Read the transcript from today's video devotional.
Does life feel scattered or out of control? You know, I think Jesus Christ sometimes allows you and me to experience confusion in our life because He's not in first place. As I look at my life, at things that have happened in my own life, sometimes I'm thinking, you know what? The Lord is not number one.
Our Verse of the Day really helps with this, as the theme of Colossians is all about the supremacy of Jesus Christ.
It's Colossians chapter 1, verse 18. It says, "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."
Understanding the Original
How do you understand an authentic dollar bill? You look at all the originals. You don't practice looking at the phonies. You look at the original. Once you understand an original dollar bill, the counterfeits will very easily make themselves appear very quickly.
That's really how Paul writes here. He wants us to understand the precise, clear view of Jesus Christ. Therefore, any deviation, any counterfeit, will be clearly seen.
The False Teachers
The false teachers here at Colossae—what they were doing was they were saying that Jesus Christ was a God in the line of many other gods, which quite frankly, diminished the God of Jesus Christ and made Him less than He really was.
Even Paul says in Colossians chapter 2, verse 4, which is right after our verse, a few verses over: "I say this so that no one will delude you with persuasive arguments." In other words, Paul is saying your ultimate protection against false teachers is to clearly understand what Paul says in chapter 1.
Two Ways Jesus Is Supreme
Very simply, in chapter 1, verse 18, there are two ways Jesus is supreme over everything—supreme, preeminent, sovereign, and in control of everything.
Number One: He's Supreme Over the Church
Number one, He's supreme over the church. "Christ is also the head of the church, which is His body." The church is the bride of Christ. The church is the body of Christ. Jesus is not, in other words, some distant figurehead. He is the organic life giver of the whole local church, the whole universal church.
As a matter of fact, Ephesians chapter 5, verse 23 says: "Christ is the head of the church, His body, of which He is the Savior."
Number Two: He's Supreme Over the Grave
Number two, He's over the grave. Jesus is not only supreme over the church, He's supreme over the grave. The master question: What is your greatest enemy in life? It's dying.
Here, Jesus Christ—He is "the beginning, supreme over all who rise from the dead." Jesus conquered the grave permanently. Therefore, He guarantees the resurrection of all who belong in Him. Death is defeated for you and me. If you know Christ, death is a doorway to glory in heaven with God.
What Do We Learn?
What do we learn over all of this? Because really, what Paul is basically saying is Jesus Christ is preeminent over everything.
Number One: Align Yourself with Christ's Leadership
Number one, align yourself with Christ's leadership. Align yourself with Christ's church. Serve in the church. Honor leadership. Guard against division.
Matthew chapter 16, verse 18—the Bible says, "I will build My church." Jesus said that. You say, well, how precious is the church of Jesus Christ? Acts chapter 20, verse 28 says: "The church is purchased with the blood of Christ." It's very, very precious.
Number Two: Audit Your Life
Number two, audit your life—your finances, your family, your friends, your work, your thought life. How is Jesus Christ first in all of those areas?
In Philippians chapter 2, verse 9, the Bible says: "For God exalted"—speaking of Christ—"Him to the highest place, and gave Him the name which is above every name."
So basically God is saying Jesus is preeminent. If He is preeminent, and God says He is, shouldn't He be preeminent and number one in your life and mind?
Number Three: Aim for a Christian Worldview
Finally, and thirdly, aim for a Christian worldview. If Jesus is supreme over the church, over the grave, over the world, over the cosmos, shouldn't we live with a Jesus-centered, God-centered view of life? Absolutely.
Since Christ holds the highest rank, since He's unrivaled—first place in the entire cosmos—may He hold the first place in our lives.
