Solus Christus (Christ Alone)

OT Lesson: Deuteronomy 6:1-9 (NIV)

These are the commands, decrees and laws the Lord your God directed me to teach you to observe in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess, so that you, your children and their children after them may fear the Lord your God as long as you live by keeping all his decrees and commands that I give you, and so that you may enjoy long life. Hear, Israel, and be careful to obey so that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, promised you.

Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the door-frames of your houses and on your gates.

NT Lesson: Acts 4:1-21 (NRSV)

While Peter and John were speaking to the people, the priests, the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees came to them, much annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming that in Jesus there is the resurrection of the dead. So they arrested them and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. But many of those who heard the word believed; and they numbered about five thousand.

The next day their rulers, elders, and scribes assembled in Jerusalem, with Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. When they had made the prisoners stand in their midst, they inquired, ‘By what power or by what name did you do this?’ Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, ‘Rulers of the people and elders, if we are questioned today because of a good deed done to someone who was sick and are asked how this man has been healed, let it be known to all of you, and to all the people of Israel, that this man is standing before you in good health by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead. This Jesus is

“the stone that was rejected by you, the builders;
it has become the cornerstone.”

There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved.’

Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were uneducated and ordinary men, they were amazed and recognised them as companions of Jesus. When they saw the man who had been cured standing beside them, they had nothing to say in opposition. So they ordered them to leave the council while they discussed the matter with one another. They said, ‘What will we do with them? For it is obvious to all who live in Jerusalem that a notable sign has been done through them; we cannot deny it. But to keep it from spreading further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more to anyone in this name.’ So they called them and ordered them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered them, ‘Whether it is right in God’s sight to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge; for we cannot keep from speaking about what we have seen and heard.’ After threatening them again, they let them go, finding no way to punish them because of the people, for all of them praised God for what had happened.

Sermon

Martin Luther at the Imperial Diet of Worms

Good morning. I feel the summer is slowly fading away while the autumn is approaching sneakily day after day. It was Sunday afternoon, 17th of April, 1521. A Catholic monk was standing in front of Charles V, the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, and the group of princes, lords and high church officials. The question was about life and death to him. With the satisfying answer, the life of the poor monk would be spared. With the wrong answer, he would be eventually executed. The name of the meeting was called the Imperial Diet of Worms and the name of the poor Catholic monk was Martin Luther of Wittenberg. Just to let you know, the Diet of Worms does not mean that they were eating worms. It is a meeting or assembly summoned by the emperor at the German city of Worms. Anyway, this Catholic monk and university professor previously posted 95 theses on the church facebook, well precisely the church door, but back then it functioned like a facebook these days. And then he published several books criticising the corruption of the Catholic church. And now he was summoned to the imperial diet, and the question he got was if he actually wrote those books and whether he would stand by their contents which was considered heretic and threat to the church authority, or he would recant. I believe Luther was shaking more than the Quakers because it was the life and death question to him. Luther could not answer right away and he requested an adjournment to formulate a response. The diet reconvened the next day, Monday, 18th of April, 1521 when Luther answered first in German and then Latin. It was a great speech, four pages long. If you want, I can read the whole text, which will make the sermon twenty minutes longer. I guess nobody wants that. Then let me read the second half of the last paragraph: “Unless I am convinced by Scripture and plain reason—I do not accept the authority of the popes and councils, for they have contradicted each other—my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and I will not recant anything for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. Here I stand. I cannot do otherwise. God help me. Amen.”

So to the question of “Will you stand by the contents of your books or will you recant?” Luther answered ‘Here I stand.’ Today we sang “In Christ Alone,” a beautiful song. And the words say ‘Here in the love of Christ I stand,’ ‘Here in the power of Christ I’ll stand.’ What a powerful statements. It is not just words in a song but a confession and a profession of our faith. Whenever we say ‘In Christ alone we stand,’ then we are standing at the Imperial Diet of Worms together with Martin Luther.

Introduction

And as we can see from today’s NT lesson, same thing happened to Peter and John who declared boldly that there is salvation in no one else for there is no other name but Christ alone under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved.1 Same situation and same message over thousands of years—the same message of ‘Christ Alone.’ So today, let us ponder and dig into a fundamental principle of our faith—”Solus Christus” in Latin and “Christ Alone” in English. This principle reminds us over and over again that salvation is found solely through Jesus Christ.

Exclusive Saviour

This world is full of diverse beliefs and ideologies. My father was a Confucianism scholar and my family had been Buddhists for generations. My family was founded in B.C. 117 and converted into Buddhism in A.D. 527. So most of the years in my family history, we’ve been Buddhists and that used to include myself as well. I have a photo from the Summer VBS. VBS here is not the Vacation Bible School but the Vacation Buddhism School. Anyway, in a world full of diverse beliefs and ideologies, we are called to stand firm together with Martin Luther, together with Peter and John, in the faith and belief that Jesus Christ is the exclusive Saviour. In today’s NT lesson, apostle Peter declared “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”2 This declaration reminds us that the sacrifice of Christ Jesus on the cross is the only means of reconciliation between God and humanity.

Fulfilment of Prophecy

Throughout the OT, God’s plan for salvation through Christ is beautifully woven into the fabric of history. The prophecies concerning the Messiah’s birth, life, death, and resurrection find their fulfilment in Christ Jesus alone. When Adam and Eve were being driven out of the garden, God said to the snake which was drunken in the victory, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; He will crush your head, and you will strike His heel.”3 This is a prophecy between Christ and Satan. But Isaiah prophesied important thing between Christ and us which resonate with profound truth: “Surely He took up our pain and bore our suffering.”4 It is in the atoning sacrifice of Christ Jesus that these prophecies converge, offering hope and redemption to a broken world.

Mediator and High Priest

One of the most remarkable aspects of Solus Christus is the role of Christ Jesus as our Mediator and High Priest. The book of Hebrews affirms that Jesus is the perfect mediator between God and humanity, and explains, “When Christ came as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation), He entered once for all into the Holy Place, not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and bulls, with the sprinkling of the ashes of a heifer, sanctifies those who have been defiled so that their flesh is purified, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to worship the living God! For this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, because a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions under the first covenant.”5 Through the sacrifice of Christ Jesus, He entered the heavenly tabernacle, offering His own blood as the ultimate atonement for sin. This truth underscores the unparalleled significance of Christ’s role in our salvation.

Our Example of Humility and Obedience

As we embrace Solus Christus, we are called to emulate Christ’s humility and obedience. Apostle Paul reminds us of the selfless act of Christ in his letter to the church in Philippi, “In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to His own advantage; rather, He made Himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!”6 The obedience of Christ Jesus to the Father’s will serves as a model for us to surrender our lives to God’s purpose, trusting in His sovereign plan.

Transforming Lives Through Christ

When we truly grasp the significance of Solus Christus, it leads to transformation. Apostle Paul declares in his second letter to the church in Corinth, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”7 In Christ, we find forgiveness, healing, and restoration. This transformational power enables us to live out our faith boldly and share the message of the love of Christ with our neighbours and friends.

Resisting False Gospels

In a world of spiritual confusion, Solus Christus serves as a guiding light for us, leading us to the path of God, protecting us from the false teachings. Jesus warned about false prophets and teachings in the gospel of Matthew that false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.8 This warning is emphasising the importance of anchoring our faith in Christ alone. By understanding the unique role of Christ in salvation, we can guard against deceptive ideologies and stand firm in our convictions like Martin Luther and the apostles did.

Call to Unity

Solus Christus unites believers across denominations, cultures, and backgrounds under the banner of Christ. Apostle Paul urged the believers in the church of Corinth to be unified in their faith: “I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you.”9 Our shared faith and belief in Christ as the sole source of salvation encourages us to foster unity within the body of believers. Under the name of Christ Jesus, all the Christians across the denominations can and shall work together to make God’s kingdom of heaven on earth.

Conclusion

As we conclude, let us remember that Solus Christus is not merely a historical doctrine but a living truth that transforms lives today. In a world searching for meaning and purpose, we have the privilege of proclaiming Christ as the answer. Let us be diligent in sharing His message, demonstrating His love through our actions, and exalting His name above all else.

Friends, Solus Christus invites us to fix our gaze on Jesus Christ alone. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.10 Let us continually seek the presence of Christ, the wisdom of Christ, and the guidance of Christ as we navigate our life journey. And just like Peter and John did in front of the councils of the rulers, and just like Martin Luther did at the Imperial Diet of Worms, let us also stand firm in our faith, confident in the knowledge that salvation is found in Christ alone. Amen.