The All-Sufficiency of Christ

 

The all-sufficiency of Christ

The theme of Colossians is the fullness of Christ as the sufficiency of women and men. This theme is brought out in loving colour in chapter 2, where Paul began to apply the spellbinding revelation of Jesus from chapter 1 to the specific problems that the Colossians were facing.

According to Paul, a grand sighting of Christ will encourage your heart, knit it together with other believers, and bring you into all wealth of wisdom and knowledge – which is Christ Himself.

“I want you to know how hard I am contending for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally.

My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments. For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit and delight to see how disciplined you are and how firm your faith in Christ is.”                                                                                                                                     Col 2:1-5 NIV

He then went on to say…

“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness."

Col 2:6-7 NIV

Note how Paul exhorts the Colossian Christians to “walk” in Christ and to be “rooted” and “built” in Him.

Similarly we are encouraged to make Jesus our life, our walk, our everything and we will bear fruit.

Paul’s message to the Colossians (and therefore us as well) is clear:

Sink your roots deep into Christ.

If you build anything, build it in Christ, with Christ, and for Christ.

He picks up a similar theme from Psalm 1, we are called to sink our roots deep into Jesus.

“Blessed is the one…..

who delights and meditates on the Lord day and night…

that person is like a tree planted by streams of water.”

We will flourish when our roots are sunk deep in the Word.

Next Paul gets into the practical implications if walking with Christ.

Here is a paraphrase of his message to the Colossians which is also a message for every believer today:

You who seek knowledge, lay hold of Him who is knowledge itself, the true gnosis.

You who would chase after wisdom, seek Him who is the embodiment of wisdom. All its treasures are found in Him.

You who would chase after truth, come to Him who is the Truth. In Him all truth dwells.

You who would seek strength and power, find Him who is the very power and strength of God.

You who wish to bear fruit, walk in love, and please the Lord, lay hold of Jesus Christ, who is the Vine, Love incarnate, and the only One in whom the Father is well pleased.

Christ is found in the big picture, and He’s found in the smallest details. He’s at the forefront of all spiritual things, yet He’s present in the practical things as well. As Paul puts it…

“Christ is all and in all”                                                                                         Col 3:11 NIV

Christianity is a relationship with Jesus Christ.

There is much more in Christ than we have ever imagined.

There is infinitely more to Him than we have yet to know or touch.

We can never exhaust Him.

Christ is so large that an iota of His infinite depths are to vast to be explored

Jesus Christ will never grow old or stale.

Many Christians are blissfully unaware of His vastness and have settled for so much less and have known Him so little.

When each one of us, gets a sighting of our incomparable Lord,

When we each encounter His unfathomable love

His irresistible beauty and

His overwhelming glory

The clouds of doubt will part from our eyes, and

Jesus Christ will displace everything.

When everyone gets a sighting of our incomparable Lord,

When all of humanity encounters His unfathomable love

His irresistible beauty and

His overwhelming glory

The clouds of doubt will part from their eyes, and

Jesus Christ will displace everything.

That is our task – to proclaim this amazing Christ to both lost and found.

Let’s pray:

Lord Jesus,

Open the eyes of my heart so that I may begin to behold Your incredible nature, Show me the glory of the riches of the mystery that I may find in You, my Redeemer, Saviour and Friend.

Draw me into a deeper relationship You,

then may I share the glories of what I discover with those who are close to me and those to whom I am connected.

Make me bolder in sharing the Good News of Your Gospel.

Amen

Based on "Jesus Manifesto" by Frank Viola and Leonard Sweet

This weeks YouTube link with songs for worship is available here

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLHnJn7EgQjAzyT09R6RhdR3S0cpD2FDrA

Have a blessed week

Jacquey