On October 31, the US, UK, and many European countries celebrate Halloween. Halloween has its origins in the ancient Celtic Samhain festival, where it is believed that on this day, the boundary between the living and the dead dissolved. Subsequently, the dead could cause problems such as sickness for the living. Halloween is now a multimillion-dollar industry for retailers.

But for the believer, October 31 is also Reformation Day. In 1517, Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the door of a church in Wittenberg, Germany. His writings sparked the Reformation Movement throughout Europe. He and the other reformers lifted up five solas that they defined as essentials of Christian belief and practice: sola Scriptura (by Scriptures alone), sola fida (by faith alone), sola gratia (by grace alone), solus Christus (by Christ alone), and soli Deo gloria (by glory to God alone).

The reformers reiterated what Paul wrote 15 centuries earlier:

• Sola Scriptura. “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. . . . God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

• Sola fida, sola gracia, solus Christus, and soli Deo gloria. The holy Scriptures “have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus” (v.15). We are justified (made right with God) by grace (undeserved favor) through faith, without need for good works (Ephesians 2:8-9); for Christ is the only mediator between God and man (1 Timothy 2:5). And this is all for God’s glory alone.

This October 31, let’s reaffirm the five solas of the Christian faith and think about what they mean for us (v.14).