Do we understand that what God requires is not a lamb, nor is what He gives the bread of life. We also come to understand that God does not provide the way, the truth, and the life, neither does Christ merely use His power to restore man’s life or man’s sight. In the whole of John’s Gospel we see only one monumental fact, which is, that Christ is all these things. He says He is the light of the world—He does not say He is able to give people light. He says He is the bread of life—He does not say He will give us the bread of life. He says He is the way—He does not say He will guide us to walk in the way. He says He is the truth—He does not say He will teach us a truth. He says He is true life—He does not say He will give us a life. When Lazarus died Christ did not tell Mary and Martha He had the power to raise up their brother; instead He declared that He is the resurrection. I wish you to see that Paul later on says the same thing as did our Lord Jesus. He knows the Lord well and he unveils some marvelous facts. First of all, he says to Timothy, “Christ Jesus (who is) our hope.” I love to read this particular word. How about you? He does not say our hope is in Christ Jesus; he instead asserts that Christ Jesus is our hope. It is not a pinning our hope on Christ, expecting to be given hope by Him; rather is it Christ himself our hope. One of the most popular Scripture verses used in our preaching is 1 Corinthians 1.30 which states that “of (God) are ye in Christ Jesus, who became wisdom to us from God, both righteousness and sanctification and redemption” (literal). God has not given us righteousness, He gives Christ to us since Christ is our righteousness. God has not given us sanctification, He gives us Christ because Christ is our sanctification. God has not given us redemption, He gives us Christ because Christ is our redemption. God has not given us wisdom, He gives us Christ inasmuch as Christ is our wisdom. It is for this reason that we say God’s Christ is God’s everything. God’s Christ is God’s thing and affair; aside from Him God has neither thing nor affair.
Probably you will ask me, Why do you lay such stress on this point? Because here lies the difference between living Christianity and dead Christianity. The distance between these two ways is incalculable.
For in him were all things created, in the heavens and upon the earth, things visible and things invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things have been created through him and unto him; and he is before all things, and in him all things consist. And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. For it was the good pleasure of the Father that in him should all the fullness dwell; and through him to reconcile all things unto himself, having made peace through the blood of his cross: through him, I say, whether things upon the earth, or things in the heavens. (Col. 1.16-20)
