Our Lord Jesus Christ IS GOD.
With that said, let's dive in. If you've missed the first two installments, here they are:
The Preeminence of Christ - Week One
The Preeminence of Christ - Week Two
THE PREEMINENCE OF CHRIST – Week Three – Colossians 1:17
By: Becka Goings
Colossians 1:15-20:
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
~*~*~
“And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”
~~Colossians 1:17
Colossians 1:17 seems like a redundancy when we read it in context of our entire passage. It seems to restate the lofty truths Paul has already conveyed in the previous verses we’ve studied, or the ones we’ve yet to look at. This is a short sentence, and if we’re not careful, we can miss the rich theology packed within it. When we study Scripture, we need to train ourselves to slow down and ask God to show us the meaning behind these phrases, and sometimes even individual words. God is very particular about the words He has chosen for His inerrant Word, and we must consider each word in a way we might have never thought about before.
To give an example, one way to dig in to a verse is to consider the tense of a verb. God specifically named Himself, “I AM”, not “I Was” or “I Will Be”. What can we tell about God from His name? Through every age, God “is”. The name I AM conveys His eternal nature. He always IS. Allow me to read a quote from one of my favorite pastors and teachers of Scripture, Dr. John MacArthur, on this very subject from the first issue of Expositor Magazine:
“[Christ] says (bitingly) that these men who fancied themselves experts in biblical scholarship didn’t really know the Scriptures at all: “But regarding the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God: ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not the God of the dead but of the living.’” (Matt. 22:31-32).
“Notice the powerful force of the argument: Jesus is quoting Exodus 3:6, from the heart of the Pentateuch—a text whose doctrine they could not dispute. And the logic of the argument hinges on the verb tense inherent in God’s name: “I AM” –present, continuous tense. God Himself is speaking, long after the deaths of the original patriarchs.
“[This] shows that the authority and inerrancy of Scripture extends to every element of the text, including not only the tiny jots and tittles that were used to spell the actual words, but also the verb tenses. Jesus’ whole point was based on the tense of the simplest, most common verb in the Hebrew language.”
~~John MacArthur, Expositor Magazine Issue #1, page 15
(quoted with permission from Expositor Magazine)
Now let’s look at Paul’s wording in verse 17.
“And he is before all things”.
Notice he says of Christ, “he is”. This is both interesting and telling. When you speak of someone in the past tense, you say “was”. “He was before all things”. But no, that’s not how Paul phrases it. Christ “is before all things”. While “before all things” is past tense, Paul emphasizes that Christ “is”. It’s subtle, but it’s there. This confirms the eternality of Christ on the same level of “I AM”. This verse also interprets “the firstborn of all creation” from Colossians 1:15. Remember how, in context, we learned the Greek word “prÅtotokos” (pro-TAHT-oh-koss) from verse 15 means “the first” or “preeminent”? How do we know Paul didn’t mean Christ to be acknowledged as the first created Being? Because he says in verse 17 that “he is before all things”. If Christ is eternal, and if He is before all things, then He cannot be a created Being. The Apostle John agrees in the magnificent opening to his Gospel with these beloved words from John 1:1-3:
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.”
Here again, we come to a passage where we have to be very careful to slow down and study every word, and not read the passage as we always have, glossing over any gems that might be hidden within. How many of us have wondered at verse three and John’s apparent disregard for grammar or clarity? I know I have. It’s one of those verses that makes my brain twist into a pretzel. But slow down, read it word-for-word, and ask God for its meaning.
“Without…him…was…not…any…thing…made…that…was…made.”
“Without…him…was…not…any…thing…made…that…was…made.”
John uses this phrase to flesh out the previous statement about Christ, that all things were made through Him. This phrase is worded as it is quite deliberately to drive the previous point home and make it absolutely clear that Christ is not, nor can He be, a created Being. Someone might argue that, sure, all things were created by Christ, but Christ was created by the Father. NO, both John and Paul shut down that idea when discussing our Lord’s deity. Christ cannot be created, because “without him was not any thing made that was made.” In other words, if anything is “made”, it was “made” by Christ. Christ cannot be a created Being, because He is the very One who has created everything! To say that Christ is “made” is to say He somehow spontaneously created Himself, and that cannot be, as we know God is eternal, and the Apostles lay out quite clearly, that Jesus Christ is God. The Word was with God, and the Word was God, according to the Apostle John, and He is before all things, according to the Apostle Paul.
While Paul’s point was that Christ existed before all created things, I also like the second definition of the word “before” applied to this text. The King is before, or in front of, His creation. He is before all things. When taken in this way, its as if creation itself stands in His holy court, giving us a picture of His omnipresence, and also emphasizing that He exists outside of His creation. We can almost imagine the Lord Christ turning creation in His hand, as if appraising it like a jewel. In fact, I do believe Paul wanted to give us an inkling of this idea when he says, “and in him all things hold together.”
Creation holds together, or consists, because Christ holds it in His hand. He holds it all together on His will alone. This doctrine is stated elsewhere in Scripture as well, in the first half of Hebrews 1:3:
“He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.”
While Paul’s point was that Christ existed before all created things, I also like the second definition of the word “before” applied to this text. The King is before, or in front of, His creation. He is before all things. When taken in this way, its as if creation itself stands in His holy court, giving us a picture of His omnipresence, and also emphasizing that He exists outside of His creation. We can almost imagine the Lord Christ turning creation in His hand, as if appraising it like a jewel. In fact, I do believe Paul wanted to give us an inkling of this idea when he says, “and in him all things hold together.”
Creation holds together, or consists, because Christ holds it in His hand. He holds it all together on His will alone. This doctrine is stated elsewhere in Scripture as well, in the first half of Hebrews 1:3:
“He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.”
The writer of Hebrews, if not the Apostle Paul himself, was at least someone who knew our passage in Colossians 1. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? But the Hebrews text goes into stronger detail, using more powerful language to restate what Paul had written in Colossians. We get a fuller picture here of what it means that in Christ, all things hold together. We are told that He upholds the universe by the word of His power. This is an extraordinary description of Christ! There is no argument here, no opportunity for discussion on the matter. The truth is quite simple. This universe is upheld by Christ, the very man who walked these dusty roads and was crucified on a Roman cross. Imagine how mind-blowing this must have been to those who knew Him in the first century! It was not enough to declare Him God; the Apostles portrayed Him with a high view of His sovereign power. This magnificent, all-powerful God was born into our world to live our life and die our death. I can imagine all who heard this message saying to one another, “Who is He? Why did He do this? We must know Him!”
Now, an earthly king certainly has mighty power, able to make laws, wage war, and decide whether someone lives or dies. But no person alive has ever been able to uphold the universe. That power belongs to God alone. And notice from the text He doesn’t uphold it as the Greeks imagined Atlas did, upon His broad back, struggling and groaning to lift the weight of it. No, Christ doesn’t even break a sweat – He upholds His creation simply by…what? The word of His power. Our Mighty God says, “Be upheld,” and thus creation obeys, just as the wind and waves once obeyed His command to “be still”.
Notice also how beautifully Hebrews 1:3 reflects back on John 1:1, that the universe is upheld by the word of His power, and that in the beginning was the Word. Scripture is like a grand tapestry, masterfully and divinely interwoven into one glorious image of Christ as our Creator God.
Paul wants us to know in Colossians 1:17 that Christ is not only the Creator of the universe, He is the Upholder of it also. He has not left it to spin on its own like a wound-up watch, as many deists claim. There is no such thing as a hands-off God who stands back and merely watches it all play out, aloof in the heavens. No, He is actively involved in upholding the universe in every single moment. If He ceased to uphold it, everything would cease to be. By saying “all things hold together” or “all things consist”, Paul means that quite literally, Christ is holding all things together by the force of His will alone. If He no longer willed to hold it, everything would instantly be destroyed. Therefore, it is the will of our Lord Christ that binds atoms and cells together to create all things.
Not only did He create the stars, and not only does He hold them in their courses, but He actively holds all their atoms together as well.
It is this upholding power that declares His sovereignty, and also how miracles can happen. While some scientists and brilliant minds of the day insist that miracles are impossible due to the laws of science and physics, these laws matter not to Christ, as He is the very one who upholds the laws of science and physics! He can, quite literally, do anything He wants with the jewel of His creation in the palm of His hand.
Let’s explore some examples from Scripture. He is sovereign over our lives, holding our deaths in His sovereignty. Have you ever thought that your heart beats because Christ wills it to beat? Let’s take a moment to ponder that. We are all alive this very moment because Christ in the heavens is actively allowing our hearts to beat and our lungs to take in breath. To show you an illustration of this, let’s consider Ananias and Sapphira from Acts 5:1-11.
“But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, 2 and with his wife's knowledge he kept back for himself some of the proceeds and brought only a part of it and laid it at the apostles' feet. 3 But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land? 4 While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to man but to God.”5 When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and breathed his last. And great fear came upon all who heard of it. 6 The young men rose and wrapped him up and carried him out and buried him.
7 After an interval of about three hours his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. 8 And Peter said to her, “Tell me whether you sold the land for so much.” And she said, “Yes, for so much.” 9 But Peter said to her, “How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.” 10 Immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. When the young men came in they found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. 11 And great fear came upon the whole church and upon all who heard of these things.”
These two people sold a piece of land and claimed they had donated the entire price to the church, but the reality was that they held some money back for themselves. They had lied to the Holy Spirit. What did God do? He struck them dead. Right then and there. First Ananias in verse 5, then Sapphira in verse 10. Christ removed His will to continue their lives and immediately, their hearts stopped and they dropped dead.
Verse 11 says a great fear came upon the whole church. I should say so! If we truly understood that we live, and move, and have our being (Acts 17:28) upon Christ’s will alone, how differently would we live for Him? Puritan Thomas Watson once said, “Every time we draw our breath, we suck in mercy.” Puritan George Swinnock says it as well, “Every breath of your life is a gift of mercy.”
This gives me a healthy fear of Christ in knowing my life is at His mercy, however, it also gives me a sense of peace in knowing He holds my life in His sovereign hand. My life will end precisely when He wills it to, and not a moment before. George Whitefield, an eighteenth century evangelist, who, along with Jonathan Edwards, ushered in the First Great Awakening, once said, “We are immortal until our work on earth is done.”
I love that. Nothing can end us until Christ ordains it. Did you know all our work for Christ was preordained by God? Ephesians 2:10 says,
“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”
Now, an earthly king certainly has mighty power, able to make laws, wage war, and decide whether someone lives or dies. But no person alive has ever been able to uphold the universe. That power belongs to God alone. And notice from the text He doesn’t uphold it as the Greeks imagined Atlas did, upon His broad back, struggling and groaning to lift the weight of it. No, Christ doesn’t even break a sweat – He upholds His creation simply by…what? The word of His power. Our Mighty God says, “Be upheld,” and thus creation obeys, just as the wind and waves once obeyed His command to “be still”.
Notice also how beautifully Hebrews 1:3 reflects back on John 1:1, that the universe is upheld by the word of His power, and that in the beginning was the Word. Scripture is like a grand tapestry, masterfully and divinely interwoven into one glorious image of Christ as our Creator God.
Paul wants us to know in Colossians 1:17 that Christ is not only the Creator of the universe, He is the Upholder of it also. He has not left it to spin on its own like a wound-up watch, as many deists claim. There is no such thing as a hands-off God who stands back and merely watches it all play out, aloof in the heavens. No, He is actively involved in upholding the universe in every single moment. If He ceased to uphold it, everything would cease to be. By saying “all things hold together” or “all things consist”, Paul means that quite literally, Christ is holding all things together by the force of His will alone. If He no longer willed to hold it, everything would instantly be destroyed. Therefore, it is the will of our Lord Christ that binds atoms and cells together to create all things.
Not only did He create the stars, and not only does He hold them in their courses, but He actively holds all their atoms together as well.
It is this upholding power that declares His sovereignty, and also how miracles can happen. While some scientists and brilliant minds of the day insist that miracles are impossible due to the laws of science and physics, these laws matter not to Christ, as He is the very one who upholds the laws of science and physics! He can, quite literally, do anything He wants with the jewel of His creation in the palm of His hand.
Let’s explore some examples from Scripture. He is sovereign over our lives, holding our deaths in His sovereignty. Have you ever thought that your heart beats because Christ wills it to beat? Let’s take a moment to ponder that. We are all alive this very moment because Christ in the heavens is actively allowing our hearts to beat and our lungs to take in breath. To show you an illustration of this, let’s consider Ananias and Sapphira from Acts 5:1-11.
“But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, 2 and with his wife's knowledge he kept back for himself some of the proceeds and brought only a part of it and laid it at the apostles' feet. 3 But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land? 4 While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to man but to God.”5 When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and breathed his last. And great fear came upon all who heard of it. 6 The young men rose and wrapped him up and carried him out and buried him.
7 After an interval of about three hours his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. 8 And Peter said to her, “Tell me whether you sold the land for so much.” And she said, “Yes, for so much.” 9 But Peter said to her, “How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.” 10 Immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. When the young men came in they found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. 11 And great fear came upon the whole church and upon all who heard of these things.”
These two people sold a piece of land and claimed they had donated the entire price to the church, but the reality was that they held some money back for themselves. They had lied to the Holy Spirit. What did God do? He struck them dead. Right then and there. First Ananias in verse 5, then Sapphira in verse 10. Christ removed His will to continue their lives and immediately, their hearts stopped and they dropped dead.
Verse 11 says a great fear came upon the whole church. I should say so! If we truly understood that we live, and move, and have our being (Acts 17:28) upon Christ’s will alone, how differently would we live for Him? Puritan Thomas Watson once said, “Every time we draw our breath, we suck in mercy.” Puritan George Swinnock says it as well, “Every breath of your life is a gift of mercy.”
This gives me a healthy fear of Christ in knowing my life is at His mercy, however, it also gives me a sense of peace in knowing He holds my life in His sovereign hand. My life will end precisely when He wills it to, and not a moment before. George Whitefield, an eighteenth century evangelist, who, along with Jonathan Edwards, ushered in the First Great Awakening, once said, “We are immortal until our work on earth is done.”
I love that. Nothing can end us until Christ ordains it. Did you know all our work for Christ was preordained by God? Ephesians 2:10 says,
“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”
The moment we have finished our work of glorifying Christ on earth, we are ushered Home. Praise the Lord! Don’t leave me outside of Heaven one single moment longer than I need to be! This knowledge can also bring us a great peace when our loved ones in Christ are taken from us. To our understanding, it might seem too soon, or too sudden, or without rhyme or reason. But no, their works were finished, and Christ called them Home. What a beautiful comfort to know that our Lord, who desires for His children to be with Him where He is and to see His glory (John 17:24), has called our loved ones unto Himself to see Him as He is! No one leaves this world prematurely or outside of God’s will. This realization also takes some fear out of dying. None of us know when we’ll be called Home, but we shouldn’t fear the hour of our death, for it ushers us into the presence of Christ Himself! What once was a curse and the very wage of sin, is now counted as gain for those who love Christ.
And despite the unbelief of atheists and agnostics, they too are subject to the will and mercy of Christ. Every moment they breathe earth’s air is a mercy outside of Hell. In Jonathan Edwards’ famous sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”, he describes the fate of these like this:
“There is nothing between you and Hell but the air; it is only the power and mere pleasure of God that holds you up…if God should let you go, you would immediately sink and swiftly descend and plunge into the bottomless gulf, and your healthy constitution, and your own care and prudence, and best contrivance, and all your righteousness would have no more influence to uphold you and keep you out of Hell, than a spider’s web would have to stop a falling rock. If it were not for the sovereign pleasure of God, the earth would not bear you one moment.”
God is under no obligation to keep any unbeliever from falling into Hell, and yet here we are, observing His mercy and grace in upholding the lives of those who blaspheme Him to the four winds. And praise the Lord for it as well, for if a person is still breathing, there is still hope for their salvation. Thank You, Lord, for Your grace in our lives.
Christ is the Lord of Life; not only is He sovereign over death, He is also sovereign over life. All of us know the story of Lazarus coming forth at our Lord’s command after being four-days dead (John 11:43). Or Christ’s own resurrection from the dead (Matthew 28:6). Or our own rising from the dead at the Resurrection of the Saints (1 Corinthians 15, 1 Thessalonians 4). There is coming a day when the entire church will be raised from the dead at the same time – those who are asleep in Christ, and those who are alive and remain. 1 Corinthians 15:52 says,
“in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.”
And despite the unbelief of atheists and agnostics, they too are subject to the will and mercy of Christ. Every moment they breathe earth’s air is a mercy outside of Hell. In Jonathan Edwards’ famous sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”, he describes the fate of these like this:
“There is nothing between you and Hell but the air; it is only the power and mere pleasure of God that holds you up…if God should let you go, you would immediately sink and swiftly descend and plunge into the bottomless gulf, and your healthy constitution, and your own care and prudence, and best contrivance, and all your righteousness would have no more influence to uphold you and keep you out of Hell, than a spider’s web would have to stop a falling rock. If it were not for the sovereign pleasure of God, the earth would not bear you one moment.”
God is under no obligation to keep any unbeliever from falling into Hell, and yet here we are, observing His mercy and grace in upholding the lives of those who blaspheme Him to the four winds. And praise the Lord for it as well, for if a person is still breathing, there is still hope for their salvation. Thank You, Lord, for Your grace in our lives.
Christ is the Lord of Life; not only is He sovereign over death, He is also sovereign over life. All of us know the story of Lazarus coming forth at our Lord’s command after being four-days dead (John 11:43). Or Christ’s own resurrection from the dead (Matthew 28:6). Or our own rising from the dead at the Resurrection of the Saints (1 Corinthians 15, 1 Thessalonians 4). There is coming a day when the entire church will be raised from the dead at the same time – those who are asleep in Christ, and those who are alive and remain. 1 Corinthians 15:52 says,
“in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.”
Philippians 3:21 describes it this way:
“who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.”
“who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.”
Aside from my being excited about our future glorification, these two verses tell us something of God’s amazing, unstoppable power. First, this glorification is lightning-quick – it happens in the twinkling of an eye. Probably faster than you can snap your fingers. One moment we are mortal, the next, immortal. There is no evolution here, no slow, subtle change over time. We are instantaneously glorified. How? By the power that enables Him even to subject all things to Himself. By His upholding power. God is perfectly able to alter all things immediately and completely to conform them to His will. Even our very bodies shall obey Him apart from our own wills. Our Mighty God declares, “Be glorified!” and thus this flesh shall obey. I don’t know about you, but there are times I just need to have a moment to take it all in. This Almighty power of God to subject all things to Himself is stunningly glorious.
Christ is Sovereign, and this entire universe bows to His will. He created the universe, He keeps it spinning through His magnificent omniscience and omnipotence, and He is sovereign over it; anything He wills comes to pass. The Lord Jesus Christ does not need anyone’s permission to do anything in His universe, nor does He ask for it. I’m sure we’ve all heard preaching of that sort, to “give God permission” to do this or that. But when you come to the realization of how huge God is and how puny we are, how massive His glory compared to our bodies of dust, how unstoppable His power compared to our weakness, how great His holiness compared to our hideous sin nature, you can see how a theology that “gives God permission” is a certain blasphemy.
Who are you, O man, to answer back to God? (Romans 9:20). Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? (Job 38:2) What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You care for him? (Psalm 8:4)
A high view of Christ and His power as God is what we desperately need, to worship Him and serve Him to the best of our abilities. We cannot be satisfied with lower, lesser views of Him that portray Him “needing our permission” or begging us to come to Him, as if He is impotent rather than omnipotent. We would do well to remember:
“Our God is a consuming fire.” ~~Hebrews 12:29
…and fear Him accordingly.
I wonder if the Apostle Paul is leading worship in Heaven. Take a look at a verse from the book of Revelation and hear the words of the 24 elders who worship God at His Throne. Revelation 4:11:
“Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”
Christ is Sovereign, and this entire universe bows to His will. He created the universe, He keeps it spinning through His magnificent omniscience and omnipotence, and He is sovereign over it; anything He wills comes to pass. The Lord Jesus Christ does not need anyone’s permission to do anything in His universe, nor does He ask for it. I’m sure we’ve all heard preaching of that sort, to “give God permission” to do this or that. But when you come to the realization of how huge God is and how puny we are, how massive His glory compared to our bodies of dust, how unstoppable His power compared to our weakness, how great His holiness compared to our hideous sin nature, you can see how a theology that “gives God permission” is a certain blasphemy.
Who are you, O man, to answer back to God? (Romans 9:20). Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? (Job 38:2) What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You care for him? (Psalm 8:4)
A high view of Christ and His power as God is what we desperately need, to worship Him and serve Him to the best of our abilities. We cannot be satisfied with lower, lesser views of Him that portray Him “needing our permission” or begging us to come to Him, as if He is impotent rather than omnipotent. We would do well to remember:
“Our God is a consuming fire.” ~~Hebrews 12:29
…and fear Him accordingly.
I wonder if the Apostle Paul is leading worship in Heaven. Take a look at a verse from the book of Revelation and hear the words of the 24 elders who worship God at His Throne. Revelation 4:11:
“Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”
This sounds astoundingly like our text in Colossians 1:17. Let’s read it again:
“And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”
“And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”
Praise the Lord! The saints will be singing these very praises to God in Glory! What an amazing witness in the book of Revelation. Here is one more proof that Jesus Christ is God, as the Apostle Paul lays out doctrine for Christ’s deity as the Creator of all things in Colossians 1, and the Apostle John records the saints in Heaven praising the One who created all things as our Lord and our God. The Bible is not ambiguous about the identity of the Sovereign of the universe. He is the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lamb who was slain.
The book of Revelation also tells us our Lord will not hold this universe forever. One day, all these things shall pass away when He creates a new heaven and a new earth. Revelation 21:1 says,
“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away”
The book of Revelation also tells us our Lord will not hold this universe forever. One day, all these things shall pass away when He creates a new heaven and a new earth. Revelation 21:1 says,
“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away”
This is what creation has been groaning for – its redemption (Romans 8:22-23). Ever since the Fall in the Garden, sin has cursed creation itself. Death and decay did not exist until sin entered the world. How amazing to think the Lord Jesus Christ will one day glorify His creation just as He glorifies His saints! And even more amazing than that is knowing this resplendent, sovereign God who redeemed it all for Himself! How can we not long to know more about this glorious Being who dwells in unapproachable light? The more we examine the glories of Christ On High, the more we come to adore Him for all He has done, not only for His creation, not only for His church, but for each one of us specifically.
How involved is Christ in your life? Whether or not we acknowledge Him day-to-day, He is intimately involved in all we do, for just as His universe is upheld by the word of His power, so too are our lives. Whatever might drag us down, make us stumble, or rob us of our strength, the Lord Jesus Christ holds it all in the palm of His hand. All things will hold together if He wills to hold it. And we know His children cannot be snatched from His hand (John 10:28). Nor can we be snatched from the Father’s hand (John 10:29).
Christ holds onto us with His sovereign power. As Romans 8:38-39 says,
“For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
How involved is Christ in your life? Whether or not we acknowledge Him day-to-day, He is intimately involved in all we do, for just as His universe is upheld by the word of His power, so too are our lives. Whatever might drag us down, make us stumble, or rob us of our strength, the Lord Jesus Christ holds it all in the palm of His hand. All things will hold together if He wills to hold it. And we know His children cannot be snatched from His hand (John 10:28). Nor can we be snatched from the Father’s hand (John 10:29).
Christ holds onto us with His sovereign power. As Romans 8:38-39 says,
“For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
What’s remarkable to me about this verse is how Paul says that nothing in all creation can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. Taking this knowledge and coupling it with what we know about Christ’s power over creation in Colossians 1:17 and Hebrews 1:3, we see that Christ holds onto us with a sustaining power that overrules the sin, the corruption, and the curse that’s upon creation. For those who love God, all things work together for good (Romans 8:28). He literally manipulates creation by His power to hold all things together, to ensure that nothing in His creation can separate His children from His love. Not death, life, angels, demons, things now, things future, kings, presidents, mountains, valleys, or anything else you could think of can take us outside of the Almighty power of our God, in whom all things consist.
If creation is a jewel before Him that He turns and appraises, how much more precious to our Lord Christ are His children, those for whom He shed His own blood to purchase? How much more does He hold onto us, we who are His inheritance? Never doubt that He has you right where He wants you. Never wonder if He sees you in your despair. He hears your every sigh, and saves your every tear (Psalm 56:8). You are His, and His you will remain. Nothing, absolutely nothing can take us away from Him.
“He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”
If creation is a jewel before Him that He turns and appraises, how much more precious to our Lord Christ are His children, those for whom He shed His own blood to purchase? How much more does He hold onto us, we who are His inheritance? Never doubt that He has you right where He wants you. Never wonder if He sees you in your despair. He hears your every sigh, and saves your every tear (Psalm 56:8). You are His, and His you will remain. Nothing, absolutely nothing can take us away from Him.
“He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”
If Christ is before you as your King, if you are in Him, then all things in your life shall hold together by His power to subject all things to Himself. O, Lord Jesus, we don’t deserve Your mercy and grace, but we thank You and praise You for holding us with Your great strength, and for giving us the privilege of knowing the wonder of You. Praise Your name forever.
1.) According to Dr. John MacArthur, one way to dig into Bible study is to consider the _______ of a _______.
2.) What does John 1:3 mean when it says, “without him was not any thing made that was made”?
3.) According to Hebrews 1:3, Christ upholds the universe by the _______ of His _______.
4.) Does anyone die prematurely, without rhyme or reason, or outside of God’s will?
5.) True or false? The Bible is ambiguous about who is the Sovereign of the universe.
Have you ever given much thought to the fact that your heart beats by the will of Christ?
Have you ever thought long on God’s sovereignty, that even the atoms of your own body will obey Him before they obey you?
If you’re honest with yourself, have you ever believed you had the right to give God permission to do something in your life, thus making yourself sovereign over Him?
Is Christ before all things in your life?
Do you truly have faith that by His power, all things in your life hold together?
1.) Colossians 1:17
STUDY QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION
1.) According to Dr. John MacArthur, one way to dig into Bible study is to consider the _______ of a _______.
2.) What does John 1:3 mean when it says, “without him was not any thing made that was made”?
3.) According to Hebrews 1:3, Christ upholds the universe by the _______ of His _______.
4.) Does anyone die prematurely, without rhyme or reason, or outside of God’s will?
5.) True or false? The Bible is ambiguous about who is the Sovereign of the universe.
Questions for Personal Reflection
Have you ever given much thought to the fact that your heart beats by the will of Christ?
Have you ever thought long on God’s sovereignty, that even the atoms of your own body will obey Him before they obey you?
If you’re honest with yourself, have you ever believed you had the right to give God permission to do something in your life, thus making yourself sovereign over Him?
Is Christ before all things in your life?
Do you truly have faith that by His power, all things in your life hold together?
Colossians 1:17 – Session Three – Song Playlist:
- Sovereign Over Us – Breakaway Ministries – Lift Him High Album
- All Praise to Him – Sovereign Grace Music – Prayers of the Saints Album
- Shepherd of My Soul – Kutless – Alpha/Omega Album
- Unto the Lamb – The Prestonwood Choir – The Best of The Prestonwood Choir
- Christ Be All Around Me – Shane & Shane – The Worship Initiative Album
- You Hold it All – Travis Ryan – You Hold It All (Live) Album
- Sovereign – Chris Tomlin – Burning Lights Album
Scripture References for Further Study:
2.) Matthew 22:31-32
3.) Exodus 3:6
4.) Colossians 1:15
5.) John 1:1-3
6.) Hebrews 1:3
7.) Acts 5:1-11
8.) Acts 17:28
9.) Ephesians 2:10
10.) John 17:24
11.) John 11:43
12.) Matthew 28:6
13.) 1 Corinthians 15
14.) 1 Thessalonians 4
15.) 1 Corinthians 15:52
16.) Philippians 3:21
17.) Romans 9:20
18.) Job 38:2
19.) Psalm 8:4
20.) Hebrews 12:29
21.) Revelation 4:11
22.) Revelation 21:1
23.) Romans 8:22-23
24.) John 10:28
25.) John 10:29
26.) Romans 8:38-39
27.) Romans 8:28
28.) Psalm 56:8
3.) Exodus 3:6
4.) Colossians 1:15
5.) John 1:1-3
6.) Hebrews 1:3
7.) Acts 5:1-11
8.) Acts 17:28
9.) Ephesians 2:10
10.) John 17:24
11.) John 11:43
12.) Matthew 28:6
13.) 1 Corinthians 15
14.) 1 Thessalonians 4
15.) 1 Corinthians 15:52
16.) Philippians 3:21
17.) Romans 9:20
18.) Job 38:2
19.) Psalm 8:4
20.) Hebrews 12:29
21.) Revelation 4:11
22.) Revelation 21:1
23.) Romans 8:22-23
24.) John 10:28
25.) John 10:29
26.) Romans 8:38-39
27.) Romans 8:28
28.) Psalm 56:8
