Jesus Is

By James Meikle May 24, 1757

This comes from the gracegems.org website. My thanks to my good friend Pastor Ed Fleming for bringing it to my attention!

All plenitude is in Christ, to answer all the needs
of His people. In Christ dwells all the fullness of
the Godhead bodily, that out of His fullness I may
receive all spiritual blessings!

Have I destroyed myself by sin? I have deliverance
from Him who is mighty to save from sin and wrath!

Is my foolish mind darkened? Am I a guilty, polluted,
and ruined wretch? Jesus is my wisdom, righteousness,
sanctification, and redemption!

Is my life fleeting—and passing away like a shadow?
Jesus is the Ancient of days, and endures for evermore!

Are my days short-lived and full of trouble? Jesus is my
life, the length of my days, and the joy of my heart!

Am I exposed to contempt? Jesus shall be
my crown of glory, and diadem of beauty!

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by Mark VanOuse

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities–all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. –Colossians 1:15-20 ESV

It’s hard to believe that it would come to this. More and more, Western Christianity is swiftly drifting from its true center of the living Person of the Lord Jesus Christ. Never before in the history of Christendom have we seen so many “Christian” books being published. They deal with a broad range of topics like marriage, divorce, child rearing, singleness, you name it. Certainly, it’s important to address these topics from a Christian standpoint. What’s alarming, however, is how shockingly absent Jesus Christ is in much that is written today.

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by Ruth Paxson

[Excerpted from LIFE ON THE HIGHEST PLANE - Vol 2, by Ruth Paxson, Moody Publishing, 1928]

Romans 6:6, R.V., “Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with him, that the body of sin might be done away, that so we should no longer be in bondage to sin.”

Galatians 2:20, R.V., “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I that live, but Christ liveth in me: and that life which I now live in the flesh I live in faith, the faith which is in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself up for me.”

2 Corinthians 5:14-15, R.V., “For the love of Christ constraneth us: because we thus judge, that one died for all, therefore all died: And he died for all, that they that live should no longer live unto themselves, but unto him who for their sakes died and rose again.”

Two things explicitly stated in these verses should be noted; first, that the crucifixion of “the old man” is an already accomplished fact, and second, that it is a co-crucifixion.

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by Miles J. Stanford [Excerpted from THE GREEN LETTERS, Miles J. Stanford. Online at: http://withchrist.org/MJS/glchapters.htm]

For some years now the scene has been dominated by a conversion known as “commitment,” which often, sad to say, amounts to little more than a spiritual miscarriage. When there is a bit of life it usually blossoms overnight into full bloom, and soon becomes heavy with the fruit of “dynamic,” “radiant,” personality coupled with busy, rushing service. The tragedy of this sort of thing is the self is at home and thrives in the glow of it all, and is rarely found out for what it really is. All is indiscriminate “hearts and flowers.”

The healthy new birth, based on deep conviction of sin, and repentance toward God, starts out clear and strong with love and devotion to the Savior. But, ere long, there comes the sickening realization of an element within that pulls one back to self-centeredness, to te world, to the rule of the law, to sin. This learning by heart-breaking experience of the utter sinfulness and reigning power of self in the everyday Christian life, is the means whereby we come to know the Lord Jesus beyond the birth phase — as our Savior; on to the growth phase — as our Lord and Life. “To me to live is Christ.” No believer will truly come to know the Lord Jesus as his Life until he knows by experience the deadly self-life deep within for what it is.

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