20 April
The doctrine of SALVATION (soteriology) is closely related to Christology, or the doctrine of the person and work of Christ. When we discussed Luke 2 with regard to Jesus at 12 years old, this relationship needs to be upheld in the exegesis and application of (Jesus staying behind at the temple after the Feast of the Passover). It is in fact to be upheld each time we look at any passage which prominently focuses on Jesus Christ – Jesus is fully God and fully man – we must not depart from this.
Only if one accepts the full deity of Christ can one understand the doctrine of salvation in the biblical sense.
Athanasius, in opposition to Arius who denied Christ’s deity in church history, is reputed to have put it as strongly as this: “Jesus, whom I know as my Redeemer cannot be less than God.”
Also, only if one accepts the genuine humanity of Christ can one believe that Jesus is our Saviour from sin since as the Heidelberg Catechism, perhaps the best-known Reformed confession affirms, “the justice of God requires that the same human nature which has sinned should make satisfaction for sin…”
Further, a biblical understanding of Christ’s atoning work as the God-man is essential for a proper grasp of the doctrine of justification, and an understanding of Christ’s continuing intercession for his people is indispensable, for an adequate comprehension of the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints (all these are part and parcel of Soteriology).
Justification, said the Reformers, is by faith only, because Christ’s vicarious righteousness is the only ground of justification, and it is only by faith, and we lay hold of Christ for his righteousness to become ours.