Solus Christus means “Christ alone.” It is sometimes written as Sola Christo, “by Christ alone.” It is the fundamental belief that salvation is found only in, by, and through the Person of Jesus Christ alone. He is the only Mediator between men and God and His finished work on the cross is, by itself, sufficient for the removal of our sins. Salvation is not by Christ plus the saints. Salvation is not by Christ plus any works. Salvation is not by Christ plus some particular church. Christ is not one of many ways to God – He is the only way to God and His death is the only payment for our sins. Let’s look at some scripture verses that confirm this.
The proof text for this doctrine could possibly be John 14:6 where Jesus said, “… I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” That hardly needs to be expounded upon. Unfortunately, while some people may claim to believe this, they still add additional requisites to salvation. To them, it’s not Christ alone but Christ + something else. In other words – though Jesus may be the way, we need something else in order to have Jesus.
Some people believe the salvation Jesus offers is dispensed through the Church. Perhaps they believe they receive salvation through a priest or some other religious leader.
Paul seems to dispel that idea in Romans 10:9, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” We see that we don’t have to ask a priest for forgiveness; we call upon Jesus directly (see also Romans 10:13).
In his letter to the Corinthians, Paul further dispels any notion that forgiveness can somehow be obtain through the saints or apostles by admonishing those who claim to be followers of him or any other apostle. In 1 Corinthians 1:12-13 he said, “Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?”
Peter said concerning Jesus, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).
In my second post in this series, I discussed how salvation is obtained through faith alone (Sola Fide) and not through any works. Now we must also consider that our faith must be in Christ’s finished work alone. In the OT laws concerning sacrifice, the blood of animals was offered as a temporary covering for our sins. The shedding of blood is necessary for the remission of sins (Hebrews 9:22). But the OT sacrifices were only a foreshadowing of the perfect sacrifice that was to come – Jesus’ death on the cross.
It is only by His sacrifice that we may receive atonement for our sins. Consider Hebrews 9:11-12, “But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.”
Therefore, is not by the rituals of sacrifice of goats and calves but only through the shed blood of Jesus that we obtain redemption. Hebrews 10:10 further says, “By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”
That single event of Jesus’ passion on the cross is the one and only sacrifice for sin. His death (and His death only) is sufficient to remove all of my sins: past, present, and future. No other sacrifice is available for forgiveness nor is any other necessary.
Finally, 1 Timothy 2:5 tells us that Christ is our only mediator with God. We need no priest, no preacher, no saint, no other person living or dead to mediate for us. Christ stands at the right hand of God making intercession for us (Romans 8:34).
Christ alone is our Savior. Our faith in Him is well placed. There is no other way, no other sacrifice, and no other name through whom we have salvation.
Further reading:
The Five Solas Part 1: Sola Scriptura
The Five Solas Part 2: Sola Fide
The Five Solas Part 3: Sola Gratia
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