Preeminent: A Study in Colossiansনমুনা
What does it say?
Paul opened his letter to the Colossian church with thanksgiving, prayer, and a discussion about Christ as the visible image of the invisible God.
What does it mean?
The central truth of the Christian faith is that Jesus Christ is God. In this first chapter of Colossians, Paul seems to answer the question he asked on the road to Damascus: “Who are You, Lord?” In dramatic point-by-point declarations, Paul explained the supremacy of Christ. Jesus Christ is the image of God, the Creator of all things in Heaven and on Earth, the One who holds all things together, and the head of the church. As both God and man, Jesus made possible the reconciliation between a holy God and sinful man through His death on the Cross.
How should I respond?
Many people view Jesus as just one of several great moral teachers. Some even say, “It doesn’t matter what you believe as long as you are sincere.” What you believe does matter. Will you take a few moments today to write down what God says concerning the Lord Jesus Christ from Colossians 1? Pray that the Holy Spirit will deepen your understanding of the supremacy of Christ. How does your life show that you know the Creator, Sustainer, and Ruler of all that exists? How does knowing who He is make a difference in how you think, talk, and act today?
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About this Plan
While imprisoned in Rome, Paul warns believers to remain vigilant against false teaching by beautifully expounding on the cosmic Person of Christ. Jesus is “the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything He might be preeminent” (Colossians 1:18). In response to Christ’s preeminence, Paul commands his readers to “seek the things that are above where Christ is…and not on the things that are on earth” (Colossians 3:1-2).
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