In Him, Yes

2 Corinthians 1:20 is a passage that I memorized many years ago – I am a big proponent of Scripture memory.  For most of the first 20 years of my relationship with Christ, Scripture memory was by far the most transformative discipline for me, Bible study being a tie or indistinguishable second.  I have always connected 2 Corinthians 1:20 to the topical study we did on the promises of God.  The idea being that in Christ we find the fulfillment of all of God’s promises.  That is true.  However…

It seems to me that one of the things Paul is dealing with in this letter is some form of teaching that focuses on the benefits of following Christ rather than the primacy of the relationship with Christ.  We seem to follow that today when we look to Christ primarily as a rescue from the foxholes of life.  How many of us have made the deal?  “If you will just get me out of this [fill in the blank] I promise I will…”  Yeah, me too.

Christ does heal.  He does deliver.  He does provide.  Is that why we follow?  Is that the essence of this relationship?  Is that the reason He came and died?  No.  He came to restore our relationship with God, 2 Corinthians 5:14 – 21.  The essence of what Paul is saying here, and it is a thread throughout his letters is that the central issue is that we have a relationship with Christ.  It is not about what we gain from that relationship.  It is that relationship completes us and restores our life.  Any other benefit is secondary.  So, as one of the men put it last Wednesday morning in our study, When we come to God with problems like finances, illness, relational problem His answer is, “Have you met my Son?”