In the previous message, we saw Christ in a full way in Colossians. Colossians is a short book, but the revelation of Christ in it is full. It is a full revelation in a brief way. It shows Christ in His relationship with God, creation, redemption, and the church as the new creation, and it reveals that He is the reality of all the positive physical, material things, which are only shadows of Christ. Moreover, Christ is life to us for today and hope to us for tomorrow. All these items are very great. Christ is related to God, to creation, to redemption, and to the church. He is the reality of all things, and He is subjectively related to us. We have to clearly know all these items and properly keep them in mind. Then we have to apply this Christ to ourselves as our life to us today and hope to us for the future.
In His relationship to God, Christ is the image, the expression, of God, and all the fullness of the Godhead dwells in Him. He is the mystery-the history and “story”-of God, and He has the preeminence. In God’s plan, economy, and in all things God purposed to give Christ the first place in everything.
In Christ’s relationship with creation, He is the Firstborn, the first item, of all creation. All things were created in Him and through Him. Moreover, all things exist, subsist, and cohere in Him at the present time and are for Him in the future.
In His relationship with redemption, Christ is the Redeemer. He accomplished redemption, dealing with many things, such as sin, self, and the world. He also dealt with the evil forces by “dusting” off the principalities, powers, and dominions in the heavenly places. All those powerful elements were dusted off by Christ through His cross.
In His new creation, the church, Christ is the Head and the Firstborn from the dead. He is the first in resurrection. Such a Christ is the reality of all the things we need and enjoy. Whatever we see, possess, and enjoy are all shadows; the reality of all these things is Christ. Moreover, such a Christ is our portion. As our portion, He is our life within for today, and He is the hope of glory for the future.
I have simply named the items of what Christ is. We cannot speak these things adequately in such a short way. Most Christians know Christ only as the Son of God, the Savior who died for us on the cross, not realizing Christ in the way revealed by Colossians. I hate that I do not have the time to explain more so that you can be deeply impressed with such a Christ.
In addition to the six points above, this Christ, who is our life and hope, is everything in the new man. The new man is the church, the Body of Christ. In the new man there is nothing but Christ. What then of all the different people in the Body? As we shall see, they have been put to death and buried; now Christ in them replaces them. In the church every item must be Christ. In the new man there is no Greek, no Jew, no barbarian, no Scythian, no slave, and no free man, but Christ is all and in all. All the old creation has been put to death and buried.
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