What is the ultimate outcome of your faith? In business, we call it the bottom line. Colossians 1:28 is a meaningful verse to me because Paul gets down to the bottom line of Christianity. He writes, “Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ.”
In Paul’s bottom line thinking, he made sure that his life proclaimed Christ and nothing else. In today’s culture, we can easily proclaim our favorite interest or hobbies, even our politics, but yet what Paul displayed best was Christ. Does your life reflect Jesus? Leonard Ravenhill once asked, “Are the things you’re living for worth the things Christ died for?”
The way Paul proclaimed Christ was a two-pronged approach. He warned some and taught others, and how did he know the balance between the two? He says, “with all wisdom.” God will give you wisdom with the relationships in your life. For some family and friends, we need to be warning them with the gospel. For others, we need to lovingly teach them and instruct them. Do you trust God for wisdom to know how to present Christ to the people in your life? James 1:5 tells us, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.”
Now, Paul is going to give us the bottom line of Christianity and it is to mature in Christ-likeness. Would you say the greatest outcome of your faith is to mature in Christ? Spiritual growth is ultimately spiritual maturity. In this new year, as you evaluate the bottom line of your life whether it is your health, marriage, or finances, also evaluate the bottom line of your relationship with Jesus and make the ultimate outcome to be mature in Christ.
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