Solo Christo

We are in a series on the five key tenants of the Protestant Reformation. They are called the Five Solas. We have looked at Sola Scripture, or the Scriptures alone. The Bible is our final authority on all matters to which it speaks. We have looked at Sola Fide, or by faith alone. We are saved by faith alone, not by works. We have looked at Sola Gratia, or by grace alone. We are saved by God’s grace alone, not by our merit or by anything intrinsic to us. Today, we are going to consider the fourth doctrine and we will look at the final doctrine after the advent season. Today, we look at Solo Christo.

When the Reformers insisted on Solo Christo, they affirmed that we are saved by Christ alone, apart from the merit of any other person. Why was this important? The Reformers thought there was too much emphasis being placed on other figures in the church. For example, it is taught that Mary, the mother of Jesus, has some sort of special dispensation with God. Others taught the importance of praying to the saints to intercede for them before God. They were taught they had patron saints. I had to look it up because I had a suspicion. The patron saint of fishermen is the Apostle Peter. So, the thinking was if you are a fisherman, you could appeal to Peter to help you.

Of course, all of this is nonsense. The Bible clearly teaches we can go directly to God through Jesus Christ his Son. He is the sole mediator between God and man.

1 Timothy 2:5 CSB

5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and humanity, the man Christ Jesus,

The idea that some other figure shares in the position of mediator is actually blasphemous. No one has the right or power to share in Jesus’ role as Redeemer and Savior. He alone is our High Priest who makes intercession for us. He alone is the King of Kings and the Lord or Lords. In Christ alone, my hope is found. He is my light, my strength, and my song.

Open your Bibles this morning to .

For sake of time, I am going to summarize what is taking place in our text. After the Day of Pentecost, the day the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles 40 days after Jesus’ resurrection, Peter and John were speaking to the people on the Temple Mount about the resurrection of Jesus. Of course, the religious leaders didn’t want them talking about Jesus’ resurrection since the had already paid hush money to the soldiers who were guarding the tomb and since they were the ones who advocated for his crucifixion. They confronted Peter and John and took them into custody. What is amazing is the amount of people who believed Peter and John’s message.

Acts 4:4 CSB

4 But many of those who heard the message believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand.

They held them overnight.

The next day, the religious leaders assembled to put them on trial. They wanted to know under whose authority were they operating. By whose power had they healed a lame man?

Acts 4:8–12 CSB

8 Then Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit and said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders: 9 If we are being examined today about a good deed done to a disabled man, by what means he was healed, 10 let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified and whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing here before you healthy. 11 This Jesus is the stone rejected by you builders, which has become the cornerstone. 12 There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to people by which we must be saved.”

Peter, the one who just a few days ago was intimidated by a young girl when asked if he was with Jesus, is now boldly standing before the religious leaders who just had Jesus killed. This isn’t the main point this morning, but you need to realize the life-changing power of God. This is nothing short of a miracle. When we accept Jesus as our Savior, we are indwelled by the Holy Spirit who empowers us for godly living. He radically changes us from the inside out.

The power of God takes a shepherd boy and makes him King. The power of God takes a farmer and makes him a prophet. The power of God takes a fisherman and makes him an outspoken leader. The power of God takes the simple and weak things of this world and confounds the wise.

Going back to our text, this morning, we are going to focus on the last statement.

Acts 4:12 CSB

12 There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to people by which we must be saved.”

The first thing I want you to take note of this morning is that we must be saved.

1. We must be saved.

The Greek word is very clear. The word is

dei (δεῖ ) - It is necessary

δεῖ ) and it means “It is necessary.”

We must be, it is necessary that we be saved. Peter did not say, “we can be saved” as if there is some way for us to achieve salvation. He is not say “we may be saved” as if there is some uncertainty. He said, “we must be saved”. It is necessary for everyone to be saved. Why is it necessary for us to be saved? It is necessary because we all have a major problem. We are all sinners. Every single one of us is born a sinner. What that means is that everyone of us fails to live up to God’s expectations for us. Every one of us falls short. God’s law placed demands and expectations on us and everyone both actively and passively breaks God’s laws. The Bible says,

Romans 3:10–12 CSB

10 as it is written: There is no one righteous, not even one. 11 There is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. 12 All have turned away; all alike have become worthless. There is no one who does what is good, not even one.

10 as it is written:

There is no one righteous, not even one.

11 There is no one who understands;

there is no one who seeks God.

12 All have turned away;

all alike have become worthless.

There is no one who does what is good,

not even one.

Therefore, because we all are sinners, we must be saved. The picture is as if you are drowning in the ocean. You can’t swim and there is nothing to float on. You need someone to save you. The question is who, who can save us? Can Allah save us? Can Brahman save us? Can Buddha save us? Can we save ourselves? No.

Acts 4:12 CSB

12 There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to people by which we must be saved.”

2. It is through the name of Jesus we are saved.

God established the way of salvation and he decreed to save us through the person and work of his Son, Jesus Christ. Salvation does not and cannot come from any other source. Jesus’ very name means “Yahweh saves”. The angel of the Lord who appeared to Joseph before Jesus was born into this world said,

Matthew 1:21 CSB

21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

Salvation means “deliverance or rescue”

Salvation is not found in any other name. Calling on Mary won’t save you. Calling on Allah won’t save you. Calling on Buddha won’t save you. Calling on one of the saints won’t save you. Deliverance is found in calling on the name of Jesus. Salvation is through Christ alone.

We must be saved. It is through the name of Jesus we are saved and the way of salvation is exclusive.

3. The way of salvation is exclusive.

No compromise or accommodation can be made. Apart from Jesus there is no salvation. Jesus Christ is the only source and ground of salvation available for mankind. We must be careful because sometimes we are tempted into thinking in terms of “Jesus and…” We are tempted to think that we can contribute to our salvation in some way. We think, “I believe in Jesus and I attend worship and Bible study.” We think, “I believe in Jesus and I give money to the church and to the poor.” We think, “I believe in Jesus and I pray three times a day and study my Bible.” We think, “I believe in Jesus and I pray to Mary and the saints because it gives me comfort.” We must realize, we contribute nothing to our salvation. Salvation is by grace through faith; not of works so that no one can boast. It is never “Jesus and…” It is only Jesus. It is through Christ alone.

Now, you might be thinking, “wow, that sounds pretty intolerant and narrow-minded.” You must understand, God made the way of salvation exclusive of any other way. Jesus declared that he is the way the truth and the life and no one can get to God except through him.

John 14:6 CSB

6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Jesus said anyone who tries any other way to get to heaven is a thief and a robber.

John 10:1 CSB

1 “Truly I tell you, anyone who doesn’t enter the sheep pen by the gate but climbs in some other way is a thief and a robber.

Jesus did not allow any other way or method of salvation because he is the exclusive way. As Christians, we also must not include false gods and false gospels if we are going to lead people to the truth that salvation is only found in Jesus.

I want us to be confronted with a reality this morning. It is not that Christianity is intolerant. It is simply that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. It is simply that the Bible is truth and Jesus is truth. Truth isn’t intolerant – it is simply the truth. Is it intolerant of me to say that the earth revolves around the sun and if you think differently than you are wrong? No, it is not intolerant. It is simply the truth. The problem is the world has become intolerant of truth and as keepers of the truth, we are called to unravel the lies. We are to oppose the ideas and false lines of thinking. Their ways lead to their destruction and we have the way of life. The one and only way, Jesus Christ.

Pray.

Father God, we acknowledge that it is only through your son, Jesus that we are saved. We believe that we have the power of salvation in the name of Jesus. We know that we must tell others about the way of salvation. We can’t allow people to think they are okay or that all ways lead to the same destinations. We know what we need to do. Give us boldness through the Holy Spirit to be your witnesses. Give us opportunities to share your message of hope with those around us. Father God, bring people to yourself and change us each day into the image of your son.

With your heads bowed and eyes closed, I want to talk to somebody who is here this morning and as I was talking about the way of salvation, you realize and you know that you aren’t trusting in Jesus Christ for your salvation. Perhaps you know about Jesus or maybe even prayed a prayer before, but you know that you aren’t trusting in Jesus as the only solution, as the only way of deliverance. Perhaps, you have a “Jesus and…” Your good works can’t save you. Your hard work can’t save you. Being raised a Christian can’t save you. Being a member of the church can’t save you. Being baptized can’t save you. It is only by calling on the name of Jesus that you can be saved. This morning you need to admit that you are a sinner. You need to realize that your sin separates you from God. You need to believe in your heart that Jesus paid the price for your sin when he died on the cross and shed his blood. You need to confess Jesus as Lord. This morning, you are feeling the tugging inside of you. Don’t fight the Holy Spirit’s call. Respond to it by praying this prayer with me. The prayer doesn’t save you – Jesus saves you – the prayer is a way to express your belief.

Pray with me, “Heavenly Father, forgive me for my sins, make me new. I ask Jesus to be my Savior and to be the Lord of my life, first in every way. My life is not my own, I give it to you. Thank you for new life. In Jesus’ name, I pray.”

If you just prayed that prayer for the first time, would you raise your hand?

As we continue in this time of response with our heads bowed and eyes closed, Christians how are you doing at sharing the message of Jesus with those around you? If you truly believe that Jesus is the only way of salvation, don’t you want others to be saved? Are you telling them? Identify people who you know need to be saved. Intercede for them. Pray that God would save them and give you opportunities to talk to them about Jesus. Invest in them and invite them. During this time of response, pray for the people you know need to accept Jesus as their Savior and commit to God to do the work of witnessing for him.

Close in prayer

Our deacons will be coming forward to pray with you and for you. If you prayed to receive Jesus, please come and let us pray with you and celebrate your new life in Christ. Come and pray for those who need Jesus. If God is dealing in your heart and life right now, don’t let this moment pass.

As you stand and we sing together.

<after closing the time of invitation>

Perhaps you didn’t come forward for one reason or another, but you really do want to talk with us about what is going on in your life. Perhaps you need help, prayer, or you just want to know more about being a follower of Jesus. I would encourage you to do one of two things. After we are dismissed, just stay where you are. One of our deacons will come and talk with you and pray with you. The other thing you can do is check one of the boxes on the Connection Card. Put it in the offering plate as it passes. We will get in touch with you this week. You see, this church exists to minister to one another. We are here to support you in your walk with God.