In the book of Acts we read, “This Jesus is the stone rejected by you builders, which has become the cornerstone. There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to people by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12 (CSB)

There is a beautiful thread running through the scriptures from beginning to end. That thread is Jesus the Christ, God’s promised Messiah. In fact, the entire bible is about Jesus, from Genesis to Revelation.

Since the very beginning of the Christian church, the faith has always been in Christ alone. That is, the whole of the Christian faith is founded on His incarnation, His perfection, and His sacrificial death on the cross. And in those times when the church drifted away into idolatry and works righteousness, there were leaders who called the church back to the truth of scripture, the truth of the gospel and the truth that our salvation comes by grace, through faith in Christ alone.

But how, exactly, does Jesus accomplish the father’s work of salvation? It is accomplished by what He did and because of who He is.

What Jesus did.

First, Jesus fulfilled every detail of the law. His earthly parents took him to the temple for circumcision as the law required. As firstborn He was dedicated to God. At the age of twelve, He appeared before the elders. He even subjected Himself to John’s baptism. He kept every one of the ten commandments perfectly, He was perfectly obedient. He did what no one else was capable of doing.

Second, Jesus became the perfect Lamb of sacrifice, superseding the former sacrificial system. Jesus was the only perfect sacrifice. Because, you see, if there had been even one omission, one tiny sin in Jesus life, His death on the cross would have no meaning. It would have no power to save; no power to satisfy the wrath of God.

All the former sacrifices were shadows, symbols of the precious blood that would be the once-for-all payment for sin. God’s wrath had to be satisfied, the curse that God pronounced in the garden had to be lifted or we would all remain dead in our sins and trespasses. No sacrifice that we might offer is sufficient. No amount of money, no abundance of good works, not even a life of fruitful service can atone for our sin. Only Jesus, the perfect Lamb of God, could atone for the sins of men.

Third, Jesus rose from the grave; He became the firstborn of the new creation, the first citizen of the new heaven and earth that is yet to be revealed. His resurrection guarantees our resurrection. He also replaced the temple, the dwelling place of God, with his own body, the church. God now dwells with and in His people; they are the living stones of a worldwide temple that will never perish.

These three things were accomplished apart from the works of men. No one contributed anything that added to the value of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. In fact, it was accomplished despite the opposition of sinful men.

Who Jesus is.

The gospel of Mark is a brief, hard-hitting summation of the life of Christ. It gets right to the heart of the matter of who Christ is by including three miracles in the first chapter. The account begins simply enough; Jesus goes to the synagogue and teaches. The way this was done was that the teacher would read from the scripture and then expound upon it. The people were amazed because he taught “with authority.” Was it the clarity of His words, the new understanding He brought to the familiar scriptures, or the convicting power of His speech? We don’t know, but we can be certain that Jesus spoke with the authority of the Son of God. Next a demon-possessed man shouts out, Mark 1:24 (CSB) “What do you have to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are — the Holy One of God! ” Amazing! An evil spirit blurts out the truth that Jesus is God!

Then, to remove all doubt regarding His authority, Jesus says, “Be silent, and come out of him!” The demon obeys immediately, and leaves the man. Only God could do that, and the people recognized it, and word began to spread.

There never was a man like Jesus. What He did during His time on earth was unparalleled. And as God in human flesh, He is unique in all of creation. Our salvation depends solely  and entirely on what Jesus did and who Jesus is.

Our faith then, must be in Christ alone. We must never put the slightest bit of faith in anything else.

We must not put our faith in our own individual goodness or our own good works.

We must not put our faith for salvation in our religious traditions, our denominations, our worship preferences, our church culture, our programs, or church buildings.

We must not put our faith for salvation in any individual; pastor, charismatic preacher, popular author, or teacher.

Although we are blessed to live in this nation, blessed to enjoy its freedom and prosperity, we must not put our faith for salvation in the government, a political party, our economy or any particular elected official.

All of these things are sin-tainted human endeavors that, although they may from time to time have certain benefits, cannot save. Many good things can come out of good works, good churches, and good government. Salvation is not one of those things. Christ alone can save.

In this life, we hope for the best; we fear the worst. Tomorrow, how will life be different? How will it be the same? Will our health and finances improve or get worse?

Our comfort as Christians is that Christ never changes. He always was, He is now, and He will be forever. Jesus is the alpha and omega; the beginning and the end. Whatever the future holds, in Christ alone must we put our trust. He will be the same tomorrow and every day forever.

What are you trusting in? Have you rejected Jesus in favor of something else? Think hard on this! Don’t lie to yourself, but honestly assess where your hope is grounded. If it is in anything, or in anyone other than Christ, repent, right now, and resolve to put your faith in Christ alone.

With our confidence in our salvation in Christ, we should offer continual prayers of thanksgiving. Give thanks to God for all that He has done in the past, give thanks for all that we can count on each day, give thanks for all that He is going to do in the future. Jesus Christ is sitting on the throne in heaven, even now ruling over the whole world. Jesus is seated on the throne in heaven, waiting to hear the command from His Father, “Go! Now! It’s time!”

1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 (CSB) “For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the archangel’s voice, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are still alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words.”

The salvation which the prophets foretold, the salvation that the disciples saw first-hand, and the salvation that Paul proclaimed is ours today by Grace alone, through Faith alone, in Christ alone. This is the gospel. This is the truth, and because it is the truth, we can live this day, and every day, with gratitude, confidence, hope, and joy.

Thanks be to God.