God-Centered Life
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Christo-centric- having Christ at the center
Christo-centric- having Christ at the center
A Christ-centered (or Christocentric) life is one that is focused upon a commitment to Jesus Christ as Lord. At the core of every human decision is a motivation. Some people are motivated by the quest for pleasure or money. Some center their entire lives on a goal, a job, or even their families. These things are not wrong in themselves; however, that which we center our lives on can become our god.
We must put God First
We must keep God First
He is preeminent
12 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: 13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: 14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: 15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: 16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
God is alive and active. In contrast to idols, he is uncreated and the source of all continuing life.
Is Christ the center in your life, or is a person or group of people the center? If Christ isn’t at the center, what needs to change?
For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself;
Colossians: Being Like Jesus Part II: Jesus (Colossians 1:15–23)
Present with God and creation from the beginning—firstborn of creation. 2. Made peace between God and humanity by overcoming death—firstborn from the dead. 3. Unified broken people with each other and with creation—first in the church (the head). 4. Declares us holy and blameless before God—first to fully reconcile us with God.
22 Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars’ hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious.
23 For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.
24 God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;
25 Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;
26 And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;
27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:
28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.
29 Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device.
30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:
31 Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.
32 And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked: and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter.
33 So Paul departed from among them.
The human heart was designed for worship, and if it does not worship God, it will worship something else. If we are not Christ-centered, we will be centered on something else. Worship is measured by the amount of time, money, and emotional energy expended. Our gods can be identified by the level of passionate commitment they evoke in us, and, after a while, we begin to resemble them. We talk about them, think about them, dream about them, and scheme to spend more time with them. People who know us best usually know where our deepest passions lie because worship is hard to hide.
But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
*****Dion pic inserted here****
God is the Maker and Supreme Ruler of Heaven and Earth. He is Alpha and Omega. He is the beginning and ending of time. He is the Author and Finisher of our faith. But ultimately He is a Spirit.
God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
God is an infinite and intelligent Spirit.
Ver. 24. God is spirit.— The mode of life must correspond to the object of Life. Hence it is now become the law of life for all worshippers, that they must worship God in spirit and in truth. Every other sort of living is thereby done away, as well as, or in proportion as, the provisional system of religion. The mode of living is to be conformed to the mode of religion. God as the living Spirit, and as pure Spirit, is present to His worshippers,
God is pure spirit, absolute spirit, in opposition to all materialistic and materializing conceptions. This clearly implies that the anthropomorphic expressions of the Bible must not be taken literally. Tertullian ascribed to God a body but perhaps he meant it in the sense of substance.
John 4:24 God is a Spirit: the transcendental, immaterial, rational existence that constitutes the essence of supernatural entities such as God, angels and human souls.
* spirit-the animating force of a person or deity
And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
-Gen 2:7a breath of life= Ne’samah- breath; living being; movement of air
-Gen 2:7b and man became a living soul. = hay-yah - possessing life; a living thing
Ne’pes Prounced Ne’phes -life; people; throat; soul; breath; neck; living being; personality; dead soul; to fill the soul; appetite;thirst; passion; emotion; peril of life
* worship is dictated by the spirit.
Dictated-lay down authoritatively; prescribe