Acts 4:5-12

⁵ “On the next day their rulers and elders and scribes gathered together in Jerusalem, ⁶ with Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. ⁷ And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?” ⁸ Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, ⁹ if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, ¹⁰ let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well. ¹¹ This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. ¹² And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

Over the past six months, we have been studying a “Survey of Bible Doctrines.” As the Lord allows, this coming Lord’s Day morning I will bring the 27^th message in the series on the subject, “Salvation is in Christ Alone.”

I hope that you will read over, think over, and pray through these verses and thoughts as you prepare your mind and spirit to hear the Word of God!

I am absolutely convinced that this is the most controversial thing that Christians believe! We do not believe that Jesus is merely “a” way of salvation; or, even that He is merely “the best” way of salvation. We believe that Jesus is the “ONLY” Way of salvation and that apart from HIM, there is no salvation!

This age-old statement of the Christian faith is the penultimate of the “Five Solas” of the Reformation. We have already studied “Sola Scriptura – Salvation is from the Scripture Alone; Sola Gratia – Salvation is by Grace Alone; and, Sola Fide – Salvation is by Faith Alone.”

We believe these – we really believe these! We have, in fact, enshrined them on our “Wall of Faith” in the foyer of our Church!

It is impossible for me to see how anyone can claim to believe the Bible and not believe these five statements. Consider these verses:

John 3:36 “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.”

John 8:23-24 “[Jesus] said to them, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he, you will die in your sins.”

John 14:6 “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’”

In the eight verses of our text, I want us to consider three key facts:

First, in verses 5 through 10, we see that Jesus is the source of the Church’s life-changing power!

Second, in verse 11, Jesus is the cornerstone upon which the church is built!

Finally, in verse 12, Jesus is the single, solitary, source of salvation!

The applications to these truths are clear: no one is saved by the teachings of Islam; Judaism; the Buddha; Sikhism; Taoism; Confucianism; Unitarian Universalism; or, secular humanism!

No religion; no religious system; or, any other person or plan can bring one to real salvation. The God of the Christian Bible is the One True and Living God – and only He can save. The “Way” He has chosen to save sinners is from the Scripture Alone; by Grace Alone; through Faith Alone; in Christ Alone; and, His salvation is to the Glory of God Alone!

I hope to see you Sunday with your Bible in your hand, a smile on your face, and your family and friends by your side!