COLOSSIANS
1:14
Speaking about Jesus and what He has done
for those who believe in Him, The Bible says in Colossians 1:14, In whom we have redemption through His
blood, even the forgiveness of sins. The word redemption means to set free through the paying of
a price. The price that was paid was the blood of Christ. What the believers
have been set free from is their sins. The word forgiveness also refers to
being set free. It means literally to separate from. Because of the blood of
Christ, God has redeemed us and separated us from our sins. This verse teaches
eternal security. Once you have been redeemed, you have been set free forever.
Once you have been forgiven, you have been forgiven of all your sins: past and future.
Colossians 1:14 tells us that the blood of Christ was required to pay
the price for sins. This means that there is nothing that anyone else can do to
pay the price for sins. The sinfulness of sin is so terrible that only the
precious blood of Christ can take away sins. So all of the people in the world
will fail who are trying to do good in order to make up for their sins. Only the blood of Christ can pay for sins.
The fact that Jesus came to the earth and was willing to give His blood for our
sins shows how much He loves us. John 3:16, For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten
son, that whosoever believeth in him shall not perish but have everlasting life. Jesus gave His blood. He suffered a
terrible and excruciating bloody death in order to be able to forgive us of our
sins. He was innocent. He is the dear Son of God. We owe Him everything. He has
already given us more than we could ever repay once He gave us the forgiveness
of sins and eternal life.
This mention of the blood of Christ leads into the rest of the book of
Colossians. In Colossians we will be
told about who Christ really is and what He has done for us. We will be told
about false doctrines that can take us away from the truth that is in Christ.
And we will be told what kind of life we should lead because of what Christ has
done for us.
It says about Jesus in Colossians 1:15, Who is the image of the invisible God,
the firstborn of every creature.
There are two important words in this verse: the word image and the word firstborn. Human beings cannot see God. God is
invisible. No man hath
seen God at any time. This
presents a problem for the human race because people have a great need to know
God and to know more about Him. Jesus solves that problem because Jesus was
seen. Jesus said about Himself, If you have seen me, you have seen the Father. This is true because Jesus is the image of the invisible God. How does the godhead manifest itself to
man? How does God make Himself known to man? The answer to both of these
questions is through Jesus Christ. It says about Jesus in John 1:14, And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt
among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the
Father, full of grace and truth.
Consider the godhead made up of the
Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. In their unity and in their oneness, it
appears that each of them has a distinct role as they work together and rule
the universe together. The Spirit stays in the background. The Spirit gets less
mention in the scriptures, partly because He gave the scriptures and partly
because He stays in the background. The Spirit regenerates. The Spirit
enlightens. The Spirit leads. And most importantly the Spirit does not speak of
Himself: He speaks of Christ. Jesus said about the Holy Spirit in John 15:26, But when the Comforter is come, whom I
will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me. And then Jesus said in John 16:13, Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is
come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself;
but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things
to come.
Jesus is the image of the invisible God. If He is the image of the invisible God,
then that means that Jesus always was the image of the invisible God. Jesus
Christ is the same yesterday, and today, and forever. Jesus was the image of
the invisible God in the Old Testament as well as in the New Testament. Often
in the Old Testament when it mentions God or Jehovah, it is usually talking
about Jesus. Jesus is Lord and He always was Lord, and He always will be Lord.
For example, the Bible says in the very first verse in Genesis 1:1, In the beginning God created the heavens
and the earth. This verse is
talking about Jesus at the creation event. It is talking about the Father, and
the Son, and the Holy Spirit. In the beginning Jesus created the heavens and
the earth. When you read the Old Testament hopefully you understand that Jesus
is the image of the
invisible God, and you
interpret the verses that speak of God remembering that Jesus is God. That is
what the apostles did. They opened up the Old Testament and preached Christ
from it. If someone opens the Old Testament and preaches about God without
preaching Jesus, then that person is going no further than an Orthodox Jew who
opens the Old Testament. Whoever makes such a mistake does not understand the
significance of Colossians 1:15 that tells us that Jesus is the image of the invisible God.
According to Colossians 1:15 Jesus is also
the firstborn of every
creature. A creature is a
created being. All human beings are created beings, having been given life by
the Creator. The term firstborn in the Bible refers to a position of honor
and power and inheritance. This verse is stating the position of Christ who is
to be esteemed far above all of Gods creatures. This verse also emphasizes the
fact that Jesus is going to do something for people: He is going to elevate us to the position of sons of God. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and
it doth not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when He shall appear,
we shall be like Him, for we shall see him as he is. Romans 8:29 uses the same word that is translated firstborn and says, For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be
conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among
many brethren. The emphasis
here is on the fact that salvation will include sharing with Christ His
kingdom. Jesus is the Son of God. He is the first, and there is of course a
status and position that He has that will always be above the others. But the
others will join Him as sons of God.
Just to make sure that no one
misunderstands Colossians 1:15,
the next verse makes it clear that Jesus Himself was not created because Jesus
is the Creator. Colossians 1:16 says, For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that
are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or
principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him. This verse makes it as clear as
possible that Jesus is the Creator. Jesus created all things. Jesus created everything that is in heaven. Jesus
created everything that is in the earth. Jesus created everything that you can
see and everything that you cannot see.
It is interesting that Colossians 1:16 emphasizes so greatly that
Jesus created anyone and anything that has power or authority. This is done
probably to show that Jesus has all power. If anyone has any power at all, it
is only because Jesus gave it to him. Of course, Jesus will also take away that
power when the time comes. Romans 13:1 says Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are
ordained of God. True
Christians believe and trust in the greatest power: the Lord Jesus Christ. All
other powers are under Him. All other powers can do nothing against us without
the permission of the Lord of lords and King of kings. That is one of the reasons
that Romans 8:28 says, And we know that all things work
together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according
to His purpose. The demons
tremble at His holy power. The rulers of this world are set up and taken down
when He sees fit.
Jesus is in control. What He created He
also oversees. The Bible says in Colossians 1:17, And
he is before all things, and by him all things consist. Jesus created all things, but His
involvement with His creation did not cease after the creation. by him all things consist. He is intimately involved in every
detail of the universe that He created. Jesus said in Matthew 10:29 Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing?
And one of them shall not fall to the ground without your Father. In Colossians 1:17 the word that is translated consist means to to stand beside. It speaks of the closeness
that Jesus has to His creation.
Concerning the closeness that Jesus has to
His creation, there are none closer to Him than His believers. It says in
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 might have the preeminence.
Jesus is the head of the church. No one else is the head of the church.
Hopefully everyone in the church looks to Jesus for their leadership. It is
important to note that the church is called the body
of Christ. Jesus has left this earth, and the only body that He has here to do
His work is the body of His believers. But notice also that it is body in the singular. All of the believers joined together in the
Spirit and in belief in Christ make up the body. The body is made up of many
members, but it is one body. The Lord Jesus has given each member of the body a
task, and has equipped that member for his or her task. Everyone is important,
and it is important that everyone fulfill the task that has been given to them.
If one member suffers, the whole body suffers.
According to Colossians 1:18, Jesus is the beginning. In Revelation 1:8 Jesus said, I am the Alpha and Omega, the beginning
and the ending. Jesus is the
beginning of all creation because He created everything. Jesus is the beginning
of the church because He started the church and brought it into existence. Of
course, Jesus is the beginning of spiritual life for all who have escaped from
darkness. Even concerning the resurrection from the dead, Jesus is the first
one to have risen from the dead. The believers will follow Him by Gods grace
and share in His victory over the grave: that in all things he might have the preeminence. Every sermon should be preached with
this in mind. Jesus should have the preeminence in all things.
The Word of God says in Colossians 1:19, For it pleased the Father that in him
should all fullness dwell.
In whom does all fullness dwell? It dwells in Jesus Christ. The fullness of God
dwells in Christ. Everything that God is exists within Christ in its fullness.
That is because Jesus is the image of the invisible God. Jesus is God in every
way. He is Creator, He is Almighty, He is everywhere, and He is worthy of our
praise and our prayers.
Concerning Jesus, the Bible says in
Colossians 1:20, And, having
made peace through the blood of His cross, by him to reconcile all things unto
himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. In this verse we are told three things.
We are told what Christ did, how He did it, and who benefited from what Christ
did. Jesus made peace and Jesus reconciled. Every person is at enmity with God until they
find peace with God through Jesus Christ. Jesus is the Prince of Peace. To be
reconciled refers to being brought back into the desired state. Remember that
man was originally placed within the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve lived in a
state of perfection and goodness in fellowship with God. But then they sinned,
and everything changed. All human beings without Christ live in darkness and sin
and live out of fellowship with God. We are delivered from the darkness and we
are delivered from our sin and we are returned to the original state of
fellowship with God through faith in Jesus. It is a wonderful thing that Jesus
did for us: to give us peace with God and to reconcile us to God, but it
required a terrible price. It required the price of His blood being shed on the
cross of Calvary. If you have not yet escaped
from darkness and the guilt of your sins, today is the day to bow before Christ
the Creator and ask Him to save you: to give you peace with God and to
reconcile you to fellowship with God.
___________________________________________________
Copyright; 2007 by Charles
F. (Rick) Creech
All Rights Reserved