Now once again let us turn to
the epistle of Paul to the Colossians and the first chapter and this
evening we'll read the verses 18, 19 and 20. So that's the
epistle of Paul to the Colossians first chapter reading verses
18, 19 and 20. And he is the head of the body the Church, which is the beginning,
the firstborn from the dead, that in all things he might have
the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that
in him should all foolish dwell, and having made peace through
the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto
himself, By Him I say, whether they be things in earth or things
in heaven. Well, we continue our meditation
on this wonderful letter that the Apostle wrote to the Colossians
and how he brings out really the greatness of our Saviour,
the Lord Jesus Christ, and how good it is for us to ever realise
what a great and glorious Saviour we have. He is above all things
on this earth. Above all things in the whole
universe, indeed, he was the creator of all things. And so the apostle says, and
he is the head of the body, the church. Well, we live in a world,
of course, where churches are split and divided. But in reality,
there is only one true Church. There is only one true Body and
indeed by the Church is meant not any particular congregated
Church, as the Church of Colossio Corinth or any other, but the
whole election of grace. The General Assembly and church
of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven, in the
Lamb's book of life, the church which Christ has given himself
for and has purchased with his blood. It's really a wonderful
consideration to realise that one day, by the grace of God,
when the end of all things will occur, all the Church of God
will be gathered together. There will be no schism, no separation,
but there will be true unity and there will be that oneness
in Christ. And he indeed will be the head
of that body, that body of which today we all form a part, if
we are his children. It's wonderful to think, isn't
it, that unworthy as we may feel to be, unworthy as we are, to
realise that by the grace of God we shall be joined together
in that one body, the church. Well, what a blessed prospect
that is for us to meditate upon and to consider as we journey
on through this world. And then he says, who is the
beginning? The firstborn from the dead,
where the Lord Jesus Christ, as we know, raised himself from
the dead. to live forever. There were those
that Christ raised from the dead himself, but they didn't live
forever. They all came to die. And so
here we have this great, wonderful statement. Who is the beginning? The firstborn from the dead. What a mercy that is to realize
this one body of Christ and to be raised with Christ, to realize
what a glorious scene, what a glorious truth that is, to think that
he is indeed the head of the church. We read that chapter
in the Ephesians, and towards the end of that chapter, it speaks
about the Savior, and it says, verse 22, and hath put all things
under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things
to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth
all in all. He is then the beginning, the
firstborn from the dead, that in all things he might have the
preeminence. He is above all things, He is
the ever-living God. He is that one scriptures describe
as the cheapest among 10,000 and the altogether lovely. He does, he will have the preeminence. And what a blessing it is in
our little lives today, whether Christ Jesus has the preeminence. He is the one thing needful.
What a blessing if we realise it and the truth of it. And we
do worship him as the true God, the one who has created all things. And what a mercy and what a blessing
it is to think that therefore this saviour is risen and now
sits on the Father's right hand. Indeed, the firstborn from the
dead. As the apostle wrote to the Corinthians
in the first chapter, in that wonderful 15th chapter, first
epistle, and the 15th chapter, and he comes down in verse 20
to this statement, but now is Christ risen from the dead and
become the first fruits of them that slept. It's a glorious truth
to realize that death could not hold the Savior. The Savior did
die naturally. He gave up the ghost. He'd finished
a work that his father gave him to do and he did become indeed
the first fruits of them that slept. Well now to think that
Saviour is alive forevermore. And we have. I trust that good
hope that even tonight He is interceding for us as we come
to the throne of grace. That is a wonderful thought,
a wonderful truth, to understand that Almighty God The Lord Jesus
Christ intercedes for us to his Father so that we are accepted
in the Beloved. Not because of what we've done,
but because of what the Lord Jesus Christ has done. And then the Apostle goes on
to say, For it pleased the Father that in him should all fullness
dwell. Yes, nothing lacking in the Lord
Jesus Christ. Every need will be supplied through
him. A fullness resides in Jesus our
Lord that ever abides to answer our need. There's nothing that
will come into our lives that we cannot bring to the Saviour.
and he has a fullness to supply our every need. Think upon that,
the need of the whole Church of God worldwide, the whole Church
of God that ever has been. the whole Church of God that
ever will be, in Him, nowhere else, in Him, should be fullness
dwell. And then he says, and having
made peace through the blood of His cross, by Him to reconcile
all things unto Himself, by Him I say, whether they be things
in earth or things in heaven. It's good, isn't it, to realise
how the Apostle Paul concentrates on directing us again and again
to none other than the Saviour. By Him, by Him we have access
to God this evening. By Him we have peace through
the blood of His cross. Let us never underestimate the
great transaction which was carried out on Calvary. Never undervalue
the precious blood shed upon that cross at Calvary to redeem
His people. May it indeed be to each one
of us, not just blood, but may it be the precious blood of the
Saviour. The Apostle Peter knew the value
of it. Well may we know the value of
it, because the blood of Christ cleanses from all sins. We read
together in that first chapter of the Ephesians, in the seventh
verse, where the Apostle says, in whom no one else, in whom
we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins,
according to the riches of his grace. What riches there are! How gracious is our God to dispense
these riches! How wonderful it is to think
that Almighty God, in the second person of the Saviour, was so
willing to suffer all that incarnate God could bear with strength
enough and none to spare in order to redeem our souls. Most surely it is a most precious
and a most glorious truth to ponder and meditate upon. May
we never, never be tired of coming to Calvary and by faith viewing
the suffering Saviour dying upon that cross in order to cleanse
us from all our sin, all our sin. And so to be then reconciled,
reconciled to God. We as undone sinners, black sinners,
cannot be reconciled naturally. and Lord Jesus died to reconcile
us to God so that we are complete in him. Well may we tonight praise
and bless God for this great glorious truth, having made peace,
peace by his cross as Jesus made. May that be a theme which rejoices
our soul and we can thank God for it and having Made peace. It's done. It's done. That was completed at Calvary.
Having made peace through the blood of his cross by him to
reconcile all things unto himself. All the church of God reconciled
unto himself. And he says, by him I say, whether
they be things in earth or things in heaven. The Lord Jesus is
King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He controls everything in this
vast universe. Nothing occurs beyond the knowledge
of our glorious God. Can we not tonight then bless
God and rejoice for what the Saviour has done and truly come
tonight praising God from whom all blessings flow. We'll just
read these verses again. And he is, always has been, and
he is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning,
the firstborn from the dead, that in all things he might have
the preeminence For it pleased the Father that in him should
all fullness dwell, and have he made peace through the blood
of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself. By him I say, whether they be
things in earth or things in heaven.