Don't Go Off On A Tangent!

"He is the center and the circumference of the church and its life."               ~Rande Greene

Circumference means a "carrying around" and it is a "special case" of perimeter.  Our lives should model this mathematical declaration that my Pastor made yesterday during his message.

Jesus Christ should be at the center of our lives because whatever is at the center will determine the path of our lives and how and what it falls into a natural orbit around.

Colossians 2:6-10

Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, 

so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established

 in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. 

See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy 

and empty deceit, according to human tradition, 

according to the elemental spirits of the world, 

and not according to Christ.  

For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, 

and you have been filled in him, 

who is the head of all rule and authority.  

As Paul exhorts the Colossians to keep Jesus at the center of their lives, he also warns them to be wary of anything that would get them on a tangent leading away from Christ.

People love to pontificate and speak all philosophically in order that they gain great influence over another's thoughts.  As Christians, it is imperative that we continually weigh the streams of thought that barrage our lives by comparing them with the supremacy of Christ and His philosophy.

Jesus himself warns us in Matthew 24 that,

And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray.  

And because lawlessness will be increased, 

the love of many will grow cold.  

We must take heed here to ensure that our love for others does not grow cold, especially when we do not agree with one another over a variety of current issues flagging in our culture currently.  We must not be swept away by empty deceit but instead,  keep on loving like Jesus loved.

Jesus did not waver in his affection for people because at the center of His heart was His relationship with His Father.  Every action and reaction was weighed in the balances and not one was found lacking.  He perfectly exhibited a life that revolved around His love for His Father.

He had a quiet confidence in who He was, the Son of God, and His identity kept Him from destructive behavior with other people.  When accused or accosted, he responded with grace and truth because of the assurance that He was well pleasing in the sight of His Father.

When we get off track in our thinking and we lose sight of our identity in Christ we become prideful and defensive when met with conflicting views and philosphies.  It is important that we keep Jesus at the center of our lives making Him our focus so that we are not rattled internally when met with opposition.

I Timothy 4:16 can help us keep on track.

Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching, 

Persist in this, 

for by so doing you will save both 

yourselves and your hearers.  

The final exhortation here is a reminder that we are called to be good servants of Christ Jesus, being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that we follow.  When we steer clear of irreverent, silly myths and focus on keeping Jesus the main thing, then we are continually hedged in by the perimeter of His love.

As we rest in the truth of His love we are able to stand against the swift changing current of the culture that, empowered by the elemental spirits of human tradition, is intent on sweeping us off our path and getting us to travel tangentially away from Christ and His way of love.