The Pre-eminence of Christ Among His People

Q: What does the Bible say about the preeminence of Christ?

The Bible declares that Christ is all and in all, meaning He holds the highest position in all aspects of life and faith. According to Colossians 3:11, there is neither Greek nor Jew in the kingdom of God; rather, Christ is all and in all. This signifies that while social, racial, and national distinctions exist, they are insignificant in comparison to the importance of Christ. The preeminence of Jesus Christ encompasses His role in creation, providence, redemption, and judgment. In every aspect of life and faith, Jesus Christ is the central focus and supreme authority. The Scriptures assert that all spiritual blessings are found in Him and that every believer's chief aim is to seek conformity to His image.

Q: How do we know Jesus Christ is sufficient for salvation?

The sufficiency of Christ for salvation is affirmed through His role as our righteousness, redemption, and sanctification. Jesus Christ is everything for salvation—our wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption, as noted in 1 Corinthians 1:30. In Him, we are accepted before God. The entirety of salvation hinges on who Christ is and what He has accomplished through His perfect obedience and sacrifice. Any belief that relies on human merit undermines the complete sufficiency of Christ's work. True faith embraces Christ as our all in all, who alone can satisfy the demands of God's law and provide reconciliation with the Father. Therefore, for the believer, Christ is not only necessary but entirely sufficient for salvation.

Q: Why is Christ central to the believers' life?

Christ is central to the believer's life because He is the source, substance, and sustenance of spiritual life. In the life of every believer, Christ holds a position of ultimate significance. He is the source of our spiritual life, as articulated in John 5:22, where it states that the Son gives life to whom He will. Additionally, Christ is the very essence of our being, as reflected in Galatians 2:20, where Paul declares that it is Christ who lives in him. This transformative relationship means that believers grow not merely through acquiring knowledge but through living in reliance upon Christ. Furthermore, as the sustenance of our life, believers are called to feed on Him daily through faith, thereby drawing strength and nourishment for their journey.

Q: What does it mean for Christ to be our peace?

Christ being our peace signifies that He reconciles us to God and brings tranquility to our hearts. In Ephesians 2:14, it is stated that Christ is our peace, having made reconciliation between God and humanity through His sacrificial death. He removes the enmity and provides believers with a profound sense of peace, both vertically (with God) and horizontally (with others). This tranquility is not contingent upon external circumstances but is a gift from Christ, enabling believers to face life’s challenges with assurance. When Christ reigns in the hearts of His people, they experience a state of calmness and security that surpasses understanding. Thus, all believers are called to find their peace in Him, especially during trials.

continue looking at the preeminence of our Lord Jesus Christ for a little while today and perhaps next Sunday, the Lord willing. And I want us this morning to turn to a text of scripture that I have preached to you from so very, very many times, but I haven't yet begun to expand it. Turn to Colossians chapter three, if you will. In fact, I'm certain that I preached a message to you just a few months ago from this text of scripture. I didn't bother looking it up, but I'm going to attempt one more time to deal with these three precious, vital, vital words.

In my opinion, if I could be allowed to make a statement like this with regard to the scriptures without in any way giving any sense that the rest of the scriptures are less than this. These three words are the most important words in all the word of God. They must be understood.

Colossians chapter 3 and verse 11. Look in the last line of the text. The apostle is talking about the church of God, the new creation. He says in verse 11, where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free. Now that does not mean that in the kingdom of God, in the church of Christ, there are no national distinctions, no racial distinctions, and no social distinctions. It does not mean that at all. We recognize there are black folks and white folks, rich folks and poor, educated and uneducated. There are male and female. There are those who are skilled and learned and those who are less than skilled and less than learned. But what the Apostle was saying is, in the kingdom of God, those things don't matter. Did you get it? In the kingdom of God, those things are totally, totally, totally insignificant. But Christ is all. Christ is all.

We've seen how the Lord Jesus Christ is given preeminence in all the counsels of God, and that in all the counsels of God, Jesus Christ is honored. The Scriptures tell us that we are blessed with all blessings, all spiritual blessings, in heavenly places in Christ from eternity. The Scripture tells us that it is the purpose of God from eternity that every chosen redeemed sinner be conformed to the image of Christ in everlasting glory. I have endeavored to show you that Jesus Christ is preeminent in all the Word of God.

Turn over to John, chapter one, for a moment. John, the first chapter, and listen to this word. Verse forty-five, Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets did Have you? We found him. We found him of whom the scriptures speak. We have found him of whom Moses and all the prophets wrote. We found him who was the hope of Israel long ago, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.

Have you found him of whom the scriptures speak? Are you still looking for him? Still searching for an understanding of who this one is of whom the scriptures speak? then all the word of God, Jesus Christ, is preeminent. That is to declare everything in the book of God is about Christ. I can't stress this sufficiently. I can't emphasize it enough. The word of God is not preached unless Jesus Christ is preached. I mean, any time the word of God is opened, any time we attempt to teach the scriptures, if we simply state truth, doctrinal truth, historic truth, religious truth, moral truth, and fail to direct the hearts of men and women to Jesus Christ the Lord, we have done disservice to the souls of men and misused the Word of God.

Jesus Christ is the message of Holy Scripture. And the Lord Jesus Christ is preeminent in all the works of God as well. We won't go over them all, but the Lord Jesus is the creator, by whom all things were created. In creation, then, he is all. In God's providence, Jesus Christ is all, for he is the administrator of providence. Everything is ruled in the universe by the hand of Jesus Christ, our Lord.

In redemption, grace, and salvation, Jesus Christ is all. He is our wisdom, our righteousness, our sanctification, and our redemption, so that he that glorieth is to glory in the Lord. We were chosen in Him, predestined to be like Him, adopted in Him, accepted in Him, redeemed in Him, called by Him, and saved in Him. Jesus Christ is all in all these things.

And certainly, With regard to judgment, the Lord Jesus Christ is all. In that great day when God shall judge men according to their works, he will judge them by Christ, he will judge them by the spending of Christ, and he will judge them according to the word of Jesus Christ. Our Lord Jesus Christ is all absolutely in a universal sense, even within the triune Godhead. In the revelation of God, Jesus Christ is all. The Father has been pleased, the Son has been pleased, the Spirit has been pleased to stretch forth all the fullness of the glory of God in Jesus Christ, the incarnate God, so that in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead in a body. In that man, now seated at the right hand of the majesty on high, in that man who was crucified 2,000 years ago, in that man who came into this world and lived in righteousness for us, in that man who stood as our surety before the world began, all that God is resides in all his fullness. Do you understand that? Christ is all.

Now this morning, I want to show you the preeminence of the Lord Jesus Christ among his people. In our text, Colossians 3 verse 11, Paul is talking about the new creation, the church and the kingdom of God. And he's telling us that among God's saints, among God's elect, in the hearts and lives of God's people, in the estimation of true faith, Jesus Christ is all. Jesus Christ is all.

Now I wonder, do you think that statement's an exaggeration of the truth? Really, is Jesus Christ all to me? Is Jesus Christ all to you? The apostle tells us that in the kingdom of God, among those who are called by grace, born again of God's spirit, Jesus Christ is all among those in whom he dwells, among those in whom he resides. Is that an exaggeration? Is that an overstatement of the facts? Not at all.

I know that in the lives of God's saints in this world, There's always a struggle between flesh and spirit, between sin and righteousness, between the old man and the new, between self and Christ. I'm fully aware of that. Oh, my soul, I'm so fully aware of that. A constant struggle between self and Christ, between sin and righteousness, between flesh and spirit.

I know that so long as we live in this flesh, we cannot We cannot attain that which we seek after. We will not in this world attain perfect conformity to the Lord Jesus Christ. But if we're His, that's what we seek. Did you hear me? If we're His, that's what we seek. I mean, we live to be with him and like him for his honor. If we're his, that's what we live for, for Christ. If we're his, that's what we seek, conformity to Christ.

And that which a man seeks above all else, listen carefully, that which a man seeks above all else and to an ever increasing exclusion of all else is his all. And this is what I'm saying, Bobby. If we seek Christ to the ever-increasing exclusion of all other things, Christ is our all. If we don't, He's not. That for which a person is willing to sacrifice, and in his heart has sacrificed everything else, that's his all. And for every true believer, that object of desire, that one pearl of great price, that great treasure, that one glorious prize is Jesus Christ.

Job said, the root of the matter is in me, and Jesus Christ is the root of the matter. He is the only one thing needful, without which we cannot live. Christ alone is sufficient in and of himself, without any other to redeem, save, and justify us. Christ alone is able in himself, sufficient in himself, to sanctify us and bring us acceptable into the presence of God Almighty. So that now, the Lord Jesus Christ alone is able to satisfy us, both now and forever. And thus and so far as the believer is concerned, Christ is all.

This is what Paul declares in our text. In the life of every believer, Christ is all. He is not merely the most important person in my life. He is not merely the most important aspect of our life. Jesus Christ is our life if we're His. Jesus Christ is my life if I'm His. Look at what he says in Colossians 3. And verse four, when Christ, our life, even the words, who is, you'll notice are in italics. That means they were added by our translators to make the text read more smoothly. Quite literally, Paul says, when Christ, our life shall appear. Is he? Oh, is he now? Is he now? Without Him, we have no life.

Let me make a few statements and show you what I mean in this regard. When I say that Christ is our life, this is what I'm saying. Christ is the source of our life. That's obvious. All spiritual life comes from Christ. John says in John 5.22, the Son quickeneth whom He will. That means if I have eternal life, If I am alive before God spiritually, it is Christ who has given me life and Christ who lives in me. Christ liveth in me is the language of the Apostle Paul. He says in Galatians 2.20, I believe it is, look at it. Galatians 2.20. I am crucified with Christ. That is, when Christ died, I died, so that the law and justice of God has been satisfied on my account, because I died legally, representatively, when Jesus Christ died. Yet not I, I'm sorry, I'm crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live. Yet not I. That is, it is no longer me living. But Christ liveth in me, and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

" The believer is a person who has been brought from spiritual death to spiritual life by Jesus Christ invading him. He has been brought from spiritual death to spiritual life by God Almighty in the person of His Son, by the power of His Spirit coming to take up residence in his soul. Jesus Christ is the source of our life.

Secondly, the Lord Jesus Christ is the sum and substance of our life. The spiritual life of a believer is a mystery. I can't begin to explain it. I don't even understand it. But I know this. Whatever that life is, whatever that life is that the scriptures speak of as Christianity, whatever that life is that the scriptures speak of as new life, whatever that life is that the scripture describes as spiritual, everlasting, eternal life, is Jesus Christ the Lord. It's not just a gift from Him, it's Him. You understand the difference? It's not just something that we come to. It is a person who comes to reside in us. Look in Colossians chapter 1. Colossians the first chapter and verse 27. To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles. Here it is. Which is Christ. Christ in you. Christ in you. The hope of glory.

That's something that can't be produced by your free will. That's something that can't be produced by the preacher having a proper measure of rhetoric and eloquence and good illustration and telling stories. No, no, no, no. The only way Christ ever comes to be in you is for Christ to come to you. Christ in you. That's the hope of glory.

Jesus Christ is the sum and substance of our life. If you could cut a believer open and find out what he really is. I see my friend Merle Hart sitting back there, a man I highly admire and respect. I believe to be a child of God, if indeed he is or I am, if I could cut him open and get to the core of his being, I mean what he really is, you'd find Jesus Christ the Lord. That's what Christianity is. You understand that? Christ is the sub, the substance of the believer's life, so that at the core of his being, at the core of his being, Jesus Christ is.

Christ gives us life. He rules our lives. He makes our lives happy and complete. He motivates our lives. But more than that, Christ is our life. Without Him, we have no life.

Thirdly, Christ is the sustenance of our life. Life is maintained by meat to drink. You can't live very long without something to eat, something to drink. And our spiritual life in Christ is maintained by daily feeding upon Him by faith. Turn over to John chapter six for a moment. John the sixth chapter. The Jews ridiculed this passage and didn't understand what the Lord was saying. The Romanists have no idea what it's talking about. They take this passage to mean that in eating the bread and wine of the Lord's table as we do here Sunday evenings, that we actually eat the body and blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, which is utter nonsense. The passage is talking about spiritual life. It's talking about how a believer lives day after day after day.

I get up in the mornings and Sometimes first thing in the morning, sometimes late in the morning, sometimes late in the afternoon. I have a little something to eat. Have some bread. Not always have a little bread. Have something to drink. Not always have something to drink. And I do so every day with consistent regularity to two reasons. One is I enjoy it immensely. And two is I've got to have it to live. And I'm telling you that if you live in Christ, you feel Christ. And I suspect that shuts most folks out altogether. Most folks feed on everything else. Believers feed on Christ.

Our Lord says in verse 50, John chapter 6, this is the bread which came down from heaven that a man may eat thereof and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If any man eat of this bread, He shall live forever in the bread that I will give as my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. The Jew, therefore, strove among themselves, saying, how can this man give us his flesh to eat? The religious leaders, the folks who knew everything, the folks who were respected leaders of the world, the whole religious crowd of the day, they said, we don't understand. What's he talking about? How can we eat his flesh? Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except you eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life. I'll raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me. in him, as the living father hath sent me, and I live by the father, so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. This is that bread which came down from heaven, not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead. He that eateth of this bread, he shall live forever."

Christ is real manna. He's real manna. So Pastor Hal on earth, do you expect us to understand this passage of Scripture? This is what our Lord said. Every person who is born of the Spirit receives Him by faith and lives upon Him by faith continually. Continually taking His righteousness and His blood, His obedience and His death to be His own.

So that just as a person takes a glass of wine And just as soon as he takes a sip of the wine, everything in the wine that is useful is his forever. Just as soon as you take a piece of bread and eat the bread, the first bite you take, everything of that bread that is useful is yours forever. And yet you feed on the bread and you drink the wine day after day after day. That's exactly what living by faith in Christ is. believing Him, but rather it is continually believing Him, living upon Him, feeding upon Him, drinking Him, eating Him, Christ living in Him.

Those who are God's people live upon Him. They feed upon Him. He is the sustenance of our life. Jesus Christ is the bread of life and the water of life. His flesh is meat indeed. His blood is drink indeed. And fourthly, Christ is the soulless of our life.

Turn over to Ephesians 2. Ephesians chapter 2 and verse 14. He is our peace. Oh, what a good word from God. Most people's lives are constant turmoil. Believers have Him who is peace. Most people's lives keep things in a constant stir, just a constant state of agitation. I have folks tell me all the time, things with me are just in a constant state of agitation. I'd be concerned if I was you. I'd be real concerned.

Christ is our peace. He has made peace for us with God. He has taken away any cause for God to be angry with us, and he has reconciled our hearts to God so that we're at peace with God being who he is and doing what he does. More than that, Jesus Christ gives us peace within so that we live before God with some measure of contentment and satisfaction in his providence. More than that, the Lord Jesus makes us to be at peace with each other.

I'm going to promise you something. I'm going to promise you something. If Don Fortner and Rex Bartley both walk with Christ, we're at peace with each other. That doesn't mean we don't have any differences. No. My soul. He's an individual. So am I. He thinks like he thinks. I think like I think. We're both sinful individuals and make sinful choices. But we live together in Christ in peace. And if we're not at peace with each other, one of us or both of us don't know God. It's just that simple.

A preacher, I thought salvation by grace. It is. Grace makes you live in peace. When grace comes, grace conquers. When Christ reigns, Christ reigns in peace. He is our peace. Our good friend sitting over here, Ian Nann, is getting ready to celebrate one year together. If the Prince of Peace reigns in your house, you live together in peace. And if you don't live together in peace, it's because one of you doesn't know him or both. It's just that simple. It is just that simple.

Where Christ rules in a congregation, the congregation dwells in peace. And if the people are not in peace, somebody doesn't know God. That's all there is to it. Christ is our peace. He is our peace.

The Lord Jesus Christ comes and gives his people peace. The only true comfort for believers' heart in this world, with regard to any trouble, any need, or any fear, is Christ himself.

I was talking to a dear friend of mine this week. She called. She's so disturbed about her mother. So disturbed about her mother's religion, as most of us are. So this terrible cause of mother's reaching that age when seldom does any change take place. And I said to her, all I know to tell you to do is trust God to do what's right. And she said, she won't mind me telling you this. She said, she said, well, I guess I have to. I said, oh, no, no, no, no. You get to. You understand the difference?

He's the only way you're going to find comfort in all the difficulties and troubles you face in this world. The only way you can find comfort for your soul when things are just turned upside down and you don't know what on earth is going on, is to trust Jesus Christ the Lord. That's all. That's all.

David said, what time I am afraid? I will trust in thee." I'm so glad he said that. I used to think fear was such a horrible thing, and it is. We ought not to have any fears. But I find a little consolation in the fact that man, after God's own heart, had some fear. But he said, in the midst of my fear, I'll trust in you. What time I am afraid, I'll trust in you.

Christ is our peace. You understand that? He is our peace. We need no comfort but Him. His presence, His atonement, His grace, His sovereignty, His providence, His goodness, His wisdom. These are the comforts of our souls. He does nothing wrong. He can make no mistakes.

Fifthly, the Lord Jesus Christ is the standard of our life. Turn to John chapter 13 for a moment. John 13. You're familiar with the story. Our Lord Jesus has taken a towel and girded himself and washed his disciples' feet. And it says in verse 15, I've given you an example that you should do as I have done to you.

We do not live by the standards of men. We do not even live by the rule of law in a spiritual sense. We live, if we live before God, by the rule of Jesus Christ. Now, I want to be understood. I want so much for you to understand what I'm saying. Christ is our example. He's the example we must follow. He's the example we do like to follow. He is our role model.

He teaches us how to believe. How am I to believe God just like you did? He teaches us how to live in this world looking to God as a man to provide for us, care for us, and protect us. He teaches us how to love. And how is Don Fortner supposed to love Lindsay Campbell? Just exactly like Christ loves Don Fortner. How am I supposed to love my wife? Just exactly like Christ loves his church. How am I supposed to show my love? Just exactly like Christ did, sacrifice. Sacrifice. That's all.

The Lord Jesus shows us how to forgive. Just forget it. Just forgive. That's all. Just forgive. Well, I'll forgive him if he'll come and acknowledge what he did was wrong. Now, that may or may not happen, but you're still responsible to forgive. Aren't you glad God forgave you before you came to acknowledge anything? Aren't you thankful your forgiveness by God doesn't depend on your repentance, but rather your repentance is the result of God's forgiveness? And forgiveness has a way of breeding repentance. Forgiveness has a way of breeding correction. Forgiveness has a way of breeding repentance.

Lord, I come to do thy will, O my God. I came not to be ministered unto, but to minister. I came not to be served, but to serve. God forgive me, God forgive me for seeking to be served. What on this earth can be more horribly self-righteous, more horribly, horribly proud, more horribly, horribly contrary to every principle of grace? than for me to live in the expectation of other people serving me. And yet, that's exactly how most of us live. We get upset because folks don't serve our wills. We get upset because folks don't do what we want to do. We get upset because folks don't consider us.

Our Lord came not to be served, but to serve. And Bob, we find conformity to him as we serve one another. He said, I've given you an example that you should go and do as I've done to you. Not that you should come and say, come wash my feet, but you take a towel and a basin and dirge yourself and go wash each other's feet. Serve one another. And he's clearly not talking about some kind of a silly ordinance or ritual so that In some churches, folks have a foot-washing service. That's utter nonsense. There's no indication of that anywhere in Scripture. Our Lord is simply giving an example. Serve each other. If you love each other, you do. If you love each other, you do. Serve one another.

Our Lord shows us how to bear reproach. When he was reviled, he reviled not again. When he was slandered, He answered not. When he was maligned, he gave no word of defense. What are you going to do? Let God take care of it. Let God take care of it. He shows us in all things how to behave. Our Lord Jesus Christ shows us by his example how to honor God, how to pray, He lives for God, and so do his people. He prayed, not for himself, usually, but for the glory of God and the people of God. Matter of fact, I can think of only one or two occasions where our Lord Jesus ever asked anything for himself. He asked, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me. but immediately surrendered that to the will of his father and said, not my will, thy will be done.

We spend most of our time in prayer. We call it prayer. Asking for things for us, ourselves, me and mine. I'm guilty. And I suspect you are too. Our Lord teaches us, pray otherwise. He said, when you pray, pray like this. Let your name be sanctified. Our Father, establish your kingdom in this world. Our Father, your will be done. Our Father, forgive us our sins. Our Father, forgive us our sins as we forgive our people for their sins. Our Father, forgive us our daily bread. Our Father, yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.

God teach me how Our Lord teaches us how to live, and he teaches us how to die. Into thy hands I cling my spirit. So the Christ in all things is the example of our life. He's the standard by which we live. We strive in all things to walk in his steps. And Christ is the security of our lives. You're hearing John Travertine for a moment. John chapter 10, verse 27. My sheep hear my voice. They hear my voice. You can compare this with the first part of the chapter, and in 1 John chapter 2, this is exactly what it means. When he calls, his sheep hear. And when he speaks, his sheep understand. and a stranger's voice they will not hear, and a stranger they will not follow. My sheep hear my voice. That simply means that those who are born of God's Spirit, those who are called by God's grace, those who are born again by the power of God Almighty will not follow the voice of a stranger. They follow the shepherd's voice. They hear my voice.

Because You believe not, he told the Pharisees. He says you believe not because you're not of my sheep. You don't hear my voice, but my sheep, they hear my voice. And I know them. I know them. They follow me. And I give unto them eternal life.

Now, let me insert a word there. A word or two. No matter what. He gives them eternal life. They won't perish. But what if they fall? They'll never perish. What if they fall again? They'll never perish. What if they fall 10,000 times a day? We all do. They'll never perish.

Somehow we have the idea that God sees things like we do. And we look at something like David's adultery and the murder of Uriah. We look at something like Peter's denial of the Savior, and we see those as horrible things, and they are horrible things. Horrible things. But what we see in the outward acts of those imminent saints in times of terrible weakness are only the reflection, what goes on in your heart and mine all the time by nature. Is that true? Is it not? Is it not?

To be angry with a man without a cause, same thing as murder. To look on a woman and lust after her, same thing as adultery. To be upset with God, same thing as cussing him, same thing. We continually, just as those being outwardly, we continually fall ten thousand times a day. Our acceptance with God is not what we do, but rather what Christ is and what Christ is there. Do you understand that? He's our righteousness, He's our redemption, He's our sanctification, and nothing else. Your life is here with Christ in God.

Now if Christ is my life, then my life is secure. Nothing can harm me, really, until Christ is dethroned. And that can't happen. If Christ is my life, I must live forever. I want to tell you something. I fully expect it. In the teeth of all my with the awareness of all my corruption, with the consciousness of all my depravity, I fully expect to see my Redeemer and hear him say, well done, thou good and faithful servant. Because he's my life. He's my life. And Christ is the satisfaction of our life.

Turn to Psalm 17 for a moment. I found a little satisfaction here. I didn't find it in this world, but I found a little satisfaction here in Christ the Lord. But I haven't found complete satisfaction by a long shot. The psalmist says in verse 15, as for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness. I'm going to look on you, my God, my Savior, in your perfect righteousness. That righteousness which would sink the world to hell if any spot of sin stand upon it. I will behold your face in your perfect righteousness. But as I behold your face in your righteousness, I will stand thy road in your righteousness. I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likeness."

Because our life is Christ, we can never be satisfied with this world or with life in this world. Even our spiritual life can never find complete satisfaction here. Our life comes to be satisfied only when we behold his face in righteousness and awaken his likeness. In the life of every believer, Christ is all. He's the Alpha, the beginning, from whom all life comes. He's the Omega, the end, to whom all spiritual life teems. To the believer, Christ is first and the last, and is everything in between. Christ is all. He's all to be known. Someone said, if you know Christ, it's enough, if you're ignorant of all other things. If you're unacquainted with Christ, it's nothing, if you know everything else.

I want to know I want you to know Him. This is life eternal, that they might know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent. You've got to know who He is, but you've got to know more than that. You've got to know what He did, but you've got to know more than that. You've got to know what He taught, but you've got to know more than His doctrine. Life is to know Christ! And knowing Him is a matter of personal revelation and personal experience.

For that I may know Him. in the power of his resurrection. That is, that I may live by virtue of his resurrection power. That I may know him in the fellowship of his sufferings. That I may know my participation in him living and dying as my representative. That means the law of God has nothing more to say against me. I'm dead with Christ. And I may know him being made conformable unto his death. That is that I may so know him that I consecrate myself.

Christ is all. Christ is all. He's preeminent, preeminent in the lives of his saints. He's preeminent in the thoughts of his people. He's preeminent in all things with regard to his people.

The Lord Jesus Christ is all to be chosen. Immortal souls can't be satisfied with temporal things. If you would have him, he is that pearl of great price for which you must sell everything and buy him. He is that treasure and like that rich young ruler you must go and sell all that you have and obtain Him. You got to lose your life if you would find Him. Got to lose your life to Him. Surrender your life to Him.

The Lord Jesus is all to be trusted. God give us grace to trust Christ alone. His blood is our only atonement. His righteousness is our only acceptance before God. His intercession alone prevails with God. His advocacy is our assurance. His whole is our perseverance and preservation. His providence is that by which we have our daily provision. And we ought to trust Him. I know this. The Lord Jesus Christ has never failed any who trust Him. In all things he is faithful and true. He's a friend who sticks closer than a brother. A friend born for adversity. And thank God he's the friend of sinners.

Now faith in him, faith in him whose name is faithful and true is well-founded faith. Go trust him. Trust him. He's faithful. He's faithful. I used to talk about that. And as a young man, I understood it to be true, theoretically. I understood faithfulness to be one of his great attributes. But it's now been 30 years since first he made himself known to me. And in 30 years, I've never found him anything less than perfectly faithful. trust him. Any lack of faith in him is utterly inexcusable.

Christ is all to be loved as well. All believers call him beloved. His beloved bride, the church, speaks of him as, O thou whom my soul loveth. The believing heart says with David, Whom have I in heaven but thee? And there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee. My heart and my flesh faileth, but Christ is the strength of my soul, my heart, and my portion forever. And there's no danger of excess here. You can't love Christ too much. Oh, my soul loves Christ exclusively. He fully deserves it. Who is lovely compared with him? Whoever loved us compared with him. I've experienced love from lots of people. I have the blessed privilege of a family that loves me and a large family here and literally around the world of men and women who love me and show me their love constantly. Married to a woman who acts like she thinks I hung the moon. But nobody ever loved my soul. His comparison with him. Oh, no. No. He loved me, knowing everything I am from everlasting, unchangingly, unconditionally. Nobody else could or would. Nobody else. He loved me and gave himself for me.

The Lord Jesus is all to be loved, all to be desired. He is all the joy of our hearts. So the believers having Him whom they desire, Having him whom their hearts are attached to, have that in which they constantly rejoice. And the Lord Jesus is all to consume all our thoughts.

I'm going to wrap this up here in just a minute, but turn to Philippians 4 for a moment. Philippians chapter 4. The psalmist says, how precious are thy thoughts unto me, O God. And I'm suggesting to you, my brothers and sisters, I admonish you, children of God, endeavor to have your thoughts consumed with Christ. I know that we must think of other things, but let us not think on them. Think only on Christ. The covetous man thinks on his money. The ambitious man thinks on his name. The voluptuous man thinks on his pleasure. The believing man thinks on his Savior. Set your heart in heaven upon Christ. Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Christ is our treasure.

Look here in Philippians chapter 4. Listen to what the apostle says in verse 6. Be careful for nothing. Don't fret and worry, bite your nails and paste the floor. But in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your request be made known to God. You don't have to rip your clothes off and scream and holler, just tell God what you need. Just let God know what your heart's desire is. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts. Lindsay preached on this a while back and he told you that word keep means the peace of God will be a sentinel around your hearts. It'll be a guard. The peace of God will keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Finally, my brethren, whatsoever things are true, I can't think of but one thing, and that's Christ. Whatsoever things are honest, I can't think of but one thing, the things of Christ. Whatsoever things are just. The only thing I can think of perfectly just is the justice of God in the saving of our souls. Whatsoever things are pure. I only know one pure person, one pure thing. Do you know another? Whatsoever things are lovely, really lovely. whatsoever things are of good report. If there be any virtue, if there be any praise, oh, there he is, in Christ the Redeemer. Think on these, set your heart on these things. Set your affection on things above. Jesus Christ the Lord.

The Lord Jesus Christ is all in the thoughts of his people and he's all in the house of So that in the gathering of God's saints, in the church of God, both the foundation and the head is Jesus Christ the Lord. Among the people of God, Christ is all and in all. In the worship of God's saints, both in private and in public, Christ is all. He is all in preaching. We preach not ourselves, but Christ. He is all in praise, so that we give praise only to Christ. He is all in our prayers so that we call upon God in the name of Christ, seeking the glory of Christ, seeking the things of Christ. Christ is all we have, all we want, all we proclaim, all we worship, and all we offer to men. Our services here are simple. God helping us to stay that way. We come here to preach Christ. Our only entertainment is Christ. Our only beauty and attraction is Christ. All our activities are service to Christ, the remembrance of Christ, and allegiance to Christ. In baptism, we identify with Christ. At the Lord's table, we remember Christ. In prayer, we call upon Christ. In singing, we praise Christ. In preaching, we proclaim Christ.

I looked over the papers yesterday and the day before. I always look to see what folks are preaching on. I don't know about anywhere else, but in Danville, Kentucky, and in Lexington, Kentucky, on this day, September 8th, 1996, according to all the advertisements in the local papers, every one of them, you can go to any church in any of these two cities and hear a sermon on any subject imaginable except Christ. Go look at your paper. Just go look at your paper. Read the billboards on the church buildings as you go home. You can go to any church anywhere here, any sermon on anything imaginable except Christ. If it ever happens that this should come to pass in this place, may God be pleased to scatter this congregation to the four winds and tear this building from limb to limb. We preach Jesus Christ. That's what it is to proclaim the gospel.

Christ is all in our hope before God. His obedience as our substitute is the basis of our hope. His coming is the fulfillment of our hope. It's called the blessed hope of the great and glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior. His presence will be the object of our hope. Then shall I be satisfied when I awake with thy likeness. What satisfaction? Well, I've rambled too much. Christ, in all his fullness and glory, is all the heaven I want, desire, or hope to enjoy. To awake in his likeness means, James Lee, that we will awake one day Perfectly conformed to him, in perfect communion with him, perfectly concentrated to him.

What think ye of Christ? Be honest with yourself. What is Christ to you? Is he nothing? For some of you, he's nothing. I'm aware of that. and all my preaching and all our prayer all our admonition and all our instruction will never make him anything to you but he'll come and make himself known to you he'll be all to you too is he something to you? for some of you I fear Christ the son You make a little room for Him. You seek to do His will, somewhat. You seek to worship Him when you can. You kind of fit Him into your life. He's something. Kind of important to you. You wouldn't want to do without Him altogether. But I've got news for you. If Christ is just something to you, for God's people, Christ is all. If Christ is our all, then we're all one in Him. We have renounced all for Him. We all have the same attitude toward Him. Unto you therefore which believe He is precious. May God give us grace. Oh, may God give us grace to live for him. Christ is all. God's given him preeminence in all things, particularly. Christ is preeminent among his people. Amen.

The Pre-eminence of Christ Among His People

What does the Bible say about the preeminence of Christ?

How do we know Jesus Christ is sufficient for salvation?

Why is Christ central to the believers' life?

What does it mean for Christ to be our peace?

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The Pre-eminence of Christ Among His People

What does the Bible say about the preeminence of Christ?

How do we know Jesus Christ is sufficient for salvation?

Why is Christ central to the believers' life?

What does it mean for Christ to be our peace?

Sermon Transcript

About Don Fortner

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