Month: November 2023

Colossians 1:17 (KJV) “And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.”

I will try not to get too long on this subject matter that the Apostle Paul is speaking to, or writing about in this 1st chapter and 11th verse of this letter to the Colossians. I am going to talk about this phrase:  

“BY HIM ALL THINGS CONSIST”

This word “CONSIST” means, in context and among other things: To “Set Together” or “the act or process of sticking together tightly” or “Cohesiveness” or “The amount of unity or “we-ness” (if I may use this coined word)  in a group: For example, “a strong amount of quality  of cohesiveness within the family”, or within a nation, or within a church, or within “The Church”.

When satan tempted Eve to disobey GOD’s commandment, and I am not picking on Eve or women because MAN didn’t take much tempting, Adam was not forced, but chose to partake of the “FORBIDDEN FRUIT”, and both were guilty of breaking down the “cohesiveness” between GOD and Man, satan’s desire and “job” is to destroy that relationship by any means placed at is disposal.

There has to be this “sticking together” in all the facets of our lives. Our FAMILY, Our NATION, and most of all Our Churches!

Let’s look first at our Family:

Now we should not forget, but remember that we are talking about that which bonds us together, without that “glue” or that part that sticks us all together, we have but little hope on being a united force to complete the task, or get to that goal that GOD has set for us. That is why satan set himself against the Family first, for without that “cohesiveness” of the Family with GOD we will surely not have the strength to do the things GOD bids us to do. The word in Genesis the second chapter and 24th verse(KJV) says: “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall  “CLEAVE” unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.”  The word cleave in the Hebrew means to cling or stick together, to cleave (fast together). Sounds familiar doesn’t it.

From the beginning it was meant for MAN, WOMAN and GOD to be a “cohesive” unit. It is still suppose to be that way in our day and time. So when satan gets in the middle of that “unit” and breaks up the “cohesiveness” of it, the FAMILY unit is doomed for extinctsion, and that is becoming more prevailent today:

“BY HIM ALL THINGS CONSIST” 

Lets look next at “Our NATION”: Since we first became THE UNITED STATES, satan has fought to keep us from being a “cohesive” unit, and again he uses what ever GOD allows him to use to complete his task. I will just mention a few: “HATE” “LIES” “INFIDELITY” “GRUDGES” “JEALOUSY” and many others. Remember that that which is NOT based on the first 2 COMMANDMENTS that JESUS said in Matthew 22:37-40 (KJV) “…Thou shalt love the LORD thy GOD with all thy heart, and with all th soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself On these two commandments hang all the loaw and the prophets.” will breakdown that “cohesiveness” which binds us together as a NATION.

“I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.” If you take GOD out of that statement it makes it powerless or renders it USELESS, and without the “cohesiveness” we need to remain united. We must keep GOD as supreme in our NATION so we will have the GLUE to remain as a NATION.

Next I want us to look at “THE CHURCH”: The BODY OF CHRIST and we must, and I reiterate, MUST remain “cohesive” with our message and our IMAGE to the WORLD!

“BY HIM ALL THINGS CONSIST”

JESUS must be the FOREFRONT of everything we do, and our existance as a “WITNESS” hinges on our efforts to speak of CHRIST, with our teachings, with our preaching and our actions. John 16:13-16 (KJV) “Howbeit when HE, the Spirit of truth, is come, HE will guide you into all truth: for HE shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever HE shall hear, that shall HE speak: and HE will shew you things to come. HE shall glorify ME: for HE shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that HE shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you. A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see  me,  Because I go to the FATHER.” Acts 1:8  (KJV) “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be withnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” We must continue to allow the consistency of CHRIST permeate us as a CHURCH to be able to be that WITNESS to the community, to our city, to our county, to our state, to our NATION and to the uttermost parts of the world.

“BY HIM ALL THINGS CONSIST”

COLOSSIANS 1:15-17 (KJV) “Who is the image of the invisible GOD, the first born of every creature: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by HIM, and for HIM: and he is before all things, and by him all things consist.”

Now I want to read 2 more verses, that help Paul to prove his point of who this “JESUS” was, this man (GOD-MAN) who was born in the virgin womb of a “lowly” or “poor and common” girl, or at least she was in the eyes of those people of that day, but in GOD’s eyes she was “HIGHLY FAVORED”, never look upon the outside of someone and think that you know what GOD thinks of that person. GOD reads and knows what is on the inside of the person or what their HEART is like. We should also look at people through GOD’s EYES, so we can see them the way GOD sees them.

1 John 1:1-2 (KJV) “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the WORD of LIFE; (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the FATHER, and was manifested unto us;)”  

John 1:1-5 (KJV) “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was GOD. The same was in the beginning with GOD. All things were made by HIM; and without HIM was not any thing made that was made. In HIM was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.” Now I want to give you an example of what I am talking about, by reading to you the next 3 verses of John 1:6-8 (KJV) please follow along with your Bible or read the text prayerfully.

John 1:6-8 (KJV) “There was a man sent from GOD, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.” Of course this verse is talking about John the Baptist. What I want us to see in these verses is that GOD uses people that you wouldn’t think that HE would or could use, so that you will, or should, listen more closely. How is John the Baptist described in the Bible? He is described as wearing clothes of camel’s hair, and living on locusts and wild honey. When you get a chance, read or reread Matthew 3:4 (KJV) “And the same John had his raiment of camel’s hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey.” And you can confirm this by also reading Mark 1:6 (KJV).

The Apostle Paul used some very strange words to try and paint a picture of GOD to these “Born Again” believers in Colossae. Like the word IMAGE, why would he use some of these words, well let me try to explain why by using more scripture: You see GOD is invisible: Let me read you the first part of verse 15 of our text when talking about JESUS: “Who is the image of the invisible GOD…” The Greek word for invisible means the exact same thing that our present day word means, and that is simply, “NOT SEEN”.

Please listen to what the Apostle John wrote in John 1:18 (KJV) “No man hath seen GOD at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared HIM.” and then the Apostle John also reiterated this statement in his first epistle when he wrote in: 1 John 4:12 (KJV) “No man hath seen GOD at any time. If we love one another, GOD dwells in us, and HIS love is perfected in us.” The words “declared” and “perfected” in the Greek mean to fully tell and unfold an “IMAGE” or a “PICTURE”.

The picture that our “LIVES”, and “ACTIONS”, when we “LOVE ONE ANOTHER” and LOVE OUR NEIGHBOR” should paint that same “IMAGE” or “Picture” that the APOSTLE PAUL is talking about to these Colossians. Men of that era, or time frame, had never seen GOD, and men of our era or time frame, have never seen GOD, so we must, and let me emphasize that by reiterating that statement, “WE MUST” paint them a picture or IMAGE by “WALKING WORTHY” such as I preached and taught about in the 10th verse of Colossians the 1st chapter. Also in the 16th verse of chapter 1 Paul said that everything, and I mean everything that was “CREATED” was done so “By HIM and  For HIM”. Think on that, JESUS the 2nd person of the TRIUNE GODHEAD was with GOD in the “BEGINNING”, then HE came to this sin-laden earth to “DIE” for you, then resurrected HIMSELF and went back to be yours, mine and the whole “BODY OF CHRIST” the CHURCH’s “INTERCESSOR”.

With an “INFLUENCE” like that sitting at the “RIGHT HAND” of GOD, HOW CAN WE FAIL! HOW CAN WE SIT BACK AND NOT WORK FOR HIM? LET US, AS PART OF THE BODY OF CHRIST CONTINUE TO BEAR FRUIT FOR OUR CREATOR AND OUR SAVIOR!!!!

I hope that you as a part of the Body of Christ will be that “IMAGE”, will be that PICTURE, that the LOST WORLD can see, and will cause them to want to become like “YOU” and Trust JESUS as their SAVIOR and become a NEW CREATURE.