Above All

Two years ago, I was part of a group of men in our church who challenged each other to be more disciplined in our lives. Diet and exercise were, of course, part of the program, but so was studying and memorizing Scripture. Each man was given a chapter of Ephesians to memorize and then recite to each other after a few months. I was pretty ashamed of my performance. If it were a test, I think I would have passed, but it wouldn’t have been with flying colors — it would have been by the skin of my teeth.

Two years later, I’m shocked at the number of times God has used that exercise to remind me of the words I struggled to memorize.

This week was a perfect example. In Pastor Chuck’s study guide for this week, he mentions reading John 3:31.

That immediately brought to mind two verses from the chapter I was trying to memorize.

(That is just a side note that I hope encourages both you and me to try to memorize Scripture — not as a checklist or a merit badge, but as a spiritual discipline for God to use in our lives for His glory.)

John 3:31:
“He who comes from above is above all. He who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks in an earthly way. He who comes from heaven is above all.”

Ephesians 4:9–10:
“(In saying, ‘He ascended,’ what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.)”

These two verses are illustrating the same point: Jesus has authority over all things.

Jesus states this clearly in Matthew 28:18:
“And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.’”

1 Corinthians 15:20-28

20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. 24 Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death. 27 For “God has put all things in subjection under his feet.” But when it says, “all things are put in subjection,” it is plain that he is excepted who put all things in subjection under him. 28 When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all.

For followers of Christ, there is no debate as to whether or not Jesus has authority over all things. Jesus did something nobody else — not even the strongest and most powerful people on earth — has ever done: He came back from the dead.

These verses further solidify the truth that God has put all things under the authority of Christ — even death.

The real struggle for the believer isn’t with Christ’s authority; it’s with the application of that truth.

I think there are two questions we need to wrestle with as a result of this truth: Do we live as though we trust in Christ’s authority, and who is shaping our lives?

How would our outlook on life change if we carried the understanding of Jesus’ authority over all things with us into every situation?

I think this question can be answered by looking at how tempted we are to take matters into our own hands. First, are we living lives obedient to the teachings of Christ, or are we living lives that glorify ourselves? Second, when things don’t go according to our plans or desires, whose power do we trust to resolve the issue?

Pastor Chuck covers the second question in his study guide for this week:

“If Jesus truly comes from above and is above all, what earthly voices, authorities, or influences compete with His authority in my life?”

Whose voice are we listening to? Who is shaping our lives? Are we allowing the voices of this world to carry greater weight in our lives than the voice of our Savior?

On Sunday we are going to sing a song by Matt Maher called Because He Lives (Amen). This song talks about how, because Christ was raised from the dead, we receive mercy by the power of His blood.

The bridge of the song perfectly articulates what it means to live a life resting in the authority of Christ.

“Because He lives I can face tomorrow
Because He lives ev’ry fear is gone
I know He holds my life
My future in His hand”

There is a small-group study guide I have used with some groups called The Gospel-Centered Life. In it, they say something along these lines: following Christ isn’t a matter of “trying harder,” it’s about “trusting deeper.”

May we stop resting in our own power and understanding and instead rest in the power and authority of what Christ has done for us on the cross.

Adam