Let us turn again to God's Word
in the portion of Scripture that we read in Colossians. In Colossians
chapter 1, and reading again verses 15 through to 18, Colossians 1 verses 15 through
to 18 who is the image of the invisible God the firstborn of
every creature for by him were all things created that are in
heaven and that are in earth visible and invisible whether
they be thrones or dominions or principalities or powers all
things were created by him and for him and he is before all
things and by him all things consist, and he is the head of
the body of the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn
from the dead, that in all things he might have the preeminence."
Here we see Christ as that one who is the head of the old creation
and also the head of that new creation, which is the church
made up of those who are new creatures in Christ Jesus. And this morning I want us to
consider the former of these two headships of the Lord Jesus
Christ. Christ and creation. Christ is
that one who is the head of the old creation. Here at the end
of verse 15 we read that He is the firstborn of every creature. And those who deny the deity
of the Lord Jesus, deny that He is God, they are inclined
to seize hold of these particular words to support that notion. They say that Christ is the first
of creation. He is a creature, himself a creature
made by God, but the first of God's creatures, and through
Him all other creatures were made. That's the opinions of
those who deny that He is the Eternal One, the Eternal Son
of God. Now, of course, it is true that
Christ's human nature was created. As we see from the language of
the Apostle there in Hebrews chapter 10, as he were putting
these words into the mouth of Christ, a body, hast thou prepared
much? It was that human body. As the angel says to the Virgin
Mary, the Holy Ghost shall come upon them. The power of the highest
shall overshadow them, therefore also that holy thing. that shall
be born of them shall be called the Son of God that holy thing
was the human nature that was conceived of the Holy Ghost in
the womb of the Virgin Mary but though Christ's human nature
had a beginning and was created He was the Son of God before
ever He was born into this world. That is so evident when we consider
so many of the Scriptures. If we go back to the Old Testament
Scriptures and the promise of His coming there in Isaiah chapter
9, those familiar words, unto us a child is born, unto us a
son is given. and the government shall be upon
his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor,
the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. He is the Mighty God. He is not
a son born, He is the Son given, the Eternal Son. The child is
born, that is the human nature, but it is the Eternal Son who
takes to Himself in the great mystery of the incarnation, that
human nature. Again, when we come into the
New Testament, the language of the Apostle in Galatians chapter
4, when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his
Son. made of a woman, made under the law. He is the eternal Son
of God, but that human nature that He took to Himself was made
of the woman. He is the seed of the woman,
as was promised at the beginning in Genesis chapter 3. All that
human nature you see, it is joined to the divine nature of the eternal
Son of God. He is the Son of the Father,
in truth and in love. But that Son of God, the Eternal
Son, takes to Himself a human nature and so as the Apostle
goes on to say here in chapter 2 at verse 9, in Him dwelleth
all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. There is no support at
all in the language that we have here at the end of verse 15 no
support at all for those who would deny the deity of the Lord
Jesus Christ. To deny the Son is to deny the
Father, and so to deny the Son is to deny the very truth of
God Himself. Whosoever transgresseth and abideth
not in the doctrine of Christ hath not God, he that abideth
in the doctrine of Christ. He has both the Father and the
Son. He is the Eternal Father because
there is also an Eternal Son. Well, this morning, as I said,
I want to concentrate really on Christ as that One who is
the Head of the old creation. I wanted to consider then more
particularly what Paul is saying here in verses 15, 16, and 17. Who is the image of the invisible
God, the firstborn of every creature? For by him were all things created
that are in heaven and that are in earth, visible and invisible.
whether they be thrones or dominions or principalities or powers all
things were created by him and for him and he is before all
things and by him all things consist. It's a tremendous statement
that we have as is so often the case in the epistles of Paul
how he sets before us the glories of the person of the Lord Jesus.
He does this of course in that great passage in Philippians
chapter 2, but we have it also here in the opening chapter of
Colossians. And I want to divide what I say
into two parts. First of all, to consider Christ's
eternity as God the Son. His eternity as God the Son,
and then secondly, Christ's activity and sovereignty as the Creator. Firstly then, is Eternity. We read here, at the beginning
of verse 17, "...and He is before all things." In other words,
He is that One who is Eternal. And the expression that we find
in verse 15, the end of verse 15, "...the firstborn of every
creature must be interpreted in view of His eternity. We must
view that statement concerning Him being the firstborn, I say,
in view of the fact that He is the Eternal God. What it is speaking
of then, or intimating to us, is that remarkable truth of the
eternal generation of the Son of God. Now He is spoken of in
so many Scriptures as that One who is eternally begotten of
the Father. In Micah chapter 5 and verse
2, whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.
His goings forth, His being begotten is from everlasting. Again in the language that we
have in the 2nd Psalm where God says to him, thou art my son,
this day have I begotten thee. This day, that is today, not
yesterday, nor tomorrow, but this day, every day, is that
one who is always begotten, that one who is eternally begotten
of the Father. the language that we find again
in the 8th chapter of the book of Proverbs I was set up from
everlasting, he says from the beginning, or whatever the earth
was when there were no depths I was brought forth when there
were no fountains abounding with water before the mountains were
settled before the hills was I brought forth always going
forth are of old. He is eternally begotten, the
eternal Son of the eternal Father. When we come to the end of John's
first general epistle, and remember how John, particularly in his
gospel and in his epistles, is setting forth the glories of
the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. And how does John conclude
that first epistle? He speaks of His Son, Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal
life. Little children, keep yourselves
from idols. Or let us be those who recognize
Christ as that One who is the eternal Son of God. How He speaks of His eternity.
When we come right to the end of Scripture, that revelation
that is granted to the Apostle John on the Isle of Patmos, or
how he declares himself there to John, I am Alpha and Omega,
the beginning and the end saith the Lord, which is and which
was and which is to come, the Almighty. He is that one then
who is clearly before all things, the Eternal Son, all things were
created by Him, it says, and for Him. Verse 16. And then again, here at the end
of the 18th verse, that in all things He might have
the preeminence. Oh, He is that One who has the
preeminence of Him, through Him, through Him, are all things to
whom be glory forever and ever. Thou, at His coming, He reveals
Himself as the true Messiah. He is the Son of God. When Peter
makes his confession there in Matthew 16, Thou art the Christ,
he says, the Son of the living God. Thou, the Jews, understood the
significance of His Sonship. Now they sought to kill him,
we read in John chapter 5. They said he had broken the Sabbath,
but more than that, they sought to kill him because he not only
had broken the Sabbath, but said that God was his Father, making
himself equal with God. Or the folly, the wicked folly
of those who would deny the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now,
it shines forth so conspicuously in these verses that we have
before us this morning. Christ's eternity then, as the
Son of God. But more particularly this morning,
I want to concentrate on His activity and His sovereignty
as that One who is the Creator. Look at the statements that we
find throughout these verses. We read of him as the firstborn
of every creature, for by him were all things created. All
things were created by him and for him. By him all things consist. These are the statements that
we find scattered throughout the verses that we're considering
this morning. He cannot be a creature. He cannot
be a creature. If He were a creature, He must
have created Himself, because clearly here, He is set before
us as the Creator of all things. Again, look at the words at the
beginning of verse 16. By Him. By Him were all things
made, without any exception. And this is the language that
we find, of course, back in the Book of Psalms. We sang just
now from the mythical version of Psalm 33. And do we not see
the Lord Jesus Christ there as that One who is the Creator?
By the Word of the Lord! were the heavens made and all
the host of them by the breath of his mouth. Now that is the
truth of course with regards to the very manner in which God
creates. He creates by fear. He creates
by his words. He speaks. It's the breath of
his mouth. He spoke and it was done. He commanded, and He stood
fast. That's how we have the record
of God's great work of creation in Genesis chapter 1, when the Lord says, let there
be light, and there was light. Let the dry land appear, the
dry land appears. This is God's manner of creation. But there is more in those words
that we find in the Psalm, Psalm 33 verse 6, by the word of the
Lord were the heavens made, and all the host of them by the breath
of His mouth. Are we not there also reminded
that not just the Father, but the
Son and the Spirit, God in all the fullness of His triune being
is there working in creation. The breath of His mouth, the
word breath so often in the Old Testament is translated Spirit. It's the Spirit of His mouth.
It's the Holy Spirit. And what of the Word of the Lord?
Isn't that the name of the Lord Jesus? When we come to the opening
verses of John's Gospel, those familiar words, In the beginning
was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Without Him was not anything made that was made. But He is that One, you see,
who is the Word. And He is that One who is the
Creator of all things. Let us, for a while, just look
a little more carefully at these words that we find at the end
of verse 15, where it says that He is the firstborn of every
creature. As I said, those who deny the
truth of the deity of the Lord Jesus, those who deny that He
is truly God, are wont to seize on these words and say, look,
it says that He is a creature, He's the first, the first of
all the creatures of God. Now as you know, the divisions
that we're so familiar with, the chapters and the verses that
we see in our Bibles, that's not part of the inspired scripture. The divisions as we have them
are very useful to us. but we're to recognize that these
verses do not stand in glorious isolation, there's a connection as we read through the epistles
of Paul so often he develops his arguments as it were he makes
certain deductions we're not to take verses in isolation and
we're certainly not to take what we have here at the end of verse 15 in isolation
from what follows in verse 16. It says that he is the firstborn
of every creature for by him were all things created that
are in heaven and that are in earth. Now as is so often the
case in scripture, the little words are important. And the
little word, the particle that we have here at the beginning
of verse 16 is the most significant word. It's a strong particle,
it's a causal particle. There's a connection between
what he said at the end of verse 15 and what he goes on to say
here in verse 16. He is the firstborn of every
creature, because that's the force of the four, because by
him were all things created that are in heaven and that are in
earth. He is the one who gives birth
to all creation, that's what is being said. It's not suggesting
for a moment that He is a creature. He is not a creature, He is the
Eternal Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, equal
to the Father. Now how does God reveal Himself?
God reveals Himself, of course, here in His Word. We recognize
that. It is the Word of God. These
holy men of God, they spoke as they were moved by the Spirit
of God. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is
profitable, says the Apostle Paul. We do well then to recognize
the importance of Scripture. All our teaching all our doctrine
all our practice every experience that we have has to be brought
to this particular touchstone is to the Lord and to the testimony
if they speak not according to this Word it is because there
is no light in them I trust that we recognize then the importance
of the Word of God this is why when we come together as we do
we We read the Word, we attend to the ministry of the Word,
the opening up, the preaching of the Scriptures, the proclamation
of the Gospel. This is a special revelation
that God has given to us. And it all comes to its climax,
of course, with the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, as we
see in those striking words at the beginning of the Epistle
of the Hebrews, how God in these last days has spoken unto us
by His Son. Oh, there it is. The final revelation
comes in Christ, in the New Testament. And so no more scriptures after
the close of the book of the Revelation. Nothing to be added. Nothing to be taken away. The
importance then of Holy Scripture. But God, whilst primarily He
reveals Himself here in His Word, there is also, as we know, that
general revelation of God. There's a revelation all about
us in God's works of creation. And we see it spoken of in Holy
Scripture. It reminds us that men and women
are without any excuse, though they never hear the Word of God
because there is that in God's works that is a revelation of
himself. One thinks of the language there
in the 19th Psalm, the heavens, Declare the glory of God. The
firmament showeth his handiwork day unto day, uttereth speech,
night unto night showeth knowledge. There is no speech nor language
where their voice is not heard. Their line is gone out through
all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them,
as he said, a tabernacle for the sun, which is as a bridegroom
coming out of his chamber and rejoices as a strong man to run
aright. All this revelation in creation,
it goes out to the ends of the earth. And so all people, though
they never have the Word of God in Scripture, never hear the
reading of God's Word or the preaching of God's Word, yet
they are all of them without any excuse. Doesn't Paul say
that there in the opening chapter of the Epistle to the Romans? The invisible things of Him.
From the creation of the world are clearly seen being understood
by the things that are mine, even His eternal power, and Godhead. There is a revelation of God
in God's works. Now, God works and acts in and
through the Lord Jesus Christ. This is what we're reading here
in our text this morning. Therefore, as God works and acts
in and through the Lord Jesus Christ, it is in Christ, it is
in the Son. It's in the Eternal Son that
God is pleased to reveal Himself. And that's what we're told here
in verse 15. He is the image of the invisible
God. He is the one through whom God
reveals himself. Yes, when we come to the special
revelation that we have in Holy Scripture, it all comes to its
completion, it's all finalized with the coming of the Lord Jesus
Christ. But when we think of that general
revelation that we see in God's work of creation, that is all
around us, all of that work, all that revelation comes to
us in and through the Lord Jesus Christ. No man hath seen God
at any time. The only begotten Son who is
in the bosom of the Father, He hath revealed Him. Lord Jesus
Christ is the Revealer. Let me quote from the great reformer
John Calvin, he says, God in himself in his naked majesty
is invisible. He is revealed to us in Christ
alone. We must therefore take care not
to seek him anywhere else. Or we can only know God as he
reveals himself in the person and the work of the Lord Jesus
Christ. This is how God works. This is
how God acts. In everything it is through His eternal Son. And so, as we see
Christ as that One involved in creation, the old creation, so
we see how the Lord Jesus Christ here is that One who is the upholder
of all things. the end of verse 17, by Him,
by Him all things consist. Again, if we look at the language of Paul there in the opening
verses of his epistle to the Hebrews, as I said, He speaks
of how in these last days God has spoken to us in his Son,
that's the final revelation that he has given of himself in Holy
Scripture. But look at the language, what he says, God who at sundry
times and in diverse manner spake in time past unto the fathers
by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his
Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he
made the worlds, who being the brightness of His glory, and
the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the
word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat
down on the right hand of the Majesty on high. But see what
he says here in verse 3, he speaks of Christ as that One who is
upholding all things, upholding all things by the word of His
power, by Him, all things consist he is not only the the one who
is there in creation together with the father and the son but
he is that one who upholds all things who preserves
all things is he not that one in whom we live and move and
have our being he is that one who is truly God, the sustainer of every creature. And again, look at the language,
particularly here in verse 16. By Him, it says, were all things
created that are in heaven and that are in earth, visible and
invisible, whether they be thrones or dominions or principalities
or powers, All things were created by Him and for Him. Not just His physical creation,
not just that that we see here upon the earth, but also invisible
things, spiritual things were all made by Him and are all under
Him. Now what we're being told here
concerns the realm of the spirits. Where we read of the thrones, and dominions, and principalities,
and powers. This is that realm of the believer's
spiritual conflict, his spiritual warfare. Remember what the same
Apostle Paul says when he writes to the Ephesians concerning the
Christian's armour. And he speaks of the necessity
of this spiritual armour. For we wrestle not against flesh
and blood, he says, but against principalities, against powers. against the rulers of the darkness
of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." Oh,
the Lord Jesus Christ is that one, you see, who has made all
things. All these things are under Him. All of them are under Him. All
of them are subject to Him. Here we see that there is much
comfort to be drawn from that truth of the absolute sovereignty
of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the head over all things,
to His body the church, the fullness of Him that filleth all in all. Even Satan himself is subject
to Him. Oh, we know that Satan is no
free agent from what we read then in the opening chapters
of the Book of Job. What a mysterious book it is.
How strange are God's dealings with his servant Job. But how
Satan was not free just to do as he would please. I'm sure
we're familiar with what is said there at the beginning. Strange words to us. that Satan
himself should come and appear before the Lord there in chapter 1 verse 6 there
was a certain day when the sons of God came to present themselves
before the Lord and Satan came also among them and the Lord
said unto Satan whence comest thou? then Satan answered the
Lord and said from going to and fro in the earth and from walking
up and down in it And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered
my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a
perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and restureth
evil? Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, Doth Job fear
God for naught? Hast thou not made an hedge about
him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every
side? Thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance
is increased in the land. But put forth thine hand now,
and touch all that he hath, and he will curse it to thy face.
And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in
thy power, only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So
Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord. Now what is the
significance of this portion of Scripture? It indicates to
us quite clearly that whilst God cannot look upon sin and
whilst God in no way is the author of sin, yet Satan is no free
agent God's sovereignty is absolute
and is repeated as it were in the very next chapter again there
was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before
the Lord and Satan came also among them to present himself
before the Lord and the Lord said unto Satan, from whence
comest thou? And Satan answered the Lord, and said, From going
to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.
And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant
Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and
an upright man, one that feareth God, and hast doeth evil? And
still he holdeth his integrity, although thou movest me against
him, to destroy him without cause. And Satan answered the Lord,
and said, Skin for skin, Yea, all that a man hath will he give
for his life. But put forth thine hand now,
and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse it to thy face.
And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand,
but save his life. So now Satan is permitted to
go further. It's not just Job's possessions,
his substance, not just his His children. Oh no, Satan can touch
Him now in His own person. We cannot destroy Him. But we
see so clearly there the sovereignty of God. And here we see the sovereignty
of the Lord Jesus Christ. And that's our comfort. In all
that dreadful conflict, that warfare with sin and with Satan,
the author of sin. in all that conflict with the
world that lies in the wicked one. We have this assurance that
the Lord Jesus Christ is that One who is absolutely Sovereign. Oh, He is the One who is the
Creator, you see, of all things, visible and invisible, whether
they be thrones or dominions, all principalities and all powers,
all were created by Him, it says, and for Him. Oh, this is the
mystery of God and the ways of God. All these things serve the
great purpose of God. And the Lord Jesus Christ has
come and He has vanquished all those powers of darkness. What
do we read later in the second chapter? Verse 15, having spoils,
principalities, and powers, He made a show of them openly, triumphing
over them in it, or in His cross, you see, has He not vanquished
sin and Satan? In His glorious resurrection
do we not see Him as that One who is triumphant over death
and the grave? Oh, this is our comfort. We are
to look to the Lord Jesus Christ and we are to look to Him in
His absolute sovereignty. He is God. He is active in creation. He is the upholder of all things. And He is exercising His sovereignty
for the Church. Head over all things to the Church,
which is His body. The fullness of Him that fill
us all in awe. And what do we see here? Are
we not in verse 18 also reminded that He is that One who is the
agent of the resurrection, head of the body of the church, it
says, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that
in all things He might have the preeminence. When we think of
the general resurrection, at the end of time there is to be
a general resurrection, a physical resurrection. The graves to be
opened, and glorified bodies of the saints being reunited
with those spirits that have been made perfect in the presence
of God. Or the Lord Jesus, you see, as
we read here in verse 18, is the firstborn from the dead. And how Paul develops these things
in that great 15th chapter that we have in his first epistle
to the Corinthians. Look at the language there at
verse 20 following. Now is Christ risen from the
dead, he says, and become the firstfruits of them that slept,
For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection
of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even
so in Christ shall all be made alive, with every man in his
own order, Christ the firstfruits. Afterward they that are Christ's
at his coming." Why the physical resurrection of the Lord Jesus
Christ is the firstfruits. there were those that he raised
again from the dead in the course of his earthly ministry the widow
of Nainson Lazarus but those men they subsequently died a
natural death again but the Lord Jesus rose again from the dead
and then ascended on high and now he lives his life the power
of an endless life is his And that resurrection life of the
Lord Jesus is the guarantee that there is going to be a general
resurrection at the end of time. How the apostles would preach
these things in the course of their ministry. Paul preaching
there at Athens in Acts chapter 17. He says there at verse 31, concerning
God, He hath appointed a day in which He will judge the world
in righteousness by that man whom He hath ordained, whereof
He hath given assurance unto all men in that He hath raised
Him from the dead. Christ's resurrection, you see,
is the assurance that all are to be raised from the dead. The
just and the unjust. And there will be a great day
of reckoning. After the death cometh the judgment, and it will
come. and the Lord Jesus Christ is
that one to whom all authority has been committed to be the
judge of the living and the dead. Or there is in here this declaration of Christ himself
being the very agent of the resurrection but not just physical resurrection
not just physical resurrection also spiritual resurrection He
says to his own disciples in John 14, because I live, ye shall
live also. Who is the source of spiritual
life? Thy dead men shall live, we read
in Isaiah. Isaiah 26, 19. Thy dead men shall
live, together with my dead body. shall they arise." Oh, it's that
same power, you see, that's there in Christ's resurrection that
must come into the soul of the sinner. "...the exceeding greatness
of His power to us would who believe according to the working
of His mighty power which He wrought in Christ when He raised
Him from the dead." In order to come to faith, the power of
Christ's resurrection must come into the soul. New life from
Him we must receive before for sin we rightly grieve. Oh, it's
all Christ. It's all Christ. All our salvation
is in Christ, in the person of Christ, in the work of Christ. And here we see in this portion
something of those glories that belong unto Him. the image of
the invisible God the firstborn of every creature for by Him
because of Him were all things created that are in heaven and
that are in earth visible and invisible whether they be thrones
or dominions or principalities or powers all things were created
by Him and for Him and He is before all things and by 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 might have the preeminence or that he might have that preeminence
in our hearts, in our lives that we might be those who would be
his willing servants and know no will but His will, and seek
only to walk in obedience to all His holy precepts." May the
Lord be pleased to sanctify us in the person and in the work
of our Lord Jesus Christ. O God, then, bless to us His
Word today. Amen. It's in Phrase, it's in 193.
Number 2 is St Paul's Book, 229.