CHRIST IS EVERYTHING

To read the New Testament to try to find a pattern of form and function for the New Testament church is a mistake. This is where many believers and groups have gone astray. That is not their (the New Testament books) purpose, nor was it ever their purpose. One will seek in vain to find a clear pattern for how to do all things “church” and organization in the Book of Acts and in the Epistles.

The purpose of the New Testament writings is the revelation of Jesus Christ. Once you begin to look for anything other than a personal relationship with Him—how to develop and sustain it—you have gotten distracted into the realm of human philosophy. Systems and patterns and organizations are built upon human reasoning. The Book of Acts and the Epistles can be used to “support” anything anyone wants them to if they misuse it and “teach” people who do not have a good foundation in the doctrine of Christ. That is why there are so many different religious groups all claiming to follow the same Bible, who do not agree with one another. Jesus has been lost in the process. The focus must be kept upon Him or you strip the Bible of its power. The POWER is tied to the PURPOSE. You must read the Bible for the correct purpose—learning about and knowing Jesus.

The Bible talks about many things that have turned into “isms” among believers instead of being ways to focus upon Jesus personally. Since the Bible talks about sanctification and the kingdom of God and prophecy and Christians assembling together, people build human institutions around these doctrines. They become the dogmas of denominations and people are confused in the process. The reason that there is so much division in the religious world is because of a refusal to stop focusing on things like the second coming or the end times or speaking in tongues or baptism or church organization.

If we would steadfastly stay focused on Christ, the kind of division that we see in the world of Christendom would be impossible. None of these doctrines matter in and of themselves. They do not stand alone, and the moment you begin to be distracted by them, which manifests itself in thinking about these doctrines specifically separated from Christ Himself, then you play into the hands of the enemy, who wants you to think about anything other than Jesus.

Consider that there is so much talk today among Evangelicals about the “Kingdom of God.” It is certainly true that the Bible has much to say about God’s kingdom. Old Testament predictions and prophecies were made concerning it and the New Testament speaks of it as something coming up soon (Matthew 3:1-2; 4:17; Mark 9:1), then turns to speaking of it as a present reality in the epistles (Colossians 1:13). But as the story unfolds, and as more revelation is given throughout the New Testament record, we come to see that the kingdom of God is not an “it” at all. It is Jesus Christ Himself. That’s right. What is the kingdom of God? It is Jesus. He is God’s rule and reign and revelation. He said the kingdom of God is within you (Luke 17:21). Yet, the only thing within the believer is Christ (Galatians 2:20). And so we should see it and view it in that way. We don’t need books or denominations built solely around a metaphor. We need to trust in Christ and focus on Him and Him alone. Then we will be living in the kingdom of God.

Consider a doctrine such as justification. Much ink has been spilled over the doctrine of “justification by faith alone.” And entire denominational systems have been built around this phrase, this doctrine, this “it.” For a long time now, many believers in Christ will not accept as a brother or sister someone who will not speak emphatically about “justification by faith.” But where does the Bible say that we have to use that terminology? Where does the Bible speak of justification by faith as though it were a thing in itself? It is not.

Justification is Christ. That’s what we should be talking about. We should be listening, not to whether or not a person uses our particular brand of denominational nomenclature, but whether or not they talk about Christ. I want to hear someone say how wonderful Jesus is, and how much they love and trust Him. I don’t need to hear their thoughts, particularly, on “justification by faith.”

And then there is the doctrine of “sanctification.” Much debate and discussion has been engaged in over this concept. Is sanctification synonymous with salvation? Or is it something that occurs subsequent to salvation? And while people argue over that and divide and separate themselves into different camps, it is easy to see that sometimes the Bible speaks of sanctification and salvation synonymously, and sometimes not. But when you look at the overall doctrine of sanctification, then you see that it is not an “it” at all. It is not a “thing.” It is not even, properly understood, a doctrine that stands alone. It is Christ. He became our sanctification (1 Corinthians 1:30). Those who are in Christ, who love Him and share fellowship with Him and focus on Him, have their sanctification. The Holy Spirit lives within them and transforms them into the image of Christ. They are not doing it themselves. They are “beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord” (2 Corinthians 3:18). And as they behold Him—keep their focus on Him—the Spirit of God changes them into the image of Christ. Sanctification is Christ in us. It is being set apart because we have accepted Christ and He lives within us and we live in Him. If you argue about sanctification as a doctrine in and of itself—which Christians and “churches” and denominations have done for centuries—then you will be separated from other believers over something that was designed to make you think about Jesus. Not about being “right on sanctification.”

And then there is the “indwelling of the Holy Spirit.” Does He dwell in us through the Word of God? Or does He dwell in us personally and directly? These are foolish, foolish questions. The Holy Spirit is not a doctrine. The Holy Spirit is not an “it” or a “thing.” The presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives, the “indwelling of the Holy Spirit,” is Christ. The Holy Spirit is in us to form Christ within us (Galatians 4:19). He “testifies” about Jesus (John 15:26) and leads us to think about Jesus. How do you know that you are being led by the Spirit? If you are thinking about Jesus. If you love Christ, then the Holy Spirit is working in you. You have had your “encounter” with the Holy Spirit if Jesus is in you and you are focused on Christ. There should never be a doctrine or an argument or a denominational division over “how” the Holy Spirit dwells within us. It should simply be a matter of Christ. Thinking about and loving Christ. That should be what we are doing and thinking about and talking about.

And what about the celebrated “baptism of the Holy Spirit?” Has there ever been an “it” or a “thing” or a “doctrinal dispute” that has divided believers in God’s community as much as this one has over the “baptism of the Holy Spirit?”

Of course the Bible talks about the baptism of the Holy Spirit, because the baptism of the Holy Spirit makes you one with Christ (1 Corinthians 12:13). Some say it is something that only happened to the apostles. Some say it is something that happens when you accept Christ. Some say it is something that happens subsequent to receiving Christ that gives you strength to live for Jesus. And therefore, people are seeking an experience. And they are asking questions like “how do I know if I have been baptized in the Holy Spirit?” If you receive Jesus and trust in Him and live for Him, then you can be sure that all things which God works through the Holy Spirit has happened to you. All of the things and works He is to do in your life has been done if you are loving and focusing on Jesus. The Spirit is leading you, but you don’t have to think about Him leading you, because He is leading you to think about Christ.

If you are constantly thinking about and talking about the Holy Spirit, then you have nothing in common with the apostles’ doctrine and preaching in the New Testament. Because they talked about Jesus. They preached Christ. If the Holy Spirit is truly in you and working in you, in other words, it will not be manifest in jumping church pews and falling down and speaking in some gibberish that you have psyched yourself up to speak. There are people who love Jesus who participate in all of those things, but they still have nothing to do with the Holy Spirit. That kind of “manifestation” is not of the Holy Spirit and is divisive among believers. Because not all believers can have that “experience.” No two people, in fact, can have the exact same emotional reactions to something, even if they are similar. Some are very emotional, others are more intellectual and stoic. This has nothing to do with Christianity. These things do not matter. What matters is love for Christ and focus on Him. The mark of the Christian is not “speaking in tongues.” The presence of the Spirit in an assembly of God’s people is not “felt” by certain ones, as they say. I have known of situations where churches preached Jesus and focused on Jesus, and yet, because they did not jump and shout, some would say “I don’t feel the presence of the Holy Spirit here.”

Dear friend, anywhere where Jesus is being exalted and talked about and loved, the Holy Spirit is there. So stop thinking and talking about and arguing about and building denominational dogmas around “baptism of the Holy Spirit“ and start talking about Jesus. He is the one we can all unite around. It is “HE who baptizes in the Holy Spirit” (John 1:33) and that is all you need to know. That is the focus of the Holy Spirit – HIM. Jesus. Christ our Lord.

And we need to be careful concerning doctrines about the person and nature of Christ. What the New Testament leads us to do—if you just stay with what is taught in it—is to focus on Christ. The person. To love Him and to grow in your appreciation of who He is, and what He does and what He has done and what He will do. In a relationship with another human being, for example, you do not have to understand everything about that person. You want to know their personality and the things that they like, and what pleases them, but you do not sit around and argue about the nature of their circulatory system. Or argue about whether they are introverted or extroverted. You don’t get involved in “things” or doctrines or concepts about them. Instead, you just focus on THEM. Welcome to true Christianity. That is what it is all about. When you focus on Christ, you don’t argue about how to understand His incarnation or His divinity. The “proper way” to think of it, or the “orthodox” position on the virgin birth or Christology as it pertains to the essence of His being, will not be under constant discussion. Denominations have been built around “oneness” versus “Trinitarian” doctrines. These are not “things,” friends. Christ is a person. He is the focus and the center. He is our doctrine. He is the New Covenant. He is what it is all about. All of us must strive to do a better job of focusing on Jesus and leading others to focus on Jesus. Let’s talk about HIM. Let’s be in love with HIM. A simple person who bows at His feet and annoints His feet with precious oils, and yet understands practically nothing “theologically,” is far more pleasing to God than “theologians” excited about things that engage their curiosity and entertain their intellect, but who never focus on loving Jesus Himself (Luke 7:36-50).

When God is leading, and you are really being directed by Him, then He is leading you to the feet of the Master. The Savior. The Son of God. That is where your attention will be. You will not be talking about earthly kingdoms or the “signs of the times” or “wars and rumors of wars.” These were things that were mentioned during a preparation time. When Jesus was revealing who He is. Now that we have a completed revelation of Him, both IN the word of God and personally AS the word of God, then our attention and focus should be entirely on Him. God does not lead you to a “thing” or an “institution” or an “organization” or a “denomination.” He does not lead you to a certain position on the “issues.” He does not lead you to what men call “orthodox theology.” Where has all of this gotten us? Where has it led? To endless divisions among the saints of God and endless distractions away from the beauty and glory and majesty of the Lord Jesus Christ.

People want to talk about the Second Coming, and they will build doctrines around the Second Coming and denominations around it. But what is the return of the Lord? It is the return of THE LORD. Paul writes in the Second Thessalonian epistle that Christ is coming to be glorified in His saints (1:10). The purpose of His coming is that it is HE who is coming. But rather than talking about the wonder and splendor and the majesty of Jesus that we enjoy now, and how the return of Christ and the end of the world will be that time when people will see Christ in all of His beauty and glory—rather than enjoying Him now, and looking forward to enjoying Him even more forever—we would rather talk about who the “antichrist” is or what the situation in Iran or Russia or some other place has to do with the “prophecy“ of the Scriptures. The answer is nothing. Thinking about world events and what they mean is a distraction. This is the reason that Jesus gave no signs of His return. He was leading people to focus on Himself. So all of these “isms”—premillennialism, preterism, dispensationalism, pre-tribulation versus post-tribulation “rapture,” etc.—are a foolish waste of time. And they are a distraction from what is important and what matters. That is Christ and Christ alone. Only He matters. Not prophecies or doctrines. But Christ.

We are talking about the focus of our lives. We are talking about what our lives are all about. There are people who are worried and distracted about “many things“ (Luke 10:41-42), and who are thinking about ideas and concepts concerning “doctrine.” Don’t do that. Think about Christ. Because biblical knowledge alone—and especially speculation when it comes to certain mysterious “prophecies” in the Bible—will distract you from a living reliance on and relationship with Jesus Christ. Some who have all of these doctrines in their minds and “know” so many things have no personal development and growth in Christ. They can sit around and talk about doctrines all day, but talking about Jesus is a foreign concept. People are too often uncomfortable talking about Christ Himself. Watch them. Observe. They can talk about “doctrines” in the Bible, but when it comes to the splendor and majesty of Jesus Himself, to which the Bible points, it is as though their tongues have been taken from them. They have nothing to say. Why? Because that is not what they have been thinking about. They have not been thinking about Christ. When you think about Christ, you will talk about Christ. It’s as simple as that.

Watch when a renowned “prophecy expert” comes to speak somewhere. Watch when someone comes to talk about how to “live your best life” or the “financial promises of God.” Watch how notebooks come out and people receive these teachings with eager anticipation. Listen when a writer talks about how the current president is “God’s chosen man” to lead us into whatever it is they believe is coming. Watch when they talk about the things going on in Palestine, and when they talk about how Israel as a nation from a fleshly standpoint is possessive of the “chosen people of God.” This is what they want to talk about. Go in and start talking about the fact that he who has this hope in Him purifies himself just as Jesus Himself is pure (1 John 3:3) and how the hope of Israel and the hope of the gospel and the hope of the world and the fulfillment of prophecy is Jesus the person, and the interest will subside among many, if not most, believers. The excitement over Jesus Himself is not there. But the excitement over doctrines and ideas and things and isms is always there because it appeals to the fleshly nature.

Someone offers an objection, though, that Hebrews tells us to leave the elementary things about Christ and move on to maturity (Hebrews 6:1). But if you think that loving fellowship with Christ, and focusing on Christ, is what the Hebrews writer meant by “elementary things,” then there is your problem. You do not see what the depths of Christianity are all about. They wanted to return to the very things you are obsessed with. They wanted to return to doctrines and ideas and concepts, while the Book of Hebrews, as well as every piece of writing in the New Testament, was leading them to Christ the person. When you have the wonder and amazing joy of Christ Himself—when He, the person, is your focus—you have moved on to “maturity” and are where you are supposed to be.

When Jesus came to raise Lazarus from the dead (John 11), Martha ran out to meet Him, and she told Jesus that she believed in the resurrection. She was talking about the doctrine of the resurrection. “Your brother will rise again,” Jesus told her. “I know he will be raised again at the last day,” she replied. And then do you remember what Jesus said to her? “I AM the resurrection and the life.” Do you see how our Savior took her from a doctrine to a person? He brought her focus from a “belief” to Himself. She believed in the resurrection at the end of time, and that is a good thing. But what she needed to understand was that believing in Jesus Himself is what matters. Always move from the doctrinal to the personal. It is not about believing the right things, it is about knowing the right person.

All things are in Christ. You are complete in Him (Colossians 2:10). He is to be formed in you. That is the true gospel of Christ and that is true Christianity. Imbibe from the fountains of men and focus on their shallow doctrines if you wish. But you will only be a Christian of depth and maturity when Jesus alone is what matters to you.

Bryan Dewayne Dunaway