Understanding the 5 Solas of the Reformation Continued… 

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Sola Fide—Faith Alone

Faith in Jesus—believing He is God who saved us and committing to follow Him as our Lord—is the only way to please God. We must stake our lives on the wholehearted belief that Jesus is able to do all He promised throughout the Bible.

Activity: Write a promise of God from the Bible on each of five index cards, or one for each family member. Put them in a bowl. Taking turns, each person draws out a card, reads the verse aloud, and tells how God has kept that promise to them. If you need help finding some of God’s promises, read 5 Promises for Your Laments to get started.

Memorize the following verse to reinforce sola fide:
“And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6, NLT)

Sola Gratia—Grace Alone

God’s grace is an outpouring of His unmerited favor. Everything good we receive, even the faith to believe in Him, comes from God. In and of themselves, our works are always insufficient. Our inheritance from Adam and Eve was sin, so nothing we do can earn salvation. Even after we are saved by God’s grace, our works hold no power except for the supernatural power God infuses into our efforts.

Activity: Make a poster collage of images that represent all the grace God has demonstrated to you. Brainstorm a list and then allow each family member to draw or choose pictures and symbols to represent each kindness God has given to you. Pray and express gratitude to God for His grace. If you use social media, post a picture of your collage to inspire others to be grateful to God also.

Memorize the following verses to reinforce sola gratia:
“God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” (Ephesians 2:8-10 NLT)

Soli Deo Gloria—Glory to God Alone

The purpose of creation and every life is to bring glory and honor to God. God did not design humans to be receptacles of glory. But He did create us to be excellent conduits. He put His light inside us to reveal His glory—His essence—to people around us. And He reminds us to transfer to Him any glory we receive so pride doesn’t overwhelm us. 

Activity: Print out the five solas in Latin in large Old English font style, one per page. Use an outline font so children can color or decorate each one. Younger children can use stickers to fill in the letters of the words. Older children may try writing the five solas in calligraphy. Practice the words together until you can say them all in both Latin and English.

Memorize the following verse to reinforce soli Deo gloria.
“And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.” (Colossians 3:17 NLT)

Photo credit: ©GettyImages/SweetGrace