0775. Christianity–Where Christ Is All in All
Christianity–Where Christ Is All in All
The Person of Christ, Our Preaching (2Co_4:5).
The Passion of Christ, Our Promptings (Joh_2:17).
The Presence of Christ, Our Power (Luk_8:46).
Christianity is Christ. Christianity is not a theory about Christ; it is not a series of ethical statements proceeding from Christ; it is not a system builded upon the concepts of Christ–Christianity is Christ.
Christianity is not a cold, dead organization, it is a living organism, and it could not survive the loss of Christ, its living, vital Head, any more than a human body could survive the loss of its head. Herein lies the chief distinction between Christianity and all world-religions. Buddhism survived the loss of Buddha; Confucianism has thrived since the departure of Confucius; Mohammedanism almost profited by the death of Mohammed; Christian Science could spare Mrs. Eddy and Russellism could spare Russel, but Christianity is wholly dependent upon the risen, ascended and seated Lord. The One Who was, and Who is, and Who is coming–the Living One, is inseparable from the Christian’s faith.
Christianity can no more be compared with other cults, than Jesus Christ can be compared with other persons. Christ is the incomparable One; He stands as far above men as the heavens are above the earth. So also is Christianity incomparable. It stands on a plane as far removed from the plane of human religions as the east is removed from the west.
The Word of God is the basis of Christianity. That Word is Christ. From Genesis through Revelation the Scriptures present the Lord Jesus. On the Emmaus road Christ began with Moses and in the Prophets and in the Psalms He opened up the things concerning Himself.
The whole plan of salvation is summed up in Christ. God wrought out our redemption and obtained for us our pardon, in Christ. God works out our sanctification, a life of yielded victory, by Christ in, and God will work out our glorification with Christ, when He comes back to receive us unto Himself.
Thus, in Christianity, whether in salvation from sin’s curse, or in salvation from sin’s power, or in salvation from sin’s presence, it is all made possible in and through Christ. It is Christ on the Cross, or else it is Christ at the Father’s right hand, or else it is Christ coming in the clouds of Heaven. It is always Christ.
There is no place in Christianity, whether in salvation, in service or in the daily walk that the believer can press his way apart from Christ.
Even in the line of ethics, the ethics of Christianity are incomparably higher than the ethics of other religions. Their ethics are possible of attainment, the ethics of Christ are impossible–that is, the latter are impossible apart from the Christ Who gave them. No one can, for instance, live the life outlined in the beatitudes or, the life outlined in the Book of Philippians, apart from the indwelling and the empowering Christ.
In Christianity, wherever one may turn, Christ is the inevitable One. He is forever inseparable from the faith once for all delivered. Apart from Him all is loss; apart from Him there is darkness and there is death. In Him all is gain; in Him is light; in Him is life and in Him all things consist. Let us now consider our first suggestion:
Autor: R.E. NEIGHBOUR