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Daily Devotionals
Grace for Today
Colossians 1:18
The pre-eminence of Christ (IX)
Read Revelation 22:1-21
In God’s creation the triune God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, and after our likeness’ (Genesis 1:26). And Christ is the image of God, in whose likeness we were made, and the one by whom we were made (Colossians 1:15). In the providential rule of the world Christ is pre-eminent (Colossians 1:16). All things were made by him and for him. He upholds all things, sustains all things, rules all things and will have the praise of all things.
Christ is pre-eminent in the book of God (Luke 24:27). The Bible is a book about Christ. It speaks only of him. The Old Testament says, ‘He is coming.’ The four Gospels and Acts say, ‘He has come.’ The epistles and Revelation say, ‘He is coming again.’
God has made Christ pre-eminent in the church (Colossians 1:18). He is the Head (the seat of authority and the source of life) to his body the church. In salvation Christ is pre-eminent (Colossians 1:14). He is our wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption. Christ is our salvation. His mediatorial possessions, as the God-man our Savior, display his preeminence (Colossians 1:19). All the fullness of the eternal Godhead is in Christ. All the fullness of grace is in Christ. And all the fullness of the divine glory is in Christ.
In the resurrection Christ will be the pre-eminent one (Colossians 1:18). He was the first one to be raised from the dead, and all who believe will be raised in his likeness.
And Christ is pre-eminent in reconciliation (Colossians 1:20-22). We have broken God’s law and offended his justice. But ‘God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them’ (2 Corinthians 5:19). By the blood of his cross Christ reconciled us to God. And in the ages to come Christ our Lord will reconcile all things to God (Isaiah 45:22-25). He will clearly demonstrate the glory of God in all things. The whole creation of God will, in the end, show forth the praise of him by whom and for whom all things were created. ‘Every creature’ will say, ‘blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever’ (Revelation 5:13).
