Sadly, today there is a trend toward atheism, agnosticism, and false religion. Also, under the name of Christian religion, there is much that is superficial and false. Some merely believe that Jesus Christ is an important person. Others claim an orthodox belief of His deity, but in lifestyle and practice deny it. All of these approaches to Christ share one thing in common, they have dethroned Him and reduced His deserved glory. However, to behold Christ as He truly is changes everything. Not seeing who Jesus Christ is and giving Him the glory that belongs to Him is dethroning Him. It is creating another form of idolatry. One of the most eye-opening texts in Scripture concerning our Lord is the statement by the Apostle Paul, “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. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together” (Col. 1:16-17).

Heresy in all forms has always centered on dethroning Christ. This is done by denying Him as God, making Him a created being, or an angel, or neglecting His status as Lord. All unsaved persons deny who Christ is and His rightful position. Among the unsaved is the reality that there is no desire to know God, or see Him in His rightful place, or as Paul states that, “He will come to have first place in everything” (Col. 1:18). All people are born in sin and do not seek for God (Rom. 3:11). However, those touched by His grace have a different attitude. Moses desired to see God (Ex. 34), and Paul in Phil. 3:10 expressed the greatest desire and ambition of his heart, “that I may know Him” (Jesus Christ). These are righteous and appropriate attitudes. We cannot love God without first beginning to understand who He is. A person cannot have faith in Christ if they do not know and truly respect His glorious Person.

Who is Jesus Christ? Paul tells us in these most incredible statements. He says, “He is the image of the invisible God” (Col. 1:15). Jesus Himself stated, “If you have seen Me, you have seen the Father” (John 14:9). He is the full, final, and complete revelation and expression of God because He is God! We, at Grace Bible Chapel, often speak of whether things are God-centered or man-centered. This statement by Paul is exhibit “A” and the foundation and necessity for God-centered belief and worship. When Paul states that Christ created everything, it stretches our thoughts and imagination beyond our limits. On earth this means He created everything that has life. Atoms make up everything. They have a nucleus of 100 picometers across, or approximately one millionth the diameter of a human hair. Of these atoms, 99.9% of the nucleus are made up of protons and neutrons. Each one is a tiny solar system. The composition of these determines the substance of all that exists. Their makeup is infinitely complex, and each person is made up of these. In the mere tip of our finger are trillions of these atoms. All of them are in perfect order, and all are in purposefully designed activity. 

Looking beyond the earth, our star the sun, has a diameter of 864,000 miles. Its volume would hold 1.3 million earths. But there is a star which has been named Betelgeuse which has a diameter of 100 million miles. That is an area larger than the earth’s distance to the sun. Our galaxy, called the Milky Way, contains hundreds of billions of these stars and we now know there are more than a billion galaxies. Paul also states, “And in Him all things hold together.” The vast universe moves together orderly, its billions of stars are not in chaos, and the world with its infinite complexities continues without coming apart. We know there will be seasons, sun rises, and sun downs. We can depend on air to breathe, and on and on. How does all this happen? It is the perfect management of Jesus Christ. Yes, the baby born in Bethlehem and who died on the cross for sinful creation is this Creator and Sustainer of every atom in the universe.

Seeing just the tip of who Christ really is eliminates all the superficial and artificial thinking. We should bow our hearts and minds in worship and give thanks to Him. We should recognize by the greatness of God that the cause of God sending Christ to our rescue was not our merit. How could God be impressed with us His fallen creature? But instead, it had to be something within Himself for His own glory. All emphasis of glory belongs to Jesus Christ. It cannot belong to man or on the importance of man, but upon God. To deny Christ His rightful place of worship and praise for who He is, is to make Him less than God. It is to dethrone Him!  We cannot walk away from these Colossian verses without being convicted. It says of the disciples, “They left everything to follow Him” (Luke 5:11). This should be the spiritual response of everyone – that Christ would come to have first place in everything.