It’s Not About Us

“…But Christ is All and in all….” Col. 3:11

Oh, the depths of this verse! Who can truly understand it and the impact it has on our very lives and eternal existence? This verse represents what Paul was anointed to preach, and that was the unsearchable riches in Christ Jesus (Eph. 3:8). You might ask, “How is it unsearchable? From a very young age I heard the story of Jesus’ birth, life, death and resurrection. My mother taught me this! If she hadn’t it was plainly written in the Bible. I own about ten of those you know… all in different translations and versions. When I’m not in church, I watch some of those television preachers and they tell me a lot about Christ’s riches and how, by faith, I can possess them. Oh, and I listen to some of the Christian sites I’ve downloaded on my iPod. On social media, I  have ‘liked’ a number of Christian sites where I can comment on what others think or read what is written and do nothing. I might say ‘Amen.’ I do as the Spirit leads. That’s it, right?”

Well, I suppose those are places you might go for the ‘searchable’ riches; which mind you, may offer an abundance of counterfeit attractions. No, with respect to the unsearchable, I don’t think we’ve begun to scrape the surface to behold the breadth, and length, and depth, and height, and to know the love of Christ, which passes understanding. (Eph. 3:17) This is especially true if we find our belief focused on only those searchable things; including the Bible, if it is read without prayer and supplication of the Spirit in guiding us; interceding with the Father to take us to those depths. Of course, that doesn’t answer the question, does it? What do I think it means that ‘Christ is all and in all?’

Wow. I can only say, and this is seeing through a glass darkly, there is much I don’t know. However, it is interesting how Paul presented Christ as all and in all with respect to His body. Specifically, we are told ‘there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, bond or free, but Christ is all and in all.’ When I read what Jeremiah Burroughs wrote of this passage in his sermon, ‘Christ is All in All,’ there was a sparkle on the other side of my glass that I had not seen before. What Paul’s statement revealed is that the reason there is neither Greek nor Jew; and so on, is because it is not about us; our culture, ethnicity, social strata… nothing.  Elsewhere, we learn that God is no respecter of men. Why? Because it’s not about us. It never was, is or will be. It was always about God’s Son; who became man for the express purpose of doing the will of the Father, and that unto His eternal glory and praise.

So, where do I think we begin to understand the unsearchable riches in Christ? It is understanding that, apart from Him, we are no one and that is true of all creatures. However, and this is where our praise springs forth from the depths of our innermost being, that we are His! We are in Him! As to what greater things shall be received? We cannot begin to imagine the greater riches of His glorious holiness! Is not a taste now enough to set our soul to longing!

If it wasn’t for Christ being all and in all; and He not in us? Who are we but miserable creatures… dead men walking all?