A Study in Colossians

Colossians 1:19-20 “For it has pleased (the Father) that all the divine fullness – the sum total of the divine perfection, powers and attributes – should dwell in Him permanently. 20 And God purposed that through -by the service, the intervention of – Him (the Son) all things should be completely reconciled back to Himself, whether on earth or in heaven, as through Him (the Father) made peace by means of the blood of His cross.” (Amplified Version).

 

Nothing makes others happier than a job well done. They are ecstatic when they assign a task to someone and do not have to go back and make one improvement on what that person has done.

 

When the Father sent His Son to reconcile the world and make peace through the shedding of His Son’s blood; He did a thorough job. Nothing can be improved upon.

 

Not only did the Father sort out the breakdown sin caused to His relationship with mankind; He dealt with sin once and for all on earth and in heaven where it began Revelation 12, Hebrews 9.

 

He is now absolutely, utterly, totally and completely satisfied with all He has done in Jesus. Religious living etc., by mankind cannot improve on what God Himself has done to appease Himself.

 

But, beyond that, He took one more step. He allocated to His faithful Son, upon His return to heaven, the sum total of His divine perfection, powers and attributes forever Revelation 4,5,6.

 

But, what about Mankind? More importantly though, what about born-again mankind? Well, He places the born-again in His Son at conversion and because they are in Jesus, in whom dwells all the divine perfection, powers and attributes of the Godhead (Colossians 2:9-10), they are the most powerful people on the planet.

 

So now it is time we started living like it!

 

We have a right relationship with God because of Jesus.

We have peace with God because of Jesus.

We have peace with others because of Jesus.

We have authority over all principalities and powers because of Jesus’ name.

We know for sure that we have eternal life because of Jesus.

 

But, does the world KNOW we have all this?

A study in Colossians

Colossians 1:18 “And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the pre-eminence.”

 

I recall visiting a leaning pagoda in a remote farming community of China which was built around the fourth century AD . It was listed as a national treasure and attracted many Chinese and Asian Buddhist disciples.

 

It had begun to lean because the foundation walls supporting it had weakened following an earthquake in the sixties. When the contractors began to dig beneath it in an attempt to prop it up, they discovered four levels of crypts and vaults which contained fabulous treasures donated by emperors and officials over the centuries. The treasures were so numerous they had to build a multi-million dollar museum next door to house them.

 

When I entered the complex surrounding the pagoda I walked through hallways housing large golden Buddhist idols of all shapes and sizes, each with its own unique features. In the crypt hall beneath the pagoda several finger bones were on display in a circular shaped enclosure. The finger bones were surrounded by thousands of coins and bank notes which had been tossed by Buddhist believers who hoped for atonement in the after life and prosperity in this life. These imported finger bones were reportedly from actual Indian Buddhas who lived a thousand years or so before Christ.

 

As I walked around the complex I quietly repeated over and over these words, “Jesus lives; Jesus lives.” After a while my Chinese minder’s wife who had accompanied me and several of my students on the four hour journey, began to also say aloud in Chinese, “Jesus lives; Jesus lives”.

 

I was delighted to hear her because only weeks before I had prayed in Jesus name for her ten year old incapacitated son. He had been ill from birth with an enlarged heart and God healed him instantly.

 

To her; Jesus did indeed have the pre-eminence over Buddhist idols and all things. All the treasure and all the religion associated with these Buddhist relics could not compare with the living Jesus who had risen from the dead and healed her son; her most precious treasure!

 

You and I serve the One who is alive and rules over all things; even death.

We serve the One who rose from the dead to substantiate His claim that if we believe in Him we will not see death.

 

We serve Him in His kingdom, no matter where we are in the world.

We do not serve the doctrines of demons or man’s religions; we serve a risen, living, pre-eminent Saviour who reigns over both men and demons and is forever going forth conquering and to conquer, Revelation 19.

A Study in Colossians

 

Colossians 1:16-17 “For it is in Him that all things were created, in heaven and on earth, things seen and things unseen, whether thrones, dominions, rulers or authorities; all things were created and exist through Him (by His service, intervention) and in and for Him. 17 And He Himself existed before all things and in Him all things consist – cohere, are held together.” (Amplified Version)

 

Isn’t it great to know that Jesus has time for us? So much time that the very hairs of our heads are numbered. And isn’t it good to know that not one bird falls to the ground without His knowledge and yet; we are of more value than that bird?

 

Isn’t it also encouraging to know that if we seek His kingdom and not worry about things, He will supply all our needs because we are of greater value than the lilies of the field and the birds of the air?

 

Isn’t it also great to know that Jesus is ready to carry our load when it gets too heavy for us?

 

All this personal attention from the One who created and maintains the atoms of the universe? Yes, that’s right, the very same One.

 

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A study in Colossians

Colossians 1:15 “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation”.

 

We can either get inspired by this passage, or we can get theologically entangled. I preferred to get inspired myself.

 

We are actually going to stand in the presence of Jesus, who stood in the presence of His Father before we were created, and who came to earth and manifested Him. Beyond that we are going to stand in the presence of Jesus, who stood in the presence of His Father before we were created, who came to earth to manifest Him, and who returned to His Father’s presence and was given authority from His father to rule over all of creation.

 

But what is even more inspiring is: God considers that we are already in His throne with His Son who has all authority over every minuscule and major aspect and function of creation. And, He has given us all authority in Him to rule with Him as priests and kings over all of creation NOW, as well as in the age to come. Here are some passages that reveal this exciting truth:

 

I John 3:2 “Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.” NKJV

John 1:18 “No man has ever seen God at anytime; the only unique Son, the only begotten God, Who is in the bosom [that is in the intimate presence] of the Father, He has declared Him – He has revealed Him, brought Him out where He can be seen; He has interpreted Him, and He has made Him known.” (Amplified)

Revelation 4:10-11 “The twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worshipped Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying: ‘You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created.” NKJV

Revelation 5:8-10 “Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 9 And they sang a new song, saying: ‘You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; for You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, 10 and have made us kings and priests to our God; and we shall reign on the earth’.” NKJV

Revelation 5:13 “And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying: ‘Blessings and honour and glory and power be to Him who sits on the throne, and to the lamb, forever and ever!’.” NKJV

Ephesians 2;6 “And raised us up together, and made us to sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” NKJV

Ephesians 1:20-22 “Which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. 22 And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church.” NKJV

 

Therefore, my question  is: seeing we are already in His presence - in His throne - with all authority over all creation NOW – and also in the age to come, why are we so timid and full of doubt when it comes to living this positional truth? Let us hear the encouraging words of Jesus to His disciples as He taught them the facts of positional truth after He took authority over created gravity and the dimension of time, John 6:20-21 “It is I; do not be afraid.” 21 Then they willingly received Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land where they were going.”

 

Remember, only Peter got out of the boat and found out personally that Jesus did indeed have control over creation! Peter took Jesus at His word and for a moment or two lived in positional truth, overriding the physical laws of gravity. In other words: Jesus said it, Peter believed it and by faith experienced it. So did Philip after he immersed the Eunuch Acts 8:38-40.

 

Are you and I willing to get out of our boats which fly the flags of denominational God-controlling legalisms and religious doubts and fears? Or, are we more worried about what those in the denominational boats will say rather then hearing Jesus say to us, “Come out here on the water and find out for yourself that I control the molecules of the air and the sea and the universe, and do not fear for we go a fish’n for men”? Peter did!