“The Doctrines of the Reformation – Christ Alone”

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit… – 1 Pet. 3:18

As we saw last week, the Scriptures alone are the rule of faith for believers, being necessary for us to understand our need for salvation as well as God’s provision in Christ which has met that need. The Reformers emphasized that it was the work of Christ alone which accomplished our salvation, a belief which came to be referred to as Solus Christus. The primary question that this doctrine addresses is how believers come to be justified in the sight of God. James Montgomery Boys states that Solus Christus means “that Jesus has done the necessary work of salvation utterly and completely…so that…no works of ours add to his completed work.”

The theological basis for solus Christus is found in the person and work of Christ. In His person, Jesus was fully human so that He could truly identify with His people, but He was also fully God, so that He might accomplish on their behalf what God required in order to make atonement for them. In His work, Christ accomplished sacrifice, satisfaction, and substitution. Because He lived a sinless life in accordance with God’s Law, He alone was qualified to be an effective sacrifice for sin once and for all (1 Pet. 3:18). His sacrifice satisfied the wrath of God so that He remained just because the punishment for sin had been poured out (2 Cor. 5:21). Finally, the work of Christ accomplished substitution, because He died in the place of His people (Titus 2:14).

Join us this Sunday as we consider these things together in light of Romans 5:6-11 and enjoy our monthly fellowship meal. We will also be joined by Botho and Gisela Heinz who will be sharing about their ministry in Germany.

Soli Deo Gloria.

-Thomas