The Protestant Reformation of the 1500s was more or less centered around five issues (or guiding principles), now known as the “Five Solas” (in their original Latin terms):

• Sola scriptura (Scripture alone) – The Bible is the one, ultimate authority in all things. Everything else, including church tradition, leadership and policies, are subservient, and are subject to continual correction and reformation by the Word of God. And we all, as a priesthood of believers (1 Peter 2:1-10), share in the responsibility to do that.
• Sola fide (faith alone) – It is through faith in Jesus alone that salvation comes, not by works. Although good works should be a natural by-product of a real and vibrant faith, it is the faith itself that saves.
• Sola gratia (grace alone) – Salvation is an undeserved gift, offered by a God who is simultaneously loving, holy, and righteous. There’s nothing we can do to “earn” it.
• Solus Christus (Christ alone) – Jesus alone is the path to God and to heaven. There is no other way. And there is no other (human) mediator required to access the throne of God.
• Soli Deo gloria (to the glory of God alone) – Everything in our lives should be done to glorify God. Not for our own interests or glory, and not to satisfy or impress anyone else, including the church hierarchy and leadership.

Looking around at our culture, across the entire spectrum of the church in 2020, those Five Solas don’t seem to be enough to stave off the idolatry that’s happening in both the left-leaning progressive side of the church and the right-leaning evangelical side of the church. I think maybe we need to add a sixth Sola:

Sola Deus (God alone), or maybe it should be Unus Deus (One God). There is only one God, and that one God should be the only thing that truly gives us meaning, the only thing worthy of fierce allegiance, and the only object of our hope.

It’s not money or “stuff”.
It’s not a celebrity.
It’s not a gender or racial identity.
It’s not a politician.
It’s not a political party.
It’s not America or the Constitution.

It’s the one, eternal God, creator of the universe, all-knowing, loving but also righteous and holy, who will bring an end to all of those false gods just listed.

It’s good and proper to be engaged in the here and now, but in all the passion and noise and scrum we’ve lost sight of the eternal. Let us all fix our eyes ultimately on eternity, and on the eternal truths given to us in the word of God as our guide along the way.