Jesus is the Christ

Sometimes reading the bible brings one up short. Like in the last post, the word brought to light a position that was held that was off the mark. It turned out to not be firm ground to stand on, and if followed, would not result in life or in an increased measure of Christ. Such correction is always grace from the Lord, meant for good, even as the former crumbles. God’s correction in the life of the believer, His judging of things, is a measuring of things according to Christ. . . that at the heart of things is Christ present? . . . is this one – this view, this situation, this believer, this body, this ministry - according to Christ? For one following Jesus, such correction is grace, not punishment.

Awhile ago, one of those corrections happened. Throughout the New Testament, the love of God in Jesus Christ is proclaimed as the very heart of God for us and the message of the gospel... and it’s true. What is surprising is that love is not mentioned in the book of Acts, or at least the word love, or agape. That brought me up short. . . love has been at the center of the gospel presentation and evangelism. John 3:16 is the touchstone that even appears on cards at football games on TV; in the recent national college football championship game, Florida quarterback Tim Tebow had it written on his face. But love is not what is presented as the Church goes out into the world. . . at least according to the book of Acts.

Reading thru Acts, looking for what the Apostles said, what their message was, what was proclaimed to the world, one finds:

And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they kept right on teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ. (Acts 5:42)

But Saul kept increasing in strength and confounding the Jews who lived at Damascus by proving that this Jesus is the Christ. (Acts 9:22)

explaining and giving evidence that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, "This Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you is the Christ." (Acts 17:3)

But when Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul began devoting himself completely to the word, solemnly testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ. (Acts 18:5)

for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, demonstrating by the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ. (Acts 18:28)

preaching the kingdom of God and teaching concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all openness, unhindered. (Acts 28:31)

Jesus is the Christ. So often it is used as merely a title. . . Jesus Christ. And yet there is a spiritual reality to the title. God means to bring these things forward on the basis of life, and in a living way, and off the ground of formality and titles.

It is Christ we are to receive. The invitation of the Lord Jesus is to “Abide in Me, and I in you” and the prayer of Jesus to the Father in John 17 is “. . . as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You, that they also may be in Us.”

There is no danger of missing the love of God if we proclaim Jesus Christ, as Romans 8 says “. . . the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” The spiritual reality is that the love of God can only be found in Christ. There is a risk in proclaiming the love of God; one risk is that we can become man-centered. The greater risk is that we may miss Christ. The promise of God is that we may know Christ, and be found in Him, and gain Christ.

Everything that God has for us is found in Jesus Christ. May His Spirit lead us into more of Christ.