The five solas of the Reformation, which set apart the Reformers from the teachings of Rome, include sola scriptura (Scripture alone), solus Christus (Christ alone), sola fide (faith alone), sola gratia (grace alone), and soli Deo gloria (glory to God alone).
These five statements of the evangelical faith capture that which distinguished the theology of the Reformation from the theology of the Roman Catholic church in the 16th century. Sola scriptura is the belief that because Scripture is God’s inspired Word, it is the only inerrant, sufficient, and final authority for the church. Solus Christus is the assertion that Christ alone is the basis on which the ungodly are justified in God’s sight. Sola fide maintains that the believer receives the redemption Christ has accomplished only through faith. Sola gratia proclaims that all of our salvation, from beginning to end, is by grace and grace alone. Because of these things, the Reformers held fast to the phrase soli Deo gloria, that only God receives glory for our salvation.
The five solas form the center of the evangelical faith. They not only capture the gospel of Jesus Christ and explain how that gospel takes root in the sinner, but they also define where the authority of that gospel resides and to what end that gospel is preached and proclaimed. Although the phrase “five solas” may be more recent in its usage, the concepts are rooted in the 16th century Reformation. These five solas distinguished Reformers like Martin Luther, Philip Melanchthon, John Calvin, and so many others from the teachings of Rome. But at the heart of this divide was not merely a theological dispute, but a celebration of the gospel itself. The reformers were willing to lay their lives down for these solas first and foremost because they believed the gospel itself was at stake.
The Bridge exists to love and honor God, as a local gathering of His followers, by being changed by the unchanging truth of God's Word, and reaching out to a broken and fragmented humanity with the good news of God's grace. We are committed to live by faith, to be known by love, and to be a voice of hope. We welcome people regardless of where they are in their spiritual journey, to come and see and be transformed by Christ in order to walk in the life that He gives.
God is the Creator and Sustainer of all things. He has revealed Himself to us in three "Persons:" Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Each person of the trinity is completely God and shares the same nature and attributes. God the Father is an infinite and personal Spirit. He is perfect in holiness, wisdom, sovereign power, and love. He mercifully concerns Himself with the affairs of people. And, by grace, He saves from sin and death all who come to Him through faith in Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ is God's Son. He is both fully God and fully human. He came to earth and shared in our humanity to reconcile us to God by living a sinless life and becoming the perfect sacrifice for sin by dying on the cross. After three days, Christ rose from the dead and ascended into heaven, where He is the only Mediator between God and man. He will return again to earth to consummate the eternal plan of God, according to His promise.
The Holy Spirit was sent from God to apply to mankind the saving work of Christ: to enlighten our minds and make us aware of our need for a Savior, and to regenerate and permanently indwell believers, becoming the source of assurance, power and wisdom for godly living. The Holy Spirit gives each believer spiritual gifts for the strengthening and proper functioning of the church.
The Bible is God's Word to us. It was written by human authors who were supernaturally guided by the Holy Spirit. Because they were uniquely inspired by God, they wrote without error. The Bible is complete as a revelation of God's will for salvation, and is the supreme authority for all matters of faith and life.
God created mankind in His own image, free from sin, to have a relationship with Him. Yet, mankind defied God and was alienated from Him. All people are born into the world separated from God, incapable of restoring the broken relationship and in need of His grace. God reconciles people to Himself completely by grace, a gift to be received through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. We are spiritually regenerated, brought into His family, filled with His Spirit, and empowered by Him to live a holy and pleasing life.
The Church is the spiritual community of all who have been reconciled to God, of which Christ is the head. While universal in nature, it finds expression in local gatherings of believers who unite to worship God, encourage one another and reach the world with God's good news. All believers are given vital functions within the local church through the gifts of the Spirit. The local church is to be a unified community of servants, stewarding their spiritual gifts and resources for the ultimate purpose of bringing glory to God.
At the end of time, when God's eternal rule is consummated, all people will be resurrected and will stand before God to be judged for their deeds done in this life. While unbelievers will be condemned to eternal separation from God, those who have been reconciled to God through faith will rejoice together in eternal communion with Him.
We believe that love, awe, reverence, praise, and thankfulness are natural and proper responses to God. Worship is the expression of such a response, lived out in many ways and in many settings. These include singing praises, teaching and studying God's Word, prayer, service to others, and giving. All of these should naturally occur in daily private life and small group settings, as well as our weekly corporate gatherings. We believe that all of our lives should be lived as acts of worship.
We believe that the Bible is God's precious truth revealed to us. We recognize deeply the profound nature of such a belief, particularly in light of the age-old philosophical search for truth and meaning in life and a present day culture that has largely rejected the very existence of any absolutes. Consistent with such a claim, we believe God's Word is authoritative and instructional for us and deserves our loving and devoted study and understanding.
We believe that prayer is a natural and foundational part of our personal and corporate relationship with Christ. It is our desire and our privilege to be in communication with our Lord as we grow in our love for Him and our understanding of His will for our lives.
We believe that as Christians, we must be known for our love for others. Love is largely about our actions, not just our words. Therefore, our lives must reflect hearts that are sensitive to the needs of others and hands that are quick to lend assistance. We believe that the church is the body of Christ, a community of people sharing a common faith. As followers of one Lord and Savior, and unified in one Spirit, we are called to love and encourage one another in the faith. Fellowship is a central part of our lives. As others visit us, it is our desire that they experience unconditional love and acceptance, encouraging them toward love for God and for one another.
John MacArthur: The message finds its sole source in Scripture. The message is extracted from Scripture through careful exegesis. The message preparation correctly interprets Scripture in its normal sense and its context. The message clearly explains the original God-intended meaning of Scripture. The message applies the Scriptural meaning for today. (Preaching)
Alistair Begg: Unfolding the text of Scripture in such a way that makes contact with the listeners world while exalting Christ and confronting them with the need for action. (Preaching for God’s Glory)
Haddon Robinson: The communication of a biblical concept derived from and transmitted through a historical-grammatical and literary study of a passage in its context, which the Holy Spirit first applies to the personality and experience of the preacher then through him to hearers. (Biblical Preaching)
Martyn Lloyd-Jones: Preaching is theology coming through a man who is on fire and that the chief end of preaching is to give men and women a sense of God and his presence. (Preaching and Preachers)
Mark Dever: Expositional preaching is preaching in which the main point of the biblical text being considered becomes the main point of the sermon being preached. (Preach: Theology Meets Practice)