The Word - March 7, 2012 - THE PERSON OF CHRIST

"You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though He was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. When He appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal's death on a cross"     (Philippians 2:6,8)

In the writings of Paul, are to be discovered the most full and convincing testimony as to the Lord Christ. In Romans He is the seed of David according to the flesh, but declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Holy Spirit of holiness and resurrection from the dead (1:4).

In the ninth chapter Paul uses even stronger language in speaking of Him. "Of whom as concerning the flesh, Christ came, who is over all." In 1st Corinthians He is associated with the Father in a way which suggests his humanity, Lordship and deity" To us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in Him, and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things and we by Him" (8:6).

"You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, who, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that you through his poverty might be rich" (2 Cor. 8:9). The riches which He had were those of divine glory; the poverty into which he came was that of his humiliation, even unto death.

In Galatians our Lord is spoken of as the Son of God (1:16), sent forth by the Father, and yet born of a woman (4:4). Ephesians shows Him as the center of all God's purposes: "That in the fulness of times, he might gather together in one, all things in Christ, both which is in heaven and which are on earth." (1:10).

The special glory of the letter to the Colossians is in the preeminence given to the person of Christ. He is "the image of the invisible God" (1:15), the expression of absolute deity. No wonder "all the fulness was pleased to dwell in Him," no wonder also that the divine value belongs to the work of reconciliation which He has accomplished.

What words describing Him could be stronger than those used in Colossians, "In Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily." (2:9).

Ah beloved, try as we might we cannot discover words sufficient to describe the glory of our Lord and Savior. Christ is heir of all things; Creator; He is the 'effulgence" of God's glory, the upholder of all things; the purger of our sins; now seated at the right hand of the Father. Hallelujah! What a Savior!