Thoughts in Worship

Message Magazine's Online Devotional for Sunday, June 10, 2018

Audio Link: https://www.spreaker.com/user/reachmanyradio/thoughts-in-worship-06-10-2018

This is devotional thought number 55 in our devotional series titled, “The Gospel According to Paul.”

“Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see— such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him. He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together. Christ is also the head of the church, which is his body. He is the beginning, supreme over all who rise from the dead. So he is first in everything. For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.” (Colossians 1:15–20).

In case you were wondering, Jesus is all that, and more! I mean, whatever accolade you can give Him, as long as it is true and holy, He is, but there is infinity beyond. Unfortunately, there are still self-avowed enemies of God who attempt to diminish His value. Some others claim to love God, yet reduce Jesus to a created being. Still others, even among the fellowship of believers do not believe that Jesus is worthy of worship by virtue of His holy, eternal existence. Among other Scripture writers, Paul sought to put an end to all questions regarding Jesus’ preeminence.

More than a fact concerning Christ is the beauty of the blessing His identity reveals. All that God our Father is, Jesus is. Micah taught that Jesus existed in the mysterious realm of eternity past. Isaiah called Him everlasting. John said He is the first and the last. Paul simply joins the other prophets in expounding the creatorship and eternal essence of deity, in the Person of Jesus Christ. He created all angels; therefore, He is infinitely greater than the strongest angel. He created all that we can see, and that which we cannot; therefore, He is infinitely greater than all creation. All creation continues to exist only because His creative power emanates to perpetuate whatever and whoever continues to exist. Christ is the Head of His church; therefore, He is infinitely greater than His beloved church. He is equal, in every way, to God our Father. Here is where the beauty of all this is magnified. Are you ready? Even though Jesus is highly exalted in these and other ways (Blessed be His name), He humbled Himself to reconcile all creation back to God. He submitted Himself to God our Father to function as our Mediator, Substitute, and Captain of our souls so we could be saved. Our Supreme King, who created all things, and existed before all things surrendered His will to the Father, for the purpose of reconciling the universe to God. What love! What condescension! What a mystery!

I hope you recognize the beauty in all this. The gospel of Jesus Christ is not just that a perfect Man came to give His life for us, which would be a wonderful story. It is that the One who is above reproach and human dissection, in whom the power of creation dwells, humbled Himself to become like us in our degraded humanity, so we could be elevated to become like Him in righteousness. That’s love. Thank God for His wondrous love.

I’m not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, are you?—L. David Harris (www.LDavidHarris.com)