Colossians: All You Need Is Christ

Since the beginning of the church, there's been a tendency to move away from what's most important: Jesus Christ. That's why the message of Colossians continues to be desperately needed today.

The church at Colossae was subjected to weird ideologies and false teachers who played on a desire we all have: a deeper relationship with God. But they went so deep with their so-called theology that they went off the deep end.

In Paul's letter to the Colossian church, he called them to keep Jesus Christ dead center, because He is everything, and nothing else matters as much as Him.

The heart of Colossians is the doctrinal section, which establishes Jesus Christ's preeminence, or His being the most important thing in the Christian life. In Him, every ceremony is completed, every requirement is depleted, and every enemy is defeated. Paul then offered a practical section, how these doctrinal truths should play out in the Christian life.

In short, Paul said that if you have Jesus Christ, then you have it all.

Think It Through

Who is Jesus and what does He do, according to Colossians 1:15-20?

The practical section of Colossians is summed up in Colossians 3:8-10. What do you need to "put off" today? What will you "put on" instead?

Do you trust that Christ alone completes you (see Colossians 2:9-10)? What are you tempted to add to your relationship with Jesus? Why?
 

A Word of Encouragement

If Jesus is the Creator of the universe, the preexisting one, the full revelation of the Father, and God in human flesh, don't you think He should take first place in your life? He is truly all you need, so why would you ever settle for anything other than Him?

Prayer

Lord, thank You for the central message of Colossians: it's not about me or even about Christianity—it's all about Jesus Christ and my relationship with Him. I pray that You would help me keep Christ as the center, the preeminent one in all areas of my life, so that I would live a compelling, different, holy life.

Land and Explore

The message of Colossians is clear: nothing and no one is as important as Jesus Christ. Download this series from Pastor Skip called Colossians: Staying on Dead Center , and learn how to apply that truth to your everyday life.