In Christ Alone

Colossians 1:13-20

The Context of Solus Christus

What question is this doctrine answering?

The Roman Catholic teaching - salvation Christ gets you in, the mediation of the church keeps you in as you maintain a state of grace through sacraments. Essentially, the Roman Church separated the believer from Christ by making the church the means by which God applies his grace to us. Christ’s death paid for our original sin, but our present and future sin is forgiven by a combination of Christ’s work and the sacraments.

The Reformed teaching - not denying the important role of the church, but over against Rome, they argued from Scripture that our Lord Jesus Christ achieved a perfect and comprehensive salvation work as our mediator and new covenant head. And this sufficient work of Christ is applied to us directly as the Spirit applies the word of the gospel, effectually giving us new life by uniting us to our glorious Savior in covenant union, reconciling us to the Father, and making us part of God’s new covenant community, the church.

How is Solus Christus still relevant?

Roman teaching - looking to saints, Mary, and the sacraments.

Works-Righteousness teaching - Justice Movements in the Church: “If you don’t respond to _____ by doing _____, you are part of the problem!

Charismatic Church - Christ, plus your works in the Spirit (speaking in tongues, prophecies, etc) are your salvation.

Humanism - Christ is a good example to follow, but you have to find your own path.

When everyone seeks their own path to God, Solus Christus, as demonstrated in our reading from Col 1:13-18, powerfully declares the uniqueness, the sufficiency and the exclusivity of Christ.

What we mean by Christ Alone?

Christ is uniquely Savior:

Col 1:15 - He is the image of the invisible God.

Christ as the “the image of the invisible God” is the revelation of what God is really like. The writer of Hebrews expressed the same thought in very powerful language: “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being” (1:3).

The Greek word translated “exact representation” here meant the impress left by a die on a coin or a seal on wax. He is the exact impress of the essence of God.

How is that possible? The Hypostatic Union: Hypostasis (substance) the underlying, fundamental state of being; Union, the bringing together of two natures. Jesus was fully God, fully man, God incarnate, the eternal Son of God in the flesh.

John 1:14 The Word became flesh and dwelt among us…

vs 19: In him the fullness of God was pleased to dwell…

Like in the OT, when God would fill the temple or tabernacle so that no one else could enter. Jesus not only bears God’s glory, but all that God is also dwells in Him. He possesses the wisdom, power, Spirit, and glory of God. There is none like Him.

Prophet, Priest, King - the mediatorial offices of God’s covenant people. Moses, Samson, Samuel, David, Josiah, Daniel: all individually spoke, led, and delivered, but only one did all three

Prophet - All other prophets spoke as they were led by the Spirit. Christ alone was the very word of God embodied - everything he said, did, was, revealed God.

Priest - All other priests spoke to God on behalf of the people, making sacrifices for their own sin, and then for the sin of the people. Christ alone is the high priest, without sin, and who continues to intercede for us.

King - All other kings had a derived authority, they were put in power as a representative of the One true King. Christ alone is the maker, sovereign, and head of all creation, preeminent, and His kingdom is forever!

There is none like him, he is Christ Alone.

Christ is the sufficient Savior:

Col 1:13-14 - In him is redemption the forgiveness of sins…

Through him the father has transferred us from darkness to the kingdom of his son

vs 20 -through Him God reconciled to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

In the person and work of Christ, his life, miracles, teaching, death, resurrection, and ascension, God was reconciling, making peace with those who were under judgment.

All other sacrifices were lacking, repeated - his was once for all.

Hebrews 9:14 the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.

As the Son of God, his sacrifice alone is sufficient to pay for all our sins; he alone has the power to ransom and deliver us from our sins. Man must pay the price only God could afford. Jesus being fully God and fully man, paid the price in full for us.

There is none who is able to save but Him, He is Christ Alone.

Christ is the exclusive Savior:

Col 1:18 - He is head of the body, the church, the beginning, the firstborn from the dead

1 Timothy 2:5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus

Jn 14:6 He is the way, the truth, the life, no other way to the father but through him

The Bible is clear that there is one way to salvation

Gen 6: Noah and the flood, only those who believed and entered the ark were spared God’s judgment.

Ex 12: Moses and the Passover, only those whose doors were covered in the blood of the lamb were delivered.

Matt 22: The Parable of the wedding feast, only those covered in the robe provided were allowed in the celebration

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.

There is no other way to the Father but through Christ Alone

Life in Christ Alone

Know Him.

Don’t run from theology, embrace it. Biblical theology is simply adoring God with your mind, and it leads to deeper praise.

Grow in your knowledge of Christ, deepening study of his love, his nature, his character.

John Calvin - We see that our whole salvation… in Christ. We should therefore take care not to seek [anything] anywhere else. If we seek salvation, we are taught by the very name of Jesus that it is “of him.” If we seek any other gifts of the Spirit, they will be found in his anointing. If we seek strength, it lies in his dominion; if purity, in his conception; if gentleness, it appears in his birth. For by his birth he was made like us in all respects that he might learn to feel our pain. If we seek redemption, it lies in his passion; if acquittal, in his condemnation; if remission of the curse, in his cross; if satisfaction, in his sacrifice; if purification, in his blood; if reconciliation, in his descent into hell; if mortification of the flesh, in his tomb; if newness of life, in his resurrection; if immortality, in the same; if inheritance of the Heavenly Kingdom, in his entrance into heaven; if protection, if security, if abundant supply of all blessings, in his Kingdom; if untroubled expectation of judgment, in the power given to him to judge. In short, since rich store of every kind of good abounds in him, let us drink our fill from this fountain, and from no other.

Trust Him

His work is sufficient, there is nothing left to do but to rest in His perfect righteousness, living each day as one set free to live for God.

All that Christ has achieved in his life, death, and resurrection is applied to those who believe by God’s grace through faith alone. Christ’s work is sufficient because of his exclusive identity. As God the Son incarnate, his substitutionary life and death accomplishes all of God’s purposes and plans without remainder. As fallen creatures, we contribute nothing. We merely raise the empty hands of faith and find our complete salvation in Christ alone.

Proclaim Him

Make him known - the salvation of humanity depends upon the person and work of Christ.

The temptation is to get distracted, focus in on other things, good as they may be. But they keep us from the one message we’ve been given: Salvation is in Christ Alone!

The table proclaims his death and resurrection until he returns.