Sunday, January 28, 2007

Solus Christus

I have been doing a little work in with the Five Solas of the Reformation lately. I came across this wonderful quote from Calvin in the Institutes. It sums up Solus Christus (Christ Alone) as only Calvin could:

"We see that our whole salvation and all its parts are comprehended in Christ (Acts 4:12). We should therefore take care not to derive the least portion of it from anywhere else. If we seek salvation, we are taught by the very name of Jesus that it is “of him” (1Cor. 1:30). If we seek any other gifts of the Spirit, they will be found in his anointing. If we seek strength, it lies in his dominion; if purity, in his conception; if gentleness, it appears in his birth. For by his birth he was made like us in all respects (Heb. 2:17), that he might learn to feel our pain (cf. Heb. 5:2). If we seek redemption, it lies in his passion; if acquittal, in his condemnation; if remission of the curse, in his cross (Gal. 3:13); if satisfaction, in his sacrifice; if purification, in his blood; if reconciliation, in his descent into hell; if mortification of the flesh, in his tomb; if newness of life, in his resurrection; if immortality in the same; if inheritance of the Heavenly Kingdom, in his entrance into heaven; of protection, if security, if abundant supply of all blessings, in his Kingdom; if untroubled expectation of judgment, in the power given to him to judge. In short, since rich store of every king of good abounds in him, let us drink our fill from this fountain, and from none other." (Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book 2, Ch. 16, Sec. 19)

1 comment:

josh said...

i , like many many others, love the thoughts of calvin, amongst many other great reformers who have paved the way of Christ's mission. i ask for prayer for mississippi, the glory of God that i find comfort throught the reformed faith, is scarce and sometimes not understood.