Colossians 1:12 says, “Giving thanks to the Father, Who qualified you for a share of the portion of the saints in the light.” All Christians know that God has redeemed us, but not many realize that He has also qualified us to partake of Christ as the portion of the saints. The word portion in Colossians 1:12 indicates enjoyment. Christ is the unique enjoyment for all the saints. Nothing should be allowed to replace Him as our portion. Things such as baptism, speaking in tongues, or healing must not replace Christ Himself. Only the living Person of Christ, not any doctrine or practice, is our portion.
Sometimes we say that we enjoy the meetings of the church. However, instead of saying that we enjoy the meetings, we should testify that we enjoy Christ in the meetings. There is a great difference between enjoying a meeting itself and enjoying Christ in a particular meeting. Certain saints may boast that the meetings in their locality are better than the meetings elsewhere. We must be very careful concerning this. Do not say that you enjoy the meetings in your place. Instead, tell others that you enjoy Christ. We should not be proud of our locality or any other place. In a sense, every locality should be lowered down in our estimation so that we may uplift Christ, our unique portion. The unique portion of the saints is not the church in any particular locality. Our unique portion is Christ.
Christ is the all-inclusive One to be our all. In his Gospel John indicates that Christ is many things. For example, He is the living bread, the door, the Shepherd, and the true vine. Moreover, in Colossians we see that Christ is not only all-inclusive, but also all-extensive. But neither in the Gospel of John nor in the Epistle to the Colossians do we have the aspects of Christ which are itemized in 1 Corinthians. In this Epistle Paul mentions nineteen aspects of the all-inclusive Christ. In this message we shall simply list them and refer to them briefly.
In 1:24 Paul says, “But to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ, God’s power and God’s wisdom.” The crucified Christ preached by Paul is God’s power. This power is for carrying out and accomplishing what God has planned and purposed.
According to 1:24, Christ is also God’s wisdom. Wisdom is for planning, purposing. In God’s economy Christ is both wisdom for planning and power for accomplishing what has been planned.
In 1:30 Paul says that Christ is our righteousness. In particular, this righteousness is for our past and enables us to be justified by God.
Verse 30 also reveals that Christ is our sanctification. This is for the present and is related to being sanctified in the soul.
According to 1:30, Christ is also our redemption. This is for the future and is related in particular to the redemption of our body (Rom. 8:23).
In 2:7 Paul says, “But we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the wisdom which has been hidden, which God predestined before the ages for our glory.” Christ, the Lord of glory (2:8), is our life today (Col. 3:4) and will be our glory in the future (Col. 1:27). To this glory God has called us (1 Pet. 5:10), and into it He will bring us (Heb. 2:10). This is the goal of God’s salvation. How marvelous that Christ is our glory for our glorification!
In 2:10 Paul says, “The Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God.” Christ is the depths of God. This aspect of Christ is far beyond our experience and apprehension. It refers to the deep things of God, to Christ in many aspects as our eternal portion.