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.ESV Amazing stuff in this passage this morning!
It’s clear that the whole focus is on Jesus, but I want to encourage you to take a moment and really look at what Paul is saying about Jesus.
One of the first things to notice is Jesus’ role in creation. He was there at the beginning (Genesis 1.26), and through Him and by Him all things were created which makes Him supreme and as such He is able to reconcile all things through His blood. In fact, there are some amazing things in this passage that refute heresies which continues today.
- The heresy that Jesus isn’t fully God, but this passage clearly states that in Christ all the fullness of God dwells (vs. 19), which is awesome because through Jesus we can clearly come to know who God is.
- The heresy that Jesus was a created being, but this passage clearly states that through Jesus and by Jesus all things were created (vs. 16).
On top of that, we most definitely have God as the author and perfecter of our faith.
Christ alone has reconciled us, which is amazing when you consider that through Jesus, all of creation came into existence, and through the death of Jesus, God acted to heal the world of its brokenness (Jesus being the firstborn of all creation and the firstborn from the dead; verses 15 and 18).
However, the most amazing thing of all is that this is all about Jesus. Over and over again, Paul is pointing to Jesus. What does that mean? Why would Paul do that?
Faith in Jesus isn’t a system of belief. It’s not a simple matter to have the right religious practices laid out for us to follow. If that were the case, all churches would practice the same things. This is not about the steps to salvation or reaching the right level of spiritual maturity or what to do or what not to do to be and maintain holiness (can you imagine how long that list would be???).
Faith in Jesus is, always was and always will be about a
relationship with Jesus.
That’s what Paul wanted Colossian believers to know so that they could grow in faith and maturity.
It’s what we need to know and pursue in our own lives today.
It’s always about a relationship with Jesus, walking with Him daily, pursuing His presence, and deliberately placing our relationship with Jesus at the center of our lives, filtering, processing, and responding to everything through our relationship with Him.
I can’t talk about faith in Jesus apart from a relationship with Him. This relationship changes and transforms our lives, influencing everything from how we perceive and interact with others around us.
And here’s the amazing thing you might not realize: Jesus is with you right now, waiting for you to speak with Him. All you have to do is acknowledge His presence and tell Him what’s going on. You’ll be amazed at the difference this relationship will make in your life as you relentlessly pursue your relationship with Jesus.
God bless you, and know that you are prayed for this morning!
Scott
