Trilogy of Spiritual Blessings

 

Introduction:

The text we are going to study this morning is taken from Ephesians 1:3-14. The theme of this passage is spiritual blessings. Let’s exegete the passage of Ephesians 1:3–14 to learn how does God bestow spiritual blessings on believers.

God the Father is the giver of all spiritual blessings to believers through His son Jesus Christ.  It is important to note that the spiritual blessings Christians received are heavenly, and not earthly. Unbelievers seek worldly blessings, which are not eternal. However, the blessings God bestowed on believers are His abundance that God has given to believers through Jesus Christ. These blessings are described as follow:

·       "Riches of God’s grace" (Ephesians 1:7; 2:7 NIV）

·       "The riches of the glory of His inheritance " (Ephesians 1:18; 3:16 NASB)

·       "Rich in mercy" (Ephesians 2:4 NASB)

·       “Boundless riches of Christ” (Eph. 3:8 NIV)

The original text of blessing in Ephesians 1:3 is "Eulogia" (G2129), which means blessing. Thayer’s lexicon defines it as: “Praise, laudation, panegyric of Christ or God.”[1] These spiritual blessings are given believers in Christ, culminating its fulfilment in the new heaven and earth as defined in Ephesians 1:10, "To be put into effect when the times reach their fulfilment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ." (Ephesians 1:10 ESV) This verse expresses a profound theological perspective that reveals the goal of God's plan of salvation.

Specifically, the meaning of this Ephesians 1:3, and 10 is that God, through the work of Jesus Christ, plans to ultimately unify all things, whether heavenly or earthly, in Christ. Christ will be preeminent over God’s creation including all angels and powers, and human, and all creation will be under Christ in unity. Previous rebellion will be crushed. And Christ will reign supreme in this new order. In a broader theological sense, it also reveals that Christ is the head of all, and that all things will ultimately return to Him, depend on Him, and find ultimate harmony and peace in Him.

The Big Idea:

Through the plan of God the Father, the work of the Son, and the sealing of the Holy Spirit, every Christian is given spiritual blessings, which will cumulate of Christ being preeminent and bring unity of all creation in the new heaven and earth.

Outline of the Sermon:

1. Spiritual Blessings from the Plan of God the Father (Eph 1:4-6)
2. Spiritual Blessings through the Work of God the Son (Ephesians 1:7-12)
3. Spiritual Blessings by the Sealing of God the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13-14)  

         I.            Spiritual Blessings from the Plan of God the Father (Eph. 1:4-6)

A.     God the Father chooses believers to be holy and blameless.

Ephesians 1:4 says, “For he chose [elelexato G1586 – elect] us in him before the creation of the world, to be holy and blameless in his sight." (Ephesians 1:4) Election is a profound theology to be understood by our finite mind. Election means that salvation comes from God: "You did not choose me, but I chose you." (John 15:16) A lost sinner will not find God by his own effort, "there is no one who seeks God." (Romans 3:10-11) God has come to seek sinners out of His love for us, "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost." (Luke 19:10) God chose us before the creation of the universe. So, our salvation is entirely and absolutely by His grace, not by any of our actions that make us saved. He chose us in Christ, and He chose us to be holy and blameless.

The first blessing is to elect us to be holy and blameless before the foundation of the world. Before sin entered the human world, God elected us to be holy. When sin entered the human world, "when we were dead in transgressions" (Ephesians 2:5), God’s plan of election was in action by eventually sending the Lamb of God to save Adam's seed: "For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you." (1 Peter 1:20 NASB)

 Why did God prepare salvation for mankind before the creation of the world? God is an all-knowing God, and He knows that if He gives human the free will, they may choose to sin. To ensure man does not sin, the only alternative is to remove free will from man, and man becomes a robot.

How do sinful people get salvation? When sinners meet the gospel, they must use their free will to choose whether to believe in Christ's atonement. Before and after man sin, God respects the free will of man. It is impossible for God to take away your free will and force you to believe in Christ without you exercising your free will. The famous theologian CS Lewis writes on human free will:

If you choose to say 'God can give a creature free will and at the same time withhold free will from it, you have not succeeded in saying in anything about God:  meaningless combinations of words do not acquire meaning simply because we prefix to them the two other words ‘God can’…It is no more possible for God than for the weakest of His creatures to carry out both exclusive alternatives…not because His power meets an obstacle, but because nonsense remains nonsense even when we talk it about God.[2]

B.      God the Father predestined us to be adopted as his children.

“He predestined us for adoption to Sonship through Jesus Christ in accordance with his please and will.” (Ephesians 1:5)

The second blessing is the predestination of our sonship through Christ. John 1:12 makes it clear: " But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name." (John 1:12 NASB) When we receive Jesus Christ as our Savior, we have adopted by God as His children, and we can call God Abba Father: "The Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry,  ‘Abba! Father!’” (Romans 8:15) Because we believe in Jesus, we are adopted by God to become part of God's family. The sequence of adoption is as follow: we must first be born again by receiving Jesus as Lord and Saviour, then God adopted us as His children.

After accepting the Lord as our saviour, God predestined us for adoption: "He predestined us for adoption to Sonship.”  (Ephesians 1:5) The word "predestination" here in relation to adoption refers primarily to what God does for the saved. "Predestination" is only applied to believers as quoted by Warren W. Wiersbe.

Here we meet that misunderstood word predestination. This word, as it is used in the Bible, refers primarily to what God does for saved people. Nowhere in the Bible are we taught that people are predestined to hell, because this word refers only to God’s people. The word simply means “to ordain beforehand, to predetermine.”[3]

If unbelievers are destined to hell, then no need to preach the gospel!

By God's predestination, we will be like Christ: "For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his son." (Romans 8:29) He is the firstborn of many brethren, he is preeminent of all new creation, i.e., the church (Romans 8:29–30). God also predestined us for future inheritance: "In him we also have obtained in inheritance... according to the purpose of his will.” (Ephesians 1:11) In God’s kingdom, Christians are special. Angels are God's servants who minister to us who receive salvation (Heb. 1:14). In the future, we will also judge fallen angels in the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:3). This shows that in the kingdom of God, man is more important than angelic beings.

C.      God has accepted us in His beloved Son.

“To the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.” (Eph. 1:6 KJV)

The third blessing is to be accepted in grace. This verse emphasizes the acceptance of believers in the Son (Jesus Christ). God has given us grace through Christ, and He has favored us even though we are unworthy. The Greek word for "made us accepted" means a deep, welcoming and acknowledgment by God through the grace in His Son, putting us in the position of God’s favour. The original word "accepted" in the KJV, "Charitoo, G5487" appears only twice in the Bible, the other occurrence is Luke 1:28, which is translated as the verb for of grace. Thayer’s Lexicon defines it as “to make graceful, compass with favour and to honour with blessing.”[4] Therefore, Christians are “graced” or “favoured” by God.

D.     Blessed is the glory of God #1.

Heavenly Father blesses believers with abundant blessings to predestined us to be holy, to adopt us as children, and to accept us showering his grace on us, thus we are favoured by God. Let us recite loudly to praise God for the glorious grace: "So we praise God for the glorious grace…” (Ephesians 1:6a NLT)

             II.            Spiritual Blessings through the Work of God the Son (Eph. 1:7-12)

A.     A costly redemption

 "Through the blood of our beloved Son we have redemption, and the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace." (Ephesians 1:7)

 After humanity sinned, these verses show that man is separated from God and lives in hopelessness. Sin brought about separation between man and God. Man could not use good works to resolve the debt of sin. In fact, the scriptures say that no sinner can save himself by work. However, God provides the saving grace through the blood of Jesus Christ so that people can be forgiven and thus free from this hopelessness that arises from sin. Specifically, this passage reveals the despair of humanity in the following ways:

 1.      The bondage of sin: Man is unable to save himself from sin, it causes humanity to surge into the state of hopelessness, unable to restore their relationship with God.

2.      Inability to save oneself: Man could not save himself by merit, and in fact “our righteous acts are like filthy rags.” (Isaiah 64:6) Thus, sin has brought man into great despair.

3.      God's Grace and Redemption: In hopelessness and despair, God provided the way to obtain salvation through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, and through his blood shed on Calvary, could cleanse our sin, and restore our relationship with God.

 Thus, man’s hopelessness is the separation of man from God. God brings hope and restoration through the salvation of Jesus Christ. This is a shift from "despair" to "hope". God's redemption is described as: “He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding. God has now revealed to us his mysterious will regarding Christ—which is to fulfill his own good plan.”  (Ephesians 1:8-9 NLT) The Lamb of God had to pay a great ransom for deliverance from the bondage of the devil. The cost is: “For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And it was not paid with mere gold or silver, which lost their value. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God.” (1 Peter 1:18-19 NLT) What is the price of your ransom? Your ransom is the Son of God! Your price tag is JESUS.

 B.      Adopted through Christ “to have an inheritance.”

 “In him [Jesus] we have obtained an inheritance (eklērōthēmen G2820), having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will." (Ephesians 1:11 ESV)

 In this passage, "inheritance" (eklērōthēmen G2820) means "heritage", “legacy” or “collection for private property." This word is used only once in the New Testament here (cf. Young's Concordance).

 1.      Christians inherit through God’s adoption:

 "Inheritance" means that God has predestined an inheritance for believers. However, it is through Jesus Christ that believers become children of God and can share in God's spiritual inheritance. Christians share in Christ's spiritual inheritance because they become members of God's family through God's adoption, i.e., heirs of God. John 17 makes it clear that believers belong to Christ and Christ belongs to believers: "I have given them the glory that you gave me." (John 17:22) Through Christ, we are co-heirs of God inheritance: "Now if we are children, then we are heirs – heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.” (Romans 8:17)

 2.      Christians are adopted after being born again:

 It was not an accident that Peter gave a clear account of the process of obtaining inheritance. Rather, God predestined those who trust in Christ to be born again according to His own will and plan to receive this spiritual inheritance: “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you.” (1 Peter 1:3-4)

C.      Blessed is the glory of God #2:

 Our hope in Christ is super-precious salvation and inheritance; This hope causes us to praise God's glory, and this is the second time we have praised His glory. Let us recite the praise of God’s glory: “Let us, then, who were the first to hope in Christ, praise God's glory!” (Ephesians 1:12 GNT)

                 III.            Spiritual Blessings by the Sealing of God the Holy Spirit (Eph. 1:13-14)

 “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.” (Ephesians 1:13-14)

 Ephesians 1:13-14 mentions that believers are "marked in him with a seal, the promise Holy Spirit" and "a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance" refers to the Holy Spirit as a God-given assurance and proof that believers belong to the people of God, and they are protected and guarded by Him in their faith.  The sealing of the Holy Spirit has two parts:

 A.     The seal of the Holy Spirit

 This refers to a "mark" or "seal" that the Holy Spirit applies to the believer, a symbol of certification or ownership. Like an ancient seal, it indicates that a person or object belongs to a certain owner. Therefore, believers are sealed with the Holy Spirit, and it means that they belong to God and have been chosen and accepted by God: “… If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. (Romans 8:9)

B.      The Deposit of the Holy Spirit

 The text goes on to say that the Holy Spirit is "a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance."

The word deposit in Greek is arrabōn (G728), and Thayer’s Lexicon defines as “an earnest.”[5] Thus, the word “arrabon” means: "down payment or deposit". The Greek word “arrabon” are only used only three times in the New Testament, the other two occurrences are 2 Corinthians 1:22 and 5:5. All three occurrences the word arrabōn (G728)  is used to describe the Holy Spirit as the deposit of our salvation.

 "…Put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come." (2 Corinthians 1:22 NIV)

"…Give us the Holy Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.” (2 Corinthians 5:5 NIV)

This is a deposit paid for the purchase of a property, and at the time of completion of the transaction, the deposit will be part of the value of the property. This means that the indwelling of the Holy Spirit is a guarantee to receive full salvation and co-heirs with Christ on God’s inheritance.

 C.      Blessed is the glory of God #3:

 Believers receive the seal and deposit of the Holy Spirit; thus, believer should bless the glory of God. This is the final praise of the glory of God in verses 3–14. Indeed, God's glory is worthy of praise, and God saved desperate humanity because of His grace, even before the foundation of the world, when He chose us to give us hope from despair through His only Son! The goal of a Christian's spiritual blessing is the praise of God. Let us read aloud the praise: "We would praise and glorify him." (Ephesians 1:14 NLT)

 Conclusion:

 Every book in the Bible has a theme. The book of Genesis is a book that talks about the beginning. The Gospel of Matthew is a book about the kingdom of heaven. Galatians is about spiritual freedom. And Ephesians speaks of the spiritual richness that Christians have in Christ. We are to be thankful that God has given us spiritual blessings through the three persons of the Triune God. Through the Father's election, we are elected before the foundation of the universe to be holy and blameless. All these blessings were made possible by Christ's work of redemption on the cross. The Holy Spirit also provides a basis for our blessings through His seal and guarantee.

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[1] https://www.studylight.org/lexicons/eng/greek/2129.html, accessed 9.2.2025 10.55am.

[2] C.L. Lewis, The Problem of Pain (New York: HarperCollins Books, 1996), 18.

[3] Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Rich – NT Commentary on Book of Ephesians (Amazon Kindle Book) 30/188.

[4] https://www.studylight.org/lexicons/eng/greek/5487.html, accessed on 9.2.2025 10.36pm.

[5] https://www.studylight.org/lexicons/eng/greek/728.html, accessed 9.2.2025 10.39pm.

The Preeminence of Christ

 TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Introduction

        I.            Christ’s Preeminence as God’s Exact Manifestation (Col. 1:15a)

      II.            Christ’s Preeminence over All Creation and New Creation (Col. 1:15b)

    III.            Christ’s Preeminence as the Creator and Sustainer (Col. 1:16-17)

Conclusion

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Introduction:

In the church of Colosse, a heresy called the early or primitive Gnosticism, a cult consisting of  a combination of mysticism, Jewish legalism, and Greek philosophy was trying to marginalize Christ on the new converts of this young church.  Full grown Gnosticism only came into being at the end of first century. The heresy taught that Christ could not be God. This belief was based on Greek philosophy which taught  that the spirit was good and the body was evil, and therefore God could not have become a human because God cannot mix good with evil.

It also taught Jesus was an angel and that receiving him was not enough for salvation. One needed a new revelation to be saved. That is where the name “Gnostic” cult comes from. The Greek word “gnosis” means “knowing” or “knowledgeable.”  To be saved, one needed secret knowledge that only the Gnostics had experienced.

To counterattack the Gnostic cult in the church of Colossae, Paul admonished the church the necessity to grow “in the knowledge of God” (Col. 1:10). “Knowledge” in Greek is “epignosis G1922”, it means “precise and correct knowledge” (by Thayer).[1] Here, “epignosis” refers to an accurate, deep understanding of God, emphasizing spiritual insight that leads to godly living. 

Paul uses this term "epignosis" in four occurrences in the book of Colossians, surpassing all other books in the Bible to use this word:

“And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding.” (Col. 1:9)

“So as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.” (Col. 1:10)

“That their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ.” (Col. 2:2)

“And have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.” (Col. 3:10)

The message for this article is based on Colossians 1:15-17. Let’s do exegesis to identify the common denominators to formulate the big idea for this morning message:

Big Idea/Proposition/Thesis: Every Christian can keep from error and cultic influence by gaining full knowledge of God on the three realities of Christ’s preeminence. (Col. 1:15-17)

Outlines:

        I.            Christ’s Preeminence as God’s Exact Manifestation (Col. 1:15a)

      II.            Christ’s Preeminence over All Creation (Col. 1:15b)

    III.            Christ’s Preeminence as the Creator and Sustainer (Col. 1:16-17)

 

        I.    Christ’s Preeminence as God’s Exact Manifestation (Col. 1:15a)

“¹⁵ᵃThe Son is the image of the invisible God…” (Col. 1:15a)

A.     God Related to Man by Manifestation in History

In Genesis 18:2, God manifested in human form (theophany) as three visitors to relate to Abraham on announcing the birth of Isaac. Among the three visitors, one was Jehovah God, the other two were angels. Some have suggested that all three of these "men" were angelic beings who appeared to Abraham in the form of men. However, Genesis 18:1 says that it was "the LORD" (Yahweh) who appeared to Abraham. It is the Lord who speaks in verse 13, 20, 26 and 33. Abraham stands "before the LORD" in verse 22. So, one of the three "men" must have been God Almighty taking on the appearance of a man. [2]

In exodus, God spoke to Moses through the burning bush; and he led the Israelites through pillars of fire and cloud.

In the era of the prophets, God spoke to his people through the major and minor prophets, “In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways.” (Hebrews 1:1) Those major and minor prophets did not speak by their own accord, the Holy Spirit moved them, and they spoke forth revelation from the Lord: “Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” (2 Peter 1:20-21)

B.      Messiah as God’s Heartbeat as His Exact Manifestation

As early as Genesis 3:15 after the fall of man, God pronounced the offspring of Eve who would bring a blow to Satan: “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head and you strike his heel.” (Gen. 3:15)

Various prophets prophesizing the coming of the Messiah as early as the era of Moses: “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him.  For this is what you asked of the Lord your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly when you said, ‘Let us not hear the voice of the Lord our God nor see this great fire anymore, or we will die.’” (Deut. 14:15-16)

Prophet Isaiah prophesied a virgin birth of the Messiah, and prophet Micah fine-tuned the place of birth as Bethlehem:

 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel.” (Is. 7:14)

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.” (Micah 5:2)

The prophecies of the coming Messiah were fulfilled on Christmas day two thousand years ago.

C.      Christ as the Exact Manifestation of the Invisible God

Colossians 1:15a declares the Son is the image of the invisible God. The word “image” in Greek is “eikon – G1504”. Pastor David Guzik in his commentary Enduring Word defines the word “eikon” as (1) likeness, as in the image on a coin or reflection in a mirror. (2) Manifestation, with the sense that God is fully revealed in Jesus.[3] An English word “icon” is derived from this Greek word.[4] In the internet world, I believe every one of us who is using smart phone will have no problem understanding the meaning of icon. Look at the examples:

From the above icon, the green icon is WhatsApp, a famous free messaging app that allows users to send and receive messages. The red icon is YouTube, a free online video-sharing service. The golden icon is the cross, which represents Christ.

Christ is the icon to represent God as the perfect and exact representation of God as declared by Hebrews 1:2-3, “But in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.” (Hebrews 1:2-3)

Christ is “the exact representation of his being” means that Christ manifests the essence and attribute of God through his works and ministries. His life on earth reveals God’s holiness, love, mercy and justice. In his ministries, he demonstrates God’s omnipotent over storm, over demons, and the healing of incurable diseases. The lists are non-exhaustive. Thus, Christ is the perfect man, and perfect God. He is the only person in history who is able to reveal God’s nature: “No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made him known.” (John 1:18)

Colossians 1:19 and 2:9 speak about Christ’s as the perfect manifestation of God, and He is preeminent as God’s exact representation:

“For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him.” (Col. 1:19)

“For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form.” (Col. 2:9)

In application, before the redemptive work of Christ on the cross, God and man was seperated. However,  His supreme manifestation in the incarnation as fully God and fully human successfully bridges the gap between man and God, and that is why He is called the only mediator between man and God (1 Tim. 2:5). He is called the Son of man and the Son of God.

In summary, Christ as the icon of an invisible God means that Jesus reveals to humanity the nature of God, making the invisible God knowable and relatable to us.

   II.    Christ’s Preeminence over All   Creation (Col. 1:15b)

“…¹⁵ᵇ the firstborn over all creation.” (Col. 1:15b)

Firstborn is an ordinary word. However, wrong understanding could stumble people. “The firstborn of all creation.” (Col. 1:15a NASB) sounds like Jesus is part of the creation. In fact, a cult from USA capitalizes the word firstborn to justify their claim that Jesus was firstborn of God’s creation, and he is not the uncreated eternal Son of God, but he is the first created creator. We will walk through the New Testament to prove to you that the usage of firstborn in relation to Christ means Christ’s preeminence and supremacy.

“Firstborn” in Greek is prototokos G4416. Vine Dictionary defines firstborn as: “Firstborn (from protos, first, and tikto, to beget) is used of Christ as born of the Virgin Mary, Luke 2:7. Further, in His relationship to the Father, expressing His priority to, and preeminent over, creation, not in the sense of being first to be born.” [5] 

The first usage is priority in time, and secondly it is used as supremacy and preeminence in rank. We will walk through the New Testament to prove to you that the usage of firstborn in relation to Christ means Christ’s preeminence and supremacy. There are five occurrences of firstborn relating to Christ: Hebrews 1:6; Romans 8:29; Col. 1:18, Rev. 1:5; Col. 1:15b.

 

A.     Hebrews 1:6 

When Christ was born into the world, angels were commanded to worship Him: “And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says, ‘Let all God’s angels worship him.’” (Heb. 1:6) It implies that Christ is God, only God can receive worship from other beings. Thus, the meaning of firstborn in Heb. 1:6 is supremacy in rank. If Christ is not God, God will not instruct angels to worship him. In the book of Revelation, apostle John wanted to worship an angel, the angel responded swiftly to stop him saying: “Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your fellow prophets and with all who keep the words of this scroll. Worship God!” (Rev. 22:9)

 

B.      Col. 1:8, Rev. 1:5 

In Colossians 1:18, Paul wrote about Christ as “…He is the beginning and the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.” (Col. 1:18) Firstborn is to describe his preeminent in position over all future glorified resurrection. In his salutation to the seven churches in Revelation, he called himself as firstborn from the dead, he speaks of his rank of preeminence over all future resurrection: “And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.” (Rev. 1:5) 

 

C.      Romans 8:29 

In Romans 8:29, Paul addresses Christ as the firstborn among many brothers and sisters: “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.” (Rom. 8:29) Who are those brothers and sisters? There are those who put their faith in Christ, the church of Jesus Christ, the new creation. The phrase “firstborn among many brothers and sisters” signifies rank and honor rather than chronological birth order (Berean Study Bible).[6] It emphasizes Christ’s supremacy and His role as the head of the new creation: “He is the head of the body, the church.” (Col. 1:18) 

D.  Colossians 1:15b 

NIV bible translates Col. 1:15b the genitive case as “over” than “of” (Col. 1:15b NASB): “…the firstborn over all creation.” This will imply Christ the firstborn is preeminent over all creation. Why is Christ preeminent over all creation? He is preeminent over all creation as he is supreme in rank over all creation. He is defined as God, for angels were commanded to worship him in Hebrews 1:6. The succeeding conjunction in Col. 1:16 using “for” defines  Christ as the creator: “The Son is the image of the invisible God…for (because) in Him all things were created…” (Col. 1:15-16a) 

Christ as the firstborn over all creation speaks about Christ’s preeminent over all creation. He is preeminent and supreme in rank as he is God, and he is the creator and Col. 1:16-17 will provide solid proof that Christ is the creator.

 

    III.   Christ’s Preeminence as the Creator and Sustainer (Col. 1:16-17) 

" ¹⁶For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. ¹⁷He is before all things, and in him all things hold together." (Colossians 1:16-17, NIV)

"For by him all things were created"

Jesus is the author of all creation. He Himself is not a created being. All things are the produce of his creation: “Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.” (John 1:3)

“In heaven and on earth, visible and invisible”

Christ’s creation extends to all segments, spiritual and physical world. He created all spiritual beings, and he created all physical world.

“Whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities”

In the realm of the spirit world, hierarchy is significant in good angels and bad angels, but all are subjected to Christ, He is preeminent over good and bad angels. In the realm of good angels, there are having two levels: ordinary angels, and the arch angels. As for the bad ones, Ephesians identifies four levels: rulers, authorities, powers of this dark world and the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. (Eph. 6:12)

“All things were created through him and for him”

Christ is the medium of all creation. Without Christ as the medium of creation, nothing will be created. “Through him” speaks to Christ as the instrument of creation, he is the means through which all things came into being.

“For him” stresses that the ultimate purpose of creation is Christ. The universe, all of creation, was made for His glory and for the fulfilment of His divine will. Everything exists not for itself, but for Christ, and is ultimately oriented towards Him. Creation finds its meaning and fulfilment in Christ.

“And he is before all things”

This speaks to Christ’s eternal pre-existence. He is not a created being but the eternal, pre-existent Son of God, existing before all things. This reinforces the idea of Christ’s supremacy over time, as well as the fact that He is not bound by time or created order. He stands outside of creation and has always existed, independent of it.

“And in him all things hold together”

All things in universe are sustained by the sustainer, and Christ is the sustainer. Without the sustaining work of the Word, the universe will be chaotic and will collapse: “The son is…sustaining all things by his powerful word.” (Heb. 1:3)

In conclusion of this section, I wish to quote a comment from Clark Commentary from Studylight.org:

“As all creation necessarily exists in time, and had a commencement, and there was an infinite duration in which it did not exist, whatever was before or prior to that must be no part of creation; and the Being who existed prior to creation, and before all things-all existence of every kind, must be the unoriginated and eternal God: but Paul says, Jesus Christ was before all things; ergo, the apostle conceived Jesus Christ to be truly, and essentially God.”

Let us remind of the study of this section: Christ is before all things; he is the creator and the sustainer!

Conclusion

Cults will discredit Christ’s preeminence and supremacy. How do we able to stand firm in our faith without being disturbed by the cults especially Jehovah witness? The immunity to cultic influence is the possession of the full knowledge pertaining to Christ’s preeminence is three areas: Christ’s preeminent as the exact representation of the invisible God, He is preeminent in rank over all creation, and finally Christ is before all things, He is preeminent as the creator and sustainer of all things. Let us worship Him and invite friends to come for this coming Christmas celebration to celebrate the eternal Word existing in the beginning before time began, and He came to earth and born of a virgin, and He is called the Immanuel, God is with us.

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[1] https://www.studylight.org/lexicons/eng/greek/1922.html, accessed on 10.12.2024 2.06pm.

[2] https://www.gotquestions.org/three-men-Genesis-18.html, accessed 14.12.2024, 8.27am.

[3] https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/colossians-1/, accessed on 14.12.2024, 8.37am.

[4] https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/icon, accessed on 14.12.2024, 8.43am.

[5] W, E, Vine, Vine’s Expository Dictionary -Volume 2: E-Li (USA: Fleming H. Revell Company), 104.

[6] https://biblehub.com/romans/8-29.html, accessed on 10.12.2024 10.39am.