SIMPLY JESUS DEVOTIONAL - JESUS: CREATOR, SUSTAINER, AND OWNER - Tuesday October 7, 2014

SIMPLY JESUS DEVOTIONAL

JESUS: CREATOR, SUSTAINER, AND OWNER

Tuesday, October 7, 2014 

 

COLOSSIANS 1:16,17  "For by HIM were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created BY HIM, and FOR HIM: and He is before all things, and BY HIM ALL THINGS CONSIST."

 

Three fascinating truths here.

 

1. JESUS IS THE CREATOR OF ALL THINGS

Indeed the Apostle Paul is confirming again what the Apostle John tells us in His Gospel,

 

"In the beginning was the WORD and the WORD was with GOD and the WORD was GOD. The same was in the beginning with GOD.  All things were made by HIM, and without HIM was not anything made that was made.  In HIM was life; and the life was the light of men...And the WORD was made flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld HIS glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the FATHER, full of grace and truth." (John 1:1-14).

 

Genesis tells us, "And GOD SAID let there be light, and there was light."  The one who spoke the word, was THE WORD, identified by the Scriptures as SIMPLY JESUS.

 

"Oh Lord my God, When I in awesome wonder,

consider all the worlds thy hands have made,

I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,

Thy power throughout the universe displayed."

 

Whether we look at outer space or to inner space, the immensity, the complexity, and the stability of the universe is beyond amazing.  Consider:

 

The universe has over 10 billion trillion stars. We have seen light from stars that are 13.8 billion light years away.  Light travels at a speed of 186,000 miles per second.  In a year light travels 6 trillion miles. That means the universe is at least 8,280,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 miles deep.  (Finally a number larger than our national debt!)

 

Each human has 37.2 trillion cells

In each of those cells there are 23 chromosomes.

In each of those chromosomes there are 20 billion bits of information--enough to fill 4,000 average sized books. That's 74,400,000,000,000,000,000,000 bits in each of the 7 billion people living on our planet.

 

JESUS is not only the architect, He is the builder, and He is the owner of all things.

 

2.JESUS--THE FIRST CAUSE--IS THE SUSTAINER OF ALL THINGS.

We read, "He is before all things and by HIM all things consist." 

 

The Writer to the Hebrews affirms, "God...[has] spoken unto us by HIS SON...upholding all things by the word of HIS power."  (Hebrews 1:3)

 

Indeed the moment JESUS decides that the universe should cease to exist--it will cease to exist. 

 

Scientists have wondered for years what it is that holds atoms together.  They have identified a sub-atomic particle they call Higgs Boson that explains why atoms do not fly apart. Some of them have called Higgs Boson the "God Particle."  It is fascinating that scientist have concluded that in all of nature--animate and inanimate--there is a particle that seems to be the glue that holds this all together.  Inch by inch they are coming, kicking and screaming, to the conclusion that there is a FORCE, a POWER that sustains the universe. 

 

One day they will see that power is not a what, it is a WHO!  "At the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.  (Philippians 2:10,11).

3. ALL THINGS WERE CREATED FOR HIM--FOR JESUS
While knowing that the universe was created by JESUS is astounding,
and while understanding that the universe continues to exist by JESUS is amazing, 
there are two words in this passage of Scripture that are more than revelational--they are revolutional!

All of creation--yes! you, and every other person since Adam and Eve--were created FOR HIM!  I like the way Warren Wiersbe said it, "When it comes to Creation, Jesus Christ is the primary cause (He planned it), the instrumental cause (He produced it), and the final cause (He did it for His own pleasure)."

It is impossible to fathom every implication of this truth but here are a few:

If I am created FOR HIM then I am not created for me!
If I am created FOR HIM then living FOR HIM is what I was made to do!
If I am created FOR HIM then living for anyone or anything else will leave me unfulfilled, dissatisfied, and ultimately separated from HIM.

Here is a door through which the discouraged and despairing need to walk.  When we comprehend that life is not all about me, but that I was made on purpose, for a purpose, and that purpose is FOR HIM, it is liberating. 

But there is more.  Though we were made FOR HIM everyone of us has exercised our will AGAINST HIM.  We were willing to perish but God is not willing that any of us should perish. 

SO THAT JESUS IS NOT ONLY OUR CREATOR, HE BECAME OUR RE-CREATOR offering salvation to all whoever would believe in Him, and sincerely love Him.  Oh What a Savior!  Loving HIM amounts to this, we desire to live as we were made to live--FOR HIM. And that changes everything.

With Charles Wesley we sing:

He spake the word, and it was done;
The universe His word obeyed;
His Word is His eternal Son,
And Christ the whole creation made.

Jesus, the Lord and God most high,
Maker of all mankind and me!
Me Thou hast made to glorify,
To know, and love, and live to Thee.

Wherefore to Thee my heart I give,
For Thou Thyself dost give the power;
And if for Thee on earth I live,
Thee I shall soon in Heav’n adore.

SIMPLY JESUS!

HOPE TO SEE YOU THIS WEEK AT FCC!