How could you preach without Christ?

How could you preach without Christ? I don't understand. How could you reduce the Gospel to petty things like witty statements and catchphrases? How could you leave Him like a topping, an icing on the cake, when He is the sweet Manna from Heaven, the Bread of Life? How could you remove the power of God unto salvation and replace it with your own pitiful wit? How could you glorify yourself along with the Thrice Holy God, to whom belongs all glory and honor and power and praise? For by Him, and through Him, and in Him, and for Him, all things were made, things in heaven and on earth, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities. He is the center of all creation; His glory, its purpose. To remove Him from the podium is the act of the devil. To stand with Him on the pedestal is blatant blasphemy.

Whether the apostle Paul instructed the churches or admonished the brotherhood to maturity, it was always in the Lord. His greetings are in the Lord. His confidence is in the Lord. His boasting is in the Lord. His instructions on food, marriage, and idolatry are in the Lord. The rules for holy living are in the Lord. Whether in strength, hope, joy, faith, or perseverance, we are always directed by the apostle to the Lord. We are in Him; let Him fill us to the brim; let Him be our all in all. Let His Word be our foundation; His glory, our purpose. And when we preach, we preach in the Lord. A preaching without Christ is sure to perish.

Christianity is not mere self-improvement. It is not concerned with mere behavioral changes, with mere positive thinking. It is a new creation. It is the work of God in us, as we work out our salvation with fear and trembling. It is the increasing manifestation of the risen Christ as we take up our cross and follow Him. It is The Spirit of Joy filling our hearts as we delight in Him.

It is a sure hope, that when the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, returns with His angels in blazing fire, evil shall be judged, and us who are righteous in Him shall share His glory. Christianity is the certainty that God works all things for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose. Christianity is the assurance that the Spirit of God shall bear lasting fruit in our lives - one that multiplies 20, 60, or even a hundred times, according to His grace.

Preaching without Christ is transforming people the way the world will. It may try to change us for the better, but will never be able to make us new. It will never be able to wash us clean, pure, and holy. But Christ - He is God with us, God in us, the Author and Perfecter of our faith. By His blood we are saved, and by His life we are changed.