THE MOST IMPORTANT THING I HAVE EVER LEARNED

Seven years ago God, in his adorable and gracious providence, taught me a very important lesson, a lesson which changed my life and ministry radically, a lesson which I hope never to forget. I had been preaching for eight years at the time, and I was about four and one half years into my first pastorate. During those earliest years of my ministry, I was a strict Calvinist and a thoroughly convinced Baptist. My doctrine was precisely accurate and orthodox. I gave myself relentlessly to the work of the ministry. But something was missing. My ministry lacked heart and fire.

Then the Lord laid me flat on my back in a hospital for twenty-one days. The doctors told me I had cancer. It had already progressed to the advanced stages. Immediately, I began to evaluate my life's work, thinking that it might come to an end in the near future. After honest, heart searching evaluation before God, I had to conclude that those first eight years of preaching had amounted to very little, if indeed to anything. I could not see how I could have been profitable to anyone. I had been spinning my wheels in the sand. My heart was crushed in conviction, and I sunk in despair. My doctrinal orthodoxy gave me no comfort. But then the Lord God graciously taught me the most important thing I have ever learned. The words of the Apostle Paul flashed into my soul like a dazzling ray of light. They were burned into my heart as with a red-hot iron - "CHRIST IS ALL!"

Never before or since have I made a vow to God. But in that hospital bed, I solemnly vowed to the Lord my God that if in his good providence he would be pleased to allow me to preach again, and if he would give me grace to do so, I would never again preach to men anything but Jesus Christ the Lord. That is the reason why I am "determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified". It is my heart's determination to preach all of Christ and to preach Christ always. These past seven years I have not turned aside from my purpose. And God helping me, I never shall be. I am a thoroughly convinced Calvinist of the highest order, and I am a strict Baptist; but today there is a heart to my "body of divinity" and fire in my soul. It is just this - "CHRIST IS ALL!"

I thank God for what he has taught me. I confess to my shame that my own sinful pride kept me from seeing it before. You can be sure of this, God is going to teach you that "CHRIST IS ALL". Either in this life, or in the judgment, you will be taught that "CHRIST IS ALL". If you are one of his children, or one of his preachers, I pray that you will not have to be brought to the gates of death, or worse, to learn this lesson - "CHRIST IS ALL!"

CHRIST IS ALL IN THE SALVATION OF GOD'S ELECT. Our election in eternity was in Christ. God has chosen us in him as our covenant Head. The free grace and love of God was the cause of our election. But Christ is the Head, Representative, and Surety of God's elect. Were it not for him and his voluntary suretyship for us, there would not have been any such thing as Divine election. We were chosen in him that we might be conformed to him. In the matter of our redemption Christ is all. He alone is our Redeemer. He bore our sin. He paid our debt. He satisfied the justice of God for us. And he did it all by himself. Christ is all in our justification too. We stand accepted and acquitted before God only by his righteousness and shed blood. His name is "The Lord our Righteousness". The quarrel between God and our souls was taken up by Christ and settled by Christ. And Christ is all in sanctification. We are positionally sanctified in Christ. We are progressively sanctified by the power of Christ. We shall be perfectly sanctified by the glorification of our bodies and souls with Christ. Salvation, from start to finish, is the work of Christ.

CHRIST IS ALL IN WHAT WE CALL PRACTICAL CHRISTIANITY. Christ alone gives me comfort and hope before God. Christ alone gives me strength for every trial and grace to persevere in the faith. Christ is all to be known, all to be chosen, all to be loved, all to be desired, all to be delighted in, all to be thought upon, all to be followed, and all to be obeyed. We need no law but Christ and the example he has left for us to follow. Will any charge us with antinomianism, licentiousness, or carelessness because we choose to follow the Lord Jesus Christ? Does any believer need a higher, more compelling motive for anything than Christ himself?

CHRIST IS ALL TO BE PREACHED. The Bible, in its entirety, is a Book about Jesus Christ. No doctrine and no precept can be rightly understood apart from Christ. Christ is the Key which unlocks the Treasure Chest of Holy Scripture. "He is the Treasure in that field, the Marrow in that bone, the Manna in that dew, the Diamond in that ring, the Milk in that breast (John 5:39)." (Philip Henry)

CHRIST IS ALL IN HEAVEN. The Foundation of that city is Christ. The Gate to that city is Christ. The Light of that city is Christ. The joy, bliss, and happiness of heaven is Christ. The praises of the redeemed in heaven for all eternity are the praises of Christ. The reward of God's saints in heaven is Christ himself. Heaven is Christ and Christ is heaven to my soul.