BY HIM ALL THINGS CONSIST

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”