Reformed Distinctives #2: The Solas & Tulip

For most of Western history, no one doubted that God existed. The question that haunted Europe was far more unsettling: what kind of God was He, and how could anyone hope to stand before Him? Medieval Christianity had built an immense civilization around that question—cathedrals, sacraments, pilgrimages, indulgences, and a clerical hierarchy that claimed authority over heaven itself. Yet beneath this sacred order was growing anxiety. If salvation required cooperation, accumulation, and mediation—how much was enough? Who could ever be sure?

The Reformers did not ignite controversy for novelty’s sake. They were desperate for certainty. When they began insisting on Scripture alone, faith alone, grace alone, Christ alone, and the glory of God alone, they were not refining theology at leisure—they were detonating assumptions that shaped conscience, power, and culture. These doctrines fractured empires, reordered worship, and reshaped the Western imagination. They are not slogans. They are tectonic plates beneath our faith. The question before us is not whether they mattered then—but whether we understand the ground we are standing on now.

II. Why the Solas Are Necessary

(Transition)

The Five Solas were forged to answer one central crisis:

How is a sinner made right with God—and who gets the final word?

Each sola confronts a place where the human heart instinctively wants to:

Add something

Soften something

Shift responsibility

THE FIVE SOLAS

1. Sola Scriptura — Scripture Alone

Definition

Scripture is the final, supreme authority for what the church believes and how the church lives.

Not the only authority—but the only infallible authority.

What It Means

Does NOT mean:

Reject tradition

Ignore church history

DOES mean:

Every authority is accountable to Scripture

The church is under the Word, not over it

Luther at Worms:

“My conscience is captive to the Word of God.”

Practical Impact

Shapes:

Preaching (exposition, not opinion)

Leadership (servants, not controllers)

Unity (shared standard)

If Lost

Authority shifts to:

Charisma

Emotion

Majority opinion

Cultural trends

Churches fragment because no final court of appeal remains.

2. Sola Fide — Faith Alone

Definition

Sinners are justified—declared righteous before God—by faith alone, apart from works.

Faith is not a work. It is an empty hand receiving Christ.

Historical Insight

Luther feared not hell—but uncertainty. Romans 1 revealed righteousness as gift, not ladder.

Practical Impact

Creates:

Assurance

Peace

Obedience rooted in gratitude

If Lost

Christianity becomes:

Performance-based

Exhausting

Unstable

No one knows when they have done enough.

3. Sola Gratia — Grace Alone

Definition

Salvation is entirely the result of God’s undeserved favor—not human cooperation.

Grace is not help. Grace is rescue.

What It Means

God:

Initiates salvation

Sustains salvation

Completes salvation

We contribute only need.

Practical Impact

Produces:

Humility

Compassion

Stability

If Lost

Two classes emerge:

The proud

The despairing

Merit quietly replaces mercy.

4. Solus Christus — Christ Alone

Definition

Jesus Christ is the only mediator and sufficient Savior.

No supplements. No spiritual middlemen.

Historical Illustration

Indulgences existed because Christ’s work was treated as incomplete.

Tetzel:

“When the coin rings, the soul springs.”

Reformation answer:

Christ finished the work.

Practical Impact

Shapes:

Worship

Prayer

Confidence

If Lost

We trust:

Experiences

Leaders

Rituals

Christ becomes example instead of Savior.

5. Soli Deo Gloria — To God Alone Be Glory

Definition

The ultimate purpose of salvation is God’s glory, not human fulfillment.

God saves to make Himself known.

Practical Impact

Guards:

Church from celebrity culture

Leadership from self-exaltation

Worship from entertainment

If Lost

Success replaces faithfulness. Personality replaces proclamation.

III. TULIP — Guardrails Around Grace

(Transition)

The Solas answer where salvation comes from.

TULIP answers:

How deeply God must act to save sinners at all.

1. Total Depravity

Definition

Sin affects every part of human nature.

Not maximum evil— but total inability to save ourselves.

If Denied

Preaching becomes motivational. Grace becomes unnecessary. Conversion becomes persuasion.

2. Unconditional Election

Definition

God chooses His people based on mercy, not merit.

Meaning

Salvation rests on God’s purpose—not human worth.

If Denied

Assurance collapses. Faith becomes the true savior. God becomes reactive.

3. Limited Atonement (Particular Redemption)

Definition

Christ’s death actually accomplished salvation for His people.

Not potential. Not theoretical. Effective.

If Denied

The cross becomes possibility. Faith becomes performance. Evangelism becomes salesmanship.

4. Irresistible Grace

Definition

God’s saving call effectively brings dead sinners to life.

Not coercion. Resurrection.

Illustration

Jesus did not negotiate with Lazarus.

If Denied

Ministry becomes manipulative. Anxiety replaces prayer. Technique replaces trust.

5. Perseverance of the Saints

Definition

Those whom God saves, He keeps.

Security rests on God’s grip—not ours.

If Denied

Fear governs obedience. Assurance disappears. Discipline becomes terror.

IV. Closing Integration — Why This Matters at Covenant of Grace

(5 minutes)

Final Rhetorical Question

What kind of Christian do these doctrines create?

Not passive. Not arrogant. Not detached.

But:

Humble

Stable

Grateful

Enduring

Final Thesis

The Five Solas tell us where salvation comes from. TULIP tells us how powerful grace must be to save us. Together they protect the gospel from becoming human-centered, performance-driven, and unstable.

Remove them, and churches may survive.

But they will not remain:

Free

Deep

Durable

Joyful