What do we have “in Christ”? How’s that for a question? Such a simple question - what do we have “in Christ”? - yet how profound!
I believe that how one answer such a question depends largely upon how vivid of a vision he has of Christ. One of the things that the author of Hebrews could not be accused of is a small or limited vision of Christ. It must be that by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the book of Hebrews was given to those first readers, as well as to us, to warn and keep us from having a small vision of Christ. In the Letter to the Hebrews Christ is presented as vastly superior to all the greatness that any Jewish person could conceive. Jesus is shown to be superior to the great prophets of the Old Testament; superior to the angels of heaven; superior over Moses and Joshua; and even superior over Aaron and the Levitical Priesthood. For any of the first Jewish readers to consider such these things as better and worthy of reverence and practice over faith alone in Christ was to reveal a limited vision and knowledge of the majestic and marvelous person and work of Jesus Christ.
This makes me wonder how often we might be guilty of holding a small vision of Christ. What need do we have to read and study these words of the book of Hebrews? Beloved, if our vision of Christ is small, our faith will be even smaller. Let us not be content with a little faith. For as it has been noted by Charles Spurgeon, “Little faith will save a man, but little faith cannot do great things for God.” I submit to you that the greater vision we have of Christ, the more we come to learn what we have “in Christ” - the greater our love, the greater our devotion, the greater our service to the Lord will become.
I believe that how one answer such a question depends largely upon how vivid of a vision he has of Christ. One of the things that the author of Hebrews could not be accused of is a small or limited vision of Christ. It must be that by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the book of Hebrews was given to those first readers, as well as to us, to warn and keep us from having a small vision of Christ. In the Letter to the Hebrews Christ is presented as vastly superior to all the greatness that any Jewish person could conceive. Jesus is shown to be superior to the great prophets of the Old Testament; superior to the angels of heaven; superior over Moses and Joshua; and even superior over Aaron and the Levitical Priesthood. For any of the first Jewish readers to consider such these things as better and worthy of reverence and practice over faith alone in Christ was to reveal a limited vision and knowledge of the majestic and marvelous person and work of Jesus Christ.
This makes me wonder how often we might be guilty of holding a small vision of Christ. What need do we have to read and study these words of the book of Hebrews? Beloved, if our vision of Christ is small, our faith will be even smaller. Let us not be content with a little faith. For as it has been noted by Charles Spurgeon, “Little faith will save a man, but little faith cannot do great things for God.” I submit to you that the greater vision we have of Christ, the more we come to learn what we have “in Christ” - the greater our love, the greater our devotion, the greater our service to the Lord will become.
Soli Deo Gloria,
Pastor Ed
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