For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.  

Colossians 1:16  

…has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds… 

Hebrews 1:2 

Christ is the Creator. The first portion of our text is specific in its’ delineation of all the things He created. The second portion of our text speaks of Him as having created the worlds. This refers to the universe. We look at the world around us, taking into account what God has told us of how it came to be and we marvel at how it is and continues to be. If we look outside the world to the universe we behold even greater marvels. We have only scratched the surface in our exploration of what is outside our little blue-green planet. Even our own galaxy holds undiscovered secrets. Beyond that, there is an entire universe of galaxies, suns, moons, and black holes. Christ has created all these things. They exist because He has brought them into being and continues to uphold them by the word of His power. They are testimonies to Him. ‘The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork.’ This matters to us because we have an indissoluble union with Him. Because He, as the Creator has redeemed us, we are irreversibly connected to the One Who has created the universe and know all its’ secrets. This is a vast wealth of knowledge. As we contemplate Him, He reveals, and shall continue to reveal the secrets of His creation.  

Our Great and Gracious God, 
we rejoice at all that You have created. 
We praise You that as we come to know You better, 
we come to understand our relation to all these things.  

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning

For in Him, dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power. 

Colossians 2:9-10 

God rules and Christ reigns. The book of Colossians has much to say about Christ’s positions. The summary of these positions is in the first chapter and we have considered it extensively over the past days. Our text speaks of Him as ‘the head of all principality and power.’ If we refer to the summary of the first chapter we read, ‘For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.’ Our text tells us He controls these principalities and powers. This is important for us to grasp, especially when we observe the course of this present world. We are cognitively aware that evil is afoot. We recognize that ‘we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.’ If we understand that those are under the power of Christ then we have hope of their defeat. Even Satan himself is bound by the power of Christ. He wanted to do more to Job than God allowed him to do. When we consider that Christ is the head of all principalities and powers we cease to fear what they can do. They are subject to Christ. He controls them whether they acknowledge Him or not, ‘so we may boldly say: The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?’ We need not fear the power of any second cause if we know the First Cause. Christ, not man, is King. He is and shall continue to be the head of all principality and power.  

Our King, and God, and Savior, 
we rejoice that You rule over all. 
We praise You that all that is, 
is subject to You. 

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning

For in Him, dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power. 

Colossians 2:9-10 

Because Christ is who and what He is, we are who and what we are. Our identity and substance lies in Him and our relationship to Him. Our text reiterates the idea we have recently been discussing, that all the fullness of God is in Christ. The summary of Him and the positions He occupies we read in the first chapter lists how it is that all the fullness of God resides in Christ. The results of that, because of His redemptive work toward us, means we are complete in Him. Christ referred to the relationship when He spoke to His disciples saying, ‘I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.’ Truly, without Christ we are nothing and can do nothing. We find in Him all that makes us what we can never be apart from Him. All we know of goodness, of rightness, and of fruitfulness is of Him. Because of Him our naturally broken, incomplete persons become complete. This knowledge binds us ever more thoroughly to Christ. As we abide in Him and His words abide in us, we bring forth the fruit that indicates He is conforming us to His image by the power of His Holy Spirit. We are not yet all He will make of us, yet we are aware He will not cease His spiritual work in us, but continue it until the day when we shall see him and be like Him.  

Our Gracious God and our Savior,  
we rejoice that You are our living Head. 
We praise You that we thrive  
because we are connected to You.  

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning

…and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross. 

Colossians 1:20 

God is all about reconciliation. Our first parents behaved in such a way as to cause a breach in the relationship that existed between them and God. That breach affected them, all their descendants, and the whole of creation. If there was to be any reconciliation and the restoration that would accompany it, God must do the work. Humanity was incapable of affecting it. Thus God has gone about to reconcile all things to Himself. This is a broad reconciliation involving things on earth and things in heaven. He has done so through the blood of the cross of Christ. The blood of Christ is the foundation of our peace with God and also of the reconciliation of all things. Without the blood of the cross of Christ there is no reconciliation with God. Because of the blood of Christ there is reconciliation, not just for a few things, but for all things on earth or in heaven that will ever be reconciled. Christ’s blood is the indispensable currency of exchange for reconciliation. Therefore we desire to make much of Christ and of the blood of Christ. God places value upon it and Him. We follow His lead.  

Our God and Wise God, 
we rejoice at all that You have done 
to bring us into a right relationship with You. 
We praise You that Christ is the key to this great work. 

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning