LESSON 2, EVEN THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS:
Jesus, in Whom we have "even the forgiveness of sins." That's
what Paul claims in Colossians 1:14.
The critical word here is "forgiveness," of course. The whole
clause reads like this: "God's dear
Son: in whom we have redemption through his blood, even
the forgiveness of sins."
It
looks like the Holy Spirit has nearly equated "redemption" and
"forgiveness." They are synonyms, in a way. Yet they differ
significantly too.
"Aphesis" is the noun for "forgiveness." It literally means "to
release, to remit," even once in Scripture "to deliver."
But let's dig a little further. "Aphiemi," the root verb
involved here, means "to send away." Also "to let go, to
disregard." This particular family of words is not the
one that means "to wash away." Although Jesus' Blood does that
too, for sure! See Revelation 1:5 for proof.
"From Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and
the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings
of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our
sins in his own blood." The "washed" verb is "luo."
Then why the "send away" verb here in Colossians 1:14, "the
forgiveness of sins?" Paul uses the less powerful word, it
seems.
Maybe because "forgiveness" is too broad a topic to discuss in
one vein of thought. Too big for a single word family to
describe!
Jesus has provided for us Christians "forgiveness" of sins in
this sense. Using the textbooks now, referring to "aphiemi," the
parent verb to "aphesis," the noun for "forgiveness," they say
the idea is that of "a husband divorcing his wife!"
Wow! That's pretty strong language. The Lord Jesus "divorced" us
from our sins! Sent them packing, expelled them!
Another picture of "forgiveness" is "to go away leaving
something behind." Jesus saved you, kept you for his Own!
You now walk the pathways of life with Him, by His Side! And
guess what you left behind? Your sins! They are in the
past now!
Wow! That's pretty exciting too!
Then the third word picture, "to leave on dying!" When
Jesus saved us, we died to what we used to be! "Old things
passed away!" Dead in Christ, "crucified," says Paul! Then of
course "raised again" in Christ too! My sins have been left
behind, part of that old baggage I knew in my former life!
Before being born again!
One more. "To abandon!" No interest in them any longer,
those old sins! Like a junk car, last week's garbage, or a
disposable razor!
"God's dear Son: in whom we have the forgiveness
of sins."
Yes! That's a word family that ought to thrill each of us!
My
sins, forgiven!
My
sins, I've divorced them, with God's permission. In fact,
He was the lawyer in the whole process!
My
sins, I've lost interest in them! I've found a much
Better Traveling Companion, Jesus!
My
sins, I'm dead to them now, thanks to Jesus and His
Cross! They have lost their "pull" over me! Dead people are not
easily enticed!
And my sins, they have been abandoned! Useless, now. No
reason to hold them at all. In the "garbage can" of Holy Spirit
efficacy!
These thoughts ought to flood us all with peace and joy this
Lord's Day morning!
Jesus gave us "the forgiveness of
sins."
Thank you, Lord.
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 3, THE IMAGE OF THE INVISIBLE GOD:
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus!
Our Text talks of Him, and Him alone!
Today we are told even more, more about Christ our Lord,
"Who is the image of the invisible
God." Colossians 1:15
The verb "is" translates a form of "eimi," in the present tense
of course. It means "to be, to exist, to live." Really, to exist
perpetually!
So
in every single moment of time, both now and forever, this can
be said. Jesus is the Image of God! Constantly so!
But what is this noun "image?"
Spelled "eikon," pronounced "i-kone,'" accenting the second
syllable as I have indicated, the word means "a figure, a
likeness" of something or someone. Found 23 times in the New
Testament, "eikon" always is rendered "image" in the King James
Text, every time! "Eikon" is derived from a root verb, "eiko,"
which means "to be like." Further back yet, this word group
means "to yield, to give place" to another!
Why has God made it to be this way, that an Image of Him needs
to be manifest?
Because, Paul says, "God is invisible!"
"Who is the image of the invisible God."
This adjective is "aoratos," or "that which can not be seen."
The word "horatos" means "open to view." It's from "horao,"
meaning "to see with the eyes," but at times "to see with the
mind" too. Properly, the experts say, "horao" has the idea of
"staring at" someone! "To stare intently!" The little letter "a"
in front of "horatos" here negates the word, reverses its
meaning. God can not be visually studied, not God the Father!
So
then, how can we know God?
How can we behold Him?
How will we ever know what He is like?
How He behaves?
How He loves?
How He feels?
How He talks?
Only one Way!
And that Way is a Person!
God's Own Son, come to earth!
God, wearing human flesh!
God among us!
Jesus!
Jesus!
Jesus!
How much does God love us? For the answer, look at Jesus on the
Cross!
How much does God hate sin and hypocrisy? Watch Jesus rebuking
the Pharisees in places like Matthew 23!
How much does God love the downcast? Jesus and the lepers and
the beggars and the publicans!
Jesus said it Himself, in John 10:30.
"I and my Father are one."
That's just another way of calling our Saviour the very "Image"
of God!
Wow!
I
know Jesus. He lives in my heart.
Therefore, I know God!
Once more, "Who is the image of the
invisible God."
What a wonderful Lord!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 4, THE FIRSTBORN OF EVERY CREATURE:
The
description of Jesus we study today has often been abused,
misinterpreted as well.
Our Lord is "the firstborn of every
creature." Colossians 1:15
This is not declaring for Jesus a Birthday! God the Son
is eternal! Jesus as a man, virgin born, God clothed in human
flesh, of course had a beginning. Two thousand years ago, in
Bethlehem of Judea.
But that is not the case for Jesus, the Christ, the Second
Person of the Trinity. He was existent long before Bethlehem!
Here's how long, according to Micah the Prophet.
"But thou, Bethlehem, though
thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of
thee shall He come forth unto me that is to be ruler in
Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from
everlasting." Micah 5:2
From everlasting!
God is never the born one!
He
is the One who makes birth possible!
Well then, Brother Bagwell, what does our Text mean,
"the firstborn of every creature?"
This expression describes "firstborn" in the sense of the great
dignity and honor the word conveys.
"Prototokos"
is a Greek noun. "Protos" means "first in place or time." And "tikto"
means "to bear, to produce, to be in travail."
In
ancient culture, among the Jews anyway, the firstborn was the
most revered child. He automatically receives great attention,
privilege, and respect.
He
will inherit twice what the other children will.
He
will be the carrier of the family name, in a way no other child
can.
He
will always be his father's son, without doubt. Specially
dedicated to the Lord even!
In
that way, Jesus is the first-born of all creation!
In
fact, can't I say this? Jesus is the very Creator
of all we see! And of things we can't see,
according to Paul in this very text, in our next verse.
To
Jesus ... double Honor!
To
Jesus ... His Father's special Favor!
To
Jesus ... respect from all the family!
To
Jesus ... a very close place at His Father's Side!
To
Jesus ... a name above all others!
To
Jesus ... all the attributes of the Firstborn!
And in that sense, as long as we treat this fact reverently,
Jesus is my Elder Brother!
Yours too, if you're saved!
Oh
yes, in Aaron's family anyway, it was that oldest brother who
inherited the priesthood!
He
would be the next High Priest of Israel.
Need I say any more?
Jesus, the Firstborn, has become our High Priest too!
Interceding for you and me!
From His Seat ... at God's Right hand!
A
place where the firstborn always sat!
Our wonderful Saviour, Jesus ... "the
firstborn of every creature." Colossians 1:15
He
is amazing!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 5, THE CREATOR:
Look!
"For
by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are
in earth, visible and invisible."
This is one of those "Jesus is Creator" statements. The Bible contains a
number of them.
For example, "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 any thing made
that was made."
John 1:1-3
And here's John 1:10. "He
was in the world, and the world was made by him."
This is talking about Jesus!
Now here is Jesus talking about the Father's Part in creation.
"When
he prepared the heavens, I was there."
Wow! Proverbs 8:27 is a beautiful statement.
So, today's Text says the same thing, only in more detail.
Jesus is Creator!
"For
by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are
in earth, visible and invisible."
Colossians 1:15, the first half of the verse.
The subject of the clause is "things." They were created by Him,
by our Lord. The expression "all things" is represented in the
Greek Text this way, "ta panta." Literally, "all the things."
Jesus made everything!
The verb is passive, these things did not make themselves! Psalm 100:3
poetically reminds us: "The
LORD he is God: it is he that
hath made us, and not we ourselves."
So right!
Back to Colossians 1:15 and its main verb, "were created." By Jesus again
I remind you! It is "ktizo," basically, but "ektisthe" as an
indicative passive aorist, 3rd person singular.
See why Greek is so tricky? All those stems and endings, to be memorized.
Or just buy a good software program!
And "ktizo" of course means "to create," but in a special sense, "to
form, to shape, to make habitable, to people!" To populate a
place.
"Ktizo" is derived from "ktaomai," meaning "to acquire, to possess, to
purchase, to obtain." In other words the creator of an
object is its owner too!
As its Maker, God owns the whole world!
As our Maker, He owns us too, simply materially He does! He owns
the carbon and oxygen and hydrogen in our very bodies! This is
different now from the Redemption we enjoy as born-again
Believers in Jesus.
Jesus is the universe's great Creator-Proprietor! The Landlord of
everything! The Supreme Power over all!
Wow!
"For
by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are
in earth, visible and invisible."
Colossians 1:15
Things both in Heaven and in earth!
But how did Paul know anything about what's in Heaven?
Of course the Holy Spirit, the True Author of Colossians 1, knows what's
there!
Yet I suggest Paul does too! He's been there, I think.
"It
is not expedient for me doubtless to glory. I will come to
visions and revelations of the Lord. I knew a man in Christ
above fourteen years ago, whether in the body, I cannot tell; or
whether out of the body, I cannot tell. God knoweth. Such an one
caught up to the third
heaven. And I knew such a man, whether in the body, or
out of the body, I cannot tell. God knoweth. How that
he was caught up into
paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not
lawful for a man to utter. Of such an one will I glory."
Most conservative Bible Teachers and Preachers think Paul is
talking about himself here! Taken from 2nd Corinthians
12:1-5.
This Paul undoubtedly would have "looked around" Heaven a bit! He knows
about created things up there! Besides, John in the Book of
Revelation gives us a pretty good description, too. Thrones and
rainbows and altars and angels and living creatures of all hues!
Sights and sounds marvelous!
"For
by Him, by Jesus, were all things created, that are in heaven,
and that are in earth, visible and invisible."
Colossians 1:15
Now, to the earth.
A lot of things here too, created by our Saviour!
Earth is spelled "ge." Just that. Our prefix "geo" comes from this, as in
"geography, geology, and many other synonyms. Writing about the
earth, the study of the earth too.
Really the "land," the "ground" are in view. But God made it all, through
Jesus, the land and sea and sky plus so much more. Everything!
Then Paul, way before his time, adds,
"visible and invisible."
How did he know that?
That whole worlds of invisibility exist?
Scientists today are not yet through discovering them, or studying them.
Though most of them have long ago left God out of the matter.
"Visible" translates "horatos," meaning "open to view." The root verb "horao"
implies "staring" at something! Gazing upon it!
And so naturally "invisible" negates the word. "aoratos." Things unseen.
That cannot, maybe ever, be seen!
Get these stats too. "Horatos" appears one time in the Bible!
"Aoratos," things "invisible," appears 5 times! Wow! I wonder if God just
might be "hinting" that there are many more things unseen
... than seen!
Could be!
Such current scientific terms, soon to be obsolete no doubt, as "black
holes, parallel universes, and dark matter" certainly suggest
invisible worlds!
Wow again!
Whatever is out there, or in here, still unseen, we know Who made it all!
Jesus!
The one Who died on Calvary to save lost sinners!
"For
by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are
in earth, visible and invisible."
Colossians 1:15
I think today we should all be overwhelmed!
In the Presence of the Lord Jesus Christ!
He sure is in this motel room as I type these notes too you today!
Omnipotence
has stopped by to visit frailty for a while!
Mercy!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
I wish I knew one.
A word that packs ten times the power of "Wow!"
If so, it would be all over this page right now.
LESSON 6, THRONES AND DOMINIONS TOO:
The whole concept is both perplexing and astounding!
Now that Paul has told us Jesus is the Creator of all things, both
in heaven and earth, the Apostle illustrates.
"Whether
they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or
powers: all things were created by Him."
Colossians 1:16, in the middle of the verse.
Surprisingly, Paul here does not mention the mountains and streams and
oceans, the material things, but "thrones and powers," abstract
things!
I think there is a reason for this.
Paul always adapted his Message to the people to whom he was speaking.
Don't misunderstand me here. Paul did not change his Message. He
never altered the Gospel!
He just wisely presented the Truth of God's Word in a way that could be
more easily comprehended by his hearers. And to combat any
prominent errors of the day.
The people in Colossae had been inundated with a false teaching that's
now called "Gnosticism." That pack of lies suggested that Jesus
was merely an angel or a spirit being, part of a long chain of
entities who could bring God down to man, or man upward to God!
Jesus, in other words, was one among many "saviors!"
Just another principality or power!
"Not so," thunders the great Apostle Paul!
Jesus is not a lord or master or avatar of any kind! Not by Gnostic
standards! Jesus is God! Jesus is God the Son! Jesus is God
forever! Jesus is God alone, no other powers are needed! The
Godhead of Father, Son and Spirit needs no angelic constituency!
In fact, not only is Jesus not a member of some kind of hierarchical line
from God to man, or vice versa, Jesus is the Creator of
all such things! Any of them that truly exist anyway!
Jesus is not merely a "throne dweller," or a "holder of some kind of
dominion," or "a local principality," or just "a deputized
sheriff of sorts with legislated power" either!
No!
No!
No!
He made all these levels of power!
He created all these positions!
Even the angels, far back as they may go, do not predate the Lord Jesus!
He is eternal, the Second Person of the Trinity!
He made the angels, every one of them, including Michael and Gabriel and
even Lucifer! The Seraphim and Cherubim too!
He even created the foolish Gnostics that we running around in Paul's day
denying the very God of Gods!
Not to mention their offspring yet living!
"Whether
they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or
powers: all things were created by Him."
Colossians 1:16
The indicative perfect passive form of "created" is used here. Jesus made
them and they now continue to exist. He called them into
existence! He "birthed" them all!
"Thrones" translates "thronos," hence is a "loan word" from Greek to
English. It can mean the "seat" where the ruler sits, or stand
for the "domain" over which he rules. No president or prime
minister or premier or chairman ever rules over anything or
anyone without God's permission! Jesus made possible their very
base of power!
"Dominions" is "kuriotes," really "lordships." Once in the New Testament
the word is translated "government." In 2nd Peter 2:10, to be
precise.
"Principalities" equals "arche," the "first things" or the "original
things" of these power structures. Sort of like "the founding
fathers," that kind of idea. Jesus was over old George
Washington, just like the "builder" of a house is greater that
the "edifice" he raised!
And "powers" are systems of "authority," nearly "laws" I think. Spelled "exousia,"
it's derived from "ek eimi," a Greek sentence meaning "I am
from." More clearly in Jesus' case, "From I am!"
Get it?
"From" the great "I am!"
All "power," all "authority," all legitimacy behind "law and order," flow
from Jesus!
He is above all!
He is over all!
He is the Cause of all!
What wonderful claims this Text makes about our Saviour!
He, then, is the absolute Greatest!
Supreme in toto!
Little wonder that in this very paragraph, though just beyond the range
of our specific Text, Paul adds: "And
He, Jesus, is the Head, that in all things He might have
the preeminence."
Colossians 1:18
He predates all powers!
Had to, He created them!
Paul didn't even take time to explain the absurdly obvious! Yes, Jesus
created the world and all that's in it. Rocks and trees and
birds and people, the weather too!
But Paul did emphasize that Jesus created the angels and authorities and
powers and governors of earth, the very basis of society today.
I have a prediction then. If we lose our godliness, we will in the
process lose our ability to govern ourselves too!
No godliness, no holiness, and then soon "anything goes!"
Get ready!
Chaos is coming!
Wow!
"Whether
they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or
powers: all things were created by Him."
Colossians 1:16
I believe it!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 7, BY HIM AND FOR HIM:
Our journey through Colossians 1:13-17 is nearing the end. I'm almost sad
at the thought!
Jesus is Creator!
But more than that!
Paul writes assuredly. "All
things were created by Him, and for Him: and He is before all
things."
Colossians 1:16-17
Let's start with that last clause. Jesus is "before" all things. This
little preposition is spelled "pro," and means "first" most
often in the sense of "time." Nothing existed before Jesus.
Jesus is God. God is eternal. It's just like Moses wrote in
Psalm 90:2. "From
everlasting to everlasting, thou art God."
But upon consulting an old Greek lexicon, I found more information about
"pro." Not only is Jesus "before" or "first" in relation to
time. But also in relation to place. There is no
where on earth, or in the universe, or in the whole cosmos,
"where" Jesus has not been, as God the Son! And He's been there
"first," before anyone or anything else! I am not saying that
the physical Jesus, after the Virgin Birth, visited Canada! Or
Siberia! No, no!
I am saying that God is "omnipresent" and Jesus, being God, is too! If He
created what we call Mars or Saturn, He has been there by virtue
of His Almighty Power.
Pluto the planet is, then, in one sense the very Breath of His
Mouth! "Through
faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of
God."
Hebrews 11:3
First in time!
First in place!
Then first in "face!"
In Greek it's "pro prosopon." He is "first" before the Face of
Almighty God! Before I will ever have to face God the Father,
Jesus has already been there, representing me. Having washed me
in the Blood of the Lamb! Having become my Mediator! My Lawyer!
My Savior! And in reality, my Elder Brother!
"He is before all things."
What a statement. We will never exhaust its meaning while on
earth!
Then Paul earlier said, but still in today's Text range,
"All
things were created by Him, and for Him."
Wow!
"By" Him is easier to understand. It's "dia" in Greek, meaning "through"
Him! "By means of" Him! Jesus is the "channel" through which
creation flowed. To vouch for Darwin is to deny Jesus Christ!
Now truthfully the Bible portrays God the Father, God the Son,
and God the Holy Spirit as being involved in creation.
In Genesis 1:1 see God the Father "creating the heaven and the earth." In
Genesis 1:2 the Holy Spirit is "moving" on the face of the
chaotic waters! And in John 1:3 see Jesus making "all things."
Thrilling!
"All
things were created by Him, and for Him."
This is Jesus our dear Lord and Saviour!
Now the "for" Him phrase!
This is astounding!
Everything has been made "for" Jesus?
Really?
It seems so!
"And for Him,"
that's the
Bible!
This little preposition is "eis." It means, when used with as accusative
object as here, "upon" Him. All creation depends "upon" Jesus!
University departments of science could be built upon that
single statement! If the Nation only believed it! No Jesus, no
creation! Should Jesus die, an impossibility now, all creation
would pass away too! We depend that much "upon" Him!
"Eis" also means "concerning." I think that in God's created world there
exist millions upon millions of "pictures" and "symbols" and
"emblems" of the Lord Jesus Christ! If we would just take the
time to look for them! The older scientists used to really feel
that way! One of them said that his studies allowed him "to
think God's thoughts," right in tune with the Almighty!
Wow!
"Eis" also means "toward!" Everything seen, unseen too, is slanted toward
Jesus Christ the Creator! Just like many liberal news
organizations today slant and spin world events toward their
perverted philosophy ... so has our Lord created everything with
a holy, pure, divine perspective!
Yes, I believe the geese really do praise the Lord!
And the stars sing to Him also!
And one day, maybe soon, even the trees will "clap their hands" to
honor the Saviour! "For
ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the
mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into
singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their
hands."
Isaiah 55:12
Things created are made "for Jesus' Pleasure," I think I will say.
"For
it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of
his good pleasure."
Philippians 2:13
And Ephesians 1:9 reminds us that: "Jesus hath
made known unto us the mystery of His will, according to His
good pleasure which He hath purposed in Himself."
All things made "by Him" and "for Him?"
I have a question.
If you could only think today about one of these glorious truths,
all creation being "by" Jesus or being "for" Jesus, which would
it be?
Mercy!
I think I would go "for" Him today.
And maybe "by" Him tomorrow!
Either way he gets the "preeminence."
He gets "first" place, as He should!
Once again. "All
things were created by Him, and for Him: and He is before all
things."
Colossians 1:16-17
Amen.
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 8, BY HIM ALL THINGS CONSIST:
This is the Lesson I've wanted to write for a long time!
Paul concludes our Paragraph, Colossians 1:13-17, by saying of Jesus:
"And by Him all things consist."
Wow!
The verb "consists" is spelled "sunistao" in Greek. It blends the
preposition "sun," meaning "with" or alongside" and the verb "histemi,"
meaning "to stand."
Literally, it's because of Jesus that all things "hold together!"
He keeps things working cohesively!
Things like the solar system!
The universe!
Your heart and the blood it circulates too!
"By" Him, "by" Jesus these things consist, with "by" translating another
Greek preposition, "en." This means "by, at, near, within," such
intimate terms.
Without Jesus, this Verse says, the world as we know it could not
continue!
Including one of the smaller things of existence, the tiny little "atom!"
In a way, oversimplified I'm sure, an "atom" is much like a "tiny solar
system!" It contains a nucleus, with orbits of electrons
circling around it in orderly fashion! And just like Pluto or
Neptune or Mars have behaved themselves through the millennia,
so do those electrons behave themselves in obedience to their
Creator's Will!
Without Jesus, "matter" would not exist!
That though sent me scurrying to the science books!
I wanted to study the "elements," the building blocks of all life and
material as we know it.
Jesus not only created these little things, He controls and energizes
them too. He is the Source of their very vitality. The Organizer
behind their operations! Think of the implications of these
statements!
Today and again tomorrow I want to share with you some facts about the
"atoms" Jesus created.
Well, really the combinations of atoms He has arranged.
For example, "lithium" is element number 3. It only has three little
electrons, negative charges, orbiting its nucleus. Throw it in
water and it will explode! Put it in batteries and it stores
power! Use it as a medicine and it helps keep human emotions on
an even level! It smoothes out the drastic ups and down of
certain mood swings! It's used for other things too, more
numerous than I can mention.
Just one little element, yet so many possibilities! And it lives,
it functions, it is, because of Jesus! It goes
about doing good, like its Creator! "How
God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with
power: Who went about doing good."
Acts 10:36
Interesting!
And "carbon," Jesus makes it "work" too! Six electrons, it one of its
simpler forms it exists as coal! But stack its molecules
differently and you have diamonds! Jesus knows how to
turn coal, soot, into precious stones! That's the story of
carbon, which "holds together" because of our Lord!
Hey, He is still making diamonds out of coal! In many a life! Old
sinners, filthy as can be, transformed into sparking, precious
diamonds!
"And by Him all things consist!"
One more today, "neon," element number 10. Put it in a tube, shoot a
little electricity through it, and it glows a bright red, the
color red! Often called neon red! Reminds me of Jesus again, and
His creation! Get any Preacher excited, really excited, any
Christian for that matter, and you will soon see and hear "red!"
The red of the Old Rugged Cross! The red of the Blood of Jesus!
The red Blood that washed away our sins!
Isn't it astounding that the Lord made this specific element and holds it
in place, not allowing it to disintegrate, primarily to light
this world with a brilliant, glowing red! Surely that's
not an accident! A chemical reminder of the Cross!
I just learned
something else about neon. It is the least reactive of all the
elements. It completely refuses to combine with anything. It is
separate, to the core! So is the Message of the Gospel, of the
Blood of Jesus, of that brilliant red Flow from Jesus' Body! The
Gospel cannot be mixed with anything else either! It can't be
diluted or altered at all. It must remain pure!
Mercy!
And, if the world is still standing tomorrow morning, which is up to
Jesus, we will briefly consider some more elements He has made
and still sustains!
Wow!
Jesus is greater than I've ever imagined!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
Oh yes!
Remind me to mention an element that perfectly illustrates the Trinity!
As if Jesus left His "fingerprints" on His creation!
LESSON 9, BY HIM ALL THINGS STILL CONSIST:
The
verse we're studying says that Jesus is the Reason "all things
consist." If you remember from yesterday that little verb
"consist" means "to hold together, to stand together."
Other data available adds "to stay together, to cohere!" Things
that work in harmony, the several different parts cooperating to
make the whole entity function, do so because Jesus is the
Organizing Force behind all creation!
This has implications no man has ever fully considered! No
scientist, no preacher, certainly no politician!
Things as big as the spiraling galaxies of the universe, some
many light years across, yet still behaving according to
pattern, according to the Will of God ... all the way down to
things "invisible" says Paul! Things like the "atoms" of every
element!
One way to cause a vast nuclear explosion is to "split" an atom,
really "atoms" of a certain kind of uranium. To cause those
atoms "to come apart!"
In
like manner, without Jesus, the whole world, the entire cosmos,
would similarly "explode!" Disintegrate in a fiery
conflagration!
As
is described in 2nd Peter 3:10. "But
the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the
which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and
the elements shall melt
with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are
therein shall be burned up." This is no doubt an example
of one of God's future "controlled burns!"
Wow!
I'm now wondering if Hell is a vast nuclear furnace. Obviously
Jesus was the first nuclear Scientist!
Let me show you some of the beauty and versatility and awe of
just a few of the elements Jesus has built. He keeps all their
protons and neutrons and electrons functioning in harmony,
cohesively, remember!
If
our God is this great, He is no doubt the sole Ruler of the
Megaverse! That's the universe ... and far beyond! It's Latin,
where "uni" means "one" and "versus" is a participle of the verb
"to turn." All that rotates together, the universe! I probably
just coined the word "megaverse!" It's bigger still! One
scientist calls it the "Multiverse."
It's huge. And Jesus is the Architect! The Construction Engineer
too! And the Builder! And the Sustainer, the Maintenance Man! He
does it all! And beautifully so!
Take iodine, for starters today. The element, number 53 on the
periodic chart, has 74 neutrons, 53 protons, and therefore 53
electrons. The electrons are in five shells around the nucleus,
moving so fast they can't been seen! All held together by some
"unseen" power!
Which is Jesus, according to Colossians 1:17. Jesus is the
Reason we study chemistry! He made all the building blocks of
matter.
Back to iodine, at room temperature it is a solid. But warm it
slightly, not anything drastic, and it becomes a liquid. But
then it instantly becomes a beautiful violet vapor!
Solid,
liquid, gas, nearly at the same time!
The same element!
With the same chemical composition!
Sounds like the Trinity to me!
Father, Son and Holy Spirit, at the same time!
All equally God!
Truthfully, all equally One!
Deep theology, illustrated in iodine!
Water does the same thing, just with much more effort! Ice
cubes to preserve meat, a cool liquid to drink for
refreshment, and blistering hot steam to move heavy
machinery! Three in one, and all H2O chemically!
Interesting!
Deny the Trinity if you choose, but you do so at grave peril to
your immortal soul!
Maybe that's why God put pictures of It throughout His creation!
Many of them! Each Member of the Godhead is involved in the
salvation of a lost soul! Father, Son and Holy Spirit!
Now let me talk about gold, element number 79. It is rare, very
precious! If all the gold ever mined in all history, back to
Adam and Eve now, were collected and put in a box, that box
would be no larger than a 60 foot cube! All that we have in
hand, every person on earth collectively!
No
wonder gold is so valuable! That's a picture of Jesus, folks. He
is more precious than gold! And He is rare, too! No more of Him
is being made! No other Jesus exists! He alone! If you have Him,
you have the most valuable, precious, noteworthy Friend on
earth! Or in Heaven! For ever!
Gold is extremely useful, too! It conducts electricity as well
as any element. It will not tarnish, ever! Gold is greatly
admired too, by millions! Every day and night! It's nearly
revered by many!
Think of Jesus again. He is the Power Conductor of all Heaven
and earth! He too will never tarnish. And talk about being
admired, or revered, how about Him being worshipped by
multitudes!
And element 84, nearly unknown to most of us, is polonium. One
of polonium's isotopes is so powerful, so energetic, so
"radioactive" the scientists say, that it "glows" constantly! It
does not merely conduct electricity, it creates it! It emits it,
ceaselessly!
Does that remind you of the Lord? "And
Jesus came and spake unto them, saying,
All power is given
unto me in heaven and in earth." Matthew 28:18, and Jesus
"glows" too! Think of the Transfiguration!
Jesus' fingerprints are everywhere in nature!
By
the way, polonium is also a "big" atom! It has 125 neutrons,
compared to hydrogen's 1 and oxygen's 8. And polonium has 64
protons and electrons too! Huge by comparison!
And I'll close by saying this too. Jesus is a BIG Saviour! Big
enough to save any sinner! Big enough to answer any prayer! Big
enough to solve any problem! Big enough to meet any need!
And big enough to get us to Heaven!
The Creator and His cosmos!
"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."
Colossians 1:16-17
That's Him, all right!
That's my Lord!
Jesus, the Son of God!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
Hey!
Let's spend one more day on these things, how Jesus holds
together all the elements of creation! By Him all things adhere,
hold together!
LESSON 10, CONCLUSION:
I
want to try to squeeze several "object lessons" into today's
time, if possible. Remember that we are talking about Jesus.
The Creator!
And that He, according to Colossians 1:17, "holds" all things
together!
Paul, word for word, speaking of Jesus,
"By Him all things consist."
Amen!
Things in Heaven.
Things in earth.
And certainly things visible.
But get this, invisible too, Colossians 1:16 says so!
"For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and
that are in earth, visible and invisible."
This includes, then the basic "building blocks" of life and
matter, those things we studied in chemistry, the "elements."
They "hold together" in a nearly inexplicable way!
That is, until I read Colossians 1:17!
They are invisible too!
And they have a Maker!
Let's look, one more time, at some of God's handiwork, some of
the clues to His Power and Glory He's left for us to
investigate.
I
found an element that "sings!" Called "antimony," when blocks of
it are heated rather fervently, as it begins to cool, it emits
melodious sounds that resemble lovely chimes! Not an off-key
moan or groan, not a haphazard cacophony of noise, an orchestra
quality symphony! From a chemical element, from the lab!
Jesus also sings! Listen to Him in Psalm 22, prophetically on
the Cross, "I will declare thy name
unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise
thee." And this very verse, when quoted by Paul in the
New Testament, becomes: "For which
cause He, Jesus, is not ashamed to call them brethren,
saying, I will declare
thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I
sing praise unto thee." Hebrews 2:11-12, Jesus
singing! Also Zephaniah 3:17. "The LORD
thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he
will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he
will joy over thee with singing." Oh, yes!
So, little surprise that one of His elements sings too!
Next, let's look at this little group of elements, quickly. I'll
just name them then tell you one common fact they share. Until
the exception arrives!
Element number 80, meaning it naturally possesses 80 electrons,
is called mercury. And it is poison.
Element number 81, named thallium, is so toxic that it's been
used as a murder weapon, a potent poison!
Element number 82 is lead, which we all know is toxic too, a
poison.
But watch this. The next element, number 83, is known as
bismuth, and it is not poison! In fact, it's the
main ingredient, 57% so, in a medicine called Pepto-Bismol,
which soothes an irritated stomach!
What makes number 83 so different?
It
has the same "number of electrons" spread as do the three which
precede it! And they are all deadly! Why is bismuth so benign?
No one knows. But all this proves one fact anyway, a spiritual
truth lurks here, hidden in the science.
Sometimes the addition of one little biddy ingredient,
one extra though small facet of truth, can make a big
difference!
A
critical difference!
For example, a series of bad circumstances, nearly deadly in
tandem, can be reversed by the inclusion of an infinitesimally
small "additive," in the science we've just discussed as
microscopic as a single electron, too little to measure really,
but drastically rearranging the situation!
To
a line of equally bad circumstances, potentially faith wrecking,
a Christian can add this single little nugget, like
bismuth's extra electron, and things can change drastically!
From darkness to daylight! Here's the additive.
"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." That's nugget
number 28 from the Romans 8 drawer!
Or
add this to a hectic life! "For
I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD,
thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected
end." Wow, Jeremiah 29:11.
Life changing!
Or
this. "My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations.
Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh
patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye
may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing." James 1:2-3,
that's more soothing to an upset life than most medicine is to
an upset stomach!
Watch Joseph's additive in Genesis 50:20.
"But as for you, the scheming brothers,
ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good."
Wow!
Potential poison just became medicine!
Add one little "electric," maybe it should be "electronic,"
thought from the Bible, one Verse will do, and poison can be
turned into healing!
Jesus did it all the time as He created the elements!
Since it's Sunday, and maybe you have a little extra time before
Church, not having to leave home as early as usual, work and
all, let me share a few more thoughts.
From 1789 until 1895 scientists handled dangerous elements, now
called radioactive elements, without knowing anything about the
threat such items posed! And those men and women died as a
result of their ignorance! Uranium, the first of the radioactive
group, was first isolated in 1789. And not until 106 years later
did men and women learn their costly error!
Hundreds dead!
It's so with Jesus, too!
Many today are mishandling Him! Criticizing Him and slandering
Him and lying about Him, redefining Him too! Calling Him vile
Names, and that's just the beginning of their blasphemy.
But guess what?
Their ignorance is going to be spiritually deadly. They are
crucifying afresh the One Who died on the Cross of Calvary! They
are signing their own death certificates!
Some day they will know.
Nobody not walks into a nuclear reactor casually! Certainly not
without taking the proper precautions, not without respecting
the awesome power present in that room! Power unto life! And
power unto death!
Do
you see what I'm saying?
It's all based on how we handle Jesus. On Whom we believe Him to
be! "He that believeth on the Son hath
everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not
see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." Life or
death, John 3:36. Add John 3:18 too.
"He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that
believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed
in the name of the only begotten Son of God."
Hope you see what I mean.
Then element number 89, actinium, comes to mind. It's so very
radioactive, so powerful, so electron emitting, that it cannot
be held in one's hand without that person experiencing nearly
immediate death! In its 100% form, no human can handle it! And
when you see it, it glows, all on its own!
Then think about Jesus!
So
powerful, so glorious, that if He were to appear in all His
Majesty, in all His unlimited attributes, we could not take it!
Not in our present human bodies! Remember what God told Moses,
who wanted to see the Lord's Glory?
"And He said, Thou canst not see My Face: for there shall no man
see Me, and live." Exodus 33:20!
And yes, the Glory of God emits "light" too! Here's Paul,
talking about the darling Jesus Christ we know and love!
"Who only hath immortality,
dwelling in the light
which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen,
nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting.
Amen." 1st Timothy 6:16
More powerful than actinium, for sure!
I
must close!
Jesus made them all. And He keeps them clinging together too,
all those neutrons and protons and electrons!
The whole creation, visible and invisible!
What a Saviour!
Help me praise Him today!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
My
only regret!
I
did not have time to tell you about the "half-life" aspect of
these things, the radioactive ones! It costs to be that
powerful! But that must wait for another time.
If
this is too complex today, too confusing, join us again tomorrow
morning! When we will begin, the Lord willing, a new Text, a new
series of Bible Studies! That a Book, God’s Holy Word!
Wow!
What a Text!
