Behold Your God: Before All Things and Holds All Things Together

Theology and Politics from a Conservative, Biblical Perspective

In this third article in our short series on Colossians 1:15-20, we are going to move onto the next section that highlights the fact that God in Christ is before all things and that He literally holds all things together.

15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. (Colossians 1:15-20 ESV)

I was talking briefly with a Muslim not long ago who said that God is “not born.” He was right. God was not born. Jesus was born into humanity and remained fully God in doing so. What was “born” was the humanity of Jesus. Philippians 2:6-8 is actually very clear that Christ existed prior to taking on human form, but that He did take on human form through human birth. He wasn’t merely a phantom or specter as Gnosticism teaches.

…who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

The text states Jesus “was in the form of God,” meaning He was (and remains) actual God prior to taking on human form. He was “imitating” God, which could never happen (though Satan will try through the coming Antichrist).

Jesus did not consider remaining “equal” to God in the form of God something He needed to continue to do if His plan was to salvage humanity and Creation. Lowering Himself to take on human form would be somewhat demeaning (humbling), but was necessary because of the goal set before Him, which was to ultimately offer Himself as a propitiation for sinful humanity.

Verse 7 says Jesus “emptied” Himself and there are many erroneous positions taught about this passage, chief of which is the error that Jesus emptied Himself of His deity. This is not what the text states. When seen within its context of surrounding verses, it tells us that Jesus clearly emptied Himself of His own will in the matter, preferring to deliberately place Himself under the authority of God the Father as He (Jesus) walked this earth in human form. In other words, Jesus determined that He would live a life as a fully human member of the human race to show how this life is to be lived. He did so without sin and by completely fulfilling all the requirements of the Law.

As Jesus lived His earthly life as a full human being (while continuing to be fully God), He used His deity only during the times it perfectly coincided with the Father’s will as Jesus moved from one situation to another, whether in healing, preaching, feeding thousands, or raising the dead. Whatever Jesus thought, said, or did, He did in perfect harmony with God the Father’s will. This was our example to follow.

The Colossians text tells us that “And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” As God, Jesus is part of the Trinity; Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. All God. All equal with different roles. As we noted previously, Jesus is the Creator of all things and He created all things for Himself. That includes all beings whether in the spirit realm or this physical realm. He created all the heavens, the planets – all of them, including ones we do not know about – all animals, water, trees, flowers, grasses, mountains, and people.

There is nothing that exists that Jesus did not originally make. Sure, people have “created” things by taking one thing and marrying it to another thing. But Jesus created “ex nihilo” (Latin), or “out of nothing.” I can “create” a fence or as I’m planning on doing, finish a patio cover, frame in it, and then screen it in. It will be my “creation,” but all I’m really doing is taking wood that someone else processed, nails and screws, and screening to build something that keeps the flies out of our back patio. Ultimately, God made the wood and everything else from which companies take bare resources to make nails, screws, and screening. I don’t really create anything. I simply build it or put it together.

What I find most fascinating about this particular verse in Colossians 1 is the fact that Paul tells us that Jesus holds all things together. Evolutionists like to tell us that humans came from a long line of creatures that eventually “birthed” the first human. Over millions and millions of years, we finally got to the point where we stood up, grew some sort of intellect, started talking with more than “ugh” and “ooh,” and voila! humanity began in earnest. There are such a thing as those who believe in Theistic Evolution which states that God started everything going, stood back and simply let it progress on its own.

Colossians 1:17 rebukes that working hypothesis. The implication of this verse is that if God took His hands off things for one second, it would all fall apart. The impression Paul is attempting to give us is that Jesus, “is the Person who preserves and maintains the existence of what He has created. God the Father has delegated the administration of His universal kingdom to God the Son” (Constable)

Constable also quotes Barclay when he notes, “Every law of science and of nature is, in fact, an expression of the thought of God. It is by these laws, and therefore by the mind of God, that the universe hangs together, and does not disintegrate in chaos.” In essence, Jesus is intimately involved not only in the creative process, but in Creation itself as He holds all things together for as long as He will do so.

Jesus created and since that time, He preserves all that He created. The two go hand in hand and are inseparable. Yet, puny man thinks he knows and understands the mysteries of the universe. We know what God allows us to know and while there are granted, some very brilliant people in this life, they know what they know only because God has allowed them to have that knowledge. Even then, at its best, it is still partial knowledge.

Consider Jesus, the Creator of all things. Consider how He actively continues to participate in His Creation by holding all things together. Consider that God, very God in Jesus existed before all things, He has created all things, and He continues to hold all things together.

I am constantly amazed when I go onto certain social networks. The difference between conservative individuals and “liberals” (Leftists) is very stark. For the most part, those on the Left are atheists. Those on the Right believe in some form of God and are often patriotic. Leftists will often say the most vile things, even related to Billy Graham’s recent passing, wishing him a “wonderful eternity in hell” though they actually don’t believe in hell or a personal God.

The gulf between God-fearing people and godless has widened since I was a kid. What I hear and read today would’ve never been stated out loud when I was a kid, at least not in public. The world is experiencing a major break from God. It is very reminiscent of Psalm 2 where God asks the question, “Why do the nations rage?” Ultimately, the point of Psalm 2 is that all this “rage” from the nations and people among those nations is absolutely pointless. Those who rage against God will not win and they need to realize this. Unfortunately, most will not until it’s way too late.

God is God. He is Creator of all things. He is sovereign and has ultimate control over humanity. There is nothing that men/women can ascribe to that will come to pass if God does not allow it. People rage at God to their own peril.

Jesus created all things and holds them together. We would do well to understand and marvel at this truth.

Theology and Politics from a Conservative, Biblical Perspective