Tea, Scones, and Sola Scriptura

Sola Scriptura: the doctrine that states that the Scriptures contain all knowledge necessary for salvation and holiness. What do I think about this?

Yes, the Bible DOES tell us the way to salvation. "For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not of yourself; it is a gift of God so that no man may boast." Ephesians 2:8-9. But it doesn't take a whole book to explain that simple concept.

Yes, the Bible does provide guidelines for us to live a holy, Christian life. It may take a whole book to begin to explain how to do this because there are so many variables.

But is that all there is?

I don't think so.

Why is the bible study business booming? According to Sola Scriptura, we shouldn't need those, right? They cause us to contemplate issues that may pertain to our modern daily lives. They may deal with issues grounded in scriptures, but they are not Scripture, so by this standard we can't use tools or conversations to help us understand Biblical subjects or enrich our lives. It is up to us, the reader to interpret what the Bible is telling us and stick to it.

Um, why would we want all that pressure? I don't.

It bothers me when I hear people bashing the Catholic Church over issues that they are not fully informed about. No, the Catholic Church is not Sola Scriptura. Does the Catholic Church have some secret scroll hidden deep in the Vatican that states that there is actually a different way to obtain salvation other than by simply accepting the grace of God? Nope.

So what does this mean?

Perhaps Salvation doesn't occur simply in that one moment that we first chose to accept God's grace and forgiveness. Maybe it happens on a daily basis because, believe it or not, we sin daily and God extends his grace to us daily if we choose to accept it. So if this is the case, it looks like "asking Jesus into your heart" (I uses that term somewhat flippantly because it is such an inaccurate portrayal of how God's grace is a constant renewal to our spirits) may not be all there is to it.

Lamentations 3:22-23

²² Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,

    for his compassions never fail.

²³ They are new every morning;

    great is your faithfulness.

We know that faith and works go hand in hand:

James 2:26

²⁶ For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

If you truly have faith and are allowing Christ to live through you, that will be obvious in your works. If that isn't obvious through your works then it's time to do some soul searching. And if you are out feeding the poor everyday but not allowing God to do His work in your life, again, time for some serious re-evaluation.

So if you can't have faith without works, doesn't it stand to reason that obtaining Salvation is a two part process? The first and most important step is that you must accept the grace of God. But after we do that, we MUST do His works. So in order to be an effective, holy Christian we need BOTH. They are not mutually exclusive, they go hand in hand. So if you accept the grace of God but you are not constantly applying that to situations in your life by being the hands and feet of Christ on Earth, you may or may not be truly saved (that is only for God to say), but you will certainly not be living the fullness of Christ's redemption here on earth.  I would argue that the full definition of salvation is not simply being saved from eternity in Hell, but is   a combination of that AND the ability to live powerful, full, Christ centered lives here on earth. So because I don't want to settle for the basics, I suppose I can't follow the doctrine of Sola Scriptura either.
 I do believe every word in the Bible is true and squarely plants us on the path to salvation and holiness. 

2 Timothy 3:16-17

¹⁶ All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching,rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, ¹⁷ so that the servant of God^[a] may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

But why would we reject so many years of tradition passed down through the Catholic church? These oral traditions may not appear in Scripture, but they were passed down from the apostles, those whom Jesus trusted to spread His message of hope after His ascension. So why wouldn't we listen to the wisdom of those who walked and talked with Jesus? They don't provide an alternate route to salvation, they only provide bits of encouragement and enrich our lives on the journey.  Paul did write to Timothy that the church is the pillar of truth, so why would we not accept all the beautiful things that have been passed down through it just because they don't appear in the Bible?

I Timothy 3:14-15

 Although I hope to come to you soon, I am writing you these instructions so that,  if I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth. 

Notice he said the church was the pillar of truth, and he called Scripture a "useful tool."

If God didn't trust the Church to really carry out His plans on earth, then why on earth did He leave? 

Food for thought.