(The following is the September 8 devotional from my Next Step Devotions book. Before reading it, I suggest you read Colossians 1 and pay close attention to verses 15-23.)
Jesus Christ is the center of our faith. Colossians contains passages about Christ that emphasize his preeminence. We should ponder them regularly to remain in awe of Christ and what he has done.
15He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.
16For everything was created by him, in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities – all things have been created through him and for him.
17He is before all things, and by him all things hold together.
18He is also the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything.
19For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him,
20and through him to reconcile everything to himself, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
We aren’t the center of the Christian faith, the gospel, or the church – Christ is. We should remain in reverent awe of him and respond in humility with the worship he alone deserves. Jesus calls his followers “friends” (John 15:14-15; 21:5), but our relationship with him is not that of a human buddy or pal. “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.”
Next Step:
What words describe Christ in your life (e.g., Lord, Savior, Redeemer, Friend, etc.)? Do you most often think of Christ in the preeminent ways described in Colossians 1 or more human, friendly terms?
