We, as Christians, must dispel the idea that Christ is a "thing" for us. As though He were a possession for us to use as we please. We often live, as if Jesus were a seasoning and when times are tough just throw on some Jesus. If money’s tight, add a pinch of Jesus. If you lose your job, drizzle some Jesus on it. If life is too much, sprinkle a little Jesus on it and you will be able to tolerate it.
The message Jesus gives to us in Scripture is not that He is ours, but that we are His. We are His creation. We are His Children. We are adopted into His family. Salvation is not about adding Jesus to our life. Salvation comes in complete surrender to the King and having His spirit consume every facet of your being. Jesus is not something we simply put here or there in our life. Christianity not something you add to the list of things to do. Being a Christ follower is a state of being. It’s what we are.
Colossians 1:15-23 says,
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
21 And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, 22 he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, 23 if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.
Verses 15-20 illustrate who Jesus is, while 21-23 tells of where we stand.
We sometimes forget to view Jesus in awesome worship and adoration because of the image of Him we hear preached. We hear about friendly, loving, intimate Jesus and while those are true they are only part of the story. Jesus is creator of all things. Jesus is before all things and He holds all creation together. He is the head of the Church. He is ranked first among all things. He is Fully God.
I know I am just writing the verses over again, but what else can be said about how magnificent Jesus is or why he deserves to be more than just a garnish on our plate. Notice verse 20 and how He reconciles all things to himself. Jesus is not an “add-on”. You don’t buy into the “Christian thing.” Jesus buys you.
Verse 21 says that we were alienated or separated from God. Verse 22 tells us that Jesus reconciled or restored us in His body by His death, in order to present us holy and blameless and above reproach before him,
Jesus is the one who reconciles us. Jesus is the one who presents us. And to make it even more about Him, He presents us to Himself. It’s all about Jesus, so we need to be all about Jesus. We have a great promise here because Jesus is a constant; He is unchanging, and always true. If we move to verse 23, there is no doubt that this is a conditional clause. If we do not have faith in Christ we will not be reconciled and we will be subjected to eternal separation from God in Hell. However, those that follow Jesus in Faith have the greatest assurance of all: God promising to make us holy and blameless and thus qualifying us for eternal fellowship with Him in Heaven.
Should not such a great promise demand from us a great response?
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