We do well to pay close attention when something occurs eighteen times in one book. This time, the phrase in question is “through Christ.” It occurs eighteen times in a version of the bible that I do not much like, the new living translation. The new King James version uses “through Christ” eleven times and “through Jesus” seven times. Whichever way you slice it, the bible seems to be shouting out that phrase. Why the extreme focus of the bible on ‘through Christ? I am so glad you asked.
On earth, the only one God recognizes is Jesus Christ, and, no wonder. Who was it that was from the beginning and was with God and was God? Jesus, soon to become Christ. Who would be there at the end after all of history is fully wrapped up? Again, Jesus. And when God needed to save you and me from ourselves, sin, hell, and satan, who did He send to do the work? Jesus. of course. And there is no better season to remind ourselves of that fact than now, at Christmas.
Now, put yourself in God’s place and see if you will have eyes for anyone else. Definitely not. And then, this same Jesus obeyed His Father so much that He agreed to die a gruesome death. He even shed His blood, better than the blood of Abel, and left it to avail for you and me. So, don’t be surprised that there is only one name on earth deserving of God’s attention. If you fully understand the foregoing, you will know why the Apostle Peter said what he said in his first sermon. “There is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” None.
We @ Heaven Readiness wish you and yours a very merry and blessed Christmas.
All Good Things Come Through Christ
The only name that God recognizes under heaven, that is, on earth, is Jesus. Now that we have that settled, you start to see why ‘through Christ’ is so vital. If you are not yet sure, simply go through the bible, preferably online, and copy all the instances of “through Christ.” Add “through Jesus’ to your search if you are using one of the other translations, and copy those occurrences as well.
Then study all the promises you have copied. It will astound you that all the promises of God come to us through Jesus Christ. Jesus represents the conduit through which God the Father sends us all His blessings. Here are a few of the eighteen occurrences of this very important phrase.
Through Christ, God has given us the privilege and authority as apostles. We can tell Gentiles everywhere about what God has done for them. That way, they can believe and obey him, thereby bringing glory to his name (Romans 1.5). For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. “He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time. To show us his grace through Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 1.9).
No doubt, you know this one in Philippians 4.13; it is very popular but shows the importance of the phrase, “through Christ.” “I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.” We could go on and on, but those are only three of the promises you get from God through Christ. It is like saying you get nutrition through your intestine. There is no other way, not one that does not require major surgery and real discomfort anyway.
All Enemies Have To Pass Through The Same Route
This topic came up about a week or two ago. A friend expressed fear of my being hexed or jinxed by another person who is associated with the occult. I was not concerned about anyone using voodoo on me. I promptly responded with, ‘they will have to go through Christ to get to me.” That friend agreed that when you are in Christ, the enemy will think twice before coming at you. And that was the mutual position that birthed this topic.
Are the devil and his cohorts having a field day in your life? How did they get there? Please don’t get me wrong, enemies abound and are very busy looking for their dinner. But if your life is with Christ in God, that dinner does not have to be you. Of course, satan will devour but you must make sure it is not your life it is eating. And the way to ensure that is to be inside of Jesus.
The enemy that will come after me will first meet Jesus. If that does not dissuade him from continuing and going somewhere else, he has to wait. He is waiting for me to come out of God. And the only way for me to do that is through disobedience. the devil then pounces on me. But if I quickly recognize my sin and confess it, God pulls me back in, out of satan’s reach. My brother, my sister, once you are in God through Christ, let the enemy rage. You can go to bed and sleep like a baby. Jesus will show the devil who the boss is. With Him on your side, you will fear no devil or demon.
Where Are You?
This part of the post does not even have a ‘through Christ’ in it. Nevertheless, you cannot come to God except through Christ. Jesus said so. “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. For me, this is the foundational importance of coming through Christ. It places you firmly in God even before it starts to give you divine promises.
Because, just like you don’t necessarily buy gifts for other people’s children, God’s blessings are for His children. If I were to ask you whether you are a child of God, you are likely to say yes. But are you truly God’s Child? I am afraid you may not be unless you have entered into God’s family through Christ.
If you find it hard to remember ever coming in through Christ, now is the accepted time to do so. Otherwise, all the other instances of this very powerful phrase will not produce the desired results. Where are you? We are supposed to be hidden with Christ in God, as Paul writes to the Colossians. Be sure that that is where you are.
Maranatha!
