The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe
"Most Important… Only Inportant"
He is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He might have the preeminence" (Colossians 1:18).
I recently came upon a quote by a fellow believer in which he rightly suggested that the preeminence of Christ means "He is the most important figure in God's purposes." Certainly, this is true. However, "most important" actually involves a profound understatement regarding the place and purpose of the Lord Jesus in all things.
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him; and without Him was not any thing made that was made" (John 1:1-3).
"Unto the Son He saith, Thy throne, o God, is forever and ever" (Hebrews 1:8).
"For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son, that all men should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father" (John 5:22-23).
Christ is certainly "the most important" in His preeminence. However, He also occupies a singular status of being and significance wherein this does not adequately state the reality. As mentioned in a recent message, the Lord Jesus must also be viewed as having no peers regarding His Person and place with God and all things. In this sense, He is the only important. As the only being who somehow exists as both divinity and humanity united in one, we must reserve a singular exaltation of Him in our understanding unto which no one else can approach. The same is even more true in our hearts. Our Savior is not one among many we love. Our devotion to Him must always be viewed as a single current moving within our heart, a stream of grace that affects all other loves of our lives, but which flows within us like no other. Indeed, the Psalmist did not know the name of the One he referenced in such terms. But we do…
"Truly my soul waiteth upon God: from Him cometh my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation, He is my defense" (Psalm 62:1-2).
We know "that rock was Christ" and "salvation… is in Christ Jesus" (I Corinthians 4:10; II Timothy 2:10). Thus, when devoting ourselves to the preeminence of Christ, "He only" occupies the place of grace unto which no other can approach. We walk in reality and the purpose for which we were made, as declared by the Apostle Paul: "To live is Christ" (Philippians 1:21). We most certainly give the Lord Jesus the preeminence as "the most important." However, we step beyond mere measure in our quest, realizing that in the most elemental aspect of truth and our response unto it, our Savior is the only important.
God the Father and God the Holy Spirit direct our focus to God the Son (Matthew 3:17; Philippians 2:9; John 16:14). We also hear among believers much mention of being Christ-centered. What does this mean? In light of our Lord's preeminence, we do well to keep the question at the forefront of our inquiry as we seek to walk with Him, prayerfully ponder the Scriptures, and access God's grace to live in Christ, through Christ, and for Christ. All other important matters flow with the current of this, the one central matter that alone determines and empowers whether our hearts and lives flow in truth, reality, and glory to God. Yes, to live is indeed Christ.
"In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him."
(I John 4:9)
Weekly Memory Verse
And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples.
(Matthew 9:10)
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