Christ : all and in all

"Do not lie to one another, having stripped the old man with his deeds and put on the new man who is renewed for the sake of knowledge, according to the image of him who created it : there he does not There is no Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free man ; but Christ is all and in all." Colossians 3. 9-11

The phrase "Christ is everything and in all" has two parts :

- Christ is everything : Colossi was a cosmopolitan city and the assembly was made up of believers from many peoples who each had their own religion. They also had very different cultural backgrounds.

Paul invites them to go beyond these differences and all that divides them, to draw the consequences of the fact that both have "stripped the old man ... and put on the new man". What is now their common character is that Christ is everything for each of them. He alone counts.

- Christ is in all : Christ dwells in each of his redeemed, and it is he whom we must consider in our brethren. This presence of Christ in each one of us produces love for them. This love does not stem from an affinity of feelings, culture or interests. No, what unites believers who may have nothing in common according to purely human criteria is that Christ is in all by his life and by his Spirit.

Warning ! When, by my behavior, I manifest a character that is not Christ, I must not pass lightly on my faults by telling myself that, despite everything, Christ lives in me. On the contrary, I must judge and give up what is not of him.

Likewise, as I see Christ in my brother or sister, I must encourage him, by my attitude or my words, not to keep in his life what could dishonor his Master and mine. What a joy if we can act together and with one heart to be more like our Savior !

To love Christ in all, and at the same time to love him as our all ! We need the help of the Holy Spirit to live such a program every day !

Source (Pleasing the Lord)