The Main Thing Is Not The Only Thing

It is popular to promote the main thing, to unify and rally people around recovering the main thing, and then to speak passionately about the main thing. Good so far, in fact great, because the main thing is awesome!

However there are dangers in taking too strong a stand on the main thing.  It is easy and ever appealing to stay simple and general.  And it feels good, maybe even morally superior at times. Lots of people are tired of arguing, lots more, alas, are ignorant and many just want to get along and settle for peace in the big truths.

But, we are not faithful to God and His Gospel when we make the main thing the only thing, because He Himself didn’t.

The Main Thing is the Best Thing

The main thing we are talking about is Jesus Christ, who He is as God and Man, what He accomplished on the Cross and in His Resurrection, and how we benefit from this.

Most pastors, scholars and all Christians who study the Bible would certainly agree. We don’t want to sharply divide over smaller matters though they may be important and we hold our own studied commitments to them.

Yet, we also are aware that not everyone who says they are talking about main thing is actually talking about the main thing. Many popular speakers simply attach Jesus to their motivational speeches, acronym-friendly guidance, discipleship programs and products for sale.

Assuming we want more than that from our Christian leaders (many don’t obviously), but assuming we do, such a situation is another reason we should be desiring deeper instruction and asking deeper questions about Jesus Christ and His relationship to the whole of Scriptural revelation. How does it all fit together, the whole story, from beginning to end?

Many Things are Big Parts of the Main Thing

There is much more to learn.  We weren’t only given the main thing, but many other things as well. This is highly significant and it should be obvious that it is of critical importance to God Himself and in His communication to us for our faith.

Matthew 5:17–19 ESV ““[Jesus said,] Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”

Surely all things point to the main thing, but will you point to the main thing from every thing in the Scriptures? Yes, it is about Jesus. But how is it about Him?

Do the hard work and serious thinking required.  Don’t waste the Bible stories by launching into moralizing instruction, or carelessly picking texts for political pontification, or crafting obscure analogies that aren’t really there, or embellishing the stories for a good show, or rearranging the structure to teach systematic theology, only to add a Jesus Gospel moment somewhere along the way. We want to hear about the main thing from the many things.

Will you preach and teach it profoundly? Do you skip passages? Do you avoid books?  If you do (and many do), why?  God considers them necessary for His people to fully learn about Him and completely mature in their faith.

We Should Make the Whole Thing the Main Thing

God didn’t make the main thing the only thing; therefore, the main thing is no longer the main thing if it is the only thing. The Apostle Paul made it his practice to talk insightfully about many things in Scripture.

Acts 20:27 ESV “I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God.” 

2 Timothy 3:14–17 ESV “But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”

The whole thing (all Scripture) is really the main thing (revelation of Jesus Christ). Let us teach about God as He has given to us His self-revelation and His history of redemption in the Bible.

Our concern should go beyond skillful rhetoric that rallies and on to the realities that transform our minds and our souls and impact our core being, beliefs and behaviors. This will take more than talking about the main thing as if it is the only thing people need to know and be concerned about knowing.

Let us definitely keep talking about the main thing, but may we also talk perceptively about all the other things that are truly big parts of our comprehension of the main thing.