Don Fortner recounts how a near-fatal illness in 1975 transformed his understanding of ministry, revealing that despite his doctrinally orthodox Calvinist and Baptist theology, his preaching lacked spiritual power and effectiveness. Through his hospital experience, the apostolic declaration "Christ is all" (Colossians 3:11) became the foundational principle that redirected his ministry toward Christ-centered preaching rather than doctrinal precision alone. Fortner vows that maintaining this Christocentric focus—preaching Jesus Christ and Him crucified—became the vital heart that animates sound theology with spiritual fire and pastoral fruit.
What does the Bible say about Christ being all in all?
Colossians 3:11 emphasizes that Christ is all and in all, highlighting His centrality in the believer's life.
Understanding that 'Christ is all' encourages Christians to prioritize their relationship with Him above all else. It reorients our focus from doctrinal accuracy alone to a heartfelt passion for Jesus, ensuring that our actions and beliefs align with the reality of His lordship. The journey of faith becomes not merely an intellectual pursuit but a relational one, where Christ's supremacy affects every aspect of our lives. This teaching serves as both a reminder and exhortation for believers to embrace the truth that Christ is indeed the foundation upon which all life and ministry should be built.
Colossians 3:11
How do we know that preaching Christ is essential for Christians?
Preaching Christ is essential as it aligns with the vow to proclaim the fullness of the gospel and the centrality of Jesus.
Furthermore, the act of preaching Christ teaches both the preacher and the congregation about the grace, mercy, and love embodied in Jesus. The realization that one can preach Christ consistently and confidently leads to a heartfelt commitment to this purpose, ensuring that the ministry does not merely become a series of moral teachings but remains rooted in the redemptive narrative of Scripture. It underscores the essence of biblical preaching: to elevate Christ above all and to proclaim His role in salvation, enabling believers to find their identity and hope in Him alone.
1 Corinthians 2:2
Why is understanding 'Christ is all' important for Christians?
'Christ is all' is vital as it strengthens believers’ faith, emphasizing that their identity and hope are rooted in Him alone.
Furthermore, grasping the significance of 'Christ is all' encourages believers to surrender their worries, ambitions, and plans to His sovereign will. It helps them recognize that true fulfillment and meaning are found not in personal achievement or religious orthodoxy, but in their relationship with Christ. The acknowledgment that Christ plays the central role in their lives empowers Christians to live out their faith authentically and boldly, reflecting His love and grace in every aspect of their lives. This understanding ultimately drives believers to share the hope of the gospel with others, reaffirming the truth that Christ's sufficiency is essential for all humanity.
Seven years ago (1975) God, in his adorable and gracious providence, taught me a very important lesson, a lesson which changed my life and ministry radically, a lesson which I hope never to forget. I had been preaching for eight years at the time, and I was about four and one half years into my first pastorate. During those earliest years of my ministry, I was a strict Calvinist and a thoroughly convinced Baptist. My doctrine was precisely accurate and orthodox. I gave myself relentlessly to the work of the ministry. But something was missing. My ministry lacked heart and fire.
Then the Lord laid me flat on my back in a hospital for twentyone days. The doctors told me I had cancer. It had already progressed to the advanced stages. immediately, I began to evaluate my life's work, thinking that it might come to an end in the near future. After honest, heartsearching evaluation before God, I had to conclude that those first eight years of preaching had amounted to very little, if indeed to anything. I could not see how I could have been profitable to anyone. I had been spinning my wheels in the sand. My heart was crushed in conviction, and I sunk in despair. My doctrinal orthodoxy gave me no comfort. But then the Lord God graciously taught me the most important thing I have ever learned. The words of the Apostle Paul flashed into my soul like a dazzling ray of light. They were burned into my heart as with a red-hot iron - "CHRIST IS ALL!" (Col. 3:11).
Never before or since have I made a vow to God. But in that hospital bed, I solemnly vowed to the Lord my God that if in his good providence he would be pleased to allow me to preach again, and if he would give me grace to do so, I would never again preach to men anything but Jesus Christ the Lord. That is the reason why I am' "determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified". It is my heart's determination to preach all of Christ and to preach Christ always. These past seven years I have not turned aside from my purpose. And God helping me, I never shall be. I am a thoroughly convinced Calvinist of the highest order, and I am a strict Baptist; but today there is a heart to my "body of divinity" and fire in my soul. It is just this - "CHRIST IS ALL!"
I thank God for what he has taught me. I confess to my shame that my own sinful pride kept me from seeing it before. You can be sure of this, God is going to teach you that "CHRIST IS ALL". Either in this life, or in the judgment, you will be taught that "CHRIST IS ALL". If you are one of his children, or one of his preachers, I pray that you will not have to be brought to the gates of death, or worse, to learn this lesson - "CHRIST IS ALL!"
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