Sola Scriptura – Conclusion

By Mike Harding | October 30, 2019

The Bible is fully sufficient for the salvation of man and the development of the believer into full maturity (2 Tim 3:16–17). Through the assimilated Word of God, each man and woman who belongs to God is to be “fully equipped” by the Holy Spirit so that they may know either in precept or in principle what God expects them to believe and how God expects them to behave.

Many churches are in poor health because they feed on junk food, artificial preservatives, and unnatural substitutes, instead of the milk and meat of the Word. Consequently, a worldwide spiritual famine has resulted from the absence of any genuine proclamation of the Word of God (Amos 8:11)—an absence that continues to run wild and unabated. Unless there is a serious correction, the NT Church of the Lord Jesus Christ will suffer increasingly from hazy preaching, muddled heads, fretful hearts, and paralyzing uncertainty. As my systematic theology professor often said, “A mist in the pulpit usually results with a fog in the pew.”

On April 18, 1521, in Worms, Germany, a man of God stood before a council that had been convened to determine the orthodoxy of his teachings. Indeed, his teachings had already been declared heretical, and a Papal bull had been issued against him calling for his recantation. If he renounced his teachings, he could safely return to the fold of the church. On one side of the Council were arrayed Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor, Jerome Aleander, the Papal Legate, and various German officials including Duke George of Saxony. On the other side stood the accused, and while not without friends and supporters, he alone was on trial. After two days of debate, the fateful question was put directly to him. Being admonished to answer candidly and without evasion, would he renounce the Scriptures as the sole and absolute authority for faith and practice and the message of salvation in Christ alone, through faith alone, by grace alone?

There are moments in history when time itself appears to stand still, and this was such an occasion. His answer would not only impact his life but the history of Christianity itself. In a voice ringing with conviction, he gave his response:

Since then your Majesty and your lordships desire a simple reply, I will answer without horns and without teeth. Unless I am convinced by Scripture and plain reason—I do not accept the authority of popes and councils, for they have contradicted each other—my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and I will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. Here I stand; I can do no other. God help me. Amen.

That man of God was the young Augustinian monk, Martin Luther, who defended the truth of God before the Diet of Worms. “My conscience is captive to the Word of God”—in these words, the principle of sola scriptura was enunciated with clarity and passion. It was this conviction, and his willingness to hazard his life in defense of it, that gave us the Reformation. In these days in which we are once again confronting a crisis of authority in many areas of belief and behavior, we must unashamedly take our stand on the principle of sola scriptura—Scripture alone! God help us!

Mike Harding is the pastor of First Baptist Church of Troy, Troy, Michigan.

 

Previously in this series:

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