In the foregoing message we saw that Christ is the mystery of God’s economy. In this message we shall go on to see that Christ in us is the hope of glory. In order to be impressed with this aspect of Christ, we need to pay attention to a number of crucial points regarding Christ that are covered in Colossians.
Christ is the portion of the saints. Colossians 1:12 says, “Giving thanks to the Father, Who qualified you for a share of the portion of the saints in the light.” This is the first aspect of Christ presented in this Epistle. The word portion denotes Christ as the lot of the saints in the good land, flowing with milk and honey. The very Christ who indwells us is such a good land. He is the all-inclusive Christ for our enjoyment.
According to 1:15, Christ is also the image of the invisible God. This means that Christ is the expression of God. Although God is invisible, He is expressed in Christ. The very Christ who is our good land is also the image of the Triune God, His expression. As God’s expression, Christ is the image of God.
Colossians 1:15 also says that Christ is the “firstborn of all creation.” The invisible God is expressed in His creation. Romans 1:20 says, “For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world, being apprehended by the things made, are clearly seen, both His eternal power and divine nature.” God is expressed through His creation, and Christ is the firstborn of this creation. Thus, Christ is the means by which God expresses Himself. The fact that the image of God and the firstborn of creation are mentioned in the same verse indicates that the image of God is related to creation. This indicates clearly that as the firstborn of God’s creation, Christ is the image of God, His expression.
There are two creations of God: the old creation and the new creation. Unbelievers know only of the first creation, the creation of the universe. However, according to the Bible, God also has a new creation, which is the church. Christ is the firstborn not only of the old creation, but also of the new creation. As the firstborn of both creations, Christ is God’s expression.
Verses 15 through 20 are closely connected and express one complete thought. In verses 15 and 16 we see that Christ is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation, because all things were created in Him. Notice that verses 17 and 18 each begin with the conjunction “and.” Finally, in verse 19, Paul presents the conclusion of this line of thought: “For in Him all the fullness was pleased to dwell.”
Paul’s use of the word all in the phrase “all the fullness” indicates that the fullness both in the old creation and in the new creation dwells in Christ. We have pointed out that fullness is equal to image and also to expression. According to New Testament usage, the fullness also denotes the Body. In Ephesians 1:23 Paul says that the church is Christ’s Body, “the fullness of the One Who fills all in all.” The Body is the fullness, the fullness is the expression, and the expression is the image. If we would understand Colossians 1:15-20, we must see that the image in verse 15 denotes the very fullness as the expression in verse 19. Hence, the image of God is the expression of God, and this expression is the fullness of God. The fullness of God is seen in the old creation because Christ is the firstborn of creation and also in the new creation because Christ is the firstborn from among the dead. For this reason, verse 19 speaks of all the fullness. All the fullness was pleased to dwell in the all-inclusive Christ.
If we have the proper spiritual perspective, we shall see Christ when we look at the universe. Likewise, when we consider the church, we shall also see Christ. Both in the universe and in the church there is the fullness of God, His expression. This expression is the very Christ who is the image of the invisible God.
Every thoughtful person realizes that there is some kind of expression in the universe. The more we consider the universe, the more we are conscious that it is the expression of something. According to Colossians, the universe is the expression of the fullness of the invisible God. In the same principle, when we view the proper church life, we are also conscious of a certain expression. This expression is also that of the image of the invisible God. This image is Christ. Because Christ is the firstborn of both the old creation and the new creation, He is the expression of the invisible God.