Day Five - Fixing Our Minds on Christ

I’m so excited to be here with you once again today and share devotions through the book of Colossians. Today we are examining Chapter 1 verses 15-20. This is a jam-packed section of Scripture.

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For 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. He is before all things, and by Him all things hold together. He 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. For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile everything to Himself by making peace through the blood of His cross – whether things on earth or things in heaven.  

Colossians 1:15-20 (HCSB)

Paul’s Central Message

This truly is the central part of the entire book of Colossians. This is Paul’s message. This is what he wants us to grab onto and hold. Who is Christ? Why is He sufficient? Why is our source of truth and the object of our worship? It explains it all right here in this beautiful passage of Scripture.

How does knowing Who Christ is help us in our daily circumstances? How does it help is in the struggles we face today?

He’s our source of everything. If you need provision, encouragement, love, mercy, grace, redemption, deliverance – all of that comes through Christ Jesus. He’s the source of all things. We need to remember the Word says He created our rulers and principalities, our leaders. Basically, He puts all of our kings, presidents, and world leaders into place for His purpose.  Hold onto the fact that Christ is just as active, sovereign, and sufficient today as when Paul wrote this letter. He wants to impact you in your life right where you stand.

Today’s Challenge

You know I have a challenge for you today and this is what I’d like you to do: List out the characteristics that you know about Christ.  I want you to include the ways that Christ has impacted your life since you’ve known Him. This establishes memorial stones so that you can look back when you face a trial and remember that God was faithful in all of the situations of your past.  He will be faithful again today. God doesn’t change. He is who He is.

When we’ve established memorial stones, we can look back and see God’s faithfulness in our own, personal lives – not in the lives of someone we read about, but in our own lives. He touches us here and now. Establishing the memorial stones also helps us rehearse who Christ is. When we have conversations with others who ask, “who is this Jesus that you follow?” we are prepared with an answer. We rehearse these things in private so that we can declare them in public.  That honors the Lord.

Scripture is Truth

Who we think Christ is must align with Scripture. Scripture is our source of truth. So if we think that God is never angry, we need to look at the Scriptures and see yes, He can be an angry God. Let your perception of Christ and who He is be shaped and formed, not exclusively by your experience, but also by who He says He is in His Word.

Be blessed and encouraged today. I pray you’ll join us tomorrow as we continue our devotions in Colossians.

To view the video devotion, click here.

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