The Five Sola—Sola Christus-2

The Five Sola • Sermon • Submitted 4 years ago

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What we believe about Christ is of supreme importance in the believer's life. Do not be deceived into seeing Him as anything less than Completely God, Completely Savior, and Completely Lord.

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Text: Acts 4:7-12

Theme: What we believe about Christ is of supreme importance in the believer's life. Do not be deceived into seeing Him as anything less than Completely God, Completely Savior, and Completely Lord.

Date: 11/03/2019 File name: SolaCristus-2.wpd ID Number:

Once upon a time, many years ago, there lived a farmer who owned a mule. With that mule the man did all his plowing and cultivating. On Saturdays he would hitch his mule to the wagon and go into town for groceries and necessities.

But the farmer, being the frugal man he was, grew increasingly concerned over the rising price of the oats and hay that he fed his mule each day. He decided upon a simple plan. In order to save money, he would substitute sawdust for some of the oats, and straw for some of the hay that he fed his mule. So that evening, instead of giving his mule a full gallon of oats, and half-a-bale of hay, the farmer only gave him three-quarters of a gallon of grain, the remaining one-quarter gallon being sawdust. He also replaced a third of the hay with straw. It worked. The mule didn't seem to mind the leaner meals. Well, over the course of several months the old farmer began to substitute more and more sawdust for oats, and more and more straw for hay. He was, of course, pleased with the money he was saving in oats and hay. Everything went fine for a long time. The mule became satisfied with sawdust and straw. The problem was that the poor ‘ol mule eventually dropped over dead of starvation.

What’s the moral of the story? The same leanness can happen spiritually to the Body of Christ. The changeover from truth to error in the Church is sometimes a slow, but gradual process, and the Body of Christ doesn't always perceive the change in spiritual diet. They become satisfied with the error that has replaced the truth. But, before they know it, they're dead.

This is what happened to the Church in Europe. Between A.D. 400 and A.D. 1500, church leaders gradually exchanged truth with more and more error, so that one the eve of the Reformation, very few professing Christians actually knew what the Bible taught, and that much of what they were being taught by their priests and bishops simply could not be defended Scripturally. The Gospel had essentially been lost.

The decisive issue of the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century was this—how can sinful man be right before a holy God? On one side was the Roman Catholic Church which held that—salvation was in Christ, and good works which included baptism, and church membership, and confession, and penance, and pilgrimages, and alms giving. The problem was that no one could ever know for sure if they had “done enough” good works to go directly to heaven. Virtually all Christians could expect to go to a spiritual realm called purgatory, where they would suffer until finally being purified of all sin. A Spanish theologian from the late Middle Ages once argued that the average Christian could expect to spend between 1000 and 2000 years in purgatory.

On the other hand, the Protestant Reformers spoke with one voice and that was the voice of the Scriptures. The men of the Reformation insisted that salvation is in Christ alone. Standing on solo scriptura, the reformers said that Christ’s atonement alone is sufficient to bring the sinner into the Father’s Kingdom.

This morning I’d like to say three things about the salvation the God offers.

1. The priority of salvation.

2. The exclusivity is salvation.

3. The necessity of salvation.

I. THE PRIORITY OF SALVATION

“There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to people, and we must be saved by it.”” (Acts 4:12, HCSB)

ILLUS. Let me begin by giving you the back-story of this event. It begins back in Acts, chapter three. The Apostle’s Peter and John have gone to the Jewish Temple to pray. It’s about 3:00 PM. They are about to enter through the “Beautiful Gate”—the gateway between the Court of the Gentiles and the Court of Jewish Women. It was a massive gate, some sixty-feet wide supported by pillars made of bronze. During the morning and evening sacrifices it was an area or worship. At the gate is a man lame from birth, laid there daily by his family to beg for money. Peter looks at the man, tells him “we have no money, but in the name of Jesus rise up and walk.” And he does. Well that draws a crowd in a hurry, and Peter takes the opportunity to preach to the people. That message is found in Acts 3:11-26. The result is that abut 5,000 hear and believe upon Jesus. Now, I just really like how Acts, chapter four begins ... “And as they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them, 2 greatly annoyed ... ” (Acts 4:1–2, ESV). Peter and John are arrested, and spend the night in jail. The next day they are brought before the most august group of men in Israel. This is were we pick up our text ...

1. as the Apostle Peter utters his words of witness in vs. 7-12, he and his fellow Apostle John are standing before the most aristocratic, blue-blooded, wellborn group of Jewish society—the Sanhedrin

a. they are joined by the High Priest and others of the high-priestly family

1) this is a gathering of the movers and shakers in Jewish society

2) this is our Executive Branch, Legislative Branch, and Judicial Branch of government all rolled up into one group of men

b. John and Peter are placed in their midst ... it’s meant to be intimidating

2. Peter’s witness is bold and direct

a. this healing was done in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth—he is directly asserting here that Jesus is Messiah

b. you crucified him

c. God raised him from the dead

d. Jesus is the stone you rejected, which has become the cornerstone

e. there is salvation in no name but his

A. THERE IS A SALVATION THAT MEN CAN HAVE

1. as Peter stands before the hierarchy of Israel, and the Sanhedrin he begins by saying and there is salvation

a. man's greatest need is to be saved

b. man's greatest need is spiritual

2. in Christ, salvation was accomplished and is now offered to man

a. this message, proclaimed by simple men, but men who had walked with God’s Anointed One, is the greatest declaration ever made to man ... there IS salvation

B. WHAT IS THIS SALVATION THAT MEN CAN HAVE?

1. the word saved is a good biblical word

a. the Apostle uses it here in vs. 12

1) in his era, in that culture every Jew knew what Peter meant

2) that’s not so true in 21st century America

ILLUS. For the first time in our nation’s history, we have a generation of Americans, the majority of who, have never been in a church in their life, and are biblically ignorant. It’s the Millennial Generation, those aged 23-38. In an Washington Post article from Oct. 27 of this year, columnist Christine Emba, herself a Millennial, wrote, “Here are a few things we’ve learned about millennials ... We don’t have time to relax or think, but we do like to sleep. We’re less interested in television than our parents. We hate vacations, weddings, car commuting and other traditional activities. And, apparently, we’ve stopped going to church.” She sites a Pew Research Center poll that reveals that 40% of millennials have never attended church, and the majority of the remaining 60% maybe, maybe go to church a few times a year.

3) Millennials are the most un-church, non-religious, un-evangelized age group in America

b. I tell you that to say this, even though “saved” is a good biblical word, a good chunk of our culture has no idea what evangelicals mean by that

2. Peter says, there is salvation, but what does “salvation” mean?

a. negatively, salvation means to be saved from something, and positively it means to be saved unto something

b. negatively: Salvation means to be delivered—we need to be rescued from spiritual peril

1) every person in this room needs to be delivered from impending eternal doom

c. positively: Salvation means coming into a right relationship with God, to find acceptance with a holy God in heaven

1) it is the restoration of man's broken relationship with the Father

2) before our salvation we were at enmity with God, but because of salvation we can become the children of God

3. Peter says, there is salvation, but from what do we need to be saved?

a. the answer may surprise you

1) sinners need to be saved from God Himself

2) we need to be saved from the wrath of a holy God who will condemn all those who do not come to him by faith alone

b. we don't need to be saved from loneliness, we don't need to be saved from poor self-esteem, we don't need to be saved from insecurity, we don't need to be saved from a meaningless life, or whatever, whatever

c. those things are nothing compared to your real and most important need in life which is to be saved from God himself

d. and there is only One who can save you from God’s wrath, and that is God Himself

4. Peter says, there is salvation, but why is salvation so necessary?

“The boastful shall not stand before your eyes; you hate all evildoers. 6 You destroy those who speak lies; the LORD abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.” (Psalm 5:5–6, ESV)

“God is a righteous judge, and a God who feels indignation every day. 12 If a man does not repent, God will whet his sword; he has bent and readied his bow;” (Psalm 7:11–12, ESV)

“And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. 15 From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty.” (Revelation 19:14–15, ESV)

a. there is a wrath that is coming ... the arrow is set, and the bow is pulled back, and as C. H. Spurgeon wrote, “God never misses his mark.”

b. why is salvation necessary?

1) we need to be saved from the impending judgment of God which culminates in a fiery hell

5. salvation is the chief priority of your life

more important than where you stand with men, is where you stand with God

more important than where you live in this world, is where you will live in eternity

more important than your body being made well, is your soul being made whole

more important than the well-being of your social state, is the well-being of your eternal state

6. let me be blunt: Are you saved? Have you received is salvation?

a. everything else in your life is peripheral compared to that

II. THE EXCLUSIVITY OF SALVATION

“There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to people, and we must be saved by it.”” (Acts 4:12, HCSB)

1. this is the heart of the Christian message—the exclusivity of Salvation

a. Peter is clear and emphatic ... salvation is found in "no one else"

1) salvation is not in church, it is not in an institution, it is not in a cause, it is not in the baptistery, it's not in church membership, it's not in religious rites, or confessional statements, or a personal code of good conduct

2) salvation is not found in any other name—not Moses, not Elijah, not Paul, not Peter, not Mary the mother of Jesus, not the Saints in heaven, not Allah, not Confucius, not Buddha, not Vishnu, nor Francis

2. salvation is found only in One name—Jesus Christ, whom according to Peter, was crucified, and raised from the dead

a. the Confessing Church is not just dogmatic about this, we’re bulldog-matic about this

b. the Scriptures speak with such clarity on this

1) there is not one drop of saving grace outside of the Saviorship, and Lordship of Jesus Christ, and there is no receiving of saving grace outside of faith alone in Christ alone

A. AN OFFENSIVE SALVATION

“He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” (Colossians 1:13–14, ESV)

1. it is He, that is God’s Anointed One, the Christ who has delivered us from the domain of darkness ... it is Jesus, the incarnate Son of God, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins

a. in Christ alone we are able to know God and come into a relationship with Him

2. this is, in modern Western pluralistic cultures, probably the most offensive of Christian doctrines — the exclusivity of Jesus Christ, and salvation in him alone

a. he is the only Son God sent to save sinners

b. he is the only Savior of the world

c. he is the only door leading into eternal life

d. he is the only good shepherd of the sheep

e. he is the only mediator between God and man

3. Jesus said of himself, "I am the way… The truth… The life. No one comes to the father but through me" (John 14:6)

a. if you want to be scorned, hated, laughed at or even persecuted testify to the exclusive claims of Jesus Christ as the lone Savior of the world

1) the world will fight you to the death because nothing is more offensive to the natural man

ILLUS. Countless martyrs throughout the centuries have died over this fundamental truth. In the first century it was the Christian's refusal to declare “Caesar as Lord” that got them thrown into the arena. In the 21st century it is the Christian's refusal to worship the state that gets them thrown into gulags, or reeducation camps.

b. the message that we are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone is the most offense message of the Confessing Church ... to believe it ...

1) puts us at odds Roman Catholicism, and all of Eastern Orthodoxy

a) even many Mainstream Protestants have de-emphasized Sola Christus in order to promote a kinder, gentler, and less offensive Christianity

b) in doing so they’ve compromised the Gospel, and denied it’s very power to save

c. ... to believe it ...

1) puts us at odds with Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism, Taoism, Zoroastrianism, Confucianism, and Spiritualism

d. ... to believe it ...

1) it puts us at odds with Islam

e. Jesus is not a way to God, he is the only way to God

4. Christianity has always been offensive to the lost man, because the cross has always been scandalous to the lost man

“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:18, NIV84)

a. at the cross Jesus brought together the two offended parties—holy God, and sinful man

1) God did this because of grace, mercy, and love

"In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace 8 that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. 9 And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ," (Ephesians 1:7–9, NIV84)

b. out of the depths of his eternal love God sent his Son—a Son who was foreordained to die on the cross, a sacrifice for sinners

"God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." (2 Corinthians 5:21, NIV84)

5. all of my sin was laid upon Jesus at the cross, and all of Christ's righteousness was laid upon me

ILLUS. Martin Luther called it "the great exchange." The worst about me was laid upon Jesus, and the best of Jesus was imputed to me.

a. this is why Jesus had to be fully God and fully man

1) he was able to represent God perfectly and completely—to live a sinless life, and become the spotless Lamb of God sacrificed for us

2) he was also able to represent man because he was fully man—the Word made flesh and dwelling among us

“He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.” (1 Peter 2:24, NIV84)

6. it is because of the shedding of his blood that there is now no condemnation from God for those who are in Christ Jesus

a. Jesus has redeemed us

b. he went into the marketplace of sin, and bought us, and then brought us out of that slave market as soon, and set us free, and if the son shall set you free you shall be free indeed

c. all this has been done by Christ alone

III. THE NECESSITY OF SALVATION

“There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to people, and we must be saved by it.”” (Acts 4:12, HCSB)

1. beginning in the middle of the verse, Peter says "there is no other name under heaven"

a. that covers the globe, doesn’t it?

1) whether you are in America or Afghanistan, Zambia, or New Zealand the name of Jesus alone is where a sinner finds salvation

2. men did not concoct this message—this name has been given to man by God Himself

a. one of the best defenses for the validity of the Gospel is that no one in their right mind could have dreamed up such a message

1) no other faith, religion, or philosophy would cook-up a religion where God comes to earth in the flesh to die for mortals so they could become a part of His eternal family and live with Him forever

b. but that’s the gospel!

1) God himself commissioned His only begotten Son to come into the world, to live a perfectly sinless life, to offer himself up to death on the cross as a perfect sacrifice, to do it on behalf of sinners, and ultimately to rise on the third day that we might have eternal life

“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8, NIV84)

3. the word must leaps off the page—sinners, if they’re going to be saved must be saved by it, that is by the work of Christ, and his redemptive work alone

ILLUS. History tells us that a woman came to George Whitefield, the great evangelist of the early 18th century, and asked him "Rev. Whitefield, how come you're always telling people that they must be "born-again"?" To which Rev. Whitefield responded, "Because, my dear lady, you must be born again."

a. that word "must" in this passage is in the passive voice, which means we must be acted on

1) this salvation is not something we can do, or earn, or achieve on our own

d. if it's going to happen, God must do it because we must be saved

We are hopeless, and helpless, and the only contribution we make to our salvation is the sin that was laid upon the Lord Jesus Christ at the cross. It is all of grace, or it is not of grace. And it is all of faith in that grace that comes through Christ alone. It's why we must repent and believe in Christ.

And I say the same to you this morning—you must be born again. You must be saved from the wrath of God to come. You must be saved from the fury of his vengeance that will be poured out on sinners who stand before Him with their sins not covered by the blood of his Son.

Have you been saved? Have you exercised faith alone in Christ alone?

“For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.”” (John 6:40, NIV84)