North Toronto Chinese Alliance Church
11221 Bayview Ave. L4S 1L8 Richmond Hill, ON, Canada

Solus Christus 500 Years of Returning Back to God Jesus Plus Nothing The first three Solas Sola Scriptura (Scriptures Alone), Sola Fide (Faith Alone), and Sola Gratia (Grace Alone) were the hallmark of the Reformation and joined later by Solus Christus (Christ Alone) when the errant doctrine of Sacerdotalism began to assert itself. Sacerdotalism asserted that the sacrifice for sin, reading of the Word, intercessory prayer, marriage, baptism, Holy Communion and other pra...ctices of the spiritual life could be done only by priests on behalf of the people (called the laity or common people). The Reformation responded by pointing out that Scriptures calls us to rely on Christs alone as the only mediator between God and humanity (1 Timothy 2:5; Acts 4:12). It excludes the priestly class as necessary for sacraments. Christ is our Prophet, Priest and King, and there are no replacements and no need for further intercessory agents. On Slippery Slopes Despite the basic teaching of Scripture that Christ alone is necessary for salvation, and His power and resurrection necessary for the life we live today, humanity has made efforts to add to the simplicity of Solus Christus. The Roman Catholic Church in the days of Luther asserted that the priest, the virgin Mary (in the doctrine of the Assumption) and a host of different saints (through beatification and canonization) play the role of intercession for the laity before God. Beyond Roman Catholicism, the claims of various religions, cults and even nations derive their power over their followers through declaring that a founder, a prophet, a priest, or a human ruler or emperor has mediatory power with God or is a god. The deviation from Solus Christus proliferates error. Thus the great Reformers stretching from the days of Martin Luther to the present such as John Calvin, Ulrich Zwingli, John Knox, Thomas Cranmer, and others stand on the principle of Solus Christus. Luther declared the priesthood of all believers, meaning that all believers have the privilege of coming before God through Jesus Christ, our Great High Priest. In Christ alone, my hope is found; He is my Light, my strength, my song. (By Pastor Tim 2017)

Sola Gratia 500 Years of Returning Back to God Amazing Grace As we celebrate the 500th anniversary of the Reformation on October 31, 2017, we find ourselves faced with what theologians call the material doctrine (doctrine based on Scripture) of Reformation theology - that the totality of our salvation is a gift of grace from God (Ephesians 2:8, 9), that salvation from the wrath of God is based on God’s grace and mercy and not on anything good in us, and that the sinner does... not cooperate with God in order to merit his salvation (or divine monergism God acting alone to save the sinner). Grace Alone (Sola Gratia) by God alone! A Story of Grace The cry for the church to return to grace alone started before the Reformation by courageous men of faith such as John Wycliffe and John Huss. Huss particularly objected to the selling of indulgences, an errant doctrine created by the Roman Catholic church where the people could purchase graces for the reduction of the punishment, even of the dead. Huss was executed by the Roman Catholic church 1415 and Wycliffe was condemned posthumously (1428). By 1517, the selling of indulgences was at a lucrative pace particularly under the golden tongue of great orators such as Johann Tetzel commissioned by Pope Leo X. Upon hearing Tetzel’s sermon declaring, Once the coin into the coffer clings, a soul from purgatory heavenward springs!", Martin Luther then a professor of theology at Wittenberg University was deeply troubled. Everything that Tetzel taught, and the great corruptions of the Roman Catholic church and the popes that governed it collided with the truth of Scripture. On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther nailed a sheet of paper written with 95 theses to the door of the chapel at Wittenberg University, laying out a devastating critique of the indulgences as the corrupting of the faith of the people. Grace Alone and not money, or indulgences, or the pope, or good works is the means by which a person may be saved. Indeed, we are saved sola gratiaby the grace of God alone not of works lest anyone should boast. (By Pastor Tim 2017)

Sola Scriptura Celebrating 500 Years of Returning Back to God Beginnings Born on Nov 10, 1483, Martin Luther was the eldest son of Han & Margarethe Luder (later Ludher and then Luther). At 19, he was enrolled in the University of Erfurl, Germany, where he received his Masters degree in 1505. He enrolled in Law School, but was soon drawn to theology and philosophy. On July 2, 1505, he was returning to university on horseback when a bolt of lightning struck very close to him.... The frightful experience drove him to cry out for help, promising that he would become a monk with the Roman Catholic Church should his life be spared. This took him into a spiritual pilgrimage of despair as he joined St. Augustine’s Monastery on July 17, 1505, seeking forgiveness from a cruel and judgmental God through self punishment, long prayers, and frequent confessions. Because of his deeply devout nature, he was taken notice of and in April 3, 1507, he was ordained and by the following year was invited to the newly founded University of Wittenberg to teach theology there. At the university, he was subsequently awarded two bachelor degrees in theology, and a PhD on Oct 19, 1512. He became the chair of theology at the same university on Oct 21, 1512, and the vicar of Saxony and Thuringia in 1515. It was at this time that he was met by God through His Word as he prepared to teach the Book of Romans. Salvation by faith alone rang in his heart, and he understood that knowing God’s Word in its fullest was the only way one was able to know the God of salvation. (Stay tuned for more of Luther’s story as we walk through the five solas of the Reformation.) Scripture (the Bible) Alone Thus was born one of the great declarations of the Reformation, Sola Scriptura (the Bible alone), that is the Bible alone is the sole infallible rule of faith and practice. What does Sola Scriptura entail? That the Word of God is the only authority for the Christian faith and that traditions are valid only when they are based on Scripture and are in full agreement with Scripture. Sola scriptura is the only way to avoid subjectivity and keep personal opinion from taking priority over the teachings of the Bible. The essence of Sola Scriptura is to base our spiritual life on the Bible alone, rejecting any tradition or teaching that is not in full agreement with the Bible. Sola Scriptura declares that the Bible is sufficient for all matters of faith, the infallible authority in all doctrinal and moral matters, clear (perspicuous) in what God tells us, inerrant in its original, and accurately interpreted only by agreement within itself. (By Pastor Tim 2017)

500 Years of History on October 31, 2017 Sola Fide 500 Years of Returning Back to God... The Reformation: The date was October 31, 5017 when Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses on the doors of the Church of Rome, igniting what history will come to know as the Reformation. Reformation has been described as a movement based on two pivotal issues. The material cause was the debate over sola fide (justification by faith alone). The formal cause was the issue of sola Scriptura, that the Bible and the Bible alone has the authority to bind the conscience of the believer. Church tradition was regarded with respect by the Reformation but not as the source of revelation. Along with three other sola declarations, the Reformation brought the church back to the heart of God. It is on these declarations that all believers in the saving work of Christ build their life of faith. Faith Alone: The simple definition of the declaration of Sola Fide (faith alone) is that we are saved through faith alone in Jesus Christ. Sola fide distinguishes the true biblical Gospel from false gospels. It is the teaching that we are declared righteous by God (justified) on the basis of our faith alone and not by works. Is it by faith alone or by faith combined with works? Paul makes it clear in Galatians and Romans that man is justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law (Galatians 2:16). The Bible teaches us that we are not saved by works, but by God’s grace through His gift of faith (Ephesians 2:8-9). Many forms of belief teach that a person is made acceptable to God by the works they must do (that is, human achievement). But Biblical Christianity is centered on what God has accomplished through Christ. (Ephesians 2:8-9) For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. If we abandon the doctrine of justification by faith, we abandon the only way of salvation. The Bible teaches that those that trust Jesus Christ for justification by faith alone are aligned with His righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21). Those who try to establish their own righteousness or mix faith with works will receive the punishment due to all who fall short of God’s perfect standard. How important is sola fide? It is so important to the Gospel message and a biblical understanding of salvation that Martin Luther described it as being the article with and by which the church stands. (By Pastor Tim 2017)

Pray with us for those affected by the recent disasters around the globe. Our IWs in Mexico are safe from yesterday's earthquake; the team is assisting local church leaders as they respond to this crisis. Here is a quick update from the Caribbean Sun.