The Supremacy of Christ

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COLOSSIANS 1:15-20 
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. 18 And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence. 19 For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, 20 and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross. 

Paul makes the case for Christ as having preeminence in all things. What is preeminence? According to the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, it simply means "to be first." Dissent had arisen within the Colossian church regarding the deity of Christ. Paul was setting the record straight, leaving no room for ambiguity. "All things were created through Him and for Him" (v. 16). Christ was never distant nor absent from the creative process. Therefore, no other god could "reconcile all things" (v. 20) but the "firstborn over all creation" (v. 15), Jesus Christ.

Warren Wiersbe says:

"The message of this letter is greatly needed today. I hear too many voices telling me that I need something more than Jesus Christ—some exciting experience, some new doctrine, some addition to my Christian experience. But Paul affirms that what I need is appropriation of what I already have in Christ."

Jesus is more than enough. He expands to the breadth of every circumstance. He stretches to the width of every struggle. Nothing is too hard or impossible. No river is too wide or impassable. "He is before all things, and in Him all things consist" (v. 17). Jesus is our all, and that is sufficient.

PRAYER: Lord, your grace is sufficient for me. I stand in need of mercy from your throne. I surrender all my doubts, fears, and circumstances to you. Work on my behalf Lord. Keep me in perfect peace. Amen!