Christ Is All

Q: What does the Bible say about Christ being all?

The Bible teaches that Christ is the essence of our relationship with God and salvation, as expressed in Colossians 3:11. Colossians 3:11 clearly states that in this new creation, Christ is everything; He is all and in all. This underscores the foundational belief that no nationality, religious works, or social status can elevate anyone above others in the eyes of God—only Christ matters. He is not just a part of our faith but the very essence of it, signifying that all aspects of our existence, from our justification to our everyday lives, find meaning and purpose in Him. The idea that 'Christ is all' encapsulates the heart of Christian theology, emphasizing that apart from Him, we have nothing.

Q: How do we know Christ is central to salvation?

We know Christ is central to salvation through Scripture, which states that there is no salvation apart from Him (Acts 4:12). Scripture affirms that salvation comes exclusively through Christ. Acts 4:12 proclaims that there is no other name given under heaven whereby we must be saved, emphasizing that Jesus Christ is our only hope for redemption. Additionally, the teachings of Jesus Himself supported this truth; He stated, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but by Me' (John 14:6). This exclusivity of Christ in the salvation process highlights the essential belief in sovereign grace theology, which recognizes that our reconciliation with God hinges solely upon the person and work of Christ.

Q: Why is Christ essential in Christian worship?

Christ is essential in Christian worship as He is the focus of all true worship and mediates our relationship with God. In Christian worship, Christ is central because it is through Him that we have access to God. Hebrews 10:19-20 illustrates how we can enter the presence of God by the blood of Jesus, emphasizing that our prayers and acts of devotion hinge upon Christ's mediation. Without His presence and work, our worship would be rendered meaningless. The focus of worship is not merely on rituals or traditions but on the acknowledgment of Christ's sacrificial death and victorious resurrection, which allows us to approach God with confidence. As Ephesians 2:18 states, through Him, we both have access by one Spirit to the Father, reinforcing that any genuine worship is inherently Christ-centered.

I'm reading today from the book
of Colossians. If you'd like to follow, open
your Bible to Colossians 3, verse 11, in which Paul says, You have
put on the new man, there's been a new creation, the new man,
which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him who created
him. And where there's no nationality,
that is, neither Greek nor Jew, there are no religious works,
neither circumcision nor uncircumcision, no social status, nor barbarian-Scythian
bond nor free, but where Christ is all and in all, this new man,
renewed in knowledge, after the image of God who created him. In this new man, there's no nationality,
Greek or Jew, no religious work, circumcision or uncircumcision,
no social status based on education, wealth, wisdom, power, so and
so, but Christ is all and in all. Now, that's my text. Christ
is all and in all. That's my subject. Christ is
all. and in all. And that's my creed,
Christ is all and in all. And my friends, that's my hope,
that Christ is all and in all. Now, these words are few, Christ
is all. They're short, one syllable,
Christ is all. And quickly spoken, Christ is
all. But these six words contain great,
great things. These six words are the very
essence and substance of Christianity, true Christianity. These words
are the very essence and substance of our relationship with God
and our hope of life eternal. Christ is all and in all. And if we can understand these
six words and enter into what they're actually saying, do you
know what this is saying? Christ is all, not you. nor anyone
else, nor anything else, but Christ is all. In this new creation, in this
new man, in this creation by God, Christ is all and in all. And if we can enter into the
meaning of those words, it's well with our souls. If we cannot
enter into the meaning of those words, we have a lot to learn.
Christ is all. The Scriptures are clear on this
subject. In John 3, 35, the Scripture says, The Father loveth the Son,
and hath given all things into his hand. All things. Ephesians 1, 22 says, The Father
hath put all things under his feet. And the Father hath given
him to be the head of all things. And Colossians 2, 9 says, In
him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. Christ
is all and in all. Let me take you back a little
ways and then bring you right up to this present. First of
all, Jesus Christ is all in the first creation. We talked about
the new man created in the image of God made by this new creature,
this new man. Well, in the old creation, in
the first creation, Christ is all because He's before all things. He prayed in John 17. He said, Father, glorify Thou
me with the glory which I had with Thee before the world was. Christ is before all things.
I'm talking about Jesus Christ. I'm talking about Jesus of Nazareth. He didn't begin His existence
in Bethlehem's manger. He came into the world. Christ
Jesus came into the world. He that ascended is He that descended. The Word of God was made flesh
and dwelt among us. And then Proverbs 8 says this,
When there were no depths, I was brought forth. When there were
no fountains abounding with water, Before the mountains were settled,
before the hills were brought forth, when God prepared the
heavens, I was there. That's Christ speaking. Revelation
3.14 says, Jesus Christ is the beginning of the creation of
God. Whatever that means, I really
don't know. But I know that He's before all
things. Not only is He before all things,
but all things were made by Him. That's what John said in John
1. He said, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was
with God, and the Word was God, and all things were made by Him.
And without Him was not anything made that was made. Colossians
1.16 says, By Him were all things made that are in heaven, earth,
under the earth, visible and invisible, principalities, powers,
whatever. All things were made by Him.
and for him. And continues on in that same
chapter, Colossians 1, and says he upholds all things. By him all things exist and consist. And then he has power and authority
over all things. He said in Matthew 28, I have
all authority in heaven and earth. Told his disciples to go preach
the gospel. because you represent one who
has all authority in heaven and earth. He prayed in John 17 again,
Father, thou hast given me power over all flesh. Jesus Christ
I'm talking about. He's all. He has the keys of
hell and death. Did you know that? That's what
the Bible said. King of kings and Lord of lords. He's the heir
of all things. Listen to Hebrews 1, 2. God has
in these last days spoken to us by his Son whom he hath appointed
heir of all things." Christ is all. He's before all
things. By Him all things were made.
For Him all things were made. He upholdeth all things by the
word of His power. By Him all things consist. He
has power and authority over all things and all creatures.
He has all authority in heaven and earth. Everything belongs
to Him because the Father has given it to Him. The Father loves
the Son and has given all things into His hands. Did you know
that? Preacher, are you talking about
Jesus, sweet little Jesus, poor little Jesus, and so forth that
preachers are talking about pitiful Jesus? Yes, sir. But that's not
the Jesus I'm talking about. I'm talking about the victorious,
conquering, seated, reigning, King of kings, Lord of lords,
whose name Jesus Christ. He's all things in the old creation,
in the first creation. But come a little further down
the line, He's all things in the new creation. Christ is all
in the new creation. Here's seven things you need
to consider. I'll try to give them to you briefly. Christ is
all in the covenant. Now, the word covenant is in
the Bible over 300 times. We've got the covenant God made
with Adam, the covenant of works. There's a covenant with Noah.
There's a covenant with Moses. There's a covenant with David.
But the Bible talks about an everlasting covenant, everlasting
both ways. It's called a new covenant because
it's newly revealed. It's not newly established or
newly purposed. It's before all things. but it's
newly revealed. That which was given to Adam
had to be revealed first, and then grace in Christ revealed
secondly. Well, Jesus Christ is all in
that covenant, that everlasting covenant, that covenant of grace,
that new covenant, that covenant of the kingdom, that covenant
that shall be fulfilled, that covenant of mercy. He's all in
that covenant. He's the Lamb slain from the
foundation of the world. He's called the surety of the
new covenant. He's called the mediator of the
new covenant. He brought again from the dead
that great shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the everlasting
covenant. This is the covenant in which
David rejoiced when he was a dying. David said, although it be not
so with my house, God hath made with me a covenant, ordered in
all things and sure. And this is all my salvation
and all my desire. He's the mediator of the New
Testament, the New Covenant. What is a testament? Well, a
last will and testament. You're familiar with that. Some
of you already have your last will and testament. It's not
in effect, is it? You say, of course not, Preacher.
I'm not dead. That's right. A testament is only in effect
when the testator dies. That's right, isn't it? Well,
a covenant is a testament. And this covenant of God's grace
is only in effect because the mediator, the testator, Christ
Jesus, died. And what He willed to us and
gave to us and purchased for us, He's given to us. And He's
seated on the throne to enforce His will and His testament. That last will and testament
you make could be defeated in court. It could be overturned.
and you'll be dead and can't do anything about it. But my
Lord lives, and He executes His own covenant and testament. Well,
He's everything in the testament, the covenant, and He's all in
election. He's the first elect. God calls
Him, my elect. The poet says this, Christ be
my first elect, God said, and then He chose His people in their
head. But Ephesians 1, Paul said, Blessed
be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed
us with all spiritual blessings in Christ, according as he chose
us in Christ, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of
sins through his blood. He's all in the covenant. He's
all in election. He's all in justification. Therefore,
being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our
Lord Jesus Christ. There's therefore now no condemnation
to them who are in Christ Jesus. Romans 8, 34 says, Who is he
that condemneth? It's Christ that died. Yea, rather,
is risen again, who is also exalted and who even makes intercession
for us. And then he's all in the putting
away of sin. Hebrews 9 says, Once in the end
of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice
of himself. When he had by himself purged
our sins, he sat down on the right hand of the majesty on
earth. You see what I'm saying? Christ is all in the covenant.
Christ is all in this thing of election. Christ is all in justification. Christ is all in the putting
away of sin. He was wounded for our transgression,
bruised for our iniquities. By His stripes we're healed.
He's all in righteousness. He's called in Jeremiah 23, 6,
the Lord our righteousness. 2 Corinthians 5, 21 says, He
was made sin for us who knew no sin, that we might be made
the righteousness of God in Him. And again, he says in Romans
10, 4, Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone
that believes. He's all. Christ doesn't make
a down payment and you pay the installment. He's all in the
covenant, in election, in justification, in righteousness, in the putting
away of sin, and in our acceptance with God. We are accepted in
the beloved. That's what the Scripture says.
Hebrews 4 says, Seeing we have such a great high priest, let
us come boldly before the throne of grace, that we may obtain
mercy and find grace to help in time of need. And Hebrews
10 says this, Having boldness, brethren, to enter into the holiest
by the blood of Jesus, by which he hath opened for us into God's
presence a new and living way through his flesh, through his
blood, He's all of our acceptance. We're accepted in the Beloved. And then He's all in salvation.
The Bible says, neither is there salvation in any other. There's
none other name unto heaven given among men whereby we must be
saved. Other foundation can no man lay
than that which is laid, Christ Jesus the Lord. He said, I'm
the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the Father but
by me. And God's going to judge the world. He's all in judgment.
The Father judges no man. He's committed all judgment to
the Son. And He has appointed a day in
which all men are going to be judged by that man, Christ Jesus,
whereof He's given witness to the whole world in that He raised
Him from the dead. And no man knoweth the Father
but the Son, and He to whom the Son will reveal Him. Christ is
all in salvation. I wish I could make that clear.
When a person speaks of a knowledge of God, it is an impossibility
apart from Christ. That's what I'm saying. When
a person talks about a relationship with God being accepted, in other
words, two can't walk together except they be agreed. And if
God accepts me to walk with Him as Enoch of old, how's He going
to accept me? Only in the Beloved. If God's
going to put away my sin, how is a just God, a holy God, a
righteous God going to put away my sins and still be just? Well,
He has set forth His Son to be a propitiation through faith
in His blood that He might be just and justifier, a just God
and a Savior. He's all in justification. Righteousness. Who's going to stand in His presence?
Who's going to ascend into the hill of the Lord? He's got clean
hands. a pure heart. We don't have that. Well, how
are we going to sin? How are we going to stand? Only
in Christ. So when one speaks of a knowledge
of God, a relationship with the living God, he must understand
that Jesus Christ is all from God, He's all to God, and He's
all with God. Is that clear? He's all from
God, The Father sent the Son to redeem us. He's all to God. No man cometh to the Father but
by Me. And He's all with God. God has
given Him a name above every name. There's a name of Jesus.
Every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that He's Lord.
Listen to John 5, 21. Listen to this. For as the Father
raiseth up the dead and quickeneth them, even so the Son quickeneth,
whomsoever he will. For the Father judgeth no man,
but he hath committed all judgment to the Son, that all men should
honor the Son as they honor the Father. He that honoreth not
the Son honoreth not the Father who sent him." Did I get that
across? He that honoreth not the Son.
on earth, not the Father that sent Him. Christ is all in salvation. And then thirdly, Jesus Christ
is all in the Scriptures. That's right. He's all in the
Scriptures, He's all in the Gospel, He's all in the ministry of God's
Word. It is Christ, it is of Christ that the Scriptures speak.
He said one day to the religious Pharisees, He said, you search
the Scriptures, You search the Scriptures. You're busy studying
the Scriptures. But they are they which testify
of Me. And you will not come to Me that
you might have life." What's the Scriptures all about? Christ. To Him give all the prophets
witness. Who are the prophets here? Well,
Moses, Job, Isaiah, Jeremiah, these are to Christ give all
the prophets witness. Moses wrote of me." They said,
we have Moses. He said, he wrote of me. It's Christ that the apostles
preached. Listen to these scriptures. Acts
5, daily in the temple, in every house, they ceased not to preach
Christ. Acts 8, 5, then Philip went down
to the city of Samaria and preached Christ. Acts 8.35, Then Philip
opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached
unto him Christ. Acts 10.36, Peter preached the
word, preaching Christ. He's Lord of all. Acts 11.20,
When they came to Antioch, they spake to the Greeks, preaching
the Lord Jesus Christ. The apostles preached Christ.
The scriptures preached Christ. It's Christ that I'm trying to
preach. God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of Christ.
I'm determined to know nothing among you save Jesus Christ and
Him crucified because He's all. Someone says, well, there's something
else to preach. Not if He's all there isn't. Whatever else you
preach, you preach in its relationship to Him. He's all. If I have Christ,
I have all. If I do not have Christ, whatever
I have, I have nothing that shall abide. It's Christ that we preach. We
preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord. It's Christ who
sends us to preach. As my Father sent me, so send
I you. You take Christ out of the gospel,
my friend, you have no gospel. You have no good news. Are you
in darkness? He's the light. Are you poor? He's our riches. Are you hungry? He's the bread. thirsty? He's the water of life. Are you
weary? Christ is our rest. Are you in
trouble? Christ is our peace. Are you
sick? He's the great physician. Are
you bound by sin? He came to set the captive free. Are you blind? Christ gives sight.
Are you lost? Christ came to seek and to save
the lost. Are you a sinner? He's the friend of sinners. Christ
is all. Come, you sinners, poor and needy,
weak and wounded, sick and sore. Jesus Christ is able to save
you, full of pity, love, and power. Come, you sinners, heavy
laden, bruised and mangled by the fall. If you wait till you're
better, you'll never come at all. Let not conscience make
you linger, nor fitness fondly dream. All the fitness He requires
is to feel your need of Him. Because He's all. He's all. And then next, Christ is all
in the ordinances. The ordinances. Baptism. What is baptism? Well, baptism
is nothing without Christ. It means nothing. It's a foolish,
foolish action without Christ. You see, baptism sets forth His
death. His burial and His resurrection.
Baptism sets forth when we're baptized, our burial with Him,
our death and burial and resurrection to walk in newness of life. That's
baptism. It's Christ. Death, burial and
resurrection. What's the Lord's table? Communion.
You take the wine and the bread. What is it? Without Christ, it's
nothing. Without Christ, it's a silly
thing. It's a superstitious thing without Christ because the bread
is His body broken for you. The wine is His blood shed for
you. What do we do? We show forth
His death till He comes. Why do we do it? In remembrance
of Him. The Lord's table is Christ. He's
all. Prayer. People engage in prayer
for various reasons, but real prayer without Christ is nothing. We pray in His name. We pray
by the help of His Spirit. We know not the things for which
we should pray except the Holy Spirit lead us. He's the only
Mediator. God says there's one Mediator
between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. Our prayers aren't
even heard except by Him, through Him, because of Him. Every gift
is through Him. Christ is all in the ordinances,
in worship, God said, let all the angels of God worship Him. He's the head of the church that
in all things He might have the preeminence. Tell you something
else, Christ is all in every grace we have. Paul said one
time, I labored more abundantly than all of you, yet not I, but
Christ in me. Everything we have is as a result
of His indwelling us. His goodness leads us to repentance.
Faith is His gift, gift of God. Love is shed abroad in our hearts
by the Holy Spirit. Hope, Christ is my hope. Life,
Christ who is our life, shall appear. Security, now unto Him
that's able to keep you from falling and to present you faultless
before His presence with exceeding joy. To the only wise God, our
Savior, Jesus Christ, our Lord, be honor and glory and power
both now and forever. My security, my rest, come unto
me, he said, I'll give you rest. Christ is all. So these are my
conclusions. If Jesus Christ is all and in
all to me, then the loss of anything or anyone in this world for his
sake is no loss at all, if he's all. I haven't really lost anything
unless I lose him, because he's all. If Jesus Christ is all to
me, then I can say with Jacob, I have everything. You know,
when he met Esau, tried to give him a gift, and Esau said, well,
I got plenty. And Jacob said, take it. I got everything. I've
got everything. I've got all. If Jesus Christ
is all to me, then the pleasures and the profits and the honors
of this world won't be nearly so interesting. Paul said, I
know how to be abased and I know how to abound. I know how to
suffer loss and I know how to hunger and I know how to have
plenty. I've been in all those conditions.
And it really doesn't matter either way because Christ is
all. If Jesus Christ is all to me, then when death comes and
I stand before God, I have no fear. In closing, listen. The moon and the stars shall
lose their light. The sun shall sink in endless
night. Heaven and earth shall pass away.
The works of nature shall all decay. But they to whom Christ
is all, though lost and ruined by the fall, shall see the danger
over past, shall stand the storm and live at last. For what Christ
said, must be fulfilled, and on this rock believers build. His blood will stand, His truth
prevail. Not one word, not one promise
shall ever fail." My friends, Christ is all and in all. Now I have this message on a
cassette tape. The two messages on this tape,
what is your life? What is your life? That's the
first message. Christ is all, and then all. If you want it,
send two dollars. Here's the address in just a
moment, and we'll mail it to you. Till we meet again, may
God bless you.

Christ Is All

What does the Bible say about Christ being all?

How do we know Christ is central to salvation?

Why is Christ essential in Christian worship?

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About Henry Mahan

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Christ Is All

What does the Bible say about Christ being all?

How do we know Christ is central to salvation?

Why is Christ essential in Christian worship?

Sermon Transcript

About Henry Mahan

Comments

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