Christocentric: Christ in Colossians | Life & Faith

The spiritual life of the Christian is Christ himself. Christ is not only preeminent in the cosmos, but he is also preeminent in the life of the Christian. Those who have been striving together with him are “mature in Christ,” not in and of themselves (1:28). The apostle Paul was supplied with the “energy” of Christ working within him in his ministry (1:29). Since the spiritual life of the Christian is tied to the life of Jesus Christ, Paul instructs the Colossians to walk in him and to be built up in him (2:6-7). Christians have been filled in Christ (2:10), and Christ in them: “Christ is all, and in all” (3:11). Jesus is the very life of the Christian: “Christ who is your life” (3:4). The Christian does not possess his or her own eternal life but rather shares in the eternal life of Jesus Christ. Christians are instructed to let Jesus regulate their hearts in Colossians 3:15: “And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts”… because the very life of Christ is in the Christian.

Because Jesus Christ is preeminent in the universe, he is also preeminent as the object of faith and proclamation. In Colossians 1:4 and 2:5, Jesus Christ is the object of belief for the Colossian Church. In Colossians 1:28, he is the object of proclamation: “Him we proclaim.” Christ is the object of faith, the preeminent one, the reason for all things; it is always Him we proclaim. Colossians 2:2-3 says that Jesus is the knowledge of God's mystery and recognizes that his job is to ”declare the mystery of Christ.” (4:3). Faith in any other system or object is an unacceptable faith; casting the weight of one’s soul upon any human tradition apart from Christ is sternly warned against. Any philosophy that does not flow directly from Christ is to be opposed (2:8). In Colossians 3:22-24, Paul tells us that work should be done by fearing Christ; “fear the Lord,” knowing that the Lord Jesus Christ is the one that you are serving. Work itself is seen as an act of faith in Christ. Jesus Christ should be central in the faith of the church and the proclamation of the church because Jesus Christ is central—period.