Is Jesus Enough?
Steve, at “Theological Musings Blog“, examines the question of whether or not Jesus is enough in his post “Jesus and All“. I think this question is especially crucial in studying the church. What does it take for us to accept someone or to welcome them into fellowship? Is Jesus enough? Steve says,
Let’s face it. Any of these areas being emphasized run the danger of turning our faith into “Jesus…and allâ€. Paul wrote that he wanted to know “Jesus and him crucified.â€
I think there is a need among Christians today to return to the basic knowledge of Jesus and let everything else center around that. Let’s not be guilty of having “Jesus…and allâ€, unless by “and all†we are talking about the life and inheritance that we receive in Christ!
Since Steve posted this, I’ve been thinking about the implications. We should desire for people to mature in Christ, but does that always mean what we think? Does maturing in Christ mean coming around to agree with us? Is Jesus enough?
Paul said he was willing to lose everything in order to know Christ. Paul wanted to know Christ in everything, even in suffering. (Philippians 3:8-11) Is Jesus enough?
I’ve talked to, debated with, disagreed with other believers over many different issues. But, what about Jesus? Why do our conversations and our fellowship not focus more on the person of Jesus and the grace and life we have through Him? Why do we argue over points that are trivial when compared to our shared existence in Christ? Is Jesus enough?
Yes, Jesus is enough, and I think that the Ephesians church got this very message from Paul here:
20 Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations— 21 “Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle,†22 which all concern things which perish with the using—according to the commandments and doctrines of men? 23 These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.
Oops, I meant Colossian church. 🙂
And I find it interesting the use of didiskalia there…
I second Bryan’s words, and add to it Paul’s words to the Galatians: “But now after you have known God, or rather are known by God, how is it that you turn again to the weak and beggarly elements, to which you desire again to be in bondage? For you observe days and months and seasons and years.” (Gal 4:9-10).
Also, Paul’s words elsewhere: “In Him we live and move and have our being.” “He who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.” “When Christ, who is our life appears…”
And Jesus’ words about abiding. “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless is abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.”
I think Christian maturity isn’t something we strive to attain. It’s something that comes progressively and naturally as we focus on the Person, Jesus. This is really why I brought up Mary and Martha the other day in the “Listening, learning, serving…” conversation. I don’t think there’s a “balance” between resting/abiding and serving/maturing. In other words, I don’t see life in Christ as “sometimes resting and sometimes serving.” Rather, I see life in Christ as resting and abiding, with the natural outflow or fruit being serving and maturing. In other words, I see life in Christ as a constant state of resting at His feet, with Him working in and through us to produce His very own fruit (not our own fruit that we somehow think we produce for Him).
Not only is Jesus enough, He’s all. 🙂
Alan,
How my heart resonates with your, and your correspondents, words.
Less than a minute would have passed until I turned to your blog from writing to a grieving couple,pointing out this very great truth.
We are, and have, absolutely nothing apart from Christ! He is indeed our all in all!
Thanks for the link and the accompanying thoughts, Alan.
I’m just now starting to really see a picture of what it means to focus on Jesus.
We do a lot of things that are about Jesus. And we do a lot of things that we think are for Jesus. But Joel said it very well above. We need to rest — to abide — in Jesus.
Nothing else matters. Or, to put it in a more positive way, everything else falls into place when we abide in Him.
We are in Him, and He is in us.
“My grace is sufficient for you.”
Bryan,
Ephesians… Colossians… hey, at least you said it was from Paul 😉
It is so easy to subject ourselves to regulations, isn’t it? And, it is so much easier to subject others to regulations.
Joel,
I agree. If everything we are is in Christ, and everything we have is in Christ, and everything we need is in Christ, why do we always WANT something else? (This is rhetorical…)
Aussie John,
Yes, Jesus is our all in all, whether we realize it and live like it or not.
Steve,
Thank you for the original post. I hope things go well (“falls into place”) with the production.
David,
“Sufficient” is a strong term. That means his grace is all that we need. That is such a freeing concept!
-Alan