THE DOCTRINE OF CHRIST Devotion 3 of 12 The centrality of Christ to the Divine economy cannot be overstated. You can say too much about the church. You can say too much about leaders in the church. You can overstate the value of the family, or the importance of human government. But you cannot say too much about Jesus. It is tragic that He has been upstaged by religious strategies and emphases. The following texts will serve to remind us that Jesus is the heart and core of God's dealings with humanity. THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST The Gospel is the good news of Jesus Christ--Who He is, and what He has accomplished in the behalf of, and for, mankind. "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ . . . " (Rom 1:16). Jesus Himself is the subject of the Gospel. It is a proclamation of His vicarious atonement, powerful resurrection, enthronement at God's right hand, effective intercession, and soon return. There is no Gospel without Christ! THE BODY OF CHRIST Our freedom from the condemnation of the Law is not owing to our achievement, but the vicarious death of Christ. "Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ . . . (Rom 7:4). Jesus bore our sins in His body on the tree (1 Pet 2:24), thereby liberating us from the condemnation of the Law. Our bodies are to become a living sacrifice, but the body of Christ is the reason for our freedom. THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST The ultimate test of Divine affiliation is not our achievement, or our conformity to a code. It is whether or not we possess the Spirit of Christ. "Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His" (Rom 8:9). Jesus is the standard by which acceptance is determined. It is His Spirit that permeates His Kingdom, giving life and vitality to His members. THE JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST We do not stand in fear of human tribunals. Whatever one might think of much taunted "accountability," the ultimate accountability will be made to Christ Jesus, the Lord. " . . . for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ" (Rom 14:10). Even in judgment, Jesus is the focus. God has appointed Him to be the judge of the world, and He will do it in righteousness (Acts 17:31). THE CROSS OF CHRIST Some preach to make a name for themselves. Others are devoted to the promotion of an institution. Preaching is accomplished by faithful men with an unwavering consideration of the cross of Christ. "For Christ sent . . . to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect" (1 Cor 1:17). Christ sanctified the cross. It would have no power or efficacy at all if it was not adorned with the Son of God! It is "His cross" (Col 1:20; 2:14). THE MIND OF CHRIST The conclusive test of a man's thinking is its conformity to the mind of Christ. If a person does not have that mind – Christ's mind – his thoughts and words carry no weight in the Kingdom of God. "But we have the mind of Christ" (1 Cor 2:16). All valid thought centers in Jesus. His mind is the solitary stream of contemplation and purpose that is honored in heaven. THE SUFFERINGS OF CHRIST Some speak of their own sufferings. Others often reflect upon the hardships of their peers. The heavenly Kingdom, however, focuses on the sufferings of Christ. "For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ" (2 Cor 1:5). We lament because the world has martyred many of our brothers and sisters. Their sufferings are grievous to consider. Yet, they have no sanctifying power. Only the sufferings of Christ have opened the wellspring of Divine comfort to us. We are called into "the fellowship of His sufferings" (Phil 3:10). THE SAVOR OF CHRIST Heaven recognizes the response of men to those who walk with Christ, whether favorable or unfavorable. Everything is weighed in relationship to the Lord Jesus Christ! "For we are unto God a sweet savor of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish" (2 Cor 2:15). The response of men to believers is viewed from heaven as their response to Jesus. He is the one that has effected humanity through the saints, either for good or evil. THE NATURE OF CHRIST When Paul sought to make a strong appeal to struggling believers, he did not refer to apostolic authority. Rather, he pushed to the center of the Kingdom, and made His appeal in Christ. "Now I Paul myself beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ . . . " (2 Cor 10:1). Moving people for God does not depend upon human ingenuity, rhetoric, or the ability to tell stories. The character of Christ is held out as the greatest of all incentives. He is the heart of the Kingdom of God! THE POWER OF CHRIST Paul did not engage in a quest for the authority of the church, a group within the church, or an earthly potentate. He did not rely upon credentials received from men. Rather, he gloried in natural handicaps, that "the power of Christ" might rest upon him. "Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me" (2 Cor 12:9). It, is not what you can do, but what Christ can do, that will make the difference. THE GRACE OF CHRIST The grace of God can only be appropriated in Christ Jesus. For that reason, it is also called "the grace of Christ." "I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel" (Gal 1:6). The grace of Christ equates to the Gospel, which is the proclamation of Him. There can be no experience of grace without identity with Jesus Christ the Lord! Likewise, there can be no identity with Christ without the experience of His grace! THE LAW OF CHRIST The highest Law is not a moral law, or a code of ethics. It is the "law of Christ," which compelled Him to lay down His life, a ransom for many. "Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ" (Gal 6:2). Jesus is the touchstone for all conduct. The "law of Christ" is the principle that motivated Him to lay down His life, a ransom for many! THE UNSEARCHABLE RICHES OF CHRIST It does not take long to plumb the depths of human wisdom. The greatest of men have shallow wells when they are compared to Christ. Only the treasures found in Him are truly "unsearchable." They cannot be exhausted or thoroughly comprehended. " . . . I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ" (Eph 3:8). By their very nature, "unsearchable riches" become the focus of the quest for true learning. All such riches are found in Christ, and in Christ alone. He is the focus of the Kingdom. THE GIFT OF CHRIST The body of Christ is endowed with multifarious gifts and abilities. These are not the products of human ingenuity or specialized training. They have come from Christ, and from Him alone. "But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ" (Eph 4:7). If Jesus does not give us spiritual abilities, we will not possess them. The ability to edify the saints comes from Christ alone. He is the Administrator of the Kingdom. THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE SON The ultimate test of unity is not being able to see everything alike. Christ is the heart of the Kingdom, and until we see Him alike, we have made little advance in the area of unanimity. "Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God . . . " (Eph 4:13). "Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ" (Phil 3:8). Knowledge is a wonderful thing, but if we do not know Jesus, we do not know anything. He is the Center of the Kingdom. THE DAY OF CHRIST Believers are challenged to enter the race for the long haul. It is not enough to make it through a present crisis, although that is important. The day when Jesus Christ is revealed is the day when faithfulness will be rewarded. "That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ" (Phil 1:10). Believers anticipate the revelation of the Son of God – His day! He is the heart of their hope. NOT A WORD STUDY These texts must not be viewed like a mere "word study." They reflect the nature of the heavenly Kingdom! The term "doctrine of Christ" presumes His centrality. It is to be taken seriously by every child of God. Any approach to religion that fails to put the Lord Jesus Christ at the center is to be zealously abandoned. Such schemes reproach the Lord, rob the soul, and harden the heart. The remarkable failure of the contemporary church to keep Jesus at the heart of its doctrine and activities reveals two things. The weakness of its contrived message, and the success of Satan's strategies. There is no acceptable excuse for these conditions. – Tomorrow:
"Watch yourselves, that you might not lose what we have accomplished, but that you may receive a full reward. Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son." (2 John 8-9, NASB)
PRAYER POINT: Father, grant me grace to keep Jesus at the center of my thoughts, my purposes, and my hope.