Title:
Christ Pre-eminent
In The Purpose of
God
Text: Colossians 1:18
Reading: Luke
24:1-32
Subject: Christ’s
Pre-eminence in the Purpose, of God
Date: Sunday Morning – December 10, 2000
Tape # W-14a
Introduction:
I
want you to know, trust, adore, worship, and love the Lord Jesus Christ. I want
to know him, trust him, adore him, worship him, and love him. I wan us each to
be so overwhelmed by his goodness, greatness, glory, and grace, that we will be
compelled by him to consecrate ourselves to him in the totality of our beings.
Therefore, I am endeavoring in these messages to show you something of his
pre-eminence.
This I know this: -- Christ is
the most brilliant diamond in the ring of Holy Scripture. – “Christ is all.” He is all in eternity,
all in time, all among all his people, and all in the glory and bliss of
heavenly glory. – In the purpose of God Christ is the center of all. – In the
creation of God Christ is the Maker and Possessor of all. – In the providence
of God Christ is the cause of all, the reason of all, the ruler of all, and the
end of all. -- Miss Christ and you miss all!
The
more you think about him, the more you think of him. Therefore, I want you to
think much about him. “Christ is lovely,” wrote the puritan Thomas Brooks.
“Christ is very lovely. Christ is most lovely. Christ is always lovely. Christ
is altogether lovely.”
My
text this morning is Colossians 1:18 "And
he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn
from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence." The
title of my message is Christ Pre-eminent in the Purpose of God.
In
the next verse we read that, in order for the Lord Jesus Christ to have all
pre-eminence, “It pleased the Father that
in him should all fulness dwell.” If it pleased the triune God to put all
fulness in Christ, there can be nothing but emptiness outside of Christ. It is
my heart’s prayer and desire to God for you that God will make Christ
pre-eminent before your souls’ eyes this day and make him all to you by
revealing him in you by his grace.
Proposition: In this passage, the Holy Spirit declares that it is the
purpose of the triune God concerning the God-man our Savior, the Lord Jesus
Christ “that in all things he might have
the preeminence.”
Obviously, my
subject is infinitely bigger than my puny brain. I cannot begin to exhaust it.
When I have said all that I can say about it, there will be far more yet to
say. But I want to show you from the Word of God three aspects of our
Savior’s great and glorious pre-eminence.
Divisions: The Lord Jesus Christ, our great God and Savior has
pre-eminence in…
1.
The Purpose of God
2.
The Creation of God
3.
The Providence of God
I.
First, I want you to
see that our Lord Jesus Christ is pre-eminent in the purpose of God.
We begin at the beginning. In the sovereign, eternal purpose and decree of God, Christ is pre-eminent.
Understand
this: -- God almighty, the God of the
Bible, the only true and living God is a God with an eternal, unalterable,
absolute purpose, a purpose which can never be defeated, overturned,
frustrated, or hindered to any degree. He has predestined and
foreordained everything that comes to pass. The Scriptures are crystal clear in
teaching this.
Isaiah
46:9-10 "Remember the former
things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none
like me, (10) Declaring the end from
the beginning, and from ancient times the
things that are not yet done,
saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:"
Acts
15:18 "Known unto God are
all his works from the beginning of the world."
Romans
8:28-31 "And we know that all
things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called
according to his purpose. (29) For whom he did foreknow, he also
did predestinate to be conformed to
the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. (30) Moreover whom he did predestinate,
them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he
justified, them he also glorified. (31) What
shall we then say to these things? If God be
for us, who can be against
us?"
Ephesians
1:11 "In whom also we have
obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him
who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:"
According to the Scriptures, in all the
purpose and decrees of the Almighty the Lord Jesus Christ is central, primary,
and pre-eminent. In other words, everything that God purposed to do and
everything he does is for the glory of Christ as our Savior. In Ephesians 3:11 we are told that
everything is “According to the eternal
purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
A. Christ was the Father’s Elect, chosen
and set up in the Father’s decree from everlasting as our Mediator.
Isaiah
42:1 "Behold my servant,
whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my
soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment
to the Gentiles."
Proverbs
8:23 "I was set up from
everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was."
B. In that same sovereign, eternal decree a
great multitude of sinners was chosen in him unto salvation.
Ephesians
1:4 "According as he hath
chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and
without blame before him in love."
1
Thessalonians 5:9 "For God hath
not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus
Christ."
2
Thessalonians 2:13-14 "But we are
bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord,
because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through
sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: (14) Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of
the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ."
1.
All who have
been, are, and shall be saved by the grace of God are saved because of God’s
election of them unto salvation in Christ before the worlds were made.
The Lord God
purposed and resolved to save us by the substitutionary sacrifice of his dear
Son. It was appointed and ordained of God that “in the fullness of time” Christ would assume a human body and soul,
work out perfect righteousness for his people by his holy life of perfect
obedience to God as our Representative, and then lay down his life, pour out
his precious blood, as our sin-atoning Substitute, redeeming us from the curse
of the law by fully satisfying the justice of God for us. And so, it came to
pass.
Hebrews 10:5-7 "Wherefore when he cometh into the
world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou
prepared me: (6) In burnt offerings
and sacrifices for sin thou hast had
no pleasure. (7) Then said I, Lo, I
come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O
God."
Galatians 3:13 "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse
of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a
tree:"
1 Peter 1:18 "Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not
redeemed with corruptible things, as silver
and gold, from your vain conversation received
by tradition from your fathers;"
2.
It was also
purposed of God from eternity that each of these elect, redeemed sinners
would be saved through the “sanctification
of the Spirit and belief of the truth,” by the regenerating power and grace
of God the Holy Spirit, through the preaching of the gospel, by which faith is
communicated to us (2 Thess. 2:13-14).
3.
But God’s purpose of grace toward us did not end there. He also purposed that all the called
would be forever preserved in grace in Christ by his divine power and sealed by
his Spirit, so that in the last day Christ would lose nothing.
Isaiah
49:6 "And he said, It is a
light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob,
and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to
the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth."
John
6:39 "And this is the
Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should
lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day."
Ephesians
1:13-14 "In whom ye
also trusted, after that ye heard the
word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye
believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, (14) Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption
of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory."
Christ
is pre-eminent in all the purpose and decrees of the triune God. Second, I want to show you that...
II. Our Lord Jesus Christ is
pre-eminent in all the creation of God.
I
presume that you understand this fact: -- All
the vast universe is God’s, and it is God’s by virtue of the fact that he
created it all.
Genesis 1:1 "In the beginning God created the heaven
and the earth."
And in all God’s
vast creation, Christ is pre-eminent. This is what the Holy Spirit tells us in Colossians 1:16 and 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."
A. Jesus Christ is the Creator of all
things.
He
is not a creature of God, but the Creator who is God. But remember, this
passage is specifically describing his pre-eminence as our Mediator. It is as
our Surety that the Apostle tells us that “All things were created by him, and
for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist."
Everything
that has been made proclaims the wisdom and power of God the Son, the Lord
Jesus Christ. He who is our Savior is also our Creator.
John
1:3 "All things were made
by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made."
Hebrews
1:10 "And, Thou, Lord, in
the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the
works of thine hands."
B. Christ is also the one for whom all
things were made.
Everything in God’s creation was made specifically for Christ, for his glory, for the revelation of God’s goodness, grace, and glory in him. Specifically, the whole world was made for, and revolves around the great work of Christ by which the glory of God is revealed – the redemption and salvation of God’s elect in and by him (John 12:23-33).
John
12:23-33 "And Jesus answered them, saying, The
hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified. {24} Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall
into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth
much fruit. {25} He that loveth his
life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it
unto life eternal. {26} If any man
serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if
any man serve me, him will my Father
honour. {27} Now is my soul troubled;
and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I
unto this hour. {28} Father, glorify
thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it,
and will glorify it again. {29} The people therefore, that stood
by, and heard it, said that it
thundered: others said, An angel spake to him. {30} Jesus answered and said, This voice came not because of me,
but for your sakes. {31} Now is the
judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. {32} And I, if I be lifted up from the
earth, will draw all men unto me. {33} This he said, signifying what
death he should die."
II. Third,
the
Scriptures declare that our Lord Jesus Christ is pre-eminent in the
providence of God.
Providence is but the unfolding of God’s eternal purpose of grace in predestination.
Romans
8:28-31 "And we know that all
things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called
according to his purpose. (29) For whom he did foreknow, he also
did predestinate to be conformed to
the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. (30) Moreover whom he did predestinate,
them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he
justified, them he also glorified. (31) What
shall we then say to these things? If God be
for us, who can be against
us?"
Romans
11:33-36 "O the depth of the riches both of the
wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! {34} For who hath known the mind of the
Lord? or who hath been his counsellor? {35}
Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? {36} For of him, and through him, and
to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen."
Our Savior is the God and King of
providence. This universe is
not held together and governed by laws of nature, but by the Son of God. “By him all things consist!” He is “over all, God blessed forever” (Rom.
9:5). It is Christ whom the Spirit describes as “upholding all things by the word of his power” (Heb. 1:3).
Revelation
19:16 "And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name
written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS."
Our Savior’s disposition of all things
in his sovereign providence is for the salvation of his people. God the Father has made his Son as our Mediator the
Sovereign Monarch of the universe, trusting to his hands the reins of universal
government, that he might give unto every chosen, ransomed sinner eternal life.
John
3:35 "The Father loveth
the Son, and hath given all things into his hand."
John
17:2 "As thou hast given
him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou
hast given him."
Revelation
5:1 "And I saw in the right hand of him that
sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven
seals."
Revelation
5:6-7 "And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of
the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb
as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven
Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. {7} And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him
that sat upon the throne."
Revelation
10:1-3 "And I saw another
mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as
pillars of fire: {2} And he had in
his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth, {3} And
cried with a loud voice, as when a
lion roareth: and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices."
“Keep silence
all created things, And wait your Maker’s nod;
My soul stands
trembling while she sings The honors of her God.
Life, death, and
hell, and worlds unknown Hang on His firm decree;
He sits on no
precarious throne, Nor borrows leave to be.
Chained to His
throne a volume lies, With all the fates of men,
With every
angel’s form and size Drawn by the eternal pen.
His providence
unfolds the book And makes His counsels shine;
Each opening
leaf and every stroke Fulfils some bright design.
Here He exalts
neglected worms To sceptres and a crown;
And then, the
following page He turns, And treads the monarch down.
Not Gabriel asks
the reason why, Nor God the reason gives,
Nor dares the
favorite angel pry Between the folded leaves.
My God, I would
not long to see My fate with curious eyes,
What gloomy
lines are writ for me, Or what bright scenes may rise.
In Thy fair book
of life and grace May I but find my name
Recorded by
electing grace Beneath my Lord the Lamb!”
Application: Behold the exalted Christ upon the throne of grace. He, by
his own blood, entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal
redemption for poor, needy sinners. And, now, he is reigning as sovereign Lord
to give that eternal redemption to needy sinners. Hear his word of grace this
hour. May God give us eyes to see him, ears to hear him, and hearts to believe
him for the glory of his own great name.
Amen.