Solo Christo
Solo Christo is one of the “five solas,” which are five fundamental points that summarize the main principles upon which the Protestant Reformation was established. The phrase solo Christo (or solus Christus) is Latin for “Christ alone.” The other four solas are: sola scriptura (Scripture alone), sola fide (faith alone), sola gratia (grace alone), and sola Deo gloria (to the glory of God alone). These five terms are supported by Scripture and are the basic beliefs of Protestant Christianity.
The Only Redeemer
Solo Christo is the belief that people are saved because of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross alone. They are saved only by His work, not by their works. The Bible declares: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast…” (Ephesians 2:8–10 also John 3:16-18).
Jesus affirmed the truth of Solo Christo when He declared, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). Christ is the way from earth to heaven. By His humanity He touches this earth, and by His divinity He touches heaven. He is the ladder connecting earth and heaven (John 1:51). Because of His incarnation and death “a new and living way” has been consecrated for the believers (Hebrews 10:20). There is no other means of salvation (Acts 4:12)
Although the Catholic Church teaches that people are saved by Christ’s death, they teach that “Mary” shared in Christ’s suffering on the cross, and that the Pope is the Mediator between God and men, and that a priest can create the body of Christ through the Eucharist, and that good works such as sacraments, prayers, charity, penance and pilgrimage…etc. are obligatory for obtaining God’s favor.
But the Bible is clear that people are saved “not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:5). Solo Christo! Man stands justified before God because of His mercy alone, not because of any good act man performs (Romans 4:2, 6; 9:32; Galatians 2:16; 3:5, 10; Ephesians 2:9). Good works are simply the fruit of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer.
Christ is the One who took man’s sins upon Himself on the cross (Galatians 3:13; Revelation 5:9). “For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ…” (Romans 5:17–19 also Isaiah 53: 4-6; Romans 3:25; 5:9). He offered only one sacrifice (Hebrews 10:10) before He resumed His high-priestly work in the sanctuary in heaven (Hebrews 9:24–26). Thus, He was “made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption” (1 Corinthians 1:30).
The Only Mediator
The Bible declares, “For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5). Only through Jesus, the Creator of all, can the sinner be reconciled to God (John 14:5–6; Romans 5:1–2). Thus, the apostle rules out the need for all human mediators such as Mary or any other human being.
Because of Christ’s humanity, He can truly sympathize with men: “Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:14–16). Solo Christo!
In summary, Solo Christo means that Christ saves both completely and for all time (Hebrews 7:25). For He alone is Supreme (Colossians 1:18), the Creator (Colossians 1:16), King of kings (Revelation 19:16), Redeemer (Galatians 3:13), High Priest (Hebrews 4:14), and the sole Mediator between God and man (1 Timothy 2:5). In Him, believers can be “more than conquerors” (Romans 8:37) over both sin and its wages, death (Galatians 2:20). No other created being is qualified to take the place of God’s Son for He alone is the worthy One (Revelation 5:9).
In His service,
BibleAsk Team
