One of the 5 Solas that I wrote/spoke about before is Solus Christus — only through Jesus Christ alone can we be saved. Jesus confirms this in the Gospel of John chapter 10…
Jesus is the Gate and the Good Shepherd…
“I tell you the truth, anyone who sneaks over the wall of a sheepfold, rather than going through the gate, must surely be a thief and a robber! But the one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice. They won’t follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don’t know his voice.”
Those who heard Jesus use this illustration didn’t understand what he meant, so he explained it to them: “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me were thieves and robbers. But the true sheep did not listen to them. Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures. The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep. A hired hand will run when he sees a wolf coming. He will abandon the sheep because they don’t belong to him and he isn’t their shepherd. And so the wolf attacks them and scatters the flock. The hired hand runs away because he’s working only for the money and doesn’t really care about the sheep.
“I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me, just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. So I sacrifice my life for the sheep. I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd.
“The Father loves me because I sacrifice my life so I may take it back again. No one can take my life from me. I sacrifice it voluntarily. For I have the authority to lay it down when I want to and also to take it up again. For this is what my Father has commanded.”
John 10: 1-18 NLT
Why do you think Jesus said this?
In Isaiah 53, we read…
All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own.
Isaiah 53:6 NLT
Or in many cases, the teachings of a false priest or church that seems more appealing to our senses, pride, vanity, etc.
That’s why God sent Jesus to save us. In Acts and the Epistles, both Peter and Paul confirm that everything regarding salvation is THROUGH Jesus Christ only. You’ll notice it’s THROUGH Him, not with Him. So that we can’t boast that we did good works to deserve salvation. No amount of good works can ever get you into Heaven. Without going THROUGH Jesus, you are not good enough to get into Heaven.
Through Jesus Christ Alone
In the Book of Acts Luke reports that Peter said…
“This is the message of Good News for the people of Israel—that there is peace with God through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.”
Acts 10:36 NLT
In Philippians, Paul writes in two separate places…
I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us….
…For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.
Philippians 3:14; 4:13 NLT
In 2 Corinthians Paul writes…
For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin,[a] so that we could be made right with God through Christ.
2 Corinthians 5:21 NLT
And Paul writes in Galatians…
For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus.
Galatians 3:26 NLT
So let’s recap everything that we get THROUGH Jesus Christ…
- Salvation
- Peace
- Our Calling
- Strength
- Righteousness — be made right with God
- Adoption — become children of God
Notice again, please, that it’s not “with” Jesus, which implies that we are working with Him in order to be saved or gain grace points. No, this is all a gift from God’s Grace (Sola Gratia) THROUGH Jesus only. We do not get this through a church or a priest or a saint. Not even through Mary — which is like the pagan religions who seek “enlightenment” through the worship of idols. God does not tolerate idolatry! Why do you do it?!
How are you Saved?
If you want to reap all the benefits of salvation including the 1-way, non-stop ticket to Heaven then…
Believe. Repent. Be Baptized. Receive the Holy Spirit.
- Believe — have Faith — that Jesus is the Christ and He died taking your sins away forever and that He rose from the dead 3 days later.
- Repent of your sins — stop sinning! Do a complete 180-degree turn in your life and surrender your life to Him. When you ask Jesus to forgive you He will. ALL your sins will be wiped clean — past, present, and future! And All means ALL!
- Be Baptized by water baptism — show the world and yourself that you have died to your old life and are born again in Christ.
- Receive the gift of Holy Spirit in your heart.
Invite Jesus into Your Heart and Receive the Gift of Grace, Joy, Peace, and the Confident Hope of Eternal Life…
Pray this prayer humbly and wholeheartedly…
“Dear Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner. I believe You died for my sins. Please forgive me. Right now, I turn from my sins and open the door of my heart and life to you. I confess You as my personal Lord and Savior. I will follow you for the rest of my life. Thank You for saving me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
Next Steps in Your New Walk with Jesus…
- Start reading the Bible daily to get to know God. If you don’t have one, I recommend the YouVersion, Bible.app and Through the Word app — both are free and have a lot of great Bible studies.
- Pray every day. Talk to God. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you daily.
- Find and join a Bible-believing church — preferably a non-denominational one and be baptized!
Churches are starting to open for actual services at their locations. Check your state’s COVID-19 reopening guidelines to verify. Moreover, many churches are still offering live streaming for those parishioners who can’t attend physically because they fall in a high-risk group. If you need to be baptized, I’m sure there’s a church that will baptize you. We had 2 baptisms at ours, they are at the end of the Mother’s Day sermon. I know the gal personally who was baptized and there’s so much joy in my heart to see her joy in the salvation through Jesus. (The video is set to play at the baptisms, but watch the whole service if you like.)
Don’t forget the 5 Solas…
The 5 Solas
- Sola Scriptura (“Scripture alone”): The Bible alone is our highest authority.
- Sola Fide (“Faith alone”): We are saved through faith alone in Jesus Christ.
- Sola Gratia (“Grace alone”): We are saved by the grace of God alone.
- Solus Christus (“Christ alone”): Jesus Christ alone is our Savior, Redeemer, Lord, and King
- Soli Deo Gloria (“to God alone be the Glory.”): It’s all about God, not us.
