Christ the Creator

READ Colossians 1:16-17

Our lesson aim is to recognize and honor Christ as the Creator of the world.  Many refuse to accept the account of Creation as presented in the Bible, but every Christian should accept as fact that the world was created by God in six 24 hour days.  Eleanor Doan stated in the "New Speakers Source Book" page 108, "The probability of life originating [by] accident is comparable to the probability of the ...dictionary resulting from an explosion in a printing shop."  

Notice:

1.  Christ created all things - vs. 16.

"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..."

• The heart of Christ desired the world.

• The mind of Christ planned the world.

• The will of Christ destined the world.

• The words of Christ created the world. 

2.  Christ created all things for Himself - vs. 16.

"...all things were created by Him, and for Him."  Because Christ created all things, who should creation praise and honor, worship and serve?  The answer is obvious:  creation owes its existence to Christ. Therefore, we should praise, honor, worship, and serve Him.

Romans 11:36, "For of Him, and through Him, and to Him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen."

3.  Christ is before all things - vs. 17.

"And He is before all things..."  This speaks of two critical facts:  

• Jesus Christ was before all things in time. Before the first thing was ever created, Jesus Christ was already there. He is not a created being; He is the Creator. There was nothing existing in the universe when He created. Before the beginning of time, before the universe ever existed, He was there. God alone is eternal.

Psalm 90:2, "Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadstformed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God."

• Jesus Christ is before all things in importance and supremacy. Nothing is superior to Him. He alone is the Sovereign Majesty of the universe. All else - every single thing - stands under Him owing their existence, worship, and service to Him.

4.  Christ holds all things together - vs. 17.

"...and by Him all things consist."  Williams Barclay wrote in "The Letters to the Philippians, Colossians, and Thessalonians" page 144:

"...it is the Son who...holds the world together. That is to say, all the laws by which this world is an order and not a chaos are an expression of the mind of the Son. The law of gravity and all the so-called scientific laws are not only scientific laws; they are divine laws. They are the laws which make sense of the universe. They are the laws which make this a reliable and a dependable world. Every law of science and of nature is, in fact, an expression of the thought of God. It is by these laws, and therefore by the mind of God, that the universe hangs together, and does not disintegrate in chaos."

Undoubtedly, Jesus Christ is the One Who holds the world together.  It is His love and power and energy...

• that keeps the universe from flying apart and disintegrating.

• that keeps all creatures from utterly destroying themselves through savagery.

Hebrews 11:3 states, "Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high."

May we rejoice today that Jesus is the Creator and Sustainer of all things.

Your Friend and HIS,

Pastor Abbott

MEDITATIONS

1.  What kinds of claims does Colossians 1:16 make about Christ?  Why is it important to know that Christ is the Creator of all?

2.  What should your response be to Christ when He requires something from you?

3.  Are there any circumstances when you should not obey Christ?  Do you have a willingness to obey Him?

4.  What kinds of claims does Colossians 1:17 make about Jesus Christ?  How meaningful is Christ's eternality to you when compared to other religious leaders?

5.  What kinds of burdens do you carry that seem to make your life fall apart?  What does the promise of Colossians 1:17 give you?

6.  What kind of counsel would you give to a person who is spending all his energy trying to hold his life (i.e., marriage, finances, families, etc.) together by using his own strength?