Solus Christus: The Heart of the Reformation

 

Summary

Reflecting on the profound events of the Reformation, we are reminded of Martin Luther's courageous stand at the Diet of Worms, which echoes the words of Isaiah 7:9: "If you do not stand firm in faith, you will not stand at all." This historical moment underscores the essence of the Reformation, which was a rediscovery of the gospel's core tenets: Scripture alone, faith alone, and Christ alone. Today, we delve into the heart of the Reformation with "solus Christus"—Christ alone. This principle is not just a theological concept but the very heartbeat of our faith, as it was for the Reformers.

In Romans chapters 5 through 8, the Apostle Paul repeatedly emphasizes the centrality of Jesus Christ. These chapters remind us that the church must never lose sight of Christ, a danger that persists even today. The scarcity of literature focusing on Christ in contemporary Christian circles should alarm us, just as the state of the church alarmed Luther in the 16th century. Paul's writings in Romans highlight several key aspects of Christ's work: His incarnation, His obedience, His resurrection, and our union with Him.

The incarnation of Christ is foundational. Without it, salvation would be impossible. Christ took on human flesh to bear our sins, living a perfect life and dying an atoning death. His obedience, both passive and active, is crucial. He was obedient in His suffering and death, bearing the judgment for our sins, and His entire life was a substitutionary act of righteousness on our behalf. This understanding shattered the medieval Catholic view of salvation, which was based on personal righteousness and left believers in uncertainty.

The resurrection of Christ is another cornerstone of our faith. It assures us of our justification and transforms our relationship with God. The Reformers discovered that Christ was not confined to the elements of the Eucharist or the grave but was risen, offering us fellowship and communion with Him. This realization was revolutionary, leading Luther to feel as though he had been born again.

Finally, Paul emphasizes the necessity of our union with Christ. We must turn away from ourselves and our sin, and be united with Christ, clothed in His righteousness. This union assures us of our salvation and allows us to stand boldly before God, claiming the righteousness of Christ as our own. May we all be united to Christ, finding in Him everything we need.

Key Takeaways:

1. The Centrality of Christ in the Reformation: The Reformation was a rediscovery of the gospel's core tenets, with "solus Christus" at its heart. This principle emphasizes that Christ alone is the foundation of our faith, reminding us to keep our focus on Him amidst the distractions of contemporary Christianity. [01:14]

2. The Incarnation and Our Salvation: Christ's incarnation is essential for our salvation. By taking on human flesh, He lived a perfect life and died an atoning death, making it possible for us to be reconciled with God. Without His incarnation, there would be no hope for our redemption. [05:17]

3. Christ's Obedience and Righteousness: Christ's obedience, both in His suffering and throughout His life, is imputed to believers. This understanding liberates us from the uncertainty of personal righteousness and assures us of our standing before God, clothed in Christ's righteousness. [09:35]

4. The Assurance of the Resurrection: The resurrection of Christ assures us of our justification and transforms our relationship with God. It shifts our focus from the elements of the Eucharist to the risen Christ, offering us fellowship and communion with Him. [11:48]

5. Union with Christ: Our union with Christ is essential for salvation. By turning away from ourselves and being united with Him, we are clothed in His righteousness, allowing us to stand boldly before God and claim the righteousness of Christ as our own. [14:55]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:27] - Martin Luther's Stand
- [01:14] - Solus Christus: Christ Alone
- [02:09] - Paul's Refrain in Romans
- [02:50] - The Danger of Losing Sight of Christ
- [03:39] - The Incarnation of Christ
- [05:17] - The Necessity of the Incarnation
- [06:12] - Christ's Atoning Death
- [07:00] - The Infinite Value of Christ's Work
- [07:53] - The Significance of Christ's Obedience
- [08:43] - Passive and Active Obedience
- [09:35] - Imputed Righteousness
- [11:05] - The Power of the Resurrection
- [11:48] - Assurance Through Resurrection
- [13:23] - Union with Christ
- [14:55] - Clothed in Righteousness
- [16:31] - Closing Prayer

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
1. Romans 5:1-2, 5:12-21, 6:11, 7:24-25, 8:1-2, 8:39
2. Isaiah 7:9

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Observation Questions:

1. What is the repeated refrain found in Romans chapters 5 through 8, and how does it emphasize the centrality of Jesus Christ? [02:09]

2. How does the sermon describe the significance of Christ's incarnation in relation to our salvation? [05:17]

3. What are the two types of obedience attributed to Christ, and how are they explained in the sermon? [08:43]

4. According to the sermon, what is the significance of Christ's resurrection for believers? [11:48]

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Interpretation Questions:

1. How does the concept of "solus Christus" challenge contemporary Christian practices and beliefs, according to the sermon? [03:39]

2. In what ways does the sermon suggest that the church today might be losing sight of Christ, similar to the concerns of the Reformers? [04:27]

3. How does the sermon explain the impact of Christ's obedience on the believer's assurance of salvation? [10:18]

4. What does the sermon suggest about the necessity of our union with Christ, and how does this union affect our standing before God? [14:55]

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Application Questions:

1. Reflect on your personal focus in your spiritual life. Are there areas where you might be losing sight of Christ? How can you realign your focus to keep Christ at the center? [03:39]

2. The sermon highlights the scarcity of literature focusing on Christ. How can you incorporate more Christ-centered reading or study into your spiritual routine? [04:27]

3. Consider the concept of Christ's obedience being imputed to believers. How does this understanding affect your view of personal righteousness and assurance of salvation? [10:18]

4. The sermon emphasizes the power of Christ's resurrection. How does this assurance of justification influence your daily relationship with God? [11:48]

5. Reflect on the idea of being "united with Christ." What practical steps can you take to deepen your union with Him in your daily life? [14:55]

6. The sermon mentions the danger of being "turned in upon oneself." Are there specific ways you can turn outward towards Christ and others in your community? [14:08]

7. How can you actively remind yourself of the significance of Christ's incarnation, obedience, and resurrection in your personal faith journey? [07:00]

Devotional

Day 1: Christ Alone as the Foundation of Faith
The Reformation was a pivotal moment in Christian history, marked by a return to the core tenets of the gospel, with "solus Christus"—Christ alone—at its heart. This principle emphasizes that Christ is the sole foundation of our faith, a truth that remains vital amidst the distractions of contemporary Christianity. The Reformers, like Martin Luther, recognized the danger of losing sight of Christ, a concern that is still relevant today. In Romans chapters 5 through 8, the Apostle Paul underscores the centrality of Jesus Christ, reminding us that the church must always keep its focus on Him. The scarcity of literature focusing on Christ in modern Christian circles should alarm us, just as the state of the church alarmed Luther in the 16th century. [01:14]

Colossians 1:17-18 (ESV): "And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent."

Reflection: In what ways have you allowed distractions to shift your focus from Christ as the foundation of your faith? How can you realign your daily practices to keep Christ at the center?


Day 2: The Incarnation as the Cornerstone of Salvation
The incarnation of Christ is essential for our salvation. By taking on human flesh, Christ lived a perfect life and died an atoning death, making it possible for us to be reconciled with God. Without His incarnation, there would be no hope for our redemption. This understanding shattered the medieval Catholic view of salvation, which was based on personal righteousness and left believers in uncertainty. The incarnation is foundational because it signifies that Christ took on human nature to bear our sins, living a life of perfect obedience and dying a death that atones for our sins. [05:17]

Hebrews 2:14-15 (ESV): "Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery."

Reflection: How does the reality of Christ's incarnation impact your understanding of salvation? What steps can you take to deepen your appreciation of this foundational truth in your daily life?


Day 3: Christ's Obedience and Our Righteousness
Christ's obedience, both in His suffering and throughout His life, is imputed to believers. This understanding liberates us from the uncertainty of personal righteousness and assures us of our standing before God, clothed in Christ's righteousness. His obedience was both passive, in His suffering and death, and active, in His perfect life. This dual aspect of obedience is crucial because it means that Christ's entire life was a substitutionary act of righteousness on our behalf. This truth assures us that we are not judged based on our own righteousness but on Christ's. [09:35]

2 Corinthians 5:21 (ESV): "For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."

Reflection: In what areas of your life do you struggle with feelings of inadequacy or unworthiness? How can the truth of Christ's imputed righteousness bring you peace and assurance today?


Day 4: The Resurrection as Assurance of Justification
The resurrection of Christ assures us of our justification and transforms our relationship with God. It shifts our focus from the elements of the Eucharist to the risen Christ, offering us fellowship and communion with Him. The Reformers discovered that Christ was not confined to the elements of the Eucharist or the grave but was risen, offering us fellowship and communion with Him. This realization was revolutionary, leading Luther to feel as though he had been born again. The resurrection is a cornerstone of our faith, assuring us that we are justified and have a transformed relationship with God. [11:48]

1 Peter 1:3-4 (ESV): "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you."

Reflection: How does the assurance of Christ's resurrection influence your daily walk with God? What practical steps can you take to live in the reality of this assurance?


Day 5: Union with Christ as the Essence of Salvation
Our union with Christ is essential for salvation. By turning away from ourselves and being united with Him, we are clothed in His righteousness, allowing us to stand boldly before God and claim the righteousness of Christ as our own. This union assures us of our salvation and allows us to stand boldly before God, claiming the righteousness of Christ as our own. Paul emphasizes the necessity of our union with Christ, urging us to turn away from ourselves and our sin and be united with Him. [14:55]

Galatians 2:20 (ESV): "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."

Reflection: What does it mean for you to be united with Christ in your daily life? How can you actively pursue a deeper union with Him in your thoughts, actions, and relationships?

Quotes


Reformation was a rediscovery, not only of the Scriptures and of justification, but of the grace and mercy and saving power of our Lord Jesus Christ. And I want us to try and think about that, not by focusing attention so much on a single text as on an extended passage, and indeed not on the whole of one verse, but on a refrain that runs through Romans chapters five and six and seven and eight. [00:01:31]

The Reformers recognized that there was always the danger that the church would lose sight of Christ. And that danger is still with us today. On occasion, if I look through a book catalog published by a Christian publisher or go into a bookstore, I look for the books on the Lord Jesus Christ. And what I've discovered over the years is those books today are very much in the minority. [00:03:31]

The first thread is this, the emphasis that Paul makes on the centrality of the incarnation of the Lord Jesus. He talks about this in Romans 8:3-4. "God did what the law couldn't do by sending his Son in the likeness of the flesh of sin and for sin in order to condemn sin in the flesh." [00:04:59]

Without the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ, there would be no possibility of our salvation. He came to take our flesh in order that He might bear our sin. But then the Apostle Paul emphasizes that there is something else that we find in Jesus Christ. Not only as we've been thinking the wonder of His incarnation, but in the second place, the significance of His obedience. [00:07:29]

The older theologians used to speak about Christ's passive obedience and His active obedience. By passive obedience, they didn't mean that Jesus was passive in any way, passive comes from a Latin verb that means "to suffer." They meant that in His suffering in death, His atoning death on the cross. Our Lord Jesus Christ was obedient. "In my place, condemned He stood and sealed my pardon with His blood." [00:08:25]

But the wonderful gospel is that Christ's whole life of obedience to His Father is imputed to those who believe, not only the merits of His death, but the perfection of His life. And this is why the gospel was such a glorious thing for Martin Luther and for the other Reformers because they realized that what had happened in Jesus Christ was that they had not only had their sins paid the debt for, but that they had been given the perfect righteousness of the life of Jesus Christ. [00:09:51]

Paul says He was not only delivered up for our trespasses, He was raised for our justification. And he speaks about this again in chapter 5, and again in chapter 8 of Romans. And you see the wonder of His resurrection is that it brings us, yes, it brings us assurance. How did the Israelites know that their sins had been forgiven on the day of adjournment? [00:11:35]

And because of that, we have fellowship with Him. And this transformed the Reformation Christians. They had been used to thinking about the death of Christ and carrying around crucifixes with a dying Christ on them. And all their attention was focused in the Eucharist on the death of Christ, and on the elements. What the Reformers discovered was that Christ was not locked up in the elements any more than He was locked up in the grave, but He was risen. [00:12:28]

And yet what Paul wants to emphasize by the refrain that runs through Romans 5, 6 , 7, and 8, is that none of this is ours until we are united to the Lord Jesus. And so fourthly, I want you to notice in these chapters, how Paul emphasizes the necessity of our union with Jesus Christ. You know, Martin Luther in his lectures on Romans spoke about how man is incurvatus in se, "turned in upon himself," and he needs to be turned out from himself, out to Jesus Christ. [00:13:47]

So many books that Christians read, tell us about ourselves and what the Reformation is telling us what Paul is telling us in Romans 5, 6, 7, and 8 is we need to get out of ourselves, out of our bondage and sin, out of our bondage and Satan, out of our guilt, and into Jesus Christ. And when we are clothed with His righteousness, trusting in Him, then we can be sure of our salvation. [00:14:40]

Indeed, we can be sure of this, that if we were to stand before the judgment seat of God and were asked on what basis could we stand there? We could say, "I stand here Father, as righteous as your Son, Jesus Christ, because the only righteousness I have is not in myself, but in Him." "Clothed," as the hymn says, "with His righteousness divine. No condemnation now I dread; Jesus, and all in Him is mine! Bold I approach the eternal throne, and claim the crown through Christ my own." [00:15:18]

My dear friends I hope you are united to Christ and looking to Christ and finding that He is everything that you need. May God make that true for all of us. Our heavenly Father, we thank you today for our Lord Jesus Christ. And we pray that You would bring us to faith in Him and that you would increase our faith in Him and make Him a glorious Savior to us. We ask it in His name. Amen. [00:16:10]

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Transcript
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