The One We Proclaim

“He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ." ~ Colossians 1:28

    Colossians 1:28 is a powerful statement that is worthy of detailed examination. “He is the one we proclaim” boldly states without equivocation that it is not a belief, ideology, or system, but the proclamation of Jesus Christ. Proclamation means a public or official announcement, especially one dealing with a matter of great importance.      The point of great importance is Jesus Christ. He is the One under consideration. It is vitally important that we consider Him; His true nature, His purpose, His Word, and His accomplishments. The proclamation does not celebrate His linear progression while He dwelt among us, but His eternal significance and relationship to our temporal condition. 
    The Apostle admonishes or advises with intense urgency. So it is as if the One proclaimed requires immediate attention and definite response. Admonition also serves as corrective direction, as in “stop doing this and start doing that, before it’s too late.” 
    Teaching everyone with all wisdom suggests that knowledge is imparted with great care so that truth supersedes myth. Soon after Jesus’ ascension, heresies arose that questioned the apostolic testimonies about him. The Apostles’ letters served as wise teaching so essential that they became part of the Bible we still refer to for the Word. The problem of teaching without wisdom plagues the Christians of every generation. Many devout practitioners of various religious systems and local church customs lack wisdom and maturity. At the very least, Paul’s definition of wisdom and maturity is a matter of healthy critical thinking. 
    Full maturity in Christ is not about a body of knowledge or worldly experiences. It starts with the One we proclaim. “And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.” (1 John 5:20) 
    Brothers and sisters, many of those who call themselves Christian, can adequately share what they know about Jesus, but far fewer can say with certainty that they know Him. Moreover, fewer still have experienced literal, personal contact with Jesus, like Saul of Tarsus on the Damascus road (Acts 9). So, how does anyone know Jesus apart from a physical, emotional, and spiritual interaction?
    When Spirit-filled Christian Believers proclaim “the One,” they are His presence, His voice, and His touch. Jesus said, “In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.” (John 14:20) He referred to the day after the coming of the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ is in the Christian Believer by the indwelling of His Spirit. Persons who are not born again in the Spirit are most likely doing and saying things about Jesus, but not as one whose very being is tied to Christ, as “In him, we live and breathe and have our being.” (Acts 17:28) To know Christ Jesus, one must interact with the Body of Christ. Then, you will hear His voice, feel His touch, and learn maturity in Him. 
    Local churches are good starting points for Christian maturity, but one must enter into small groups led with wisdom and the proclamation of the Son of God. Small groups of Christian Believers who invite the Spirit to guide them will mature in Him and know Him through the Body and the Word.