Solus Christus

“Solus Christus” is a Latin phrase meaning “Christ alone.” Only faith in Jesus Christ saves one’s soul. To add or take away from this teaching amounts to idolatry. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the hill to die on, or as Paul put it, to be crucified for.

Let’s walk through Paul’s letter to the Galatians and observe His jealousy for glory of Christ.

Paul credits his apostleship to Jesus Christ. Christ ordained him to be a “sent one” by God. “Apostle” is a Greek word that literally means a “sent one.” Paul is a prophet of God, His spokesman, His ambassador, His proclaimer, not because he decided to become a pastor, but the rather, because Jesus Christ ordained him for this ministry. Jesus revealed Himself to Paul and told Paul to reveal Him to others.

“Paul, an apostle (not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father.” [1]

What did our Lord Jesus Christ do for our salvation?

“He gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.” [2]

No one else did this for us – only Christ alone.

God wants us to keep this truth pure.

“I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different Gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the Gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other Gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other Gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed. For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.” [3]

The Gospel is God’s grace to us. We don’t need to add works of our flesh to what Christ has done for us. To do so, is to defile the Gospel. Such a one is a false prophet. A cult leader! Accursed by God! A liar! For example, John Smith, the founder of Mormonism, he wrote that an angel gave to him a different gospel.

Our Lord Jesus Christ is above all others. Only the truth revealed to us by Jesus is to be trusted. Paul wrote, “I make known to you, brethren, that the Gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ.” [4]

Jesus Christ was not just a prophet or priest. He was not just the founder of a particular branch of religion. He is God enfleshed in human skin. He is only reliable revealer of God.

The Gospel that Paul preaches is from God. He had been well-schooled in Judaism, but Judaism did not bring him to God. Christ did!

“I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my own nation, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers. But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood.” [5]

Paul traces his calling to preach the Gospel back to when he was still in his mother’s womb. Before he could do anything for God, himself or anyone else, God ordained him. Paul gave to Christ alone the glory for his understanding of salvation. Flesh and blood did not reveal Christ to Him. God did! Paul understood the Gospel clearly before he met any of the disciples who walked with Jesus.

“Nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me...” “After three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter...” “And they glorified God in me.” [6]

“False brothers” is what Paul called those who preached the need to of be circumcised. He compared them to slavers. He did not submit to their persuasion. He withstood them to their faces. When Peter separated himself from eating with uncircumcised Gentiles due to his fear of those who adhered to circumcision, Paul reminded him, “a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ... for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.” [7]

To be a Christian is to be crucified to self-saving doctrines and to wholly lean on Christ alone.

“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.” [8]

Paul reminded his Jewish believing brothers that, “Abraham ‘believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.’ ...Only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham.” [9]

Faith in one’s ability is to fulfill the Law amounts to idolatry. It is to believe you are above other sinners so much so that you can save yourself from sin. You cannot.

“For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.’ But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for ‘the just shall live by faith.’ Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree’), that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.” [10]

God sent forth His Son, Jesus, to redeem us that we might receive the adoption as sons. And having become His sons and daughters, God sent forth His Spirit of His Son into our hearts to help us pray to our “Abba, Father!” [11] God does this work through faith in Christ alone.

Paul told those who were preaching Christ plus circumcision: “If you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing. You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love.” [12]

The Lord says to walk in the Spirit and live by the Spirit of God. If you plant works of the flesh, you will reap corruption. If you sow to the Spirit of God, you will reap everlasting life. [13]

Paul gloried in Christ alone. “God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” [14]

Brothers and sisters, stand up for faith in Christ alone. Don’t allow the Gospel of Christ to be diluted or diminished by any other teaching. Thus, you will serve as a true “sent one.” A true prophet of God!

[1] Galatians 1:1
[2] Galatians 1:4-5
[3] Galatians 1:6-10
[4] Galatians 1:11-12
[5] Galatians 1:4-16
[6] Galatians 1:17-24
[7] Galatians 2:1-16
[8] Galatians 2:20-21
[9] Galatians 3:6-7
[10] Galatians 3:10, 13-14
[11] Galatians 4:4-6
[12] Galatians 5:2, 4, 6
[13] Galatians 5:16, 25
[14] Galatians 6:8, 14