IN HIM: All Things Hold Together
When we follow the domestic and global news,
one cannot help but feel as if our world as we know it is falling apart at the
seams. We would like to know if there is anyone who could repair the world's broken systems
and hold them together so that we can live in relative peace and security. It
has been challenging for Christians everywhere, especially those living in a
pluralistic and secular society, to hold on to our Faith in God, particularly
in Jesus and His redemptive work.
These challenges are not new; Christians of
past generations have faced them as well. How did they handle those heretical
views about Christ? We will ask the Colossian Christians, in particular, as
they faced the heresy of denying Christ’s divinity, which threatened their Church
in Colossae. They must have been blessed to have had the Apostle Paul on their
side, who combated this damning heresy with a strong defense of Christ's
divinity. In our 'In Him' series, we will explore how All Things
Hold Together In Christ. Colossians 1:15-23.
Let us address two complex concepts in Col 1:15,
"The Son is the Image of the invisible God, the
firstborn over all creation." First, Jesus Christ is presented as
the image of the invisible God. The Greek word "eikon," translated
as "image," refers to that which resembles an object and
represents it. Eikon always assumes a prototype, not merely what it resembles,
but from which it is drawn. For instance, the reflection of the sun in the
water is called by Plato Eikon.
Paul's
teaching here is that there was not a mere coincidental resemblance between
Jesus Christ and his Father, but they were eternally related to one another.
The One was the reflection of the Other, who was real and not merely the
figment of our imagination. This is even though God is invisible. That which is
invisible, nevertheless, can be and is real. John 1:18, "No one has ever
seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest
relationship with the Father, has made him known." In other words, seeing
Jesus is equivalent to seeing God.
The second Word, 'firstborn,' is used twice
in Col. 1:15 and 18. What it means here is that Christ holds the same relation
to all creation as God the Father, and He is above all creation. It does not
mean that He is part of the creation made by God, but that the relation of the
whole creation to Him was determined by the fact that He is the cause of the
creation of all things, and without Him, there could be no creation. Let's see
how this concept is clarified in verse sixteen.
I. The Supremacy Of Jesus Christ
Have
you ever wondered how everything began—the universe with its vast number of
galaxies and stars within them, the beautiful Earth with all its wonders and
intricacies, and, above all, human life that lives and enjoys these lovely
things? When you ask such a question, we will hear several arguments from
scientists, evolutionists, biologists, philosophers, and religious leaders. As
a shepherd, I approach the question of how it all began from the Scriptures.
Colossians 1:16, "For in him all things
were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether
thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created
through him and for him." To find out who this Him was, we will read John
1:1-5,
In
the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word
was God. He
was with God in the beginning. Through him, all
things were made; without him, nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the Light of all
mankind. The Light shines in the
darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it."
John
1:14, "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen
his glory, the glory of the one and only Son who came from the Father, full of
grace and truth." The Word that once was with God and was God in the
beginning, at the right time, was incarnated in the world in human form. We
call Him Jesus Christ, our Lord. He was the one who created all that we see and
don't see: plants, animals, oceanic life, the cosmic wonders, and humans.
The
Apostle Paul debunked the heretical teaching that Christ was not God but a
created being by affirming that all things have been created through Jesus and
for Jesus. He went one step further by including thrones, dominions, rulers,
and authorities, which are various categories of angelic beings that were also
created by Jesus and for Jesus.
In
his letter to the Ephesians Church, Paul prays that the believers would be
enlightened. And they might experience "the same power that raised Christ
from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far
above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is
invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God
placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything
for the Church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in
every way." Ephesians 1:20-23.
Through
both these letters, Paul silenced the heretics and skeptics by placing Jesus in
the highest place over everything. Thereby, he established once and for all
that Jesus is the only supreme God. No one would be a match for Him, for He has
all the power and authority.
If
everything has been created by Jesus and for Jesus, how about you and I? We,
too, have been fearfully and wonderfully created by God, and we are made for
Him. The Psalmist sums up the response of creation and all its creatures to
their Creator. Psalm 148:1-14.
"Praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise him in the heights above. Praise him,
all his angels; praise him, all his heavenly hosts.
Praise him, sun and moon; praise
him, all you shining stars. Let them praise the
name of the Lord, for at
his command, they were created, and he established
them forever. He issued a decree that will never pass away. Kings of the Earth and all nations,
you princes and all rulers on Earth, young
men and women, older men and children. Let them praise
the name of the Lord, for
his name alone is exalted; his splendor is above the Earth and the heavens." Let's
examine another bold proclamation by Paul.
II In Him: All Things Hold Together
Colossians 1:17-18, "He is before all things, and in him all things hold
together. And he is the head of the
body, the Church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among
the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy." These
scriptures indicate that Jesus, the Supreme God, is not only the Creator of
everything but also the sustainer of everything.
When we feel overwhelmed,
thinking that the whole world, including our personal world, is falling apart,
let us take heart. Jesus, the one who spoke and everything came into existence,
knows how to hold things together until He comes back and establishes His
eternal Kingdom.
Jesus is the head of the
Church, His body on the Earth. We are members of his body. When Jesus is the
center of our lives, we are together. When we move away, we will fall apart. Jesus
is committed to making us holy and presenting us to the Father without any
blemish.
That is the good news. We have heard it and
responded to it by placing our trust in Him.
At
times, we may not understand why we go through difficult times, but during such
times, let's trust Him to know that He will hold all things together in our
lives. I have been a Christian for over forty years. All these years, Jesus has
never failed me; I have failed Him several times. But as he promised, when we
are faithless, He remains faithful to us.
How does this truth in
Him, that all things hold together, impact our daily living? Believers in
Christ can hold onto this truth and remain calm and trusting while facing the
turbulence and storms of life, knowing that Jesus holds all things concerning our
lives together.
When the world all around
us is spinning out of control, God's peace will rule our hearts because we
belong to the Prince of Peace and His everlasting Kingdom. How is your life
today? Is it falling apart at the edges? Are you afraid of your future and the
future of your children? Run to Jesus, who holds all things together in the
present and all the days of our lives.
