Apologetics
The Preeminence of Christ in Living
By Robert Schaetzle
‘That Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width, and length, and depth and height-to know the love of Christ which passes all knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.’
Ephesians 3:17-19[NKJV]
God put His inspiration into these promises, an invitation for all, not just a few. The inspired word is for all to read, learn, understand, and find their way for living ‘in Christ.’ We live in a social atmosphere destined for destruction, that’s why our Lord asks from us, ‘Not to be conformed to the world, but transformed by the renewal of your mind to prove what is the good and perfect will of God.’ [Romans 12:2]
From Colossians, I’ve read of five categories on the ‘The preeminence of Christ. Within these five categories are listed sub headings and biblical references of Christ to Godly living, to understand and follow in our walk by faith.
In Universal Government In Reconciliation In Wisdom and Knowledge In Religious Observance In Christian Living
The Invisible Image of God Pleases the Father The source of all treasures We are Alive ‘In Him’ He is Our Life
Colossians 1:15-18 1:19-20 Colossians 2:2-3 2:12-14 Colossians 3:3
The Agent of Creation Reconciles us through Worldly philosophy No need for legalism We can avoid immorality
Colossians 1:16 His death 1:21-22 does not conform to Him and ritualism and we can bless others
Colossians 2:8 Colossians 2:16-23 Colossians 3:5-14
Lives in us as our hope
Christ the Sustainer of glory Colossians 1:27
Colossians 1:17
The head of the church
Colossians 1:18
Christ in Universal Government
The visible image of God Colossians 1:15-18 which says, ‘He [that is Jesus] is the image of the invisible God, the first born over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.
And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. 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 preeminence.’
The firstborn in the Hebrew culture referred more to rank and privilege than to order of birth.
Since Jesus is God, He is supreme in rank over all creation. He is the transcendent deity who created us; He is the One who died on our behalf and was raised from the dead. He is also the first born from the dead, the first One who experienced the true resurrection, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep; He ascended to be with the Father and is now seated at His right hand.
The agent of Creation from Colossians 1:16, ‘For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.’
Not only did Jesus create all things, everything was created for His purpose, where Christ is to be “the heir of all things.” Hebrews 1:2 ‘God has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom he made the worlds.’
Christ is our Sustainer / Mediator Colossians 1:17, ‘And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.’ Another excellent reference to Christ being one with the Father as well as being our sustainer and provider comes from John 17: 5-6, ‘And now, O father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was. I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word.’
God gave to us and for us, His Son to be our mediator to come to the Father. Christ alone and no one else who we have intersession with God the Father. ‘For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus.’ 1Timothy 2:5
Contrary to what some denominational doctrine may subscribe to, God’s infallible word is far greater and purer to obey. God alone through His Son Jesus is our only, and necessary guide to find our way for the hope that lies within us. And He alone, is our Mediator to forgive sin and all unrighteousness.
Christ-the Head of the Church ‘And he is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the first born from the dead, that in all things He may have preeminence.’ [Colossians 1:18]
Often it is thought the ‘pastor’, or the ‘elders’, or a hierarchy through a particular denomination that is head of the church, but in biblical truth, Christ alone, is Head of the church. After all, it is He who chooses as His own, that make up the body, defined as ‘Church’. This does not belong to a denomination. From the Book of Acts those who come to receive and follow Christ were known originally as ‘Followers of the Way.’[Act’s 11:26] What we know today as the ‘Church age’ actually didn’t come about until after the reformation period of 1300-1550 and the modern Denominational Church came to existence between 1550-1800.
Christ in Reconciliation
Christ Pleases the Father. From Colossians 1:19-20 it says, ‘For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.’
This is a call for perseverance to all who are called, being renewed in the faith through the power of His presence leading our way. Remaining steadfast ‘In Christ’ is learning to discern our purpose; to recognize and follow the Holy Spirit’s prompting.
Christ Reconciles us through His Death ‘And you, who were once alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight- if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard.’ [Colossians 1:21-23a]
Being blameless and above reproach within the indulgences of our society today were just as challenging for the early church. There were problems in the early church such as Gnosticism, believing knowledge as an end in itself, not leaving room for salvation by grace through faith. Gnostics thought Jesus to be a higher being but not God, a spiritual ream but not a truly resurrected body. There were many situations in the early church where those who were dedicated to follow Christ were challenged to remain faithful to the true gospel hope of a risen Savior.
The heresies of the early church, I believe, are a big contributor to what we struggle with today, even in Spiritual warfare over our ‘new age’ relativism culture.
Many today in our culture deny the deity of Jesus and the biblical truths; that God brought forth His only begotten Son and raised Him from the dead for the redemption of our sin.
Christ Lives in us as our Hope of His Glory ‘To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.’[Colossians1:27]
Hope is our constant expectation of things yet unseen for us to remain steadfast in persevering; willing to endure through things or situations not always understood. You might say it’s’ a demonstration to our conviction of God’s promise, in waiting with patience.
Christ in Wisdom and Knowledge
Source of all the Treasures ‘That there hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of the Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures wisdom and knowledge.’[Colossians 2:2-3]
Heavenly considerations’ are what we long in our striving for eternity. We have in our society today the same concern of false teaching, which occurred at Colossae, initiating people into believing a superior knowledge of human reasoning over what the bible teaches. Elevating mankind to be superior over God is Satan attempting to discourage and lie; causing people to once again, as the Gnostics sought knowledge as the end itself. Works of knowledge: over faith in what Christ already did for us on the cross.
Gnostics sought only certain ‘knowledgeable people’ were worthy of Christ. This of course would not allow all to come and receive the free gift of salvation.
Yet the bible teaches that none should be lost, but all come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9 shares it this way, ‘The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.’
Now this does not define itself that God actually decrees that all are saved in what is defined as ‘universalism’. But God would choose those who humble themselves, through repentance and accept the Father’s chosen way; by receiving in His Son Jesus Christ as the free gift for salvation. We’re to take ‘The Bible’ as God’s inerrant word, trusting in it, and not in any other human reasoning or philosophy.
Worldly Philosophy does not conform to Christ ‘Beware lest anyone cheat you through empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.’ [Colossians 2:8-10]
Our Lord wants us to have re-birth, transformed by way of regeneration for His hope and promise. His promise for the abundant life is not living for the opulence of worldly things, but we’re to possess a calm assurance and serenity in our life each day.
Our Lord and Creator for sure, reached out with compassion and mercy; we too should display gratitude and thankfulness. Reach upward with thankfulness and gratitude of who we are in Christ, and what we’re given responsibility for, our heart condition is then hopeful, not despairing.
Christ in Religious Observance
We are alive in Him ‘But God, who is rich n mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ [by grace you have been saved,] and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come he might show exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us.’
[Ephesians 2:4-7]
When we come to understand ‘Greater is He in us than he that is in the world.’ This perspective of preeminence of being alive in Him, having received our ‘new birth’ our heart condition is to want to put off old values or ways of thinking and reasoning.
God is rich in mercy, love, and grace. Qualities you don’t find too much these days in our social fabric of living for self edification. That’s what this passage I read from Ephesians is defining when it refers to being dead in our trespasses, without discernment to something better than living according to the world’s perspective about self, rather than bring honor to God.
That’s reinforced in what the Apostle Paul wrote in Colossians 2: 12-14 when he said, ‘Buried with Him in baptism, in which you were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.’
When remaining true to wanting His word in your heart, you’re also remaining true to wanting to stay close to an abiding relationship. Strengthened in faith, taking hold those promises waiting for us, is true spiritual observance.
No need for legalism and ritualism
‘So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon, or Sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ. Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, and not holding fast to the Head, from whom all the body , nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments, grows with increase that is from God.
Therefore if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world , do you subject yourself to regulations-do not touch, do not taste, do not handle, which all concern things which perish with the using-according to the commandments and doctrines of men? These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.’ [Colossians 2:16-23]
We have freedom from attempting to keep the old ‘law of Moses’ and those 613 ordaninances. That’s impossible even if we tried. What Jesus already has done for me on the cross, has far greater significance than attempting to keep up with denominational ordaninances, that are man made regulations; not always biblical promises for the freedom through faith in Christ alone!
Our life of faith in what Christ already did for us should not be impeded with human regulations that take joy out of our love relationship and freedom for the preeminence of Christ living in me. Peter says it so perfectly, ‘While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage.’ [2 peter 2:19]
Christ in Christian Living
He is our life ‘For you died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. [‘Col 3:3]
Walking with a changed heart is recognizing we were buried with him through baptism and raised to live a new life, we should also want to live with Him and for him. Our whole way of thinking and value about life takes on a new dimension, if we consider we’re raised with Christ. We ought to want to reflect Christlikeness, with a peace that passes all understanding the unbelieving can not understand.
We can avoid immorality and can bless others
From Colossians 3, ‘But you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ richly dwell in you, with all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another with Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your heart. And what ever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.[Col 3:8,9,15-17]
When we recognize these five areas of ‘The Preeminence of Christ’ and purpose to live by His standard; He will fill our life with abundance to live with a hope of certainty, love, and forgiveness toward others. Reach up more and put your hand in His to lead in the way that is certain and everlasting.
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