The Exclusive Savior: Christ Alone
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I. Introduction
I. Introduction
A. Opening prayer
B. Brief explanation of the series on the "Five Solas" of the Reformation
“Sola Scriptura” Scripture Alone
“Sola Fide” Faith Alone
“Sola Gratia” Grace Alone
“Solus Christus” Christ Alone
C. Introduction to the sermon topic: "The Exclusive Savior: Christ Alone"
D. Read Acts 4:12 “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”” as the foundational verse
II. Understanding Solus Christus
II. Understanding Solus Christus
A. Define Solus Christus - Christ Alone
As the Reformers examined the teachings and practices of the church, they rediscovered the biblical emphasis on the exclusivity of Christ in salvation. The Roman Catholic Church, at that time, had introduced various intermediaries between God and the believer, including saints, the Virgin Mary, and the clergy. This cluttered the purity of the Gospel message, leading to a distortion of the role of Christ as the sole mediator.
In response, the Reformers boldly asserted the biblical truth that salvation is found in Christ alone. They recognized the need to dismantle the layers of human mediation and return to the foundational principle that Jesus Christ is the only way to God.
B. Explore the historical context of the Reformation and the need for this sola
The Reformers anchored their theological convictions in Scripture. They found ample support for Solus Christus in passages like John 14:6, where Jesus declares, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." This exclusive claim by Christ challenged the prevailing notion that human effort or additional mediators could secure salvation.
Acts 4:12 became a rallying cry for the Reformers: "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved." This verse underscored the exclusive nature of Christ as the sole source of salvation, rejecting any attempt to dilute this truth.
C. Emphasize the centrality of Christ in salvation and faith
Understanding "Christ Alone" had profound implications for believers. It meant that their faith was not contingent on human works or intermediaries but rested solely on the finished work of Christ on the cross. This liberated the believer from a burden of performance and pointed them to the grace and mercy found in Christ alone.
This means that there is no other mediator other than Jesus Christ himself, that stands between God and us. Even I as your Pastor, I am simply in this position to proclaim the truth of God’s word. To teach, to lead, to equip the saints as Ephesians 4:11-16 tells us:
And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.
III. Christ Alone in Scripture
III. Christ Alone in Scripture
As we dive into solus Christus, we can take a look at a few passages which helps us see the biblical truth of the centrality of Christ.
A. Highlight passages affirming Christ as the exclusive Savior
1. John 14:6
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
2. Acts 4:12
And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
3. Colossians 1:15-20
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
B. Discuss the significance of these verses in affirming Christ's exclusivity
These verse are just a few examples in scripture that we can point to indicating that Jesus is the only way to God. An exclusive statement that often is found to be offensive in this modern world of relativistic thinking. For in it Jesus does not give any other way by which we can be saved, not merit of our own works, no false prophets, no false Christ, no teachers, no mortal man, only Christ alone stands as the savior by which to which the world can look towards for hope.
IV. The Counterfeit Saviors of the Modern World
IV. The Counterfeit Saviors of the Modern World
A. Identify common worldly alternatives to Christ
We all know that I am constantly pointing back to Genesis 3 where the serpent calls into question God’s word. Rightly so for it is the first and central theme of scripture from which we can see all lies that proceed start from. They all have their roots in this first lie.
It is the message of the anti-Christ, a different Christ, a different message from that of the gospel by which Christ is the center. It looks to the self, to other teachings, to anything but the truth. Today there is no shortage of different ways in which this is dressed up, spun or played out. Here are a few examples;
1. Self-help ideologies
1. Self-help ideologies
Go to any book store and take a look, there are thousands of books under the label of self help. Ways in which you can solve all your worldly problems, deal with depressions, help with mental illnesses, live better, you name there is a list of all kinds of ways in which you can find a way to look to yourself, to help yourself, and even by the very title you can see it is what the serpent got Eve to do in the garden, to look to yourself, to be like God, to have knowledge of good an evil, to do it yourself.
This is the very heart of the anti-christian message, rather than trusting in God, relying upon him for every need in our life, it teaches us to look to what we do, how to do it better, and it revolves around the self rather than Jesus Christ.
Even in the church today this has become a troubling message, some of the best selling so-called Christian books have titles such as “Your best life now” “The purpose driven life” “Do the new you” “The garden within” I could go on and on, and some of these have even made the best sellers list. Then do not get me started on the list of many other way in the which churches today are so wrapped up in becoming relativistic to the modern culture that it has pushed Christ aside, or preach different christ, or no longer even preach Christ, but point you back to, you guessed it, you.
2. Materialism and wealth
2. Materialism and wealth
For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.
Money, or rather the love of money causes all kinds of evils in this world. If you want to know what is going on politically in the world, just look into the money, you want to know why the system seems broken, follow the money, investigators will tell you that the majority of major crimes that happen they always first look into the money. Follow the money.
No one is exempt from getting caught in the trappings of money, the love of money, or many other kinds of troubles. While many think that money is problem when you are rich, that you become greedy, but I can tell you having grown up poor that this issue is just as prevalent on the opposite end as well. Money or the quest to get money, can be just as burdensome if not more than trying to hold onto it.
Scripture puts it well when it says that those who wander away from the faith can pierce themselves with many pangs.
3. Relativism and secularism
3. Relativism and secularism
We talked about this just a minute ago, relativism and along with it secularism, relativism is that idea that all roads lead to heaven, that there is no absolute truth, only your truth and however that works out for you is just fine. This goes along with secularism, in that it denies God, doesn’t believe or trust in Jesus, and those who hold to these ideas either one presume scripture is just written by man and therefore to not be trusted, while they trust the books that make these statements.
I do not think we need to speak on this a whole lot, for if you get down to the heart of these teachings or beliefs, it goes right back to that appeal there in the garden to look to yourself, to be your own god, to merit it yourself.
B. Share biblical warnings against false saviors
1. Matthew 7:13-14
“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.
We should not be surprised then when Jesus tells us that the gate is wide and the ways is easy that leads to destruction. Those blinded by the world, those who look to themselves, those things we just mentioned are all the ways the world says we should go, the way the world goes, just follow what everyone else is doing, this way seems easy, in fact it is the reason why most people go back to the law, to rules in which you can accomplish it yourself.
2. 1 John 2:15-17
Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.
This world is passing away, and the ways of this world are passing with it. We are told in the book of Revelation that this world as we know it will be destroyed, that God is going to create and new heaven and a new earth and all of these things will pass away. The former things have passed away, and every tear will be wiped from our eyes, pain will be no longer and death will no longer reign.
It is a hope of eternity, but that eternity is only found in Christ. This is where we in our shining a light to the world should especially pay attention, for we have nothing to fear, we should be bold in our witness, clear in the gospel proclamation, and certain in our hope because even death no longer has any power over us. This sure and certainty of faith lets us see that our hope is not found in this life, but the one to come. That just as Jesus was resurrected we too will be raised to new life.
Jesus then being our only hope, goes before us, in both death and then life, showing that nothing is too difficult with God, that trusting in him is the only way, even when it goes against everything in this world, everything we know and understand, even when that serpent whispers in our ear, did God really say?” We should simply shout back at him of course God said it, it is written!
VIII. Conclusion
VIII. Conclusion
A. Summarize key points
Solus Christus, Christ is the only way, the only name by which we can be saved, for there is no other name under heaven by which we can be saved. It is Christ alone an understanding that I believe we all too often overlook, for we want to look to ourselves, that old Adam as Luther said, was drowned int eh waters of baptism, but is a really good swimmer.
We however should never loose hope, for when we see what Jesus did for us, bearing up our sin upon that Cross, taking upon himself the due penalty of our sin, he did what we could never do, he earned for us, grace and unmerited favor, to which we can trust by faith, for we know this through scripture alone. We then trust in Christ alone, all for the glory of God alone knowing he has saved us, set us on his path and we trust in nothing else than his grace and mercy for all eternity.
Amen.
B. Offer a closing prayer
C. Challenge the congregation to stand firm in the exclusive Savior, Christ Alone