It’s all about Him. That’s the conclusion one will reach when they read the book of Colossians. It’s all about Jesus Christ. As Paul wrote to these saints, He spoke about the Preeminence of Christ. He spoke about His power and all that He had done for them.
Paul reminded them that they had been rescued, redeemed, and reconciled through Jesus.
We also see the importance of the Lord’s church in Paul’s letter to the Colossians.
Let’s notice some observations.
“IN HIM”
“For He has rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” Colossians 1:13-14
- The church is made up of people who are “In Him.”
- Those who heard and obeyed the truth, are in Christ, Colossians 1:4-5, 2:12.
- When one is “In Him” they are also in His body, the church. Paul says in Colossians 1:18, “He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.”
- It is God who adds the saved to the church, Acts 2:47.
- Those who are saved and added to the church must submit to the will of Jesus.
- Those who are in Christ also need to recognize the importance of being in His body.
- The body, the church, is not something that is optional. You can’t have Christ without His body. It can often happen that people want Christ, but they don’t want anything to do with His church. That’s not Biblical. One can’t have Christ without His church, Acts 8:3, 9:5.
- Therefore, the church is not to be viewed as an afterthought. It’s designed as a body, which means we each play a vital role in it.
“BY HIM”
“For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities – all things have been created through Him and for Him.” Colossians 1:16
- All things were created by Christ. That includes the church. Christ promised to build His church in Matthew 16:18. He purchased the church with His blood, Acts 20:28. He is head over the church, Colossians 1:18.
- Man did not establish this spiritual body, John 18:36. Jesus did. Therefore, it is something special that only Jesus could design and create. It’s all about Him.
- How should this impact our lives?
- It should cause us to recognize and appreciate that we’re a part of something great. People like to be a part of something great or special (colleges, schools, sports, etc.). Being a part of the Lord’s church is something truly great!
- Consider the cost, Colossians 1:20. Jesus gave up everything for it.
- Through the church Jesus has accomplished something that no one else could. He has brought both Jews and Gentiles into one body, Colossians 1:26-27. This is the great mystery that Paul spoke about. Jesus destroyed the racial divide that stood for so long. He’s brought unity in one body, the church. That’s awesome. No political party will be able to do what is accomplished through the church. No fraternity, school, or any other club can do what Jesus has done.
- It’s all about Him and what He has done.
“FOR HIM”
“…All things have been created through Him and for Him…” Colossians 1:16.
- All things have been created for Him. That includes the church. This is a game changer. We live in a “ME Mentality” age. For some, it can be all about them. It’s about our rights, our desires, and our needs.
- But when it comes to the church, it’s not about ME. It’s not even about WE. It’s about HE.
- Is this the attitude we have as members of the Lord’s church?
- Everything we do is to be for Him. Our motivation to serve, to worship, to submit is all for Him! When we have this mindset, this will truly change our perspective of Christ and His church. It’s all about giving Him the glory, Ephesians 3:20-21.
- We can give Him glory in our worship.
- We can strive not to forsake the assembly because it’s all about Him.
- We will forgive one another when we sin, because it’s all about Him.
- We will put our needs to the sides and help others, because it’s all about Him.
- We will not quibble with His pattern or worship, because it’s all about Him.
- We will not quit and give up on the church, because it’s all about Him.
- We will struggle for one another because it’s all about Him. He struggled for us. We will do the same.
It’s all about Him! Let’s demonstrate our love for Him.