Christ Our Center - Part 2

  1. In Our Understanding
    1. By the arrival of the Word of the truth of the gospel - Col. 1:1-14
      1. The nature of this Word
        1. It is absolute (truth) and revelational (gospel) - Col. 1:5b
        2. It generates and supplies faith and love - Col. 1:4-6, 8
        3. It is superior to any private work - Col. 1:1-2, 7
        4. It is a full revelation of God's desire - Col. 1:25-26
        5. It has Christ as the focus - Col. 3:16
    2. The operation of this Word
      1. It ushers in the living organism of Christ - Col. 1:1-3, 8
      2. It links us with a universal network - Col. 1:5b-6; 1 Thess. 2:13
    3. The Word and the full-knowledge of His will - Col. 1:9
      1. Enabling us to walk worthy of the Lord - Col. 1:10
      2. Empowering us by bringing in His glory - Col. 1:11
      3. Qualifying us to enjoy Christ as our portion - Col. 1:12; Deut. 8:7-10
      4. Setting us as a kingdom before the Father's love - Col. 1:13
      5. Revealing to us the depth of redemption ("buy back") - Col. 1:14
  2. In the Universe
    1. The Beginning of the Creation of God - Col. 1:18; Rev. 3:14
      1. Christ is God's thought in creation
    2. The prototype nature of Christ to creation - Col. 1:15
      1. Image and dominion - Col. 1:12-15; Gen. 1:26-28
    3. The One who makes God visible and knowable - Col. 1:15a; John 1:18
    4. The Firstborn of all creation - Col. 1:15b
    5. The Firstborn out of the dead - Col. 1:18
    6. The Sphere of all creation - Col. 1:16a ("in Him")
      1. All things in the universe have a relationship with Christ
      2. Christ is the unifying factor of the universe
    7. The Agent of creation ("through Him") - Col. 1:16b; John 1:3
    8. The Goal of creation ("unto Him") - Col. 1:16c
    9. The preexistence of Christ before creation - Col. 1:17a ("He is before all things")
    10. The present power of Christ with creation - Col. 1:17b; Heb. 1:3
    11. The Heir of all things in the universe - Heb. 1:1-2
    12. The purpose in creation - Eph. 3:9-11
    13. His masterpiece created in Christ Jesus - Eph. 2:10
    14. The creation of the new man in Christ - Eph. 2:15
  3. In Having First Place in All Things
    1. The first place because all the fullness was pleased to dwell in Him - Col. 1:18b-19
      1. He is to "become" the first place in all things - Col. 1:18
    2. The first place as the Head of His Body - Col. 1:18
    3. The first place in the Father's love - Col. 1:13
    4. The first place in the Father's plan for the universe - Col. 1:16
    5. The first place in the Father's good pleasure - Col. 1:19
    6. The first place in creation - Col. 1:16
    7. The first place in eternity past - Col. 1:17a
    8. The first place in the present existence of the universe - Col. 1:17b
    9. The first place in God's administration through the church - Col. 1:18a
    10. Christ, as the resurrected Head and Source gives existence to the church - Col. 1:18
    11. The first place as our source - the Beginning/Source/Origin - Col. 1:18
    12. The first place in the process of reconciling the universe - Col. 1:20
  4. In Our Experience
    1. In our spirit-union - Col. 1:27
    2. As the focus of our experiences - Col. 1:28
    3. In the way He handled our alienation - Col. 1:21-22
    4. In our participation in His sufferings for the producing of His Body - Col. 1:24; 2 Cor. 4:1-12
    5. In our being part of God's administration - Col. 1:25-26