"Who can forgive sins but God alone?" (KJV) 

This week marks the 500 year anniversary of Martin Luther nailing his 95 theses on the door of the Wittenberg Castle. On October 31, 1517, acting on his beliefs, he wrote a list of questions to the Roman Catholic Church for debate. He did not write the questions to spark a revolution. He only wanted the church to allow space that the matters may be intelligently debated. A group of students took the theses from the door, transcribed it from Latin into English, made copies of the transcribed version and distributed them in masses. The 95 theses has become the foundational document for the Protestant Church. Others like John Wycliffe and John Huss had preceded Martin Luther with their protest but his theses reignited a flame and the Protestant Reformation began.

 

It is because of him that the Protestant Church has embraced what we refer to as the Five Solas of the Protestant Reformation. Sola is Latin for "alone." Those five solas are Sola Gratia which means that we are saved by grace alone; sola fide meaning we are saved through faith alone; solus Christus declaring our faith is in Christ alone; sola Scriptura which means we are saved according to Scripture alone; and Soli deo Gloria meaning it's all for God's glory alone.  

 

In summary, God did it all. Our depravity is too great to participate in salvation. Therefore; God saved us by His grace, through faith in Christ, according to His Scripture, for His glory and He did it Alone.