CHRIST – THE PRE-EMINENT ONE (4)
“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 NKJV).
The third reason Apostle Paul gave that confers pre-eminence to Christ is His pre-eminent role in creation. He described Him as the creator of everything in heaven and on earth; whether they are visible or invisible, including the angels in their varied ranks and authorities. Christ is the efficient cause of reality both spiritual and natural. He gives life, meaning, and purpose to everything and every person that is, or has been, or shall be both in heaven and on earth. He is the uncaused cause of everything, being the creator and originator of all things that exist either in time or in eternity. John was deliberate in his choice of words as he introduced Christ, saying, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made” (John 1:1-3 NKJV). Our Lord Jesus witnessed the beginning of the beginning and therefore predates the beginning. Since He witnessed the beginning and the end of creation, He cannot possibly be part of it. As a worker is always apart from his work, so must Jesus be apart from His creation. God did not only create the worlds through Jesus, He also appointed Him heir of all things because He, Jesus, upholds all things by the word of His power (Hebrews 1:1-3). All these go to show that Jesus had legitimate claim to pre-eminence among all of God’s creatures in heaven and on earth; just in a way the cause has pre-eminence over the effect. As the effect owes its very existence to its cause, so everything in heaven and earth owe their existence to Jesus, who is pre-eminent over them all.
Jesus is the creator of all things, visible and invisible! He’s the uncaused cause, omnipotent and eternal. All things were made through Him and for Him.
Since creation by its very essence is causing what did not previously exist to begin to exist, the creator must therefore not only be omnipotent but also eternal. Omnipotence, because that only can initiate the existence of anything from nothing. Eternal, because since creation is an event that is conjoined with the beginning of time, only Him who is outside of time can cause it to happen. The eternality of Jesus clearly confers on Him the place of pre-eminence over all bound within the limits of time-space continuum. What that means is that, there is nothing that happens in time and in eternity both in heaven and on earth that does not fall within the purview of Christ. What a privilege therefore to have Him as the object of our faith! He knows it all and has it all under His control. Nothing can ever take Him by surprise and thus outwit Him. He is at the centre of it and works out everything according to His purpose. Paul declared concerning our destinies in Christ, “It’s in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone” (Ephesians 1:11-12 The Message). But He had to occupy the pre-eminent place in our scheme of things for His purpose to run a free course in our lives. Unless He takes the pre-eminent position in our lives, we will find it difficult to trust His grace, wisdom and goodness to guide us in our daily affairs.
Christ’s pre-eminence supersedes all “thrones or dominions or principalities or powers” in both the visible and the invisible realms of existence. These refer to different ranks of angels and levels of human authority all of which are subject to Christ as their creator and upholder. They are created by Him to serve His purpose and interest. The Bible affirmed that God has exalted Christ “far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come” (Ephesians 1:21 NKJV). Every power and authority is subject to Him and by extension to those who stand in His delegated authority. All the angelic authorities and their demonic counterparts, as well as all human authorities are subject to the authority of Christ; for the Father had decreed that every knee should bow to Him and every tongue confess His lordship. As all things were created through Him and for Him, there is nothing that exists that is not subservient to Him. Moments before His ascension, He declared “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth” (Matthew 28:18 NKJV). He then commanded us to use that authority to disciple the nations for Him, with the solid assurance of His backing, till the end of time. May we now serve Him without fear being assured of our security in Him in Jesus name.
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