[Listen to post here.]

This is a republishing of a recent post from the blog of Nathan Odell, “Joined To Him”  [Update: link no longer active.]  Nathan has beautifully expressed his vision, passion and burden for the centrality of Christ in all things, which also parallels my own heart and that of this blog.  It is an honor to be able to republish this piece for your edification and to bring attention to my brother’s excellent blog.  Please pay him a visit, leave him a comment… and Enjoy! 

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“Christ – The Center of All Things”

While thinking back on my journey with the Lord, I realized that there was one main revelation/realization that changed the way I saw the Lord and how I lived the Christian life.  It was coming to an understanding that Christ is the center of all things.  It is easy (and common) to be focused and busy with the things of God and yet lose God in the midst of it all.  It is very easy to make things like, ministry, discipleship, evangelism, healing, teaching, prophecy, spiritual gifts, spiritual warfare, etc. our focus – and lose the person of Christ.

We rely on Christ for our salvation, but then think we need to move on to ‘other things’.  We get so preoccupied with these things that we treat the person of Christ like a distant relative or acquaintance.  But let me tell you brothers and sisters, Christ is much larger and greater than any of these things.  In fact He is the center of all things.  It is simply my goal to enlarge your view of Christ in this post.  I hope to bring Christ back into focus and reveal His supremacy and preeminence in all things.

Paul unveils this Christ to the Colossian Church while they were getting distracted by ‘things’.  His response to their struggles, problems, and distractions was not to point them out and tell them what they were doing wrong.  Rather, he gave them a staggering revelation of Christ.  He trusted that all these issues would pale and fade  out in comparison to the overwhelming supremacy of our Lord Jesus.

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.  For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions 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.  He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.  For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven. Colossians 1:15-20

This is simply one snippet from Colossians revealing who this Christ really is, but it is a staggering one at that.  Is the Christ Paul unveiled to the Colossians (and undoubtedly shared to the churches he planted and established) the Christ you know and experience?  Is this the Christ you hear preached?  I believe that much of Christianity is lacking in their revelation of Christ and needs Him to be unveiled afresh.  I believe that when this happens, many things in Christianity will be abandoned in order to lay hold of this magnificent Christ.  So who is this Christ?

• By Him all things were created.  Anything we can see, touch, or experience has it’s origin in the person of Christ.  Even the things we cannot see were created by Him.
• Everything was created through Him and for Him.  Everything was created for His purpose and through His person.  He is the reason everything exists.
• He is supreme in all things.  Nothing is greater than Christ.
• Everything holds together and has existence because of Christ.  From atoms to galaxies, He is the reason they exist and can exist.
• He is the Head of the Church.  Before He can have preeminence in all things, He must have it among His own people.
• The fullness of God is in Christ.  He is the invisible God made visible.  We can see God in the person of Jesus Christ.
• He reconciled all things to Himself.  He is our reconciliation and salvation.  He alone took the sins of the world, and He alone draws all men to Himself.
• Christ is our Life.  In Him we live and move and have our being.  We no longer live, but Christ lives in us.  He is the river of Life flowing out of our innermost being.
• Christ is the Word of God.  He is the living embodiment of God’s Word and even the Scriptures speak and point to Him.
• Christ is our peace.  In the midst of trials and adversity, He is our peace.  He is also our Sabbath rest.
• In Christ we are the righteousness of God.
• Christ is our joy.
• Christ is Love in it’s purest form.
• He is the mystery of the ages.  Any mystery has it’s answer in the person of Christ.  This mystery has been unveiled as the indwelling Christ.
• In Him are found all the spiritual riches.  There are no spiritual riches outside of Christ.
• He is Eternal Life.
• He is our justification and sanctification.
• Christ is our Holiness.
• He is the house of God.
• Christ is the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end.
• Christ is the author of our faith.  He is also the finisher of our faith.
• Christ is the Wisdom of God.  He is also the Power of God.
• He’s our older brother and friend.
• Christ is our High Priest.  He’s also the lamb who was slain once and for all.  He’s the veil through which we enter into fellowship with God.
• Christ is King and Lord.
• Christ is also the Groom.
• Christ is the Chief Shepherd (Senior Pastor) of His sheep.
• Christ is the foundation, Cornerstone, and Capstone of God’s house, the Church.
• Christ is also the builder of the Church.
• Christ is Jacob’s ladder, the intersection between heaven and earth.
• In Him we are seated in Heaven.
• He is the one we share to the lost.  Evangelism is revealing Christ to somebody who hasn’t seen His magnificent work and peerless worth.
• Discipleship is teaching others to live by the indwelling Life of Christ.
• He is made bigger in the minds of believers through teaching.
• Prophecy is speaking forth to build up believers in Christ.
• Spiritual Gifts are given so that His body may function.
• The Church gathers to express Christ and grow in His Life.
• Our fellowship is with the Father through the Son.
• The list goes on…. (Most of these points are related to specific scriptures.  If you don’t believe me I’ll let you be a Berean.)

Simply put, Christ is the center of all things.  This list is far from complete, yet serves to show you a picture of who this Christ really is.  There is nobody like Him.  Because He is at the center of all things, our chief pursuit in life must be to know Christ and explore His riches.  There is nothing worth knowing or exploring, except Christ.  I’ll say it again.  There is nothing in this life worth pursuing and exploring except Christ.  All things are utter rubbish in comparison.  In pursuing Christ, we may encounter many other things, but this is because they are a byproduct of pursuing Christ.

The first time I started to really enjoy the Lord and my relationship with Him, was when I decided to pursue Him alone.  I forsook all religious duties and baggage, for the person of Christ.  It was truly a turning point for me, and perhaps it could be for you.  It is a road that few seem to take because often it requires you to drop things that many Christians give you acceptance for.  You may lose credibility or even friends.  But you will gain Christ.  May we resolve to seek and explore Christ and Him alone.

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Republished with permission: http://joinedtohim.com/christ-the-center-of-all-things/ [Update: link no longer active.]

Related:
Christ the Power and Wisdom of God (“3D”)
Centrality and Eccentricity
“Christocentricity/Eccentricity Spiritual Theory” – Explained and Illustrated (with animated short)