1:9 Alliance: Christ-Centeredness
Editor’s Note: You can also listen to a podcast interview with Zach Reeves released in conjunction with this article.
Zach Reeves
The 1:9 Alliance is a network of people committed to embracing and promoting the four-fold gospel of Christ our Savior, Sanctifier, Healer, and coming King as he is presented in the Word of God. Here we find the good news of the gospel, both for the purification of the church and the salvation of the lost. The 1:9 Alliance holds firm to the truth of God’s Word in that there is one way to be reconciled to God (Acts 4:12), one way to be sanctified (Col 2:6), one avenue through which healing may come (Jas 5:14–16), and one coming King who will defeat sin and death forever (1 Cor 15:42–58). That one way is the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
In an increasingly pluralistic society in which the average person thinks there are many ways to get to God, this core commitment shines as a much-needed light. According to Barna Research, 59% of adults believe that “Christians and Muslims worship the same God even though they have different names and beliefs regarding God,” and 43% agree that “the Bible, the Koran and the Book of Mormon are all different expressions of the same spiritual truths.” [1] This highlights why a Christ-centered view of the Christian faith is imperative. The natural man thinks all roads, even his own self-made road, can merit salvation. In Romans, Paul reminds us that Abraham was not saved by his obedience. Rather, Abraham believed God and it was “counted to him as righteousness” (Rom 4:22). Paul then asserts that this was given as a pattern for all of time. That is to say, if anyone is to be counted as righteous, it will be through faith. Specifically, “It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification” (Rom 4:24–25, ESV). Freedom from the penalty of our “trespasses” and our subsequent “justification” come only through faith in the promise of God, who sent Christ to take the penalty for our sins and to give us his perfect record of obedience. For the Christian, Christ alone is our salvation.
Focused on Christ Our Savior
This is why Christians must guard their hearts against putting faith in anything other than Christ. Our faith can subtly shift from Christ to our sacrificial giving, our service for Christ, blessings received from Christ, or even our growing obedience to Christ. As Alistair Begg rightly states, “The fact is, the Bible makes it clear that our good deeds can’t get us a place in heaven any more than a spider’s web could stop a tank…And we say this again and again, but it’s important for us to notice that the story of the Bible is not the story of a good God who will reward nice people for doing their best.” [2] Rather, the blessed gospel says that freedom from sin’s penalty and record is given as a gift of God through Christ, who alone is our Savior. This is the Christ-centered gospel we must embrace by faith and declare to the world.
Focused on Christ Our Sanctifier
Flowing from this Christ-centered view of salvation is the truth that Christ is our Sanctifier. Paul shows this logical flow in Colossians 2:6–7 when he states, “Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.” Jesus, the wrath-appeasing sacrifice for sin and the giver of a perfect record of obedience, is also the one who went away to send the Holy Spirit, who empowers an obedient life (John 16:7). Just as we received Christ through faith for salvation, we must rest in the work of Christ for our continued sanctification. Just as Christ is our salvation, he is also our sanctification. Again, Christians must keep watch over their hearts, for faith can subtly shift from Christ to counseling and self-help guides, practical and personal disciplines, or even our confession of sin to other Christians. Paul addresses this later in Colossians. While some claim that sanctification comes through good deeds, Paul replies, “These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh” (Col 2:23). Christ-centeredness in sanctification provides hope in our struggle against sin and exalts the gospel of grace, leaving no room for a Christian to proclaim a gospel message of works-based righteousness.
Focused on Christ Our Healer
Consider next how Christ, who frees us from sin’s penalty and power, is magnified when we come to him as our Healer. As we must beware of glorifying our own works, we too must beware of glorying in the gift of healing rather than in Christ. After healing many in Matthew 8, verse 17 tells us that he was fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah. We learn that all healing comes because of the work of the sacrificial Messiah, who was, “stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted…upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed” (Isa 53:4–5). There is no healing apart from the death of Christ, because Christ’s death defeated sin and death. Through the conquering death and resurrection of Christ, people can now seek Christ the Savior, Sanctifier, and Healer for all these gracious gifts. Additionally, all healing creates a platform to share the message of salvation and sanctification in Jesus, which is why healing and confession of sin are connected in James 5:14–16. As Christians center their lives on Christ as their salvation and sanctification, this brings about the possibility that they may experience the healing power of God as a foretaste of heaven. All healing in this life is simply a taste of heaven now, but the meal is still to come. As Dave Zuleger observes, “Even the most miraculous healing is extremely temporary and fading. Even if someone is healed after years of chronic pain, or even if a terminal cancer patient watches his tumor disappear, or even if someone with severe disabilities experiences unexpected improvement, our hope far outweighs any healing in this life.” [3] The gracious gift of healing is given so the believer knows God’s love and so the unbeliever has a visible picture of God’s power. Thus, keeping Christ as the center of healing is imperative for the church and the lost.
Focused on Christ Our Coming King
Ultimately, our hope is set on Jesus’ return as King when he will establish his eternal Kingdom. At that point the fullness of all that he has purchased for us will become reality. We are saved by Christ from the penalty of our sins, but we will not experience the fullness of freedom until either our death or Christ’s return. We are progressively freed from sin's power now, but one day we will be totally free from the presence of sin as well. We may experience temporary healing in this life, but we will one day experience total healing of all ailments, for “So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable” (1 Cor 15:42). All of this was purchased by Christ, comes to us through the work of Christ, is given by our returning King, Jesus Christ, and is done for the glory of Christ. For the Christian, Christ is indeed our Savior, Sanctifier, Healer, and sovereign King.
Zach Reeves - Tallmadge Alliance Church - Tallmadge, Ohio
[1] Barna, “What Americans Believe about Universalism and Pluralism,” accessed on January, 4, 2024, https://www.barna.com/research/what-americans-believe-about-universalism-and-pluralism/.
[2] Truth for Life, “Jesus Christ Our Savior,” accessed on December 30th, 2023, https://www.truthforlife.org/resources/sermon/jesus-christ-our-savior.
[3] Desiring God, “A Hope Greater Than Healing,” https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/a-hope-greater-than-healing. Italics original.