1 Corinthians 2:2 For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.
There are a lot of blogs available now (including this one), expressing many views and opinions on Christianity. Some provide good sound biblical information, others can leave you confused and frustrated. In fact you want to make a blog that expresses your Christian view, just do a Google search, and you’ll be flooded with a wealth of information on getting your Christian site started. So many things are said about Christianity, I have begun to focus my thinking back to my first love: THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. My inspiration for this post came from other posts by Lionel Woods’s (Is Christ Divided, A Love That Unites: Confessions of A Doctrinal Schismatic) and my brother in fellowship Steve (Christocentric Christ Centered Preaching). My mind needs to be looking at our Lord Jesus Christ from the scriptures. So many opinions and theological disputing, why have we not returned to being Christ centered. Christology I pray is not being written off, so we can give praises to John Calvin, Spurgeon, Pink and even the John Macarthur’s of today. Seriously, these are merely men, they compare nothing unto our Lord Jesus Christ. Yes, they do great biblical exegesis and exposit the scriptures precisely. But they are mere men my friends (just as I am writing this post). The main focus of our Christian walk, our talk, our being, should be the LORD JESUS CHRIST (Colossians 3:1-17). That is our doctrine, our theology, that is what we should be speaking out on the streets, in our jobs, and in our homes. But are we? Are we Christ focused?
Let me ask you a question. Can you point someone in the direction of Jesus Christ by anything they asked of you? The Christian would answer yes, or attempt to try to do so because of his love for the Master. But I question today what has happened to our focus (including mine). Jesus Christ has called us to proclaim the Gospel message. Essentially I have felt I do, but as my wife began to ask me questions about how to deal with certain sins and conflicting ideas, I found myself answering with, “I don’t know.” This has encouraged me to look at Jesus Christ because all ways of handling things are found in Him (Ephesians 3:8-10).
Hebrews 4:15-16 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
Now, rest in the context of these verses my friends, looking directly at the Lord Jesus Christ. Exegete it, dig in it, meditate on it and then you should be able to see how we limit our focus to Jesus Christ. The Greek transliteration for confidence (parresia) opens up a wealth of meaning of how we should approach the throne of grace. This is how Jesus Christ spoke before Peter attempted to rebuke Him because He spoke of His suffering death, and resurrection (Mark 8:31-32). Amazing isn’t how freely Christ spoke of Himself, yet when we read the bible, we sometimes don’t even look at Jesus in the text. Look at another wonderful example of how we are to be Christ focused when expounding the scriptures:
Luke 24:27 And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.
Jesus Christ told them about Him in the bible, or at that time the Old Testament scriptures. Jesus Christ is what the whole bible is about (Acts 11:26). What is in the name of the word Christian? Christ right, isn’t that why the believers at Antioch given this name out of mockery? Because they were Jesus Christ focused.
There are many who don’t even know who Jesus Christ really, and we are called to explain and give the truth about Jesus Christ, and Who He really is? Can we? Can we bring the focus back to our Maker, the Holy One: Jesus the Messiah! Yes, we can. With all the psychobabble going, let us do this:
Hebrews 12:1-3 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.
Christ centered is where we need to be. Gospel centered? That is Christ centered. All other things mean nothing, unless the Lord Jesus Christ is apart of it (John 15:4-5). Christians, brethren, saints, listen; let us get back to Christology. Let us reason with one another the things of Christ. Why are we fighting? For what reason? Defending the faith or defending your point (or five points for that matter)? So you can say to your opponent, “ha, I was right!” That makes you feel good? Well, my hearts desire is for the Lord Jesus to be glorified, studied, applied and honored in all that I do. May this be yours as well my beloved.
Isaiah 53:1-12 Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed? For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
Let me ask you a question. Can you point someone in the direction of Jesus Christ by anything they asked of you? The Christian would answer yes, or attempt to try to do so because of his love for the Master. But I question today what has happened to our focus (including mine). Jesus Christ has called us to proclaim the Gospel message. Essentially I have felt I do, but as my wife began to ask me questions about how to deal with certain sins and conflicting ideas, I found myself answering with, “I don’t know.” This has encouraged me to look at Jesus Christ because all ways of handling things are found in Him (Ephesians 3:8-10).
Hebrews 4:15-16 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
Now, rest in the context of these verses my friends, looking directly at the Lord Jesus Christ. Exegete it, dig in it, meditate on it and then you should be able to see how we limit our focus to Jesus Christ. The Greek transliteration for confidence (parresia) opens up a wealth of meaning of how we should approach the throne of grace. This is how Jesus Christ spoke before Peter attempted to rebuke Him because He spoke of His suffering death, and resurrection (Mark 8:31-32). Amazing isn’t how freely Christ spoke of Himself, yet when we read the bible, we sometimes don’t even look at Jesus in the text. Look at another wonderful example of how we are to be Christ focused when expounding the scriptures:
Luke 24:27 And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.
Jesus Christ told them about Him in the bible, or at that time the Old Testament scriptures. Jesus Christ is what the whole bible is about (Acts 11:26). What is in the name of the word Christian? Christ right, isn’t that why the believers at Antioch given this name out of mockery? Because they were Jesus Christ focused.
There are many who don’t even know who Jesus Christ really, and we are called to explain and give the truth about Jesus Christ, and Who He really is? Can we? Can we bring the focus back to our Maker, the Holy One: Jesus the Messiah! Yes, we can. With all the psychobabble going, let us do this:
Hebrews 12:1-3 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.
Christ centered is where we need to be. Gospel centered? That is Christ centered. All other things mean nothing, unless the Lord Jesus Christ is apart of it (John 15:4-5). Christians, brethren, saints, listen; let us get back to Christology. Let us reason with one another the things of Christ. Why are we fighting? For what reason? Defending the faith or defending your point (or five points for that matter)? So you can say to your opponent, “ha, I was right!” That makes you feel good? Well, my hearts desire is for the Lord Jesus to be glorified, studied, applied and honored in all that I do. May this be yours as well my beloved.
Isaiah 53:1-12 Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed? For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
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