By David Wise

Is salvation a tag-team effort, where you do your part, and Jesus does His part? Is it an open-ended transaction that is incumbent on multiple people to perform an action individually to “seal the deal”? Scripture places a prominent emphasis on Jesus alone – and never with man’s help or even slight involvement – in the completion of salvation. “But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.” (2 Corinthians 11:3). I trust that you will not be deceived by the ultimate trickster – Satan – to be corrupted from the simplicity of salvation that focuses on Jesus Christ alone.

Our sins were purged by Jesus alone – not a co-operative effort of me + Jesus, but our sins were taken away by Jesus Himself!

• “Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high:” (Hebrews 1:3)

We were made righteous by the obedience of One (it’s not by the obedience of unknown individuals who will choose Christ but simply by the obedience of One, Jesus Christ.)

• “For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.” (Romans 5:19)

Our imputed righteousness is based on the life of One and the righteousness of One (because there is no man righteous, no not one – Romans 3:10)

• “For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ. Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.” (Romans 5:17-18)

We are saved from our sins and sanctified by the offering of Jesus ONCE for ever

• “By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.  And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins:  But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;  From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.” (Hebrews 10:10-14)

• “For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.” (Hebrews 9:26)

• “So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.” (Hebrews 9:28)

• “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:” (1 Peter 3:18)

The gospel places the emphasis on Jesus alone in the work of salvation.  Just as on the Mount of Transfiguration when at first the disciples were trying to ascribe praise to Moses and Elijah in addition to Jesus, then they “lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only” (Matthew 17:8).  When we view our eternal salvation as presented in scripture, we will truly not see any man, but we will clearly “see Jesus alone”.

• “That no flesh should glory in his presence. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.”  (1 Corinthians 1:29-31)