God has two creations: the old creation and the new creation. Verse 18 refers to the new creation. Here we are told that Christ “is the beginning, firstborn from among the dead.” Christ is the Head of the Body, the church, which is God’s new creation. Christ is not only the firstborn of the old creation, but also the firstborn from among the dead in the new creation. Both in the old creation and in the new creation, Christ is the first. If the old creation is in Christ, through Christ, and unto Christ and subsists together in Christ, so the new creation is all the more. As the new creation, we, the church, are in Christ, through Christ, and unto Christ. Moreover, we are moment by moment subsisting together in Christ. Are you in the old creation or in the new creation? Outwardly we are the old creation, but inwardly we are the new creation.
We have pointed out that both in the old creation and in the new creation Christ is the firstborn for the purpose of expressing God. After Paul speaks of God’s two creations, he says in 1:19, “For in Him all the fullness was pleased to dwell.” The word fullness in this verse is equal to the image in verse 15. These terms are synonymous. Christ is the image of God and the fullness of God in order to express God. The image is the expression, and the expression is the fullness. This expression is through both the old creation and the new creation. Through these two creations we have the fullness. This fullness is the expression, and the expression is the image.
Verses 15 through 19 are actually part of one long sentence. This sentence reveals that the first aspect of Christ’s all-inclusiveness is that He is the image of the invisible God. In the old creation and in the new creation, Christ is the fullness of God, His expression.
We may wonder what such a revelation of Christ has to do with us in a practical way. In 1:26 and 27 Paul speaks of the mystery. This mystery is the image, the fullness, in the foregoing verses. According to verse 27, the mystery among the nations is Christ in us, the hope of glory. Have you ever realized that the Christ who is in you is the image of the invisible God, the fullness of God, the firstborn of creation, and the firstborn from among the dead? Such a Christ is in us. In 1:28 and 29 we see that Paul labored and struggled in order to present every man full-grown in Christ.
We have seen that the first aspect of Christ’s all-inclusiveness is that Christ is the image of God. This Christ is in us. But now we need to grow until we are full-grown in Christ. This growth is hindered by culture. What keeps us from growing in Christ is our subtle, hidden culture.
We all have a concept of the physical things in creation. Even such a concept may frustrate us from enjoying Christ and growing in Him. It is crucial for us to realize that we can see Christ in all the items of creation. We need to drop our concept of the heavens, the earth, and the physical things; we need to see that Christ is the firstborn of the old creation and the firstborn of the new creation. Hence, Christ is everything; He is all-inclusive. Seeing that Christ is everything, we need to have the realization that this Christ is in us to be our hope of glory. What we need today is to grow in Him unto maturity.
All the saints hold on to different concepts of the universe and material things. If those from different cultural backgrounds would discuss these concepts frankly and thoroughly, they would no doubt end up arguing with one another. Most of the time we are polite and conform so as not to offend others. But if we would talk about our different concepts of the world, we would find out that we are still living according to our philosophy. The Americans live according to American philosophy, and the Chinese, according to Chinese philosophy. Although we are in the church life in the Lord’s recovery, we remain in our back ground. Doctrinally we may declare that Christ is in us as our hope of glory. Actually what occupies us inwardly is not Christ, but our philosophy.
If we would have the proper attitude toward physical things, we need to see that the various aspects of God’s creation are the expression of God by Christ. The believers with a Jewish background may marvel at the loveliness of God’s creation. Using the words of Psalm 8, they may proclaim that the Lord’s name is excellent in all the earth. But at the same time believers with this cultural background are appreciating the creation, those under the influence of a different philosophy may despise it. They may consider the material universe as intrinsically evil. In their attempts to convince one another and subdue one another, those with different philosophies may forget Christ. Although they are in the church, they do not hold onto Christ in a practical way concerning the universe. Instead, they hold on to their concepts and ideas.
At this juncture, Paul’s word in chapter one is crucial. Paul says that the portion of the saints is Christ, who is the image of the invisible God. This image is the firstborn of all creation. Neither the Greeks nor the Jews are right. The truth is that the heavens, the earth, and all material things are the expression of God by Christ. Furthermore, the church, God’s new creation, is also God’s expression. In the church we are in Christ, through Christ, and unto Christ, and we subsist in Christ to be God’s expression in Christ.
I can testify that this is not a mere doctrine which has no practical relationship to our daily Christian life. Having seen this vision, my concept of the heavens, the earth, and all physical things, even food and clothing, has changed. I definitely do not preach pantheism. According to the Bible, however, I teach that all physical things were created in Christ, through Christ, and unto Christ. This is true all the more of the church as God’s new creation. The church was created in Christ, through Christ, and unto Christ, and the church subsists in Christ who is the very image of God. In the church life in the Lord’s recovery, we should live neither according to philosophical thought nor religious teaching, but according to Christ. Christ is in us as our hope of glory, and we are now growing in Him. We shall continue to grow in Him until we reach maturity, at which time our whole being, especially our inner being, will be permeated with Christ.
As we consider the heavens and the earth, our concept of them must be related to Christ. Even when we look at a desk, a house, food, or clothing, we should think of Christ. We see Christ everywhere and in everything. Therefore, we would live Christ, not anything else. The Christ by whom we live is all-inclusive. The first aspect of His all-inclusiveness is that He is the image, the fullness, the expression, of God in the old creation and in the new creation. Thus, our concept of the universe is altogether related to Christ. We would only know Christ and live according to Christ.
In order to describe Christ adequately, we need to use the terms found in the book of Colossians. Christ is the portion of the saints, the image of the invisible God, the fullness of God. He is also the firstborn of creation and the firstborn from among the dead. Furthermore, He lives in us to be our hope of glory. Now we need to grow in Him. May we all realize that the universe is the expression of God by Christ. Throughout the universe we see Christ, the image of the invisible God.