If you come and visit us, you will notice there are five banners hanging on the wall behind the pulpit. These five slogans are a brief summary of the core convictions of the Protestant Reformation. We hung those banners because they summarize what we believe about the Bible and its teaching concerning salvation.
Sola Scriptura (Scripture Alone)
We are committed to learning what the Bible teaches because it is God’s inspired and infallible word. It is our final authority and standard. In a world that has shifting ideas and is plagued with chaotic thinking, it gives us an anchor in Truth. It is the way God reveals His plan of salvation.
Sola Gratia (Grace Alone)
Grace is often described as God’s unmerited favor. That’s another way of saying that God gives something that is completely undeserved and something we have no way of earning. And what He gives us is His Only Begotten Son, salvation, transformation, and everlasting life. It is all free!
Sola Fide (Faith Alone)
If God’s salvation is free, we need to ask how someone might lay hold of this amazing gift. Here’s the answer: through faith alone! Our faith (or truly believing) in Christ unites us to Him and secures God’s saving grace. When a person embraces Christ by faith, their sins are forgiven and they are considered righteous before a holy God. This new standing doesn’t come from doing good or trying harder to be a moral person, it is by receiving and resting in Christ.
Sola Christus (Christ Alone)
Jesus Christ is an all-sufficient Savior and He is the only Savior. Everything needed to be reconciled to God is found in Christ and Him alone. That means the claims the Christ makes are exclusive. There is no other way for sinners to draw near to the Father in heaven. The Bible teaches us that Jesus is fully God and fully man. Through His perfect life, His sacrificial death, and glorious resurrection from the dead, Jesus fully accomplishes salvation. You might want to think of it this way: Our standing before God is Jesus + nothing.
Soli Deo Gloria (Glory to God Alone)
Why does God save people by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone? So that He gets all the glory and praise! And that is our highest goal and purpose in life—to bring glory to our God.
You may have notice elsewhere on this site that we identify ourselves as “confessional.” For Presbyterians, that means we believe the Westminster Confession of Faith, along with the Larger, and Shorter Catechism explain and summarize what the Bible teaches on major issues. You can click on those if you want to better understand what we believe and why.
We are part of the Presbyterian Church in America. You can find information on our denomination here.
