Christ! No more, no less.

Today on my way to work I popped my earbuds in and cranked up my audio Bible (exciting, I know).  As I have done a lot recently, I listened to the book of Colossians.  The book is the perfect length to get my from my apartment to the restaurant where I work, and it's message has been on my heart a lot recently, so it's something I've listened to almost daily for the past few weeks.

Every time I listen to this book, it is the end of the first chapter that speaks to me the most.

"This mystery has been kept in the dark for a long time, but now it's out in the open. God wanted everyone, not just Jews, to know this rich and glorious secret inside and out, regardless of their background, regardless of their religious standing. The mystery in a nutshell is just this: Christ is in you, so therefore you can look forward to sharing in God's glory. It's that simple. That is the substance of our Message. We preach Christ, warning people not to add to the Message. We teach in a spirit of profound common sense so that we can bring each person to maturity. To be mature is to be basic. Christ! No more, no less. That's what I'm working so hard at day after day, year after year, doing my best with the energy God so generously gives me."  Colossians 1:26-29 (The Message)

The part the stands out to me the most is the line that says that the message of the gospel is "Christ! No more, not less."  I feel that too often Christians forget that the message of the gospel is about Christ.  Too often we clutter it up with debates about historical accuracy, morality, apologetics, abortion, gay marriage, or Republican vs. Democrat, and we forget what the gospel is all about.  Apologetics and morality are important, but not at the sake of Christ, and his crucifixion and resurrection.

We need to always remember that the most important thing is Christ.  We need to spend less time arguing about politics and whether or not contraception is morally permissible for Christians, and spend more time sharing the love of Christ with people that need to hear about it.  Instead of telling women who consider abortion how evil they are we should tell them about the unexpected love of Christ for them and the life growing inside of them.  We need to stop telling homosexuals that they are ruining our country and that allowing them to marry will ruin the institution of the family, without first telling them about God's unconditional love for them and the redemptive blood of Christ.

I hope that I never ignore important social issues, but I also hope that I never lose sight of what is most important.  If my conversations can always come back to the cross, then I have done what I am called to do.  The power of the gospel is found in the empty tomb, not moral prohibitions.  God created us for heaven, and Christ came to save us to heaven.  The message is one of hope and love, not terror and torment.  Jesus' death and resurrection restores the relationship God created us for.  While it does save us from the fire of hell, it more importantly saves us to the glory of heaven.

We need to always be aware that the message is simple: Christ!  No more, no less.  May the story of Christ dwell in the front of our minds, and drip off our lips.