The pre-eminence of Christ (I)

'The pre-eminence of Christ (I)'

— Colossians 1: 18

The apostle shows us in this text that it is the will, the pleasure and the determination of the Father’s heart that his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, be pre-eminent in all things and above all things. God has so highly exalted, honored and magnified his Son that the only way any creature can exalt, honor and magnify the triune God is by exalting, honoring and magnifying the Lord Jesus Christ. So determined is the eternal, triune God to make Christ pre-eminent in all things that God can only be known and revealed to men by the knowledge and revelation of Christ. The only way God makes himself known is through the Son. And the only way God deals with men is through the Son. ‘The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand’ (John 3:35).

We are Trinitarians. We worship the one true and living God in the trinity of his sacred persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. There are three distinct and separate persons in the Godhead. Yet these three divine persons are one God. The Father is the Father. The Son is the Son. And the Spirit is the Spirit. They are three distinct persons. Yet they are one God. There is no way to explain the doctrine of the Trinity, or even illustrate it, in human terms. We simply believe it, because it is plainly revealed in Holy Scripture. In the baptism of our Lord (Matt. 3:16-17) we see the three persons of the Godhead: the Father speaks from heaven, the Son is immersed in water and the Spirit descends upon him. Believers are commanded to be baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (Matt. 28:19), three distinct persons. Yet our Lord says plainly, ‘I and my Father are one’ (John 10:30).'He that hath seen me hath seen the Father’ (John 14:9). The Word of God plainly states the doctrine of the Trinity in I John 5:7: ‘There are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.’ The Father, the Son and the Spirit are one in essence, one in purpose, one in character, one in power, and one in being. All true believers are Trinitarians.