After talking to the Colossians about their salvation and telling them that they have their redemption and forgiveness in Christ, he goes on to describe how superior Christ is. He describes the preeminence of Christ for six straight verses. Why? Because Christ should be everything to us. He is our only hope and should be the foundation and core of our faith.
This is personal.
We are not members of a religion. We are followers of the person Christ.
"For God so loved the world, that he sent..." The verse doesn't say he sent a set of teachings, or he sent organized religion. His people already had these things. They had religion but they didn't have life because they didn't have Christ.
Christ should be everything to us. We pledge our allegiance to him. We dedicate ourselves to him. We abide in him and his teachings, and we lay our lives down at his feet. He gives us life.
Jesus is our religion.
I am not putting down the church or doctrine, but it needs to be in its rightful place. We don't worship the church or teachings. We worship Christ and follow him. Does that lead to our obedience? Of course, but Jesus doesn't care if we follow this or that rule if we are not following him.
I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. - John 10:9
Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." - John 14:6
From Your Fellow Servant,
Steven McFadden
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