Like many churches around Sydney, we are about to preach a series on the Reformation solas, because Roman Catholic World Youth Day is arriving next month. One of the things I was thinking about was how to ensure that the sermons on grace and faith reinforce and complement each other, rather than simply repeating each other. That is, it's not always easy to say what the ‘grace alone’ slogan means to distinguish it from the ‘faith alone’ slogan. Another little issue is that I think the ‘alone’ part of each slogan has a somewhat different sense in each phrase.

Anyway, here's my attempt to outline the sermon series. I would be very glad of your feedback—especially in sharpening the distinctions between the grace and faith sermons, and the sense of the ‘alone’ and the ‘not’.

Sermon 1: Sola scriptura: Scripture alone

• Define Scripture: it's God's word written—the Bible.
• The sense of ‘alone’ in this phrase: Scripture alone is our highest and final authority (instead of Scripture is our only source of knowledge or authority).
• What we say ‘no’ to here: we're emphasizing Scripture, not tradition (like the Roman Catholic magisterium which claims authority on any number of things such as additional teachings on Mary, compulsory clerical celibacy, etc).
• Passages: Mark 7:1-13, 2 Timothy 3:10-4:5.

Sermon 2: Sola gratia: grace alone

• Define grace: it's God's unmerited favour, not a substance infused into us.
• The sense of ‘alone’ in this phrase: salvation comes to us entirely as God's generous gift.
• What we say ‘no’ to here: we're saying salvation is all of God's grace and not of our merit, deserving or cooperation (again, compare this to the Roman Catholic catechism on grace etc.)
• Passages: Luke 15:11-24, Ephesians 2:1-10.

Sermon 3: Sola fide: by faith alone

• Define faith: it's trust in God and his promises (not mere doctrinal assent, nor a positive religious feeling in the absence of evidence, pace Dawkins!)
• The sense of ‘alone’ in this phrase: God's gracious justification is received by faith alone.
• What we say ‘no’ to here: we're saying it's received by faith, not by works of the law (nor good deeds) of any sort (again, compare and contrast this with the Roman Catholic catechism).
• Passages: John 6:25-40; Galatians 2:1-21.

Sermon 4: Solus Christus: Christ alone

• Define Christ: Jesus Christ, God's Son in his person and work—as priest and sacrifice.
• The sense of ‘alone’ in this phrase: the righteousness of Jesus Christ is the sole basis of our justification, so on the grounds of his redeeming sacrifice, Jesus is the only and unique mediator between God and humans.
• What we say ‘no’ to here: we come to God only through Christ and his finished work on the cross, not by other mediators (such as Mary or the saints, nor can Mary be called a co-redemptrix) or continuing sacrifices (such as in the mass). More broadly, there are no other ways to God except through Jesus Christ (i.e. we cannot get to God by other religious leaders such as Muhammad, Buddha, etc., as post-Vatican 2 theology implies).
• Passages: Luke 11:27-32, Hebrews 10:1-23.

What suggestions do you have?

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