Solus Christus

“Christ alone” emphasizes that salvation is found exclusively in Christ as we see in John 14:6, “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’” The historical background of this motto adds more context. The Protestant Reformation began in 1517 when Martin Luther, a German monk, challenged the medieval church’s teachings on indulgences, salvation by works, papal authority, the priesthood, and Bible translation.

As one of the five Solas of the Reformation, “Christ Alone” directly challenged the necessity of the priesthood. It was believed that priests mediated God’s grace to mankind. Luther and other Reformers saw that the Bible said something completely different. For example, 1 Tim 2:5-6 says, “For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” This means that not only is our salvation found in Christ alone, but through Him alone we have access to the Father. The veil has been torn (Matt 27:51), and we can come to God directly through our Great High Priest, Jesus Christ.

Today we don’t have to confess to a priest, yet God has given us pastors/elders/overseers to help us. Still, Christians today can fall into the trap of thinking we must go through a man to know Christ. We should not put people on pedestals, for even the godliest people we know can let us down. The opposite is true as well. We should not let people stand between us and our relationship with Christ. If someone is keeping you from worshipping God, that’s on you. Christ alone—He’s all we need.

Pastor Phil