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Hoyte Nelson's Poems/ Reflections & Biblical Essays
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Essay Christ Is All I Need (Highlight for emphasis)
There is a popular church chorus that is called, “Christ is all I
need.” This truth is expressed most vividly in Paul’s letter to the
Colossian Church wherein he said, “For in him (Jesus) dwells
all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and you are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power”
(Colossians 2: 9,10a): [Father, Son and Holy Spirit].
For us to understand the reality of being complete
in Christ, we must first understand that He is ONE with the Father; the
prophet Isaiah referred to Him as our “Emmanuel;” that is “God with us”
(Isaiah 7: 14). Jesus said, “I
and my Father are one” (John 10: 30b); Therefore, Jesus is God, and as God, He
is “all I need.” “…For God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto
Himself…” wrote the Apostle Paul (2 Corinthians 5:19)
The following scriptures, recorded by the Apostle John, will be helpful
in our understanding the above stated truth: “Then said they (the disciples)
unto him, where is thy Father? Jesus answered, you neither know my Father, nor
me: if you had known me, you should have known my Father also” (John 8: 19).
Jesus said, “I and my Father are one.” (John 10: 30). God,
in the person of Jesus Christ, came to this earth, clothed in human flesh
(Incarnate) in order to reveal Himself to the likeness of you and me. He came
from heaven to earth as a “babe in a manger;” where He took unto Himself the
form of a man that He might redeem us from our sins. This
great truth is borne out in the words of the Apostle Paul in His letter to the
Philippians when He wrote: “Although He existed in the form of God, (He) did
not regard (His) equality with God a thing to be grasped (by you and me), but
emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and
being made in the likeness of men; Being found in appearance as a man, He
humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a
cross” (Philippians 2: 6-8) (Parenthesis mine] We might ask, why? Why did He
come in a body of flesh? The
first thing He did was this: He satisfied the demands of the Holy Law in our
stead because of our helplessness we could not fulfill it. Jesus said, “Do not
think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish
but to fulfill (On our behalf). For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth
pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all
is accomplished” (Matthew 5: 17,18). We, as humans-beings, are unable to keep
God’s Holy Law of commandments because of a sinful nature inherited from our
first parents (Adam and Eve); therefore, in our place, Jesus fulfilled it’s
every demand, that we, by faith in Him, might be redeemed (saved) from the
Law’s demands. The
second thing He did on our behalf was this: He went to the Cross and paid the
penalty due each one of us. He not only has fulfilled the Law for us, but He
personally paid the penalty for our sins. (But that’s not all, continue…) The
third thing that He did was this: He, following His resurrection, ascended back
to the Father where He now represents each of us before the throne of God; that
we, by faith in Him, we might be assured of eternal salvation “On the Day”
(1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. The
fourth thing that He did was this: He gives to each believer the gift of the
Holy Spirit as our comforter and our guide. Jesus said to His disciples just
before He returned to heaven, “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give
you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever; Even
the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not,
neither knoweth him: but you know him; for he dwells with
you, and shall be in you”(speaking
of Pentecost); I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. Yet
a little while and the world seeth me no more, but you see me: because I live,
you shall live also. At that day
you shall know that I am in the Father, and
you in me, and I in you” (John 14: 16-20). Christ
is all I need today: “For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead
bodily:” God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit! (Colossians 2:
9) [Now read John1: 1-18 for a more complete understanding of who Jesus is.
“Christ” is all I need for Eternity: This is the most comforting truth to ever enter the mind and heart of man as we face the reality of our own humanity. The question often asked is this: “How can we make it” The truth is, we can’t. If we lived a million years, we could not possibly make it; otherwise, why then did Jesus suffer and die on the cross for our sins? There is one simple truth that must be understood, and that truth is this: Salvation is by God’s grace, or by man’s works. Either you make it alone without Him, or, He made it alone for you. There is not but one way to heaven, and that way is Jesus. He, himself said, “I am the way” (John 14: 6).
If you ask, “is this the whole story,” the answer is” Oh no!”
this is really the end of the story. The story began
in the Garden of Eden where our father Adam sinned against God, and as a result
of that sin, Adam and all his heirs became separated from God. Because we
inherited Adam’s sin nature; subsequently, we all sin, and as sinners, we are
in need of a Savior!
Now, here is the amazing story: God did not leave Adam without hope. He
gave him a promise; renewed that promise with Abraham, and fulfilled that
promise in Jesus Christ. And from Adam’s day until this day, all people
(Israel, the Jew, and the Gentile) who look to that promise in faith, God has
said, It’s OK! He forgives all who trust in Jesus for forgiveness; this is
called “Grace” (Ephesians 2: 8). It is not by works lest we should take the
credit for it! (Ephesians 2: 9) “To
God be the glory, great things HE has done. (Hymn) Again: “But when the
kindness of God our Savior and His love
for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done
in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and
renewing by the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3: 4,5).
It is true that this is a long historical story. It begins in Genesis and
continues all through the Bible, and will not end until the last trumpet sounds.
When that last Trumpet sounds, all the host of heaven will then sound the
praises of the “One Who is; Who was, and is to come, the Almighty. Even the
lost, though doomed to an eternal hell, will bow their faces to Him in
acknowledgment of His sovereignty. Then He will bring to a close all the things
pertaining to this world; “nevertheless, according to His promise, we look for
new heavens and a new earth where righteousness dwells” (2 Peter 3: 9-13). He
made it simple: He took my place on the cross, and when I trusted Him as God’s
substitute for my sins; He credited to me His righteousness; therefore, in
judgment I will not be ashamed. It’s called, “The Gospel” (Good News).
(Romans 1: 16) But
you may ask, where do I begin? The answer is (in effect), “on your knees!”
When the truth of the Bible story becomes a reality in your heart and mind; that
is, you see yourself hopelessly lost apart from Jesus Christ. Then just humbly
ask Him to forgive your sins. He will save you just as He has promised, and you
will that very moment receive God’s Gift of Salvation in Jesus Christ as
promised. (Not based upon feeling, but based upon faith. (“feeling” is the
by-product) Just pray this prayer: “Lord Jesus, I confess that I am a sinner;
forgive me of my sins; I now trust you, and you alone, as my personal Saviour.
Thank you Lord, Amen!” Is that all, no, that’s only the beginning; when we
come to Christ in faith, God gives to each of us the Gift of His Holy Spirit,
and we become a new person “in Christ.” And as a new person in Christ, we
begin a faith-walk with Him. We often fail, but He is always there to forgive.
It is a father-child relationship, secure in Him! As
a babe in Christ, we will begin our new journey in faith with the Bible as our
guide. We will sometimes stumble as a new babe in Christ; however, don’t feel
defeated, we all fail, but Jesus has promised to never leave us or forsake us.
We belong to Him now. He is our intercessor before the righteous throne of God,
and pleads the blood of Calvary on our behalf. As our advocate, He has never
lost a case, nor will He ever lose one of His own, purchased on the cross. It
is now and forever a faith walk “in Christ,” not a walk of faith in our
accomplishments, He secured forever our salvation in His life, death, and
resurrection. I repeat the words of Paul, It’s “Not by works of
righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saves us…”
(Titus3: 8). We either trust in our own good works, or we trust in His on our
behalf. We make the choice, TRUST HIM! An
old Hymn says, “Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe, sin had left a crimson
stain; He washed it white as snow. For nothing good have I; whereby Thy grace to
claim; I’ve washed my garments white, in the blood of Calvary’s Lamb. Jesus
paid it all…” |