Have you ever wondered what your response would be if you were asked by someone whether a stranger or someone you know to talk to you about Jesus? Would it be a quick four points gospel presentation? A speech about what Jesus has done for you? How he makes you feel? Who he is? Who you are in him? This can be a random question but one that should be pondered upon because the answer should come from the heart and be aligned with the Bible. The truth is many of us who are Christians cannot really say who Jesus is. Yes, we know what he has done on the cross, we know certain things about him, but we can’t really talk about him that much because we do not have a personal relationship with him although we claim we do. In fact, our relationship status with Jesus might be classified as “complicated” simply because we loved him when he saved us from our brokenness yet after that salvation, we treat him like an outsider or even worse as a vending machine we go to only when we need a candy. If we claim to be believers in the LORD, we need to learn about Jesus, we need to fall in love with Jesus, he cannot just be our LORD and saviour, he also has to be our friend, the one with whom we have a relationship. Until we miss that part, our view of Jesus will never be complete. In today’s post, I would like to remind you to be ready like Peter asks us to, not because you want to have an answer but because Jesus is your all in all.
In his first letter to the church, Peter tells them to “set apart Christ as LORD. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have” (1 Peter 3:15). This command assumes that people will be intrigued enough to ask about the hope that Christians have when they live out their faith. Peter wants the church, that is all those who follow Jesus Christ to be ready to give an answer to those who ask not to convince them of anything but simply to tell things as they are with gentleness and respect. The goal is not to win an argument or to act “puffed up” but it is to give a reason for the hope we have because there is a reason. Christ is the reason for the hope we have. Christians, unlike other religious groups have Jesus Christ and he makes all the difference.
On one hand this Jesus is the son of God, God in the flesh, the one in whom all things hold together (Colossians 1:17); the one by whom and for who all things were created in heaven and in earth, the visible and invisible (Colossians 1:16); the one who is always first so that he might have pre-eminence in all things (Colossians 1:18); the one who has defeated death; the most beautiful one. On the other hand he is a man, a sinless man who has given his life for his friends – those who love and obey his commands; he is the man who suffered the punishment that all deserved; he incurred that pain because he wanted to reconcile us to the Father, because he wanted to bring us into the relationship he has had with the Father and the Holy Spirit from the very beginning. To be able to set apart Christ as LORD and give a reason for the hope we have, we need to see him in his fullness as much as we can. Some of us like to see Jesus only as a saviour, others only as a friend, still others only as a king but the reality is that Jesus is all that and more. The Bible portrays him in such high regard that you cannot just put him in a box.
I have been reading the book of Proverbs and of course wisdom is highlighted in that book, it is not called Wisdom literature for no reason, but I couldn’t help but see the parallelism between wisdom and Jesus. Colossians 2:3 tells us that in Christ, are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Proverbs tell us to get wisdom and pursue it like you would gold and riches (Proverbs 2:3-4; 4:7), it tells us to sell all that we have to get wisdom. Even Jesus said that the kingdom of God was like a treasure hidden in a field and when a man found it, he went to sell all that he had to buy that field (Matthew 13:44), talk about securing something! It is with that same stamina, and focus that we need to get wisdom, yet Colossians tells us that in Christ all the treasures of wisdom are hidden. My conclusion from this is that Christ is the one we have to pursue with all that we have. Just like we have to give our everything to get the kingdom of God, this is how we need to give our everything to know Christ. The most important commandment according to Jesus is to love the love with all your heart, soul, mind and strength (Mark 12:30). To be able to do that, you need to put your ALL into it. This is the one endeavour the Bible tells you to put all your eggs into. To know Christ is to know God Almighty, it is honestly a lifelong journey, indeed, it will take eternity to figure Him out.
Because there is so much distraction, so many things including our sin that steer us away from knowing God, from seeking after Him like foolishness, the Bible calls us to keep on the path of righteousness and fight to remain in it. This is where we need wisdom, understanding, humility, and the fruits of the Spirit to remain on the right path. How do we move from the theory we know to the application? How can our search for Christ be tangible? How can we actually put our all to seek Christ, the one in whom are hidden all treasures of wisdom and knowledge? I believe this begins with recognising that this is not possible on our own, that is, in our own strength and efforts but only possible by the Spirit of the living God. This means we can come to God in humility, relinquishing our ways and efforts and asking the grace to know Him; asking Him to put new desires in our hearts, to change us; confessing our sins before Him and learning to submit to His ways. When it comes to knowing Christ, we should always have a teachable spirit, we should be like children who are always willing to learn and always learning; we should be prioritizing Jesus in everything we do, big and small, knowing that we serve a God who actually cares about us down to the hair on our head. Therefore, set time aside daily to learn about Jesus whether it is Bible reading, a devotional, a book that draws you to Jesus or a sermon you watch, make a habit of searching him daily. Moreover, make prayer your daily food. This habit is one that is not used often by Christians though they know its importance or when it is used it is simply for petitions, not to seek the LORD. Let me encourage you to learn to pray the scriptures, the Psalms give us a good example of how to do that and third, be in community. Let likeminded believers sharpen you in your walk with the LORD. Know that isolation is not your friend even if you have fallen.
My encouragement today is that you remain a student of Jesus. When you think you have gotten him figured out, it is a sign for you that you need him more. Obey him like your life depends on it because it does. Keep obedience close to your heart and as you set boundaries and structure in your life that prioritize Jesus, I pray you increase in the knowledge of his will so that you may live a life worthy of the LORD and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work (Colossians 1:10). Amen!
A Word Aptly Spoken 