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Christ, the Word of the Lord

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20130122_christthelord

The servants of God are not to speak whatever they like, they are commissioned to proclaim Christ. To proclaim Him:

1. IN THE SAVING OF HIS GRACE

“The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.” (1 Timothy 1:15)

We are to proclaim Christ in the saving of His grace. When a fallen world continues to cry out for a Savior, we know that the Savior has already done His work on the cross and is coming back in the fullness of time. This message never gets old, and we should always proclaim the message of this grace.

2. IN THE STRENGTH OF HIS POWER

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes…” (Romans 1:16)

We are to proclaim Christ in the strength of His power. The gospel is the power of God. It is about the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross, His empty tomb, and what these both accomplished. It’s not about man’s message—mine nor yours—it’s about God’s message. It’s about His sovereign grace and might to save undeserving sinners.

3. IN THE CLAIM OF HIS LORDSHIP

“For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.” (2 Corinthians 4:5)

We are to proclaim Christ in the claim of His Lordship. Jesus is more than a buddy or homeboy; He is Lord of all, including you and me.

4. IN THE SUFFICIENCY OF HIS SUBSTITUTION

“And the eunuch said to Philip,’About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?’ Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus.” (Acts 8:35)

We are to proclaim Christ in the sufficiency of His substitution. When Philip was preaching the gospel to the eunuch, he did not add to its message nor did he take away from it. The message is Jesus and His good news to sinners. This substitutionary act of atonement is sufficient. We cannot add anything to this good news! As Jesus said, “It is finished!”

5. IN THE FORGIVING OF HIS LOVE

“Let it be known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses.” (Acts 13:38-39)

We proclaim Christ in the forgiving of His love. It is through the love of God and the obedience of Christ that any man can find forgiveness before a holy God.

6. IN THE POWER OF HIS RESURRECTION

“…they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead.” (Acts 4:2)

We proclaim Christ in the power of His resurrection. As Paul has said, “if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. (1 Corinthians 15:14)” But indeed, Christ has risen from the dead; thus, our preaching has power from God and our faith is in the one true God.

7. IN THE GLORY OF HIS PERSON

“proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance.” (Acts 28:31)

We proclaim Christ in the glory of His person. There is no glory that can rival the glory of God in Christ. The world and its men will boast of their own glory. Yet all these things will whither and fade, but the word of God will stand—unfading—forever (1 Peter 1:25).

8. IN THE COMING OF HIS KINGDOM

“And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” (Matthew 24:14)

We proclaim Christ in the coming of His kingdom. Yes, this world groans. But the story is not over—not yet.

What about you? Would you add any thoughts to those above? Or can you think of anything else that we should proclaim of Christ?

Comments

  2. To the world, we should proclaim Jesus’ blood as atonement for sins (I Corinthians 15:3-4). To fellow members of the body of Christ, we should proclaim Christ’s gift of mystery doctrine for our edification. Thus, Christ completes God’s will for all men to be saved and to come unto the knowledge of the truth (I Timothy 2:4).

  3. To proclaim Him …..”IN THE SIGHT OF GOD IN CHRIST” 2 Corinthians 2:17

    As the apostle Paul teaches we are not, as so many, pedling the word of God (it is not a cheap merchandise); but as of sincerity, but as from God in His sight we speak and so we are to our God by the testimony of the Lord Jesus within us and by it being spoken, the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. 2 Corinthians 2:15

    An aside – a personal testimony of Tuesday 22 Jan 2013 NZ time, by His grace and love.

    I awoke at 4.45am to depart early to catch a flight from Auckland to Christchurch for business. As I awoke a clear vision of the face of Canon J. John from England was before me and seemed not to depart. As I showered and traveled to the airport, memory of J. John speaking on NZ Shine (Christian) TV network were brought to my mind, on how he had sought to be a witness on an airline flight – I think to Australia – describing his work to an inquiring person as being employed in the biggest organisation in the world, employed to help others.

    Anyway with this in mind, taking no luggage on board the flight other than my NKJV New Testament English and Japanense Bible, I took my seat. I’ll try and be brief…

    Having read the word for an early devotion and than dozing on the little more than 1hr flight, about 10minutes before landing the lady on my right made comment on my bible, she found its condition intruiging. So joyfully I shared with her how last July it was stolen (with the contents of my car), only to be found and returned to me some 2 months later, having been discarded in some bushes, weathered in the rain and soiled by the dirt. I was able to share how God by the Lord Jesus had answered my prayer returning to me what was of value, including my prayer journal. Thank you God for J. John’s testimony and bringing this to mind.

    I praise God J.John and the Blue Letter Bible teachers as well as Shine TV for the wonderful ways in which the Lord Jesus leads by His Holy Spirit through His people. Truly I have been wonderfully encouraged & blessed this week by our Lord’s grace through you.

    Please pray for Diana (the lady’s name), that the word I shared may become to her the aroma leading to life. 2 Corinthians 2:16

    Thank you Chris, I find your writings good food.

    Blessings in Christ – Mark Hayes NZ

  4. Brothers and Sisters,

    I greet you in the name of Jesus our Lord and God our Father!

    Jesus is the firstborn of many brethren and from among the dead as we read in Romans 8:29 and in Colossians 1:18,

    “For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn* among many brothers and sisters. (NLT)”

    “Christ is also the head of the church, which is his body. He is the beginning, supreme over all who rise from the dead.* So he is first in everything. (NLT)”

    We are joint hiers with Him and will be invited to sit on His throne with Him (Rev 3:21).

    The ministry of Reconciliation that He had been given from our Father, Yahweh, He gave to His Apostles and to us. We see this in 2 Corinthians 5:18, “Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation (NKJV)”

    Just as Jesus was the LOGOS or Word of God expressed (John 1:18)and so are we. The word Logos has a lot of meanings and what I am pointing out here is that we are the expression of God our Father too and continue on the works of our Father just as Jesus did while on earth.

    God delights in us just as He delighted in His Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration (Mat 17:5, 2 Peter 1:17)and He dwells in the praises of His people.

    Let us therefore be good sons of God and be the Word of God expressed in all we say and do!

    Keep Loving our Father with all your hearts and mind and soul brothers and sisters!

    Much Agape and Grace to each one,
    AB

    • Andybob~

      I have a few comments about one of your paragraphs in which you wrote, “Just as Jesus was the LOGOS or Word of God expressed (John 1:18) and so are we. The word Logos has a lot of meanings and what I am pointing out here is that we are the expression of God our Father too and continue on the works of our Father just as Jesus did while on earth.”

      I know you mean well and that you are trying to share insights about God’s Word, but you have not rightly divided the Word (II Tim. 2:15), a Word that God gave us so that His exact truth (Heb. 4:12) would go forth as He purposed. Coming out of Mormonism, I know first hand how our enemy can use just a little slight variation to breach the truth of God’s Word in order to put forth his agenda which is to cast doubt upon the revealed Word in order to add and subtract from it. Although you have put forth one truth, you have wrongly attached it to another truth, and while it may seem insignificant, there is an eternal difference in what you have said. You are correct when you say that we are to “continue on the works of our Father just as Jesus did while on earth.” Where you are wrong is in your comment that “Just as Jesus was the LOGOS or Word of God expressed (John 1:18)…so are we,” and you have tried to give validity to this supposed similarity by saying that “The word Logos has a lot of meanings.” Yes, this word “Logos” does have a lot of meanings, and because of that fact, we know that there is an eternal difference between Jesus being the expression, or Logos, of God and what believers do in carrying out God’s works as Jesus did. Below are three definitions of what is meant by Jesus being the Logos:

      Strong’s:
      In John, denotes the essential Word of God, Jesus Christ, the personal wisdom and power in union with God, his minister in creation and government of the universe, the cause of all the world’s life both physical and ethical, which for the procurement of man’s salvation put on human nature in the person of Jesus the Messiah, the second person in the Godhead, and shone forth conspicuously from His words and deeds.

      Thayer’s:
      In John, denotes the essential Word of God, Jesus Christ, the personal wisdom and power in union with God, his minister in creation and government of the universe, the cause of all the world’s life both physical and ethical, which for the procurement of man’s salvation put on human nature in the person of Jesus the Messiah, the second person in the Godhead, and shone forth conspicuously from His words and deeds.

      Vine’s:
      I) “The Personal Word,” a title of the Son of God; this identification is substantiated by the statements of doctrine in Jhn 1:1-18, declaring in verses Jhn 1:1, 2

      (1) His distinct and superfinite Personality,
      (2) His relation in the Godhead (pros, “with,” not mere company, but the most intimate communion),
      (3) His deity; in Jhn 1:3 His creative power; in Jhn 1:14 His Incarnation (“became flesh,” expressing His voluntary act; not as AV, “was made”), the reality and totality of His human nature, and His glory “as of the only begotten from the Father,” RV (marg., “an only begotten from a father”), the absence of the article in each place lending stress to the nature and character of the relationship; His was the Shekinah glory in open manifestation; Jhn 1:18 consummates the identification: “the only-begotten Son (RV marg., many ancient authorities read “God only begotten,”), which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him,” thus fulfilling the significance of the title “Logos,” the “Word,” the personal manifestation, not of a part of the Divine nature, but of the whole Deity (see IMAGE).
      The title is used also in 1Jo 1:1, “the Word of life” combining the two declarations in Jhn 1:1, 4 and Rev 19:13 (for 1Jo 5:7 see THREE).

      As you can see, there is something very specific about the relationship between the word Logos and Jesus, a relationship that has absolutely no correlation, whatsoever, to who or what believers are as sons and daughters of God.

      I hope this has helped and that you will have a blessed day.
      Barbara

  5. Hi Chris~

    The “moderation” comment seems to be following me around! 🙂

    Yours in Christ~
    Barbara