What Every Christian Needs To Know (2): Christ Alone

Thursday, May. 7, 2009 Posted: 1:20:03AM HKT

The first thing a Christian needs to know is "Scripture alone". The second thing a Christian needs to know is "Christ alone". The Reformed faith uses the Latin words Solus Christus to express this vital teaching. Christ alone accomplished our salvation. Christ alone bore our sins. Christ alone reveals God to us. Christ alone brings us to God. Christ alone kept all the laws of God for us. Christ alone died for sinners. Christ alone will return for our salvation. And we can go on waxing eloquently about what Christ alone achieved for sinners.

But this truth may not be so obvious to a new Christian if he begins his bible reading with the Old Testament (OT). For this reason, I always direct a new believer to begin his bible reading by turning to the gospel of John, or some other gospels. The reason is not only that he may learn more about Christ. But the reason is also this – that he may realise that Christ fulfilled all the requirements, sacrifices and prophecies made in the Old Testament. When I first started bible reading, I began with Genesis. While the inspired history was fascinating, I was not able to find Christ there. And it was only when I read the New Testament that I realise Christ was hidden in the OT. Christ was in the OT represented in the sacrifices and ministries.

All these mean that the central message of the Bible is Christ alone. Jesus Christ told two of his disciples in his post-resurrection appearance that the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms wrote concerning him.

Christianity is about Christ. When we emphasize what we do, we obscure what Christ did. When we add to what Christ did we despise the all sufficiency of Christ alone to save sinners. When we focus on protecting our church heritage, we have no Christ for the lost world. When we replace Christ with traditions, we have a christless Christianity. When we deny Christ in our lives, we have a hopeless end.

Since Christianity focuses on Christ, we may say then that Christianity is more than a mere religious system. Christianity is having Christ in our lives. The apostle Paul states his converted life in the following words: “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” Gal 2:20.

“Christ Alone” when translated into Christian experience is “Christ above everything”

The late Pastor Cheah Fook Meng was pastor of Covenant Evangelical Reformed Church. This article was originally published in CERC's Tracts and Essays column and is reproduced here with permission.

Pastor Cheah Fook Meng
The Christian Post (Singapore) Guest Contributor