The Supplied Life Devotional for August 7
A focused ministry
"Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all." Colossians 3:11
Paul's ministry was focused on Christ and the church. This focus came right out of the heart of God. It was hidden there. Paul makes this clear in Ephesians 3:9: "And to make all people see what is the administration of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ." God had something hidden in Himself that He did not make known for a long time. This may be considered as God's suppressed desire for the universe (Rom. 16:25-26). This desire is wholly focused in Christ. Paul understood this focus, and thus his ministry never deviated from making known the unsearchable riches of Christ through the church (Eph. 3:8-11).
When we see the focus of Christ in this universe according to the Lord's use of Scripture and the apostles' ministry, it is quite clear that the church is just Christ! What else could the church be? If "Christ is all and in all," then the church, even logically, must be Christ. Understanding the church as Christ is very simple when we see that Christ is the centrality of the church, the content of the church, the reality of the church, and the expression of the church.
When we understand the church as Christ, this understanding issues in a focused daily life with many experiences of Christ. This is the meaning of Paul's word in Colossians 2:2—that the full assurance of understanding is unto an experiential knowledge of Christ. To experientially know Christ is to know Him increasingly as our relationship with everything.
- Bill Freeman, The Supplied Life