Colossians 1:15-23

February 9, 2022

15 Christ is the visible image of the invisible God.
    He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation,
16 for through him God created everything
    in the heavenly realms and on earth.
He made the things we can see
    and the things we can’t see—
such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world.
    Everything was created through him and for him.
17 He existed before anything else,
    and he holds all creation together.
18 Christ is also the head of the church,
    which is his body.
He is the beginning,
    supreme over all who rise from the dead.
    So he is first in everything.
19 For God in all his fullness
    was pleased to live in Christ,
20 and through him God reconciled
    everything to himself.
He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth
    by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.


21 This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions. 22 Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.


23 But you must continue to believe this truth and stand firmly in it. Don’t drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the Good News. The Good News has been preached all over the world, and I, Paul, have been appointed as God’s servant to proclaim it.


Colossians 1:15-23 NLT

  • What does this teach us about God?

    • Christ = visible image of invisible God (v.15)
    • Has always existed and is supreme over creation (v.15)
    • God created everything, through him and for him (v. 16)
    • Holds all creation together (v. 17)
    • Christ = head of the church (v. 18)
    • Christ is supreme over salvation, so is first in everything (v. 18)
    • God in all fullness was pleased to live in Christ, reconciled everything through Him (the Trinity) (v. 19)
    • Christ’s blood on the cross is what reconciles, makes peace with everything in heaven and on earth (v. 20)
    • He can make things holy and blameless, without fault (v.22)

  • What does this teach us about people/ourselves?

    • We were created by God (v. 16)
    • Authority comes from God (v. 16)
    • We don’t hold everything together, only God does (v. 17)
    • Our evil thoughts and actions separated us from God & made us his enemies (v. 21)
    • Sinners (in other words, all of us) can be reconciled back to God through the blood of Christ (v. 22)
    • Once restored in faith, we are seen as holy and blameless before God (v.22)
    • We are called to believe & stand firm in the assurance of this truth (v.23)

  • By God's grace, how will you obey?

    • See Christ as first in everything, not ourselves
    • View everything through the lens of being God’s creation
    • Repent of evil thoughts and actions
    • Believe the truth that Christ’s death can reconcile us to God
    • Stand firm in our faith, remain steadfast

Prayer: Father, Creator, you formed the earth, the stars, the universe. You created everything we see, and everything we can’t see. You created everything, yet you were mindful of us. We don’t deserve this gift of life, yet you so graciously poured it upon us. Thank you. Help us to rightfully see you as first in everything. When we begin to try and put things into our own hands, steer and reorient our minds back to you. We all are sinners, guilty of evil thoughts and actions, deserving of your wrath. We were your enemies. Yet, in your kindness, you provided a way for us to be rescued from eternal punishment, and instead see us as blameless. Thank you for sending your son, Jesus Christ, to reconcile us back to you through his saving work on the cross. Let us not drift away from this assurance we have in Christ but remain steadfast in it. It’s in His name we pray, Amen.

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