Dear Disciple,
“[Christ] is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ. To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me.” Colossians 1:28-29
Our Master Jesus is the means and the end. He is the message and the power that fuels the message. It’s no wonder considering what our brother Paul wrote about Jesus’ central place in God’s cosmic order.
“The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.” (Colossians 1:15-20)
The gospel isn’t about you, nor is it about me. The gospel – the good message – is about God’s unique Son. Whether or not we ever appeared in God’s world, the message of Jesus would remain the same. We are so unspeakably blessed to have heard the message faithfully passed on to us! We are undeniably unworthy of and immeasurably grateful for the benefits of that message about Him. The fact that we’re not central to it does not mean that we’re not important, of course, but it is vital that we keep clear in our own minds God’s order of things: Jesus at the center.
I want to offer a simple reminder today, Disciple, and it’s so simple that I am tempted to skip it. Knowing myself and my own need for simple reminders, though, I am convinced that someone reading this just might need it. The reminder is this: Jesus is the single most important human being in all of creation. This is why He can demand that we deny ourselves and follow Him in full submission. Can you imagine anyone else demanding that of… well, everyone else?
Remember that, though the world may paint us fools for giving our whole selves in service to this unseen Man, we are simply in agreement with God that Jesus is worth it. Our ultimate aim for ourselves and one another is to be presented “fully mature in Christ”. He is the true gauge of how full, successful, and worthwhile our lives are – not the things we own or the paycheck we bring home. Set yourself to please Him and demonstrate Him to others and today will end with your full joy and satisfaction!
Centered on Him with you,
Ryan
