The church of the middle ages had added many human achievements to Christ's work, so that it was no longer possible to say that salvation was entirely by Christ and his atonement. Christ was part of it...but salvation was also said to be won by human merit. The saints were said to have been so exceptionally holy that they had accumulated masses of excess merit that could be applied to lessor believers by the sacraments through church authority. The church was able to effect salvation by tapping into this treasury of merit. This was the most basic of all heresies, it was the work of God plus the work of man, Jesus righteousness plus mans righteousness.
The Reformation motto solus Christus - Christ alone, was formed to repudiate this error. It affirmed that salvation has been accomplished once for all by the mediatorial work of the historical Jesus Christ alone. His sinless life and substitutionary atonement alone are sufficient for our justification, and any "gospel" that fails to acknowledge that or denies it is a false gospel that will save no one.
James Montgomery Boice, Whatever happened to the Gospel of Grace, p.34
Whatever Happened to The Gospel of Grace?: Rediscovering the Doctrines That Shook the World
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