Walking with a Different Focus

And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all [things] he might have the preeminence. Col 1:18


This verse helps us to maintain a proper focus. Our world is incredibly selfish and self-centered and it takes work for us to not fall into that mindset. Col. 1:18 tells us that Christ is first, both in time and in position.

• Time: Christ is not a created being; He is before all things. He is the son of God, indeed, He is God. He is ever-existent. He has no beginning and no end. He is before all things and He has the preeminence.
• Position: Jesus Christ has the greatest position. He is first in order of importance, first in priority. He stands supreme over all mankind, over all creation. He is far above even the angels. He is God.

As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, [so] walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. Col 2:6, 7

If we have been redeemed, God expects us to act like it. Unsaved man will act like unsaved man; Christians should act like Christians. Unfortunately, we often act more like unsaved man that we act like Jesus Christ.

• We do not simply accept the teaching of Christ, we accept Christ Himself. The work of redemption is not acquiescence to a creed, it is a complete, radical, change of being. If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (II Cor. 5:17). 
• A change of heart ought result in a change of life. When I truly accept Jesus Christ, I want to please and obey Him. I surrender and submit my will to His. In order to do His will, I need to know His will. That will only happen as I spend time studying His word.
• We are to be firmly rooted in the scripture as a tree planted by the rivers of water (Ps. 1) Being in Christ gives us life and that life gives us the strength, the roots to stand in this world amid the troubles and difficulties we encounter.
• Being in Christ gives us a firm foundation on which to stand in this world. We can not build a house that will endure the storms unless we set a firm foundation. It is God's word (both living and written) that gives us the ability to stand in this world and serve our God. We are not only rooted, we are built up in Him. We have a house built on the Rock.
• Redemption also makes us stablished in the faith. We are confirmed; there is no doubt, no wavering. We can have absolute certainty that He is the one true God and that He is worth of our trust.
• Paul often comments that his readers were taught, now they need to practice. Indeed, that is where we live. It is not that we do not know what to do; we need to practice what we do know.
• We should be abounding with thanksgiving. Are we honestly thankful for all that God has done for us through the work of redemption? I am afraid that often we take His gift for granted. If we are not thankful, do we really value His redemptive work on the cross as we should? Is it simply one more thing that we "believe," but that has not really affected us to the point of change?

If we are going to walk in Christ, we need to value Him above all others and be firmly established in our faith so that the cares of this world do not sway us. Even in scripture, we see examples of those who had Paul, or even Christ Himself, as a teacher and still they turned from Him and followed the path of the world. If we are going to walk Christ-like, we need to commit to Him and submit to Him.Today, again, I want to walk in Him and I trust that you do as well. Make Him the highest priority in life and do ALL to serve and please Him.