Focus on the church’s head – Jesus Christ

God the Son, Jesus Christ, “is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent(Colossians 1:18). The body of Christ does not govern itself, nor does it exist for itself. Rather, it looks to its head who is Christ; preferring always to do those things which speak to and display the supremacy of Christ as Lord.

Instead of promoting self, Christ’s body has a determined focus on its Lord with a unique role to live in this world. The apostle Paul explains; “For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake” (2 Corinthians 4:5). Believer’s acts of loving service to one another are key to the church’s testimony of Christ’s Lordship to the world (John 13:35). This is because Christ’s body exists to proclaim the Lordship of its Head and Saviour. Self-promotion, self-fulfillment, and self-satisfaction is not in the job description for the Church.

The Highest Privilege

Christians have the privilege of agreeing with God, who “has highly exalted him (Jesus) and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:9-11). God the Father is on a mission; to be glorified through His Son Jesus Christ – and he invites you and I to join Him.

The Father’s quest is that in all of your life’s activities and achievements, you are motivated by the desire to live Christ in such a way that His supremacy is recognisable. This includes your relationships, which are the platform for “speaking the truth in love.” Consequently, as those people come to know Jesus personally, you will together “grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ” (Ephesians 4:15-16). This is how the body of Christ grows and matures.

Now, fulfilled dreams and ambitions are a wonderful part of life, but of little value if the eternal significance of Jesus Christ is absent. Mankind’s inclination to isolate from God has the horrible habit of robbing people of certainty and hope. This happens because sin convinces your heart that the grave is a meaningless end to everything. Therefore sin says; live for today and for self, because that’s all you have. The reality is that death without Christ is a personal black hole which consumes any and all perceived value experienced in life. But not so for the believer in Jesus Christ!

Liberation to Hope

Liberation from hopelessness comes through faith in Jesus Christ. That’s because the believer in Jesus has the certainty which comes from “being justified by his grace… according to the hope of eternal life” (Titus 3:7). Meaning; God’s undeserved response to your faith in Jesus’ substitutional death is that He declares you innocent in His sight. Now that you have been categorised as innocent, your fear of death is replaced with confident certainty that God will fulfill every promise of salvation and eternal life.

Therefore we Christians need to be constantly “looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2). Why? Because if you don’t, you will rob yourself of being“transformed by the renewal of your mind” (Romans 12:2). Your thinking will unconsciously be overtaken by worldly self-centred attitudes and motives that seek to dethrone Christ of His Lordship. You will be self-exalted, God will be dishonoured, and the body of Christ will be misrepresented to the world.

Today, I encourage you to focus on the church’s head – Jesus Christ!

 

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