I have learned from God’s word, there are certain questions that keep being asked or being uncovered through conversations that seem to begin with unrelated issues. The answers to these questions are actually at the core of who God is and who we understand Him to be. When faced with the idea that God is in control of all circumstances in space and time (known as God’s sovereignty Lamentations 3:37), a lot of people have at least one of these 3 questions:

A Christmas without Christ would just be another holiday. Yet for many, even in our western society that still claims faint allegiances to the biblical story surrounding this season, Christmas will be little more than a break from the regular routines of life – a time for family, feasting and festivity rather than of heart-felt worship and thanksgiving to the God of heaven for the gift of His Son.