For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness. For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. Psalm 84:10-11

COMPLETE IN CHRIST

“For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power” (Col. 2:9-10).

Christ’s perfect obedience is our righteousness (Phil. 2:7-8). His sacrifice for sin is our atonement (Heb. 2:17). His word is our instruction (2Tim. 3:16). His wisdom is our direction (Col. 2:3). His power is our protection (1Peter 1:5). His blood sacrifice is our justification (Rom. 5:9). His grace is our salvation (Rom. 3:24). His eternal love is our security (Rom. 8:32-39). His everlasting mercy is our hope (Lam. 3:22-26; Titus 3:5). His fullness is our completeness (John 1:16). His immutability is our strength (Mal. 3:6; Heb. 13:8). His resurrection is the guarantee of our final glory (Rom. 4:25; Rev. 1:18). His intercession is the assurance of all our deliverance from sin (1 John 2:1).

Tell me my friend, what could we possibly want for, when all the Godhead is engaged to make the believer complete in the Lord Jesus Christ, to His eternal glory (Rom. 8:29-30; Jude 1:24-25).

The End is Greater than the Means

The ultimate end or goal of redemption is not the happiness, well-being, or even conversion of sinners, BUT THE GLORY OF GOD (Eph. 1:6,12,14). Man’s comfort and safety is not the supreme goal of God’s glorious gospel. The supreme goal of our gospel is the glory of God, the establishment of His rule and reign over a kingdom of peace and righteousness, the exaltation and manifestation of His character, and the preeminence of His beloved Son. Our salvation will serve that purpose (Phil. 2:6-11).

Everything in covenant mercies, in salvation, and in God’s purpose for the sons of men (past, present, and future) turns upon the will of God in Christ. This makes CHRIST THE PRINCIPAL FIGURE in our gospel, our goals, and our glory. But, if you have salvation and God’s purpose waiting upon the freewill of the creature, then MAN is the principal figure in your landscape and will lead you to compromise divine truth in order to win man’s approval.

The attitude that we must get men converted at any cost and compromise usually winds up costing the very character and truth of God, which is a price too high to pay. Conversions are never more important than truth. Truth is always more important than results. “Let God be true and every man a liar!”

Pastor Henry T. Mahan (bulletin 1987)

Christ Is All (Col. 3:11)

Jesus Christ is the sum and substance and subject matter of the gospel. Truly, "Jesus Christ is all and in all" in the salvation of His blood washed people. To whom is this glorious truth revealed? Certainly not to all men everywhere; Paul does not say that Christ is all to every man, but to only those who by His sovereign grace have been made new creatures in Christ (Col. 3:10). To many, Jesus Christ is nothing. To many, His glorious name is nothing more than a convenient name to swear by. There are others in this world to whom Jesus Christ is something, but not everything. They think of Him only to make up some of the small deficiencies in their own righteousness. They think of Him as only coming to help them save themselves, not as the only wise God our Saviour. Those who would yoke Christ and the sinner together, as each doing a part in salvation, rob Christ of His glory. If Christ is not all to you; He is nothing, He will never be just your co-pilot or partner in salvation. But to those who believe; Christ is just not something, He is everything in their salvation. He is most precious and highly esteemed above everything in this life and the life to come. He is not almost all, He is all. Remember these two things!

1). Christ Jesus is all before God! The God of the Bible will not accept anything outside of Christ. We need a Mediator to stand between us and God; certainly Christ is that (1 Tim. 2:5). We need a High Priest appointed and anointed to represent us with a suitable sacrifice for our sin; certainly Christ Jesus is that (Heb. 2:17). We need a kinsman Redeemer who is willing and able to redeem us from all bondage of the law; certainly Christ is that (Gal. 3:13). We need a spotless lamb to make perfect atonement before God; certainly Christ Jesus is that, John said, "behold the Lamb of God that taketh away our sin" (John 1:29). Christ Jesus Himself is all the believers acceptance and righteousness before God (Eph. 1:6).