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Part 1, Colossians 1:1-14
Colossians 1:1-14: Jesus in All
Introduction: Opening the Book
Well today we get to open the magnificent book of Colossians today. Whether you are with us in person or online, I know that God wants to speak to us through His word. By way of reminder, come with open hearts, minds, and bibles; a journal and pen for your notes; and an expectancy that God will show us and teach us what we need as He, the Good Shepherd, leads us. So let’s pray and ask Him to lead and guide us in our studies through this summer, the next 12 weeks, in Colossians.
As an introduction to this book, we will be using the resources from our brothers and sisters in Christ at the bible project to help us better understand this book:
One of my favorite outlines of the book comes from preceptaustin.org and it has been an immensely helpful resource to me, I pray it is for you and your studies also.
Take a picture of this and add it to your notes for the remainder of the summer so you know where we are at and how to follow along.
False teachers were encouraging the Colossians to supplement Jesus with philosophy, mystical experiences, legalism, asceticism, and special knowledge. Paul’s answer throughout the book is: You don’t need more than Jesus because Jesus is supreme over all things, sufficient for all things, and Jesus is in all. Our main thought for this entire book of the bible that I’m going to keep bringing you back to is this:
Colossians = Jesus in All
It isn’t merely that Jesus is involved in everything. It is that Jesus is supreme and sufficient in all things. We are going to walk that out over the next 12 weeks. And now, without further ado, let us jump into the first few verses of Colossians chapter 1.
Colossians 1:1-14 Text Outline:
- V1-2: Jesus in the Beginning of Our Salvation
- V3-5: Jesus in the Evidence of Our Salvation
- V6-12: Jesus in the Growth of Our Salvation
- V13-14: Jesus in the Accomplishment of Our Salvation
V1-2: Jesus in the Beginning of Our Salvation
So Paul writes to a people he doesn’t know and a church he didn’t plant to say, in essence, “You’ve got to see Jesus in all.” Before he addresses false teaching, spiritual growth, holiness, or anything else, he begins by reminding them who they are. He writes, “To the saints and faithful brothers and sisters in Christ.”
Paul isn’t making a distinction between two groups of people here, but highlighting two realities of the Christian life. Saints means holy ones, people who have been set apart for God. Faithful brothers and sisters speaks to those who belong to Christ and continue in loyal faith toward Him.
Notice the phrase that makes both possible: in Christ. They are saints because they are in Christ. They are faithful because they are in Christ. Their identity is not rooted in what they have done, but in who Jesus is and what He has done for them. Whether you feel this way today or not, this is what God says about His people. Paul was writing to ordinary believers in an ordinary church with ordinary struggles, and yet he calls them saints and faithful brothers and sisters. Not because they had earned those titles, but because Christ had given them those titles. And just as much as this letter was addressed to Colossae, if you belong to Jesus, these words are for you as well. This is how God sees His people. Let’s live in that reality today.
Well, then Paul continues, “Grace to you and peace from God our Father.” Grace was a common Greek greeting and peace, or shalom, was a common Jewish greeting. Yet there is nothing common about the grace and peace of God is there? How can Paul call ordinary sinners saints? How can he speak such peace over them? The answer is found in Christ. Their identity is not built on their performance but on God’s grace. Grace is God’s unmerited favor toward us. Peace is the result of being reconciled to God through Christ. Grace is the source; and peace is the result.
This raises an important question for us: Where do we first see Jesus in our salvation? We see Him in the grace that reaches us before we ever reach for Him. Before we sought Him, He sought us. Before we loved Him, He loved us. Before we could ever do anything for Him, He acted on our behalf. The first place we see Jesus in our salvation is in what He has done for us. That is where Paul begins, and that is where we must begin as well. Thank you, Jesus, for your grace that saves us and the peace that guards us.
V3-5: Jesus in the Evidence of Our Salvation
In verses 3-5 we see the start of Paul’s prayer as he thanks God for the Colossians. He gives us a beautiful triad that has shown up all over the new testament: Faith, hope, and love. The difference this time is the order he writes it in. The faith and love he has heard about comes from the gospel they heard because of the hope laid up for them in heaven.
- Faith looks upward to Christ. Faith is more than believing certain facts about Jesus; it is trusting Him personally and completely. The Colossians had heard the gospel and placed their confidence in Christ rather than in themselves, their good works, their religious performance, or their own wisdom. Faith is the open hand that receives what God freely gives. It acknowledges that we cannot save ourselves and that Jesus is sufficient for everything we need. This is why Paul thanks God for their faith rather than congratulating them for it. Even faith itself is evidence of God’s gracious work in a person’s life. Genuine faith lifts our eyes off ourselves and fixes them on Christ as Savior, Lord, and King.
- Love looks outward to others. One of the clearest evidences of genuine faith is a growing love for God’s people. Notice Paul doesn’t merely say they loved those who were easy to love or those who were most like them. He says he has heard of their “love for all the saints.” Christian love is not primarily a feeling but a commitment to seek the good of others because Christ first loved us. The gospel creates a new family where barriers of background, status, personality, and preference are overcome by our shared identity in Christ. When God’s love takes root in our hearts, it begins to flow out into our relationships. Love is faith made visible. What faith receives from Christ, love distributes to others.
- Hope looks forward to eternity. In Scripture, hope is not wishful thinking or positive optimism. Biblical hope is a confident expectation based on the promises of God. The Colossians had heard the gospel and become convinced that what God promised in Christ was absolutely certain. Their inheritance was secure. Their future was guaranteed. Heaven was not a possibility; it was a certainty. This hope anchored them in the present because it reminded them that this world is not their home and that God’s best was still ahead. Hope gave them perspective in suffering, endurance in difficulty, and confidence in uncertainty because their future rested in the hands of Christ.
What makes this triad especially beautiful in Colossians is the order Paul uses. Usually we think of faith, hope, and love as three separate virtues, but Paul shows us how they are connected. The faith and love he celebrates are flowing out of the hope laid up for them in heaven. Because they are convinced of what Christ has secured for them in the future, they trust Him in the present and love others along the way. Hope fuels faith, and hope fuels love. The more certain we are of what awaits us in Christ, the more we will trust Him today and the more freely we will love the people around us.
Faith looks upward to Christ. Love looks outward to others because of Christ. And hope looks forward to eternity with Christ. Paul sees their faith, love, and hope and thanks God because he recognizes that these are not merely human virtues; they are the fruit of God’s saving work among them. Jesus is the source of their faith, the model of their love, and the object of their hope. That is why Paul can thank God for them. The evidence of salvation is faith, love, and hope, but behind all three stands Jesus.
V6-12: Jesus in the Growth of Our Salvation
Ok, now Paul just shared this beautiful truth about them, who Jesus is to them, and it might be hard to receive because they’ve never met, right? Paul has never met them but he shares how he knows all of this: because of this great man Epaphras. I can’t guarantee this, but I believe that Paul shared the gospel with Epaphras, Epaphras brought it home to Colossae and was a huge starter of the Colossian church.
So Paul clarifies that, but he’s sharing something beautiful in this: The good news that you believe that came from Epaphras is also producing fruit and increasing all over the world. He is linking them into the big story of God’s people. He’s saying to them, and to us if you’ll hear it, we are not alone in this gospel. We believe in the greatest story that has been shared for millennia. It is now our turn to live it out well and preach it well. It’s a beautiful encouragement because before Paul shares any big concerns he has for them, he shares the precious and deep roots into the Jesus story we all have.
So now in that, Paul says, “Here’s the contents of my prayers for you. I shared that I pray for you all the time and I thank God for you, but let me now tell you what I’m saying to God.” We can see the beauty of his prayer in 3 movements: Filled, walk, strengthened, and then later the deliverance portion. I say that because, in the original Greek, verses 9 through 14 is one long sentence which is his prayer. We are breaking it up a bit so we can understand its movements a bit better and in our language. As we work through this prayer, I want you to know that I pray this over our church constantly. Would you consider praying this over me also? Every word in this section is so rich and deeply important! For the sake of our time together, Let’s look at the big idea pieces together.
1. Filled
Let’s start with this word filled. Paul prays that they would be “filled with the knowledge of God’s will.” When I hear that, I immediately think about how most of us ask the question, “God, what is your will for my life?” Usually what we mean is, “Should I take this job? Should I move? Should I date this person? Should I buy this house?” We tend to think of God’s will almost exclusively in terms of big decisions. But Paul is praying for something much bigger than that.
The word filled means full. Filled to the brim. Filled to overflowing. Paul isn’t asking God to give them a little bit of wisdom or a few helpful insights. He is praying that God’s will would saturate their lives—their thoughts, their desires, their priorities, their decisions, their relationships, everything.
Think about it this way. Most of us don’t stop eating until we’re full. We know exactly what it feels like to leave a meal satisfied. Yet many Christians are content to live spiritually hungry. We grab a verse here, a podcast there, a Sunday sermon when we can make it, and then wonder why we’re struggling to walk closely with Jesus. Paul is praying for something different. He’s praying that these believers would be so filled with the knowledge of God that it shapes everything about them.
Now some of you might be thinking, “That sounds impossible. How could I ever know God’s will like that?” The good news is God is not hiding His will from you. Scripture makes some things abundantly clear. God’s will is that people come to salvation. God’s will is that His people be filled with His Spirit. God’s will is that we live lives that please Him. And all of that comes through the work of the Holy Spirit who continually points us to Jesus. At its core, Paul’s prayer is this: Holy Spirit, teach us to think like Jesus. I knew I could weave that into at least one more sermon! Here’s why though: because if we learn to think like Jesus, we’ll begin to live like Jesus.
2. Walk
Then Paul says he wants us to be filled so that we walk. He wants us to be filled with this knowledge and wisdom—he wants us to think like Jesus—so we live it out. That’s because right thinking leads to right living. We can unfortunately live in a place as Christians where we like to hear good things about God and maybe even feel a certain way about God, and yet it doesn’t translate into the transformation in our living which the bible calls walking. We’ve got to walk it out.
And that is Paul’s next portion of his prayer. Paul says clearly, live your life in a way that is worthy of Jesus. If you are going to be filled with all wisdom, it cannot stop there. It has got to be worked out in our lives. It’s actually what is pleasing to God. Did you see that in the text? This actually pleases God. What pleases God is when we think like Jesus and walk in the things He has called us to do. Together, these two things please God, and then they actually produce an increase in these areas also. It’s a beautiful thing God does in us.
3. Strengthened
And if you’re going to carry that out, well, you’re going to need strength and power to do it, and that’s what Paul prays for. So God strengthens us for endurance and patience. Why? Because learning to think like Jesus and live like Jesus is hard. Everything around us is pulling us in the opposite direction. And sometimes we are going to want to quit. Sometimes we will stumble. And that’s part of walking.
So we are going to need strength from God, according to His glorious might, which is never ending, to be able to endure and be patient—and did you notice how? With Joy! That we would joyfully endure and be patient. Yep, we’re going to need God’s strength for all of that. Patience and endurance in difficult circumstances, with difficult people, with mixed emotions, and everything else in between.
And then Paul adds one more piece: give thanks. How can we give thanks while we’re enduring? How can we give thanks while we’re being patient? Because God has already qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. In other words, you already know how this story ends. Your inheritance is secure. Your future is settled. Heaven belongs to you because you belong to Jesus. So while the road may be difficult, the destination is certain. That’s why Christians can joyfully endure. That’s why we can be patient. We already know what awaits us. We gain everything in Jesus.
V13-14: Jesus in the Accomplishment of Our Salvation
That’s why I love how he ends this amazing prayer. Paul reminds us of that great work that Jesus accomplished for our salvation. This has got to remain rooted in your mind whenever you feel or think that God isn’t at work in your life in this situation, or relationship, or whatever you are going through. You’ve got to live right here in Colossians 1:13-14. Look at the great work that has been done!
You have been delivered from the domain of darkness. Do you know what that means? You were once ruled by your own thoughts and the devil himself. That’s what Paul is describing here. You once were living in darkness, whether you knew it or not. And our great God, through the work of Jesus Christ on the cross, rescued you from that. You are no longer ruled by the domain of darkness. Oh, thank you, Jesus! The rescue mission of heaven was successful!
And it doesn’t stop there. You were also transferred into the kingdom of Jesus. These are war terms. What the Colossians would have heard, and what we need to hear, is that there is a conquering King named Jesus who has taken us from that kingdom of darkness and has made us a part of His kingdom of light. Everything we have and everything we are now belongs to this new conquering King, the Son of love, where love reigns supreme.
Not only did King Jesus conquer Satan, but He bought you with His blood, and in that process, He sent your sins away completely and forgave you. No matter how you are feeling today, do not allow your thoughts or anyone else’s to deny what Jesus fully accomplished in His rescue mission of your soul. What a powerful truth we live in today. This is why we can say through our time in Colossians that: Jesus is truly in all things.
Conclusion
As we close out this amazing piece of scripture today, we have an opportunity to proclaim His death until He comes through one of the commands of our great King: to take communion.
Part 2, Colossians 1:15-18
Colossians 1:15-18: Jesus in All Creation
Intro: Ultra-Efficient Communicators
Have you ever met ultra-efficient communicators? Like they can say something in as few words as possible—or even a head nod, or an eye twitch? Or one of my all-time cultural favorites is when Filipinos will just point with their lips? Or how about the very common Midwest, “whelp!” and you smack your knees and go to stand up? You didn’t say it, but that means goodbye! Everybody knows that!
Ok, keep that same energy when you realize Paul is going to use as few words as possible to communicate some huge truths of scripture. We are now starting the great poem of Colossians, and Paul uses minimal words to communicate some of the highest truths about God. It’s such a beautiful piece that we are going to slow down and tackle this in two parts—this Sunday and next.
So today we are looking at just four verses that are jam-packed about our main theme: Jesus in all. We are not saying Jesus is in all things in some weird way, like Jesus is in my sandwich or in that tree. No, we mean Jesus isn’t just involved in everything or weirdly inside of things. It is that Jesus is supreme and sufficient in all. Today, as we look at the first part of this beautiful poem, I want to center which part of “in all” we are talking about. Today, let’s look at Jesus in all creation.
Colossians 1:15-18 Outline:
V15: Who Jesus is
V16-17: What Jesus does
V18: Why Jesus deserves first place
My goal today is not just that we learn something about Jesus. My goal is that we stand in awe of Him. That as Paul lifts Christ higher and higher in these verses, our hearts would follow. That we would leave this room loving Him more, trusting Him more, and worshipping Him more than when we walked in. Are you with me today?
Who Jesus Is (V. 15)
Let’s pick up in verse 15. There are three difficult words we have to look at in this verse: Image, Invisible, and Firstborn. I want to tackle each one of these ideas for you today, and then bring it all together for what it means for us.
The challenge with these words in 2026 is we have a common use for these words already that the biblical audience may or may not have had. When I think of image, I think of a picture. When I hear invisible, I think of something I can’t see. And when I think of firstborn, I think of my oldest sister—and you might think of the first kid born in your family, right? That’s my initial thought. And those aren’t wrong thoughts at all. But the depth of these words and the biblical flavor are reduced when that’s all that these words mean for us.
1. Image
Let’s start with this word “image.” The Greek word is eikon, and it’s where we get our English word “icon.” But don’t think computer desktop icon. Don’t think picture frame hanging on a wall. When Paul says Jesus is the image of the invisible God, he means far more than a photograph or a representation. In the ancient world, an image was something that revealed and represented the reality behind it. An image made something known. It displayed the character, authority, and presence of someone else.
Think back to Genesis 1. Humanity was created in the image of God. We were made to reflect God to creation. We were meant to show the world what God is like. The problem is that image has been distorted by sin. We still bear God’s image, but imperfectly. We reflect Him, but not perfectly.
Then Paul comes along and says something astonishing. Jesus is not merely made in the image of God. Jesus is the image of God. Do you hear the difference? Adam was created in God’s image. You and I are created in God’s image. The rest of creation though—dogs, cats, dirt, trees—they are not made in the image of God like we are. But listen to what is said here: Jesus is God’s Image. He is the perfect and complete revelation of the Father. He doesn’t merely reflect God; He perfectly reveals God.
This is why the writer of Hebrews says that Jesus is “the exact imprint of His nature.” This is why Jesus could tell Philip, “Whoever has seen Me has seen the Father.” So if you’ve ever wondered what God is like, look at Jesus. Want to know how God treats sinners? Look at Jesus. Want to know how God responds to broken people? Look at Jesus. Want to know how God views children, widows, outsiders, and enemies? Look at Jesus. Jesus doesn’t simply tell us about God. Jesus shows us God because Jesus is God.
2. Invisible
That leads us right into the second word: invisible. Jesus is the image of the invisible God. Now at first glance, that doesn’t sound very profound. We hear “invisible” and immediately think, “Well, yeah. God is invisible. We can’t see Him.” That’s true, but Paul means more than that.
Throughout the Old Testament there is a tension. God reveals Himself, but never fully. He is present, but hidden. Known, but not completely known. Think about Moses. Can I take you back to the book of Exodus? In Exodus 33, Moses asks one of the boldest questions in all of Scripture: “Show me Your glory.”
What a request. Moses has already seen the burning bush. Moses has witnessed the plagues. Moses has stretched out his staff and watched the Red Sea part. Moses has met with God on the mountain. Yet after all of that, Moses still wants more. “Show me Your glory.” And God responds by saying that no man can see His face and live. God places Moses in the cleft of a rock, covers him with His hand, and allows him to see only the passing afterglow of His glory.
Think about that. The greatest prophet in Israel’s history asked to see God and was only allowed a glimpse. Throughout the Old Testament, people encounter manifestations of God, but never the fullness of God. They see fire. They see smoke. They see a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. They see God’s presence fill the tabernacle. They see God’s glory fill the temple. But they never fully see God Himself. There is always a veil, always distance, and a reminder that God is holy and we are not.
Then Jesus comes. And Paul reminds us of who Jesus actually is. The invisible God has made Himself visible in Jesus Christ. The God Moses longed to see. The God Israel worshiped from a distance. The God who filled the temple with His glory. The God who spoke through prophets. That God has stepped into human history. And the invisible God that has been worshipped forever now has an audible voice that the common person could hear.
People watched Him walk dusty roads. People sat around a table and ate with Him. People touched Him. People laughed with Him. People cried with Him. People watched Him die. People saw Him rise again. John says it this way: “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory.” (John 1:14)
Seen His glory. The invisible God became visible in Jesus Christ. This is why Christianity is unique. We are not trying to climb our way up to God. God came down to us. We are not left guessing what God is like. We do not have to wonder whether God is loving, merciful, patient, holy, just, or compassionate. We look at Jesus. Because Jesus is the image of the invisible God. And now we know that God is all of those things because Jesus is all of those things.
3. Firstborn
Now if Paul had stopped there, this would already be one of the greatest descriptions of Jesus in the entire Bible. But then he adds one more phrase that has confused people for centuries: “The firstborn of all creation.”
And immediately our modern ears hear that word and think, “Firstborn? Doesn’t that mean Jesus was born first? Doesn’t that mean He was created?” Not at all. Remember, we have to hear this word the way the original audience would have heard it.
When we hear firstborn, we think chronology. Who came first? Who was born before everyone else? But in the Bible, firstborn is often about rank, authority, inheritance, and position.
Think about Jacob and Esau. Esau was born first. Nobody disputes that. He came out first. He was literally the firstborn son. Yet through his choices, he gave up his birthright, and Jacob received the privileges and inheritance associated with being firstborn. Why? Because firstborn wasn’t merely about birth order. It was about inheritance and authority.
Ok, think about Israel. In Exodus 4:22, God says: “Israel is my firstborn son.” Well, Israel wasn’t the first nation that ever existed. Egypt existed before Israel. Many nations existed before Israel. God isn’t talking about chronology. He’s talking about status, privilege, and the covenant relationship He has with them.
Ok, last one. Consider David. David was the youngest son in Jesse’s family. Everybody knows that. Yet in Psalm 89:27 God says of David: “I will make him the firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth.” Wait a second. David wasn’t Jesse’s firstborn. He was the youngest. He also wasn’t the first king of Israel. So what does God mean? God means rank. Position. Authority. Preeminence. The highest place.
That’s exactly what Paul is saying here. Jesus is not the first thing God created. Jesus is the rightful heir over everything that has been created. He stands above creation because creation belongs to Him.
In fact, Paul’s next sentence makes this impossible to misunderstand. Verse 16 begins with the word “for.” Why is Jesus the firstborn over all creation? Because by Him all things were created. You can’t be part of the created order if you are the One who created the created order. Jesus isn’t creation’s first member. He’s creation’s Creator. He’s the heir of creation because He made it. He’s the ruler of creation because He made it. He’s the owner of creation because He made it. Everything belongs to Him.
Which means when Paul calls Jesus the firstborn of all creation, he’s not saying Jesus is less than God. He’s saying Jesus is the visible revelation of God and the rightful Ruler of everything that exists.
What Jesus Does (V. 16-17)
Ok, now you know why we are taking these four verses so slowly. See what Paul just did? In a single verse he told us who Jesus is: God revealed, God visible, and King over creation. That’s a lot of theology packed into one sentence.
But Paul isn’t finished. In fact, if verse 15 tells us who Jesus is, verses 16 and 17 tell us why He has the right to those titles. If Jesus is the rightful ruler over creation, what gives Him that right? What exactly is His relationship to creation? Is He merely involved in creation? Is He merely observing creation? Is He merely one part of creation? Paul’s answer is emphatic: absolutely not. Jesus stands in a category all by Himself.
Look at verse 16: “For by Him all things were created.” That little word “for” is important because Paul is now explaining what he just said in verse 15. Why is Jesus the firstborn over all creation? Why is He the rightful heir? Why is He the King over creation? Because creation belongs to Him.
Paul gives us three short phrases that explain Jesus’ relationship to everything that exists: by Him, through Him, and for Him.
1. By Him
By Him all things were created. Jesus is the source of creation. Nothing exists apart from Him. Genesis opens with the words, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Then John opens his Gospel by helping us understand who was there in the beginning: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” A few verses later John says, “All things were made through Him, and without Him was not any thing made that was made.”
Paul is saying the exact same thing here. The stars in the sky, the mountains and oceans, the animals, the trees, the planets, you and me, everything that exists owes its existence to Jesus Christ. He is not part of creation. He is the Creator of creation.
2. Through Him
But Paul goes even further. Not only were all things created by Him, all things were created through Him. Jesus is not only the source of creation, He is the agent of creation. Creation happened through His power, through His authority, and through His word. When God said, “Let there be light,” Jesus was not standing on the sidelines watching. The Son was actively involved in creation itself. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all active in creation, but Paul wants us to see something specific here: creation came through the Son. Every galaxy, every atom, every living thing came into existence through Jesus—through Him.
3. For Him
Then Paul gives us perhaps the most challenging phrase of all: all things were created for Him.
Think about that for a moment. Most people spend their lives asking questions like, “Why am I here?” “What’s my purpose?” “What’s the point of all this?” Paul answers all of those questions in just two words: for Him.
Creation is not ultimately about us. History is not ultimately about us. The universe, contrary to popular belief, is not about us. We were made for Jesus. Our lives find their meaning, purpose, and fulfillment when they revolve around Him—not Him revolving around us. Everything was created by Him, everything was created through Him, and everything was created for Him. Notice how comprehensive Paul’s language is: There is not a square inch of creation that does not belong to King Jesus.
And if that wasn’t enough for you to be in awe of Jesus, I need you to see verse 17: “He is before all things.”
Before there was a universe, there was Jesus. Before there was time, there was Jesus. Before there was land or anything else, there was Jesus. Before there was a ‘Let there be’ anything, there was Jesus.
Jesus did not begin in Bethlehem. Bethlehem was His arrival for His mission to save us, yes! But that was not His beginning. He has always existed. Because He is God.
Well, then Paul gives us one final statement: “In Him all things hold together.”
Jesus didn’t create the universe and walk away from it. He sustains it. Right now, at this very moment, the same Jesus who created all things is holding all things together. The planets remain in their orbit because of Him. You and I are held together, every atom in our body, by the sustaining power and will of Jesus. The universe continues to function because of Him. Creation is not running on autopilot. The Creator is still actively sustaining what He made.
And what an encouragement that is for us. Because if Jesus is capable of holding the universe together, He is capable of holding your life together. The One who sustains creation can sustain His people. Do you believe that today?
Why Jesus Deserves First Place (V. 18)
Now after everything Paul has said, we finally arrive at the destination he’s been driving toward this entire time. Look at verse 18:
“And He is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything He might be preeminent.”
He’s been talking about galaxies, stars, oceans, atoms, all that, and now he brings it right down to us.
Jesus is the head of the body, the church. The church belongs to Him. It doesn’t belong to a pastor, or elders. Not the denomination. Not the people. Jesus. He is the head and we are the body. The head directs the body. The head leads the body. The head gives life to the body. The church does not tell Jesus what to do. Jesus tells the church what to do. We’ve got to get that clear.
Then Paul says that Jesus is the beginning and the firstborn from the dead. In other words, Jesus isn’t only Lord over the first creation, He is Lord over the new creation as well—the church, all of us. Jesus walked out of the grave victorious, and that means resurrection is more than Jesus coming back to life. The resurrection was the beginning of God’s new creation breaking into the old one. Jesus is first. Jesus is supreme. Jesus is unmatched. That’s his point.
Paul finally tells us why he has spent four verses piling title upon title upon title onto Jesus: “that in everything He might be preeminent.”
There it is. That’s the point. That’s where Paul has been going all along. Not that Jesus would have a place in our lives, or be first place on Sunday morning, but that in EVERYTHING He might be preeminent. That He would have first place in everything.
Why?
If Jesus created everything, He deserves first place.
If Jesus sustains everything, He deserves first place.
If everything exists for Jesus, He deserves first place.
If He is before all things, He deserves first place.
If He conquered death itself, He deserves first place.
Jesus is not asking for a place in your life. He deserves first place in your life. First place in your marriage. First place in your parenting. First place in your finances. First place in your work. First place in your recreation. First place in your dreams. First place in your future. First place in your fears. First place in your heart.
Not because He needs it. Because He deserves it.
And this is where I want to leave us today. When you see Jesus for who He really is, this stops being a duty and becomes worship. When you see Him as God revealed, God visible, Creator, Sustainer, King, Savior, and risen Lord, the question is no longer, “How much of my life should I give to Jesus?” The question becomes, “Is there any part of my life that doesn’t already belong to Him?” because I want to give that too!
Because there is not a square inch of creation that does not belong to King Jesus. Not your home. Not your job. Not your money. Not your marriage. Not your children. Not your future. It all belongs to Him. And that includes me. And that includes you.
So today, stand in awe of Him. Trust Him. Worship Him. Treasure Him. And give Him the place He alone deserves in all.
Part 3, Colossians 1:19-23
Colossians 1:15-18 – Jesus in All: Creation
Do You Recognize Jesus?
Introduction: Ultra-Efficient Communicators
Have you ever met ultra efficient communicators? Like they can say something in as few words as possible or even a head nod or an eye twitch, or one of my all time cultural favorites is when Filipinos will just point with their lips? Or how about the very common midwest, “whelp!” And you smack your knees and go to stand up? You didn’t say it, but that means goodbye! Everybody knows that!
Ok, keep that same energy when you realize Paul is going to use as few of words as possible to communicate some huge truths of scripture. We are now starting the great poem of Colossians and Paul uses minimal words to communicate some of the highest truths about God. It’s such a beautiful piece that we are going to slow down and tackle this in 2 parts this Sunday and next.
So today we are looking at just 4 verses that are jam packed about our main theme: Jesus in all. We are not saying Jesus in all things in some weird way like Jesus is in my sandwich or in that tree. No, we mean Jesus isn’t just involved in everything or weirdly inside of things. It is that Jesus is supreme and sufficient in all. Today, as we look at the first part of this beautiful poem, I want to center which part of “in all” we are talking about. Today let’s look at Jesus in all creation.
Colossians 1:15-18 Outline
Who Jesus is (v. 15)
What Jesus does (v. 16-17)
Why Jesus deserves first place (v. 18)
My goal today is not just that we learn something about Jesus. My goal is that we stand in awe of Him. That as Paul lifts Christ higher and higher in these verses, our hearts would follow. That we would leave this room loving Him more, trusting Him more, and worshipping Him more than when we walked in. Are you with me today?
I. Who Jesus Is (v. 15)
Let’s pick up in verse 15. There are 3 difficult words we have to look at in this verse: Image, Invisible, Firstborn. I want to tackle each one of these ideas for you today, and then bring it all together for what it means for us.
The challenge with these words in 2026 is we have a common use for these words already that the biblical audience may or may not have had. When I think image I think of a picture, when I hear invisible I think of something I can’t see, and when I think firstborn, I think of my oldest sister, and you might think of the first kid born in your family, Right? That’s my initial thought. And those aren’t wrong thoughts at all. But the depth of these words, and the biblical flavor are reduced when that’s all that these words mean for us.
Now let’s start with this word “image.” The Greek word is eikon, and it’s where we get our English word “icon.” But don’t think computer desktop icon. Don’t think picture frame hanging on a wall. When Paul says Jesus is the image of the invisible God, he means far more than a photograph or a representation. In the ancient world, an image was something that revealed and represented the reality behind it. An image made something known. It displayed the character, authority, and presence of someone else.
Think back to Genesis 1. Humanity was created in the image of God. We were made to reflect God to creation. We were meant to show the world what God is like. The problem is that image has been distorted by sin. We still bear God’s image, but imperfectly. We reflect Him, but not perfectly. Then Paul comes along and says something astonishing. Jesus is not merely made in the image of God. Jesus is the image of God. Do you hear the difference?
Adam was created in God’s image. You and I are created in God’s image. The rest of creation though, dogs, cats, dirt, trees, they are not made in the image of God like we are. But listen to what is said here: Jesus is God’s Image. He is the perfect and complete revelation of the Father. He doesn’t merely reflect God; He perfectly reveals God. This is why the writer of Hebrews says that Jesus is “the exact imprint of His nature.” This is why Jesus could tell Philip, “Whoever has seen Me has seen the Father.”
So If you’ve ever wondered what God is like, look at Jesus. Want to know how God treats sinners? Look at Jesus. Want to know how God responds to broken people? Look at Jesus. Want to know how God views children, widows, outsiders, and enemies? Look at Jesus. Jesus doesn’t simply tell us about God. Jesus shows us God because Jesus is God.
Now that leads us right into the second word: invisible. Jesus is the image of the invisible God. Now at first glance, that doesn’t sound very profound. We hear “invisible” and immediately think, “Well, yeah. God is invisible. We can’t see Him.” That’s true, but Paul means more than that. Throughout the Old Testament there is a tension. God reveals Himself, but never fully. He is present, but hidden. Known, but not completely known.
Think about Moses. Can I take you back to the book of Exodus? In Exodus 33, Moses asks one of the boldest questions in all of Scripture: “Show me Your glory.” What a request. Moses has already seen the burning bush. Moses has witnessed the plagues. Moses has stretched out his staff and watched the Red Sea part. Moses has met with God on the mountain. Yet after all of that, Moses still wants more. “Show me Your glory.” And God responds by saying that no man can see His face and live. God places Moses in the cleft of a rock, covers him with His hand, and allows him to see only the passing afterglow of His glory.
Think about that. The greatest prophet in Israel’s history asked to see God and was only allowed a glimpse. Throughout the Old Testament, people encounter manifestations of God, but never the fullness of God. They see fire. They see smoke. They see a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. They see God’s presence fill the tabernacle. They see God’s glory fill the temple. But they never fully see God Himself. There is always a veil, always distance, and a reminder that God is holy and we are not.
Then Jesus comes. And Paul reminds us of who Jesus actually is. The invisible God has made Himself visible in Jesus Christ. The God Moses longed to see. The God Israel worshiped from a distance. The God who filled the temple with His glory. The God who spoke through prophets. That God has stepped into human history. And the invisible God that has been worshipped forever now has an audible voice that the common person could hear. People watched Him walk dusty roads. People sat around a table and ate with Him. People touched Him. People laughed with Him. People cried with Him. People watched Him die. People saw Him rise again.
John says it this way: “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory.” (John 1:14) Seen His glory. The invisible God became visible in Jesus Christ. This is why Christianity is unique. We are not trying to climb our way up to God. God came down to us. We are not left guessing what God is like. We do not have to wonder whether God is loving, merciful, patient, holy, just, or compassionate. We look at Jesus. Because Jesus is the image of the invisible God. And now we know that God is all of those things because Jesus is all of those things.
Now if Paul had stopped there, this would already be one of the greatest descriptions of Jesus in the entire Bible. But then he adds one more phrase that has confused people for centuries: “The firstborn of all creation.” And immediately our modern ears hear that word and think, “Firstborn? Doesn’t that mean Jesus was born first? Doesn’t that mean He was created?” Not at all. Remember, we have to hear this word the way the original audience would have heard it.
When we hear firstborn, we think chronology. Who came first? Who was born before everyone else? But in the Bible, firstborn is often about rank, authority, inheritance, and position. Think about Jacob and Esau. Esau was born first. Nobody disputes that. He came out first. He was literally the firstborn son. Yet through his choices, he gave up his birthright, and Jacob received the privileges and inheritance associated with being firstborn. Why? Because firstborn wasn’t merely about birth order. It was about inheritance and authority.
Ok, think about Israel. In Exodus 4:22, God says: “Israel is my firstborn son.” Well, Israel wasn’t the first nation that ever existed. Egypt existed before Israel. Many nations existed before Israel. God isn’t talking about chronology. He’s talking about status, privilege, and covenant relationship He has with them.
Ok last one. Consider David. David was the youngest son in Jesse’s family. Everybody knows that. Yet in Psalm 89:27 God says of David: “I will make him the firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth.” Wait a second. David wasn’t Jesse’s firstborn. He was the youngest. He also wasn’t the first king of Israel. So what does God mean? God means rank. Position. Authority. Preeminence. The highest place.
That’s exactly what Paul is saying here. Jesus is not the first thing God created. Jesus is the rightful heir over everything that has been created. He stands above creation because creation belongs to Him. In fact, Paul’s next sentence makes this impossible to misunderstand. Verse 16 begins with the word “for.” Why is Jesus the firstborn over all creation? Because by Him all things were created. You can’t be part of the created order if you are the One who created the created order. Jesus isn’t creation’s first member. He’s creation’s Creator. He’s the heir of creation because He made it. He’s the ruler of creation because He made it. He’s the owner of creation because He made it. Everything belongs to Him. Which means when Paul calls Jesus the firstborn of all creation, he’s not saying Jesus is less than God. He’s saying Jesus is the visible revelation of God and the rightful Ruler of everything that exists.
II. What Jesus Does (vv. 16–17)
Ok, now you know why we are taking these four verses on so slowly. See what Paul just did? In a single verse he told us who Jesus is: God revealed, God visible, and King over creation. That’s a lot of theology packed into one sentence. But Paul isn’t finished. In fact, if verse 15 tells us who Jesus is, verses 16 and 17 tell us why He has the right to those titles.
If Jesus is the rightful ruler over creation, what gives Him that right? What exactly is His relationship to creation? Is He merely involved in creation? Is He merely observing creation? Is He merely one part of creation? Paul’s answer is emphatic: absolutely not. Jesus stands in a category all by Himself.
Look at verse 16: “For by Him all things were created.” That little word “for” is important because Paul is now explaining what he just said in verse 15. Why is Jesus the firstborn over all creation? Why is He the rightful heir? Why is He the King over creation? Because creation belongs to Him. Paul gives us three short phrases that explain Jesus’ relationship to everything that exists: by Him, through Him, and for Him.
First, by Him all things were created. Jesus is the source of creation. Nothing exists apart from Him. Genesis opens with the words, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Then John opens his Gospel by helping us understand who was there in the beginning: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” A few verses later John says, “All things were made through Him, and without Him was not any thing made that was made.” Paul is saying the exact same thing here. The stars in the sky, the mountains and oceans, the animals, the trees, the planets, you and me, everything that exists owes its existence to Jesus Christ. He is not part of creation. He is the Creator of creation.
But Paul goes even further. Not only were all things created by Him, all things were created through Him. Jesus is not only the source of creation, He is the agent of creation. Creation happened through His power, through His authority, and through His word. When God said, “Let there be light,” Jesus was not standing on the sidelines watching. The Son was actively involved in creation itself. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all active in creation, but Paul wants us to see something specific here: creation came through the Son. Every galaxy, every atom, every living thing came into existence through Jesus, through Him.
Then Paul gives us perhaps the most challenging phrase of all: all things were created for Him. Think about that for a moment. Most people spend their lives asking questions like, “Why am I here?” “What’s my purpose?” “What’s the point of all this?” Paul answers all of those questions in just two words: for Him. Creation is not ultimately about us. History is not ultimately about us. The universe, on the contrary to popular belief, is not about us. We were made for Jesus. Our lives find their meaning, purpose, and fulfillment when they revolve around Him. not Him revolving around us. Everything was created by Him, everything was created through Him, and everything was created for Him. Notice how comprehensive Paul’s language is: There is not a square inch of creation that does not belong to King Jesus.
And if that wasn’t enough for you to be in awe of Jesus, I need you to see verse 17. “He is before all things.” Before there was a universe, there was Jesus. Before there was time, there was Jesus. Before there was land or anything else, there was Jesus. Before there was a ‘Let there be,’ anything, there was Jesus. Jesus did not begin in Bethlehem. Bethlehem was His arrival for His mission to save us, yes! But that was not His beginning. He has always existed. Because He is God.
Well, then Paul gives us one final statement: “In Him all things hold together.” Jesus didn’t create the universe and walk away from it. He sustains it is what this means. Right now, at this very moment, the same Jesus who created all things is holding all things together. The planets remain in their orbit because of Him. You and I are held together, every atom in our body, by the sustaining power and will of Jesus. The universe continues to function because of Him. Creation is not running on autopilot. The Creator is still actively sustaining what He made.
And what an encouragement that is for us. Because if Jesus is capable of holding the universe together, He is capable of holding your life together. The One who sustains creation can sustain His people. Do you believe that today?
III. Why Jesus Deserves First Place (v. 18)
Now after everything Paul has said, we finally arrive at the destination he’s been driving toward this entire time. Look at verse 18: “And He is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything He might be preeminent.”
He’s been talking about galaxies, stars, oceans, atoms, all that and now he brings it right down to us. Jesus is the head of the body, the church. The church belongs to Him. It doesn’t belong to a pastor, or elders. Not the denomination. Not the people. Jesus. He is the head and we are the body. The head directs the body. The head leads the body. The head gives life to the body. The church does not tell Jesus what to do. Jesus tells the church what to do. We’ve got to get that clear.
Then Paul says that Jesus is the beginning and the firstborn from the dead. In other words, Jesus isn’t only Lord over the first creation, He is Lord over the new creation as well, the church, all of us. Jesus walked out of the grave victorious and that means resurrection is more than Jesus coming back to life. The resurrection was the beginning of God’s new creation breaking into the old one. Jesus is first. Jesus is supreme. Jesus is unmatched. That’s his point.
Paul finally tells us why he has spent four verses piling title upon title upon title onto Jesus: “that in everything He might be preeminent.” There it is. That’s the point. That’s where Paul has been going all along. Not that Jesus would have a place in our lives or be first place on Sunday morning. That in EVERYTHING He might be preeminent. That He would have first place in everything.
Why? Because if Jesus created everything, He deserves first place. If Jesus sustains everything, He deserves first place. If everything exists for Jesus, He deserves first place. If He is before all things, He deserves first place. If He conquered death itself, He deserves first place.
Jesus is not asking for a place in your life. He deserves first place in your life. First place in your marriage. First place in your parenting. First place in your finances. First place in your work. First place in your recreation. First place in your dreams. First place in your future. First place in your fears. First place in your heart. Not because He needs it. Because He deserves it.
Conclusion: Recognizing His Preeminence
And this is where I want to leave us today. When you see Jesus for who He really is, this stops being a duty and becomes worship. When you see Him as God revealed, God visible, Creator, Sustainer, King, Savior, and risen Lord, the question is no longer, “How much of my life should I give to Jesus?” The question becomes, “Is there any part of my life that doesn’t already belong to Him?” because I want to give that too!
Because there is not a square inch of creation that does not belong to King Jesus. Not your home. Not your job. Not your money. Not your marriage. Not your children. Not your future. It all belongs to Him. And that includes me. And that includes you.
So today, Stand in awe of Him. Trust Him. Worship Him. Treasure Him. And give Him the place He alone deserves in all.
Part 4, Colossians 1:24 - 2:3
Colossians 1:24-2:3 – Jesus in All: The Church
Do You Recognize Jesus?
Introduction: Living Inside the Church
This week David and I were driving back to the church after running some errands, and out of nowhere he looked at me and said, “Dad… what if we lived inside the church?” I thought, “Well, that’s a new one.” My first instinct was to jump in and explain why that probably wasn’t the best idea, but then I realized this might become one of those conversations that actually matters. So I decided to hear him out first.
I said, “Okay, David. If we lived here, where would you put your bedroom?” Without missing a beat he said, “Probably in the gym… or maybe in the offices if I got to knock out a few walls.” I said, “You know what? That’s actually not a terrible plan.”
Then I asked him a different question. “David… what does the word church mean to you?” Because that’s really the bigger question, isn’t it? When you hear the word church, what comes to your mind? For a lot of people, it’s this building. It’s Sunday morning. It’s the place we come to sing, listen, and then head home. But the church is so much more than a building. The building isn’t the church. We are.
As I thought about that conversation this week, I realized David isn’t the only one who needs to answer that question. Every generation has to answer it. What is the church? What makes it the church? What is it built on? What is its purpose? What is its treasure?
Those are exactly the questions Paul is answering in Colossians. False teachers had begun influencing the believers in Colossae. They were promising deeper wisdom, greater spiritual experiences, and something beyond the simple gospel of Jesus Christ. Before Paul ever confronts those false ideas, he does something incredibly wise. He rebuilds the foundation. Before he warns them about what is false, he reminds them of what is true. He reminds them where the church came from, what message gave it life, and what treasure it can never afford to lose. And if we’re going to be the church Jesus has called us to be, we have to keep coming back to those same foundations. Today we’re going to see Jesus in all the Church.
Colossians 1:24-2:3 Outline
Section | Thematic Question |
|---|---|
The Hidden Mystery (v. 1:24–26) | Where did the church come from? |
The Revealed Mystery (v. 1:27–29) | What is the church built on? |
The Treasure of The Mystery (v. 2:1–3) | What can the church never lose? |
I. The Hidden Mystery (vv. 1:24–26)
I think it’s important to remember that while we’re reading about Paul and mystery, this section isn’t ultimately about Paul and mystery. That’s Paul’s way of getting us to Jesus and His church. Paul is simply showing us what it looks like when someone’s life has been completely captivated by Christ.
He begins with a statement that almost sounds backwards: “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake.” That’s not how most of us naturally think, right? We rejoice because suffering is over, not while we’re still in it. So why can Paul rejoice? Because he has discovered that when your life is about Jesus, and Jesus is in all, suffering is never wasted.
Notice what he doesn’t say. He doesn’t say, “I rejoice because suffering is enjoyable,” or “I rejoice because prison is fun, really! Come join me!” He says, “I rejoice for your sake.” Paul understands that every hardship he endures is producing spiritual good in people he’ll likely never even meet. His suffering is advancing the gospel and strengthening the church. When suffering has purpose, it becomes bearable. And when suffering serves the mission of Jesus, it can even become joyful.
Then Paul says something that has confused Christians for centuries, so let’s talk about it: “I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions.” At first glance, that sounds alarming. Was something lacking in Jesus’ suffering on the cross? Absolutely not. Jesus declared, “It is finished.” His sacrifice for sin is complete, perfect, and sufficient. Nothing can ever be added to the atoning work of Christ.
So what is Paul saying? He’s saying that while Christ’s suffering for our salvation is finished, Christ’s mission through His church continues. Jesus has ascended to the Father, but He now carries His gospel to the ends of the earth through ordinary men and women who faithfully proclaim Him. Paul’s suffering is not adding to Christ’s redemption; it is participating in Christ’s mission. The same world that rejected Jesus now rejects those who faithfully represent Him. Paul gladly bears that cost because he knows the church is worth it. As he says, “for the sake of His body, that is, the church.”
And that’s actually what leads Paul to explain his role: “I became a minister according to the stewardship from God.” I love that word stewardship. Paul isn’t claiming status or importance. He’s describing a trust. God entrusted him with something precious. That word “stewardship” still means something today. Around our church we even have a Stewardship Team and I’d like to take a moment this Sunday and pause in this sermon to just say thank you.
(Pastoral Moment: Recognize the Stewardship Team) I didn’t tell them I was doing this, but if you are a part of our stewardship team, and you are in this service, can you stand on your feet, and can we say thank you today?
Ok, let’s jump back in. So Paul wasn’t called to invent a new message, improve the gospel, or adapt it to the culture. He was called to faithfully deliver what had been entrusted to him. That message, Paul says, is “the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to His saints.”
So that brings us to the question we’ve been asking: Where did the church come from? Paul’s answer is not from himself, not from Peter, not from a denomination, and not from human ingenuity. The church came from God’s eternal plan. Before there was Abraham, before there was Moses, before there was David, before there was even creation itself, God already knew exactly what He was going to do through His Son. The church was never God’s backup plan. It has always been part of His plan A. I believe that wholeheartedly.
But I think sometimes we can forget what the church even is. And so I wanted to take a moment and declare the truth of what the church is for you today. God had purposed a people for Himself. The church is the gathering of those who have been called out by the gospel and united to Christ by faith. It is Christ’s body on earth, redeemed by His blood, indwelt by His Spirit, and sent on His mission. That’s why the church matters so much. This isn’t just an organization we attend or a place we volunteer.
Hear me clearly: This is the family Jesus died to create, the body He continues to work through, the people He is refining, and the bride He is preparing for His return. This matters deeply because if we ever lose sight of where the church came from, we’ll begin to treat it like it belongs to us. But the church belongs to Jesus. And whatever belongs to Jesus should always keep Jesus at the center. He planned it, He purchased it, He is building it, and one day He is coming back for it. That’s why we can say Jesus is in all the church. I hope this helps your definition of the church and you too can then tell your kids about it when they want to live inside the church like mine do, ha!
Well, then Paul intentionally leaves us with one question hanging in the air: What is the mystery? He doesn’t answer it until the very next verse, because he wants us leaning forward. And that’s where we’ll discover what the church is truly built on.
II. The Revealed Mystery (vv. 1:27–29)
Paul finally answers the question he’s been intentionally leaving unanswered. He says, “To them God chose to make known…” Who are they? The saints he just mentioned. The church. The people God has called out for Himself. God has chosen to reveal something glorious to His people that had been hidden for generations.
Notice how Paul begins this sentence with glory and ends it with glory. God chose to make known “the riches of the glory of this mystery,” and that mystery is, drum roll please… “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Glory surrounds this entire verse because the mystery isn’t simply information to be understood; it is the new reality that now defines our lives. The mystery is not a secret teaching, a hidden code, or some deeper spiritual level reserved for a select few. The mystery is a Person. Christ Himself dwelling in His people. That’s what the church is built on.
We are not simply people who believe in Jesus. We are people in whom Jesus now lives by His Spirit. The church is not held together by a building, a denomination, a pastor, or a ministry philosophy. The church is held together because Christ is in us. That’s what makes the church the church.
Ok, so we’ve got that. And then Paul says something that has become part of the handful of ministry verses in all of Scripture that I hold tightly and defines what we do, verse 28. He starts it this way: “Him we proclaim.” Not ourselves. Not our opinions. Not politics. Not our denomination. Not our personalities. Not clever ideas. Not even a great sermon series. Him.
Friends, the church has one message, and His name is Jesus. Every sermon, every Bible study, every conversation over coffee, every counseling appointment, every kids ministry lesson, every youth gathering, every mission trip, every action we take ultimately has one purpose with laser-like focus: to proclaim Christ. If Jesus is not the center of what we’re doing, we’ve stopped doing what the church was created to do. Churches have always been tempted to make something else the center. Programs. Personalities. Preferences. Politics. But Paul keeps bringing us back to one thing: Him we proclaim.
But notice that proclaiming Christ has two sides to it. Paul says, “warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom.” Did you notice he says everyone three times? We should put this in our notes:
The Three “Everyones” of Discipleship
Warning everyone: Confronting sin and calling people back to truth.
Teaching everyone: Patiently opening God’s Word and helping people grow.
Presenting everyone mature in Christ: The ultimate goal of the Great Commission.
This is discipleship. And I need to say this so we all get this: No one is beyond discipleship. We all need someone to lovingly warn us when we’re drifting, and we all need someone to faithfully teach us how to follow Jesus. Some of us naturally gravitate toward warning, confronting sin and calling people back to truth. Others gravitate toward teaching, patiently opening God’s Word and helping people grow. Paul says the church needs both of these things. Truth without grace becomes harsh. Grace without truth becomes shallow. So we lovingly warn people when they’re heading away from Christ, and we patiently teach people how to walk with Christ because that’s exactly what Jesus has done for us.
But why do we do all of that? Well, Paul gives us the goal: “that we may present everyone mature in Christ.” That’s discipleship. That’s the third everyone. It’s the Great Commission. Jesus didn’t simply tell us to make converts. Make sure people prayed a prayer one time and make sure people get their get-out-of-hell-free card so they can do whatever they want. No! He told us to make disciples, teaching them to obey everything He commanded. Conversion is the beginning, yes, but maturity is the goal.
I know this beyond a shadow of a doubt: Friends Church does not exist simply to fill seats on Sunday morning. I want nothing to do with playing church and just making sure Sunday morning is a success. We exist to help people become mature followers of Jesus. And to this end I will give my life to this work. Men and women who increasingly think like Jesus, love like Jesus, live like Jesus, and represent Jesus. That’s the work of the church.
You may have some unmet expectations or even unspoken expectations of what a pastor is supposed to do. Don’t worry, I do too! Along with the moments where I wonder if I’m enough for this calling and I carry a level of imposter syndrome as your lead pastor—if I’m real with you—but Paul makes the call very clear. We exist to help people become mature followers of Jesus. That is my life’s work and I am truly humbled and honored to be a part of Jesus’ amazing church.
Well, Paul finishes by saying, “For this I toil, struggling with all His energy that He powerfully works within me.” I love the honesty in that verse because discipleship is hard work. It takes time. It takes sacrifice. It takes patience. It takes tears. It takes prayer. It takes opening your home. It takes having difficult conversations. It takes walking with people through failure and celebrating with them in victory.
In other words, and I tell this to our staff team all the time: all it takes is everything. That’s a phrase I’ve said before because I believe it with all my heart. The work of the gospel is the magnum opus of my life because there is no greater work than helping people know Christ and become mature in Him.
But don’t miss the end of the verse. Paul doesn’t do this in his own strength. He toils. He struggles. He gives everything he has. But it is Christ’s energy powerfully working within him. That’s our hope as well. The church is built on Christ, it proclaims Christ, it matures people in Christ, and it is sustained by the strength of Christ. That’s why we can say with confidence: The church is built on Jesus and He gives it the energy it needs to do the work of proclaiming Him to everyone.
III. The Treasure of The Mystery (vv. 2:1–3)
Paul closes this section by opening his heart. And I hope you can live in it with me for a moment. He says, “For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you.”
I love that. Paul has never met most of these believers, yet he loves them deeply. He prays for them. He fights for them. He writes to them. Why? Because that’s what love does. Love labors. Love intercedes. Love carries people before God. All it takes is everything yall. Paul’s struggle isn’t ultimately against the bad people coming after this church; his struggle is for people he loves.
And then he tells us exactly what he’s praying. He says, “That their hearts may be encouraged.” Isn’t that beautiful? Paul begins with their hearts. Because if your heart isn’t encouraged in Christ, everything else eventually becomes duty instead of delight. Maybe that’s exactly what some of us need today. I know I do! Maybe you’re weary. Maybe you’ve been carrying burdens no one else knows about. Maybe your faith has been wavering lately. Paul’s prayer for the Colossians becomes another one of my prayers for you: that your heart would be encouraged today. Because Jesus hasn’t changed. His love for you is constant.
Paul adds another piece, he says, “being knit together in love.” The church was never meant to be a room full of strangers who happen to attend the same service. We are family because we’ve all been adopted by the same Father. We are one body because we all belong to the same Savior. The closer we grow to Jesus, the closer we grow to one another. That’s why unity can never be something we manufacture; it’s something Christ creates as we gather around Him.
Once the heart is dealt with, He then shares what he wants them to reach: “all the riches of full assurance of understanding.” I love those words. Riches. Full. Assurance. Paul doesn’t want insecure Christians wondering if Jesus is enough or if Jesus is in all. He doesn’t want believers constantly chasing the next spiritual experience, the next new teaching, or the next hidden secret. He wants them settled. Confident. Rooted. Fully assured that what they have in Christ is enough.
And then he tells us why: “the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ.” There it is. Just in case you missed it: The mystery is Jesus. And he clarifies with a description of Jesus: “In whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” Don’t miss what Paul is saying. Everything your soul has been searching for is found in Jesus.
The forgiveness you’ve longed for.
The peace you’ve needed.
The purpose you’ve been chasing.
The identity you’ve been trying to discover.
The wisdom you don’t have.
The hope you’ve been waiting for.
It’s all found in Him. Not mostly in Him. Not partly in Him. All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are found in Christ. That’s why Paul keeps bringing us back to Jesus over and over again. Because every time we drift, we drift toward something that promises what Jesus offers but can never deliver it. We chase success. We chase comfort. We chase security. We chase approval. We chase control. Yet every one of those things eventually leaves us because none of them were ever meant to carry the weight of our souls.
But let me tell you something, Jesus can. He is not simply one treasure among many. He is the treasure. Jesus is the treasure and we will never lose Him.
Conclusion: We Are the Church
As I sat with this passage all week, I realized I was really building an answer for David’s question, and maybe for all of us. He asked me if we could live inside the church. And I think I’d say, well, we can live in any building God allows us to live in, but that isn’t the church.
The church is us. And we are a people called by Jesus, with Jesus in us, to live for Jesus and carry out His mission. Jesus is supreme in all things, especially in His church. Today I pray that He will receive all of our adoration. Let’s worship Him today.
Part 5, Colossians 2:4-10
Colossians 2:4-10: The Fullness of Truth
Introduction: Changing Seasons and the Unchanging King
Happy 4th y’all. You know, I remember 4th of July growing up. We would go to my cousin’s house and every year, we had a perfect view of the firework show from their front lawn. It was picture perfect as a kid. We would have barbeque, play basketball and kickball, catch lightning bugs, and my aunt would make popcorn just in time for the fireworks to start.
Those memories are so vivid in my mind… And sadly, those memories stay as memories. My aunt and uncle moved out of that house, so no more perfect view of fireworks. Half of my cousins moved away, including myself, and we are all starting families and making new 4th of July traditions of our own.
And that’s life, isn’t it? Seasons change, traditions change, even churches can change, and nations. 250 years is an amazing cause for celebration, but it is not that long in comparison to human history and other nations, right? These things change. But today, we will discover the one thing that doesn’t change. And our main thought for today is going to lead us in that discovery:
Main Thought: Jesus is the fullness of truth.
Sermon Outline:
VV. 4-5: Guard the truth you’ve received
VV. 6-7: Walk in the truth you’ve received
V. 8: Reject every substitute of truth
VV. 9-10: Dwell in the fullness of truth
Point 1: Guard the Truth You’ve Received (VV. 4-5)
Let’s jump into verses 4–5, where Paul begins explaining why he is writing this section of the letter. Paul concludes his opening argument by explaining why he has spent so much time magnifying Christ. The phrase Paul uses here, “I say this,” reaches back to everything he has just written about Jesus. Before Paul ever warns the church about false teaching, he reminds them who Christ is. He is supreme over all creation, completely sufficient for our salvation, and the fullness of God dwelling bodily among us. In other words, Paul establishes Christ first, and then he addresses what is not of Christ.
And this brings us into the warning against deception he starts with in verse 4. And the warning against deception is intentionally built around a right understanding of who Jesus is. Paul warns the Colossians not to be deceived by plausible arguments. He will explain those arguments more fully in verse 8, but for now he simply acknowledges that they exist and that they are persuasive. So he warns them — but not because they have abandoned the faith. In fact, quite the opposite. Their church is healthy.
Paul writes to a healthy church because even healthy churches are not immune to deception. And Paul is not writing to them from a place of trying to fix things before the wheels fall off. He is writing from a place of joy because of where they are now.
Verse 5 is the proof of that:
“…rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ.”
Paul says that although he is absent in body, his heart is with them. Through this letter he is encouraging them, supporting them, and rejoicing in what God is doing among them.
Notice what Paul doesn’t mention. He doesn’t mention ministry success, numerical growth, or visible accomplishments. Because that isn’t his concern. So then what is? Their steadfast faith in Christ. That is what matters most. His concern is not merely that they have begun well. His concern is that they continue standing firmly in Christ.
The same is true for us today. The church must recognize that deception is a real danger, even for believers and churches that are presently walking faithfully with Christ. Remaining steadfast requires continually fixing our attention on Him. Here is the call for us today: Steadfast faith in Christ is the church’s greatest defense against deception.
Our faith in Christ must be immovable. The truth we cling to in Christ is everything. It is what governs our thoughts, it is what shapes our actions. Friends, what faith do we have in Christ, what truth do we hold to if it is not the central focus of our lives? Look at what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:58:
“Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable…”
Here is the truth about it. The defining mark of a healthy church, the defining mark of a healthy believer is not visible success. Churches often define health by buildings, attendance, budgets, or influence. Believers often define health by Bible memorization, attending church, tithing, or how often we pray. Paul defines it differently. He points us to steadfast faith in Christ. Steadfast faith is this: continually trusting Christ as sufficient, refusing to look anywhere else for what only He can provide. In other words, it’s this: Steadfast faith keeps Christ as its only source of fullness.
When I first came to this church in 2021, you could certainly point to visible signs of whatever we want to call it, “success” maybe. A brand-new building had just been built. The pews were being filled. And praise the Lord for every bit of it. But friends, I will take steadfast faith in Christ over a new building every day of my life until I meet Jesus face to face. I will take steadfast faith in Christ over full pews every day of the week until I meet Jesus face to face.
Can both happen at the same time? Absolutely. You should memorize your Bible. You should want to attend church. You should want to be part of a church that wants to grow in Christ and invite others into this amazing faith journey. I believe we’re in a season where God is blessing steadfast faithfulness, and I praise Him for that.
But if our primary focus becomes the blessings instead of Christ Himself, we’ve missed the point. We have faith in Christ because of Christ. Not because of anything in addition to Him. So if God leads us to build another building, praise the Lord. If God continues bringing people through our doors, praise the Lord. But if neither of those things happens, praise the Lord.
Do you see? Those things have never been the goal. The goal is, and always will be, Christ Himself. Steadfast faith in Christ. And church, you get ready… Because a church that’s on mission with God, seeking Christ and Christ alone, is a church God will use.
And that is why Paul rejoices in their good order and the firmness of their faith in Christ. He rejoices because they remain steadfast in Christ and that is exactly what he longs for them to continue. And he literally continues in that thought in verses 6-7.
Point 2: Walk in the Truth You’ve Received (VV. 6-7)
Verse 6 says:
“Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him…”
There are two observations that unlock this passage. The first is this: Who have you received?
Paul gives Jesus three titles:
Christ — the promised Messiah.
Jesus — the historical Savior.
The Lord — the sovereign King.
All three titles belong to the same person. This is who you have received. You have received Jesus Himself, the promised Messiah, the historical Savior, and the sovereign King.
The second observation is found in two words: As | So. Those two words carry the weight of this entire verse. “As you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him.”
If you’re anything like me, you can read this and immediately think Paul is saying, “Keep growing. Keep getting better.” Now, that is certainly part of the Christian life. In fact, Paul is going to describe that in verse 7. But that is not his emphasis in verse 6. Instead, Paul is saying something foundational to the Christian life: Continue in Christ the same way you first received Him.
There is no graduating from Christ. Sometimes we treat Christianity like school. We begin in kindergarten, work our way through the grades, and eventually graduate to something else. Paul says the Christian life doesn’t work that way. The same Savior you trusted on the first day is the Savior you continue trusting every day afterward. The Christian life doesn’t begin with Jesus and continue onto something else. It begins with Jesus and continues through Jesus. That is the journey…
(speaking with a brief pause) So… How did we receive Christ? By grace through faith. With empty hands. Completely dependent upon Him. How do we continually walk in Christ? The exact same way. We first received Christ by grace through faith, with empty hands and lives dependent upon Him. We now walk in Christ by grace through faith, with empty hands and lives dependent upon Him.
Then notice what happens next. He takes it a step further. He gets practical. Because the Christian life is very practical. Paul tells us in verse 7 what the Christian life will produce in us. He says we are rooted, built up, established in the faith, and overflowing with thanksgiving. That is the progression we see here from verse 6 to verse 7. Verse 6 tells us how we continue. Verse 7 tells us what continuing produces. As we continue trusting Christ, God roots us more deeply in Him. He builds us up. He establishes us. He strengthens us. He continues His sanctifying work within us.
You know, this is making me think back to May 30th, which was a day that forever changed my life—it was the day my son was born. What a monumental and emotional day. It was overwhelmingly amazing. A day I will never forget.
(pause)
You know what day I have forgotten? June 4th. I couldn’t tell you a single thing that happened that day (I think I got 3 hours of sleep and stared at my newborn baby the entire day). So let me ask you a question then. On June 4th, was I more of a father than I was on May 30th? No. I became a father on May 30th. And on June 4th, I was still a father. Same on June 5th, and June 6th, and every day after that. And till this day, I am continuing in the very early stages of fatherhood.
Now, have I made mistakes since then? Absolutely. I may have put a diaper on backwards at three o’clock in the morning. It happens. That didn’t make me less of a father. Can I continue growing as a father? Of course. I’m learning. I’m learning to ask questions, and I am learning to ask the right questions. I’m leaning on other dads and soon-to-be dads in my community. I’ve used the wisdom and encouragement of people who have walked this road before me.
But those things didn’t make me a father. I became a father the day my son was born. And yes, those have been and will continue to be tools and resources in my life to help me continue living as a father. But I am a father because on May 30th Judah James Davis was born. And I have now been given the greatest title next to husband I could have ever been given.
Church, that’s what Paul is saying. The day you were saved, you became a Christian. You are not more of a Christian today than you were the day Christ saved you. You are still in Christ. Now, the encouragement, the warning even, the gentle nudge in the right direction is to continue living in the same grace and dependence by which you first received Him. As you do, God roots you more deeply. He builds us up. He establishes your faith. He surrounds you with His people, His Word, and His Spirit so that you might continue well. The Christian life is about spending the rest of your life discovering Christ is more than enough. For you.
Point 3: Reject Every Substitute of Truth (V. 8)
That is exactly why Paul moves into verse 8. If the Christian life is lived by continuing in Christ the same way we first received Him, then we must reject anything that tempts us to look somewhere else. We continue in Christ because there is nowhere better to go.
So far, Paul has shown us two realities. In verses 4–5, we guard the truth. In verses 6–7, we continue in that truth, or for the sake of our outline, we walk in that truth. Now, in verse 8, Paul gives us the other side of that same command: We reject every substitute for truth.
Let’s dive into what Paul means here. Listen to how he begins: “See to it…” Or as some translations put it, “Watch out.” “Be careful.” “Stay on guard.” Paul is calling the church to live with spiritual alertness. Another way to describe it is to be discerning.
But before he tells us what to watch out for, he tells us who to watch out for. He says, “See to it that no one…” Notice, Paul doesn’t warn them about an idea first. He warns them about people who teach ideas. Why? Because ideas spread through people. That is why so many cults exist. Cults don’t begin by someone saying, “I am here to deceive you.” No, they begin with someone who is persuasive. Someone who is charismatic and confident and well spoken. People follow people and eventually they begin following the ideas those people teach. That’s exactly why Paul says, “See to it that no one…” It could have been that Paul was dealing with something similar – a persuasive leader who slowly gains people’s trust until his ideas replace the authority of Christ. That’s what he is warning against. No one should take you captive from these ideas they are trying to spread.
Now this word captive is strong imagery. This word… it’s like when an army would win a battle and soldiers would carry the prisoners of the opposing side away into prison to waste away. And it was such strong imagery I thought the only way to describe it was to use AI to generate this image for me.
Now imagine, just like the image, they carry me away and convince me, persuade me to start drinking black coffee. And as bad as I want to say, “no! I want my iced grande vanilla latte with cold foam on top,” (pause)… it’s too late, they are carrying me away into the abyss that is black coffee. (pause again)
Now it’s a joke when we are talking about coffee, but Paul isn’t joking when we are talking about Christ. And how these ideas and these people who are convincing and persuasive can actually carry us away from Christ. This is not a light thing he is describing here. There is a danger looming and Paul wants to protect them from that danger.
And then he names it. Paul names the danger. He says philosophy and empty deceit. This is likely the same thing. Some kind of philosophy that offers empty deceit. And then he says:
“…according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.”
Do you notice what is being repeated here? And also what is being contrasted? This is the key to the entire verse. If it is according to this or that, but not according to Christ, it is a problem. Christ is the standard. And if the ideas we are allowing in our minds do not measure up to the standard of Christ, they will steer us away from Christ. And I don’t know what those things are for you. I don’t, I don’t know what you are allowing in your mind that can take you away from Christ and take you away from the fullness of truth…..
But I know what can for me. I know that I am a go-getter. I want to do my very best. Like if I put my name on something, you better believe my expectation is nothing short of excellence. However, if my striving for excellence is greater than my strive for Christ, I will fail. That includes marriage, parenthood, and ministry. I want to be excellent in each of those. I just can’t let excellence be my primary focus.
So what should I do? Steadfast faith in Christ. A life lived according to Christ. Him as the standard, not my excellence in anything. Because my excellence in anything will never amount to the excellence of Christ. This is what I am getting at here: Every belief must be measured by the standard of Christ.
So hear Paul’s warning today. Don’t let anyone carry you away from Christ. Don’t let a clever argument become a greater authority than God’s Word. Don’t let a persuasive personality become more influential than Jesus Himself. And don’t let your own ambition in life ever outweigh your ambition for Christ. Because every teaching, every voice, every trend, every desire, every spiritual claim must ultimately be measured by one question: Is it according to Christ?
Point 4: Dwell in the Fullness of Truth (VV. 9-10)
This brings us to the climax of the passage. Everything Paul has written has been leading us to these final two verses. Why guard the truth? Why continue in Christ the same way you first received Him? Why reject every substitute that tempts you to look somewhere else?
Because of this:
“For in Him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in Him, who is the head of all rule and authority.”
Paul says, “in Him.” Paul is consistently bringing us back to Christ in this passage. Walk in Him, be built up in Him, don’t follow teaching that is not according to Christ. And now he tells us why. Because in Him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily. Paul leaves no room for doubt about who Jesus is. The fullness of God dwells in Him. Everything that makes God, God, is fully present in Jesus Christ.
And then Paul says something just simply beautiful: “You have been filled in Him.”
(Church, if you have any doubt this morning, any shame, any burden that you have been carrying, any question of where you stand before God today, let this be comfort to your soul).
You see, outside of Christ, we were separated from God because of our sin. But in Him we have been forgiven, redeemed, reconciled, and made new. We don’t need to look anywhere else because everything we truly need is found in Christ.
We guard the truth because Christ is the fullness of truth. We continue in Christ because there is nowhere better to go. We reject every substitute because nothing can offer what Christ has already given.
Traditions will change. Seasons of life will come and go. Holiday traditions will one day be memories. Even nations rise and fall. But Christ remains. Friends, don’t leave here determined to try harder or to be better. Leave here seeing Christ more clearly. Leave here with steadfast faith, continuing in the work God has called you to, always remembering that Jesus is the fullness of truth.
Let’s worship.
Part 6, Colossians 2:11-17
Colossians 2:11-17: The Triumph of Freedom
Introduction: True Freedom
Let me ask you a question this morning. What does it mean to be truly free? We throw that word around all the time. We celebrate freedom. We sing about freedom. We fight for freedom. We teach our children to value freedom. But if I asked you this morning, “Are you truly free?” How would you answer?
I don’t mean politically. I don’t mean financially. I don’t even mean physically. I mean spiritually. Are you free from guilt? Are you free from shame? Are you free from your past? Are you free from trying to prove yourself? Are you free from wondering if you’ve done enough for God? Are you free from the accusations that constantly remind you of your failures?
You can be politically free and spiritually imprisoned. You can have money and still be in chains. You can even be religious and still not be free.
Paul says that kind of freedom is possible. But here’s what’s fascinating: He doesn’t begin by talking about freedom. He begins by talking about circumcision, baptism, death, forgiveness, debt, the cross, and a defeated enemy. At first glance, none of that sounds like freedom. But by the time we arrive at the “therefore” in verse 16, we’re going to discover that every one of those things was necessary for Jesus to accomplish our freedom.
As we’ve been walking through Colossians together, we’ve been saying over and over that Colossians is all about Jesus in all. Now you might be wondering how I got there because the word “freedom” never actually appears in this passage. And you’re right, it doesn’t. Paul never uses the word. But by the time he reaches the “therefore” in verse 16, I think you’ll see that freedom has been his destination all along.
Today, I want to show you how and why when you receive Christ, and you walk in Him rooted, built up, and established as you are taught, Jesus will set you free. You can live free in Him.
Sermon Outline:
V11-12: “In Him” — Freedom Begins with Union
V13-15: “Alive with Him” — Freedom was Accomplished by Jesus
V16-17: “The Substance” — Freedom Needs Nothing Else
V11-12: “In Him” — Freedom Begins with Union
Well, great. It’s first thing in the morning and we’ve got to talk about circumcision. Give me a break already with this. Ok, if we are going to do this properly, I want to give 3 really good points about “why circumcision?” Have you thought about that before? I’m not assuming you sit around thinking about circumcision all the time. I think it’s pretty much pastors, pediatricians, and parents that think about circumcision in that order—that’s about it.
All jokes aside, why did God choose this of all things, knowing that this was going to be awkward in church to talk about and yet it’s literally ALL over your Bible? Here’s why I don’t like it: I think it’s gross, I think it’s bloody and painful, and I think we inevitably have to think about reproduction when we think about a reproductive organ. And yet, as logical and as ridiculous as that might sound all at the same time, I think that is exactly why God chose circumcision. It’s not just gross for no reason. It should make us think about the ugliness of sin.
Circumcision reminds us that sin needs to be cut off. It’s bloody and painful. Yes!
Circumcision points us to the cross because the removal of sin would ultimately require the shedding of blood.
Circumcision prepares us to look for the promised Seed who would finally bring deliverance. You can’t think about circumcision without thinking of a male reproductive organ! Yes, you should be thinking about the Seed, a baby that comes from reproduction, the promise made all the way back in Genesis 3 and then again to Abraham who was the first circumcised.
As strange as it may seem to us in 2026, God doesn’t choose symbols randomly. Every sign He gives teaches us something about redemption. Circumcision wasn’t given to embarrass us in church; it was given to prepare us for Christ.
So Paul is saying: You don’t need the old sign because Christ has accomplished the greater reality. Paul says, “In Him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands,” meaning everything circumcision pointed toward has now been accomplished in Christ. The cutting away of sin. The covenant fulfilled. The heart cleansed. The promised Seed has come. Jesus didn’t get rid of circumcision by making it irrelevant—no, He fulfilled it by accomplishing what it could only symbolize to us.
But then what do we do with verse 12? Circumcision is now baptism? And so do I need to be circumcised and baptized, or do I pick one?
That’s not the point. The point is, no religious ritual can unite you to Christ. And because that’s true, Paul picks two familiar rituals in these verses, but he clearly is not talking about the physical acts of circumcision and baptism. Instead, he is talking about the spiritual reality behind the physical ritual.
The clearest defining piece behind both rituals is union with Christ. Notice Paul doesn’t say this happens through the power of circumcision or through the power of baptism. It happens through faith in the powerful working of God. God is the One doing the work. Christ accomplished it. Faith receives it.
This identification means that whatever happened to Christ also happened to us. When He died, we died with Him. When He was buried, we were buried. When He arose again, we arose with Him. You might be asking, why does Paul move from circumcision to baptism in one sentence? Because neither one is his point. They’re illustrations. Circumcision looked forward to Christ. Baptism looks back to Christ. Paul’s concern isn’t ultimately either ritual. His concern is the reality they point to: union with Christ.
Freedom begins with union in Christ. Do you want freedom? It begins by being in Him. That’s where it starts. Beginning in verse 13, he’s going to explain why we needed all of this in the first place. He says, “And you were dead…” Let’s look at verses 13 through 15 together.
V13-15: “Alive with Him” — Freedom was Accomplished by Jesus
Have you ever really stopped to think about what happened at the cross? I don’t mean what happened physically. Most of us know that story. Jesus was arrested. He was beaten. He carried a cross. Nails pierced His hands and feet. He died. He was buried. Three days later He rose again. That’s our story and we believe it.
But have you ever asked, what actually changed because of that? What happened in heaven? What happened to my sin? What happened to my guilt? What happened to the accusations against me? What happened to Satan’s claim over my life?
Remember where Paul began this letter. In that beautiful hymn we covered back in chapter 1, he declared that God “has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of His beloved Son.” He announced our rescue. But now, here in chapter 2, Paul explains how God accomplished that rescue. This is how God took people who belonged to the kingdom of darkness and brought them into the kingdom of His beloved Son.
What we have to see is these next three verses are among the richest descriptions of the gospel in all of Scripture. Paul is explaining what Jesus’ death accomplished. Every phrase builds on the one before it. So let’s work it through together.
Take note of Paul’s progression:
You were dead $\rightarrow$ God made you alive. How? By forgiving all your trespasses.
How could He forgive them? $\rightarrow$ By canceling the record of debt that stood against you with its legal demands.
How was that debt canceled? $\rightarrow$ By nailing it to the cross.
And what else happened at the cross? $\rightarrow$ Jesus disarmed the rulers and authorities and He put them to open shame. He triumphed over them.
Let’s start at the beginning of verse 13: Paul begins with bad news. “And you were dead.” Think about that. Not struggling. Not wounded. Not spiritually confused. Dead.
That’s an important distinction because our culture tends to believe that people are basically good. We just need a little direction, a little education, a little motivation, maybe a second chance. You might be thinking you just need to add a little extra to what you’ve got going and you’ll be alright. But Paul doesn’t describe the human condition that way. He says we were dead. Spiritually dead.
What does that mean? Well, here’s what I know: Dead people cannot give themselves life. A dead person cannot improve themself. A dead person can’t decide they’ll just get better. Life has to come from outside of a dead person.
And that is exactly Paul’s point. Christianity is not about God helping people become a little better or bad people becoming good. Christianity is about God giving life to people who could never produce life for themselves. Sit in that for a minute.
And now notice who does the work: “God made you alive.” God is the subject of the sentence. God is the One doing the work. We are simply the recipient. That’s the gospel. From beginning to end, salvation is God’s work.
But don’t miss the next phrase: “God made you alive together with Him.” — Colossians 2:13. Paul keeps returning to this language throughout Colossians: “In Him.” “With Him.” “Through Him.” Our new life isn’t found apart from Christ. It is found only in union with Christ. When Jesus walked out of that tomb on the third day, He didn’t prove that resurrection was possible; He became the source of resurrection life for everyone who belongs to Him. Because we are united with Him, what happened to Christ is now counted as having happened to us. That’s why Paul can say we were buried with Him, raised with Him, and now, made alive together with Him. This is what changed because of the cross.
But then Paul tells us how God made us alive. He says, “Having forgiven us all our trespasses.” — Colossians 2:13. Don’t rush past that little word. All. That’s Greek for all. Not the sins you’re willing to admit. Not only the sins before you became a Christian. Not everything except that one thing you still regret. God declares in His word: All our trespasses. Every sinful thought. Every sinful word. Every selfish action. Every act of rebellion. Every hidden sin. Every public sin. Every trespass. Forgiven. Completely. Fully. Forever.
Why is that such good news? Because if even one sin remained unforgiven, we would still stand guilty before a perfectly holy God. The miracle isn’t that God overlooked our sin. The miracle is that He completely forgave it. And even the word “forgave” is full of grace. It means to graciously grant, to freely pardon. God didn’t forgive us because we earned it. He forgave us because He is gracious.
But that raises an important question: If God is perfectly holy, if every one of our sins is real, if His justice cannot simply ignore evil, how can He forgive every trespass without compromising His holiness?
Paul isn’t leaving that question unanswered. In fact, that’s exactly what he tells us. He tells us God forgave us:
By canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. — Colossians 2:14
Now let’s pause there because Paul has shifted into courtroom language. He wants us to picture ourselves standing before a perfectly holy Judge, and the evidence is not in our favor. The phrase “record of debt” referred to a handwritten certificate acknowledging that a debt existed and that payment was owed. Paul borrows that image and applies it to our spiritual condition.
Imagine that every sinful thought, word, selfish motive, every act of rebellion, every violation of God’s holy law was written down as evidence against you. Because it is. Every sin creates a real debt before a holy God. Notice He doesn’t say God simply ignored them. The record really existed because we really sinned. We really broke God’s law. We really stood guilty before Him.
This is one of the great differences between biblical Christianity and every man-made religion. Most religions tell you to work harder, do more good than bad, and somehow tip the scales in your favor. The Bible never says that because the problem isn’t that our scales are out of balance; the problem is that we have a debt we cannot pay. Our guilt is real. Our debt is real. Our condemnation is deserved.
But then Paul gives one of the most hope-filled words in this entire passage: canceled. God didn’t reduce the debt. He didn’t negotiate the debt. He didn’t put us on a payment plan. He canceled it. The word literally means to wipe away, to erase, to remove completely. Not to cover it up or to pretend it never happened. God doesn’t sweep it under the rug. He erased it away. Canceled it.
But that should leave us asking one more question: How can a righteous Judge simply erase a real debt? If the debt is real, someone still has to pay it.
Paul isn’t finished. In the very next phrase, he tells us exactly how God canceled our debt:
“This He set aside, nailing it to the cross.” — Colossians 2:14
Don’t miss what Paul is saying. God did not cancel your debt by pretending it wasn’t there. He didn’t lower His standards or compromise His justice. The debt was canceled because it was paid in full.
Picture that handwritten record again—every page of evidence stacked against us in God’s courtroom. Paul says God took that record and nailed it to the cross. Now, historically, when someone was crucified, it wasn’t uncommon for a written charge to be fastened above the condemned person. We even see that with Jesus. Above His head was written, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” That was the official accusation for which Rome claimed He was being executed.
But Paul says something astonishing happened at another level: The record nailed to Christ’s cross wasn’t ultimately His. It was ours. The debt belonged to me. The guilt belonged to me. The condemnation belonged to me. Yet Jesus willingly took my place.
The cross is the place where the justice of God and the mercy of God meet. God did not ignore sin; He judged it. He did not excuse our guilt; He placed it upon His Son. Every demand of God’s holy law was satisfied because Christ fulfilled its demands on our behalf. When Jesus cried out, “It is finished,” He wasn’t saying His life was over; He was declaring that the debt that you and I have has been paid in full. God did not sweep your sin under the rug; He laid it on the shoulders of His Son and nailed it to the cross. The cross declares that the payment has been made. The debt has been canceled. The account has been settled. We have got to see this today.
But the cross didn’t only accomplish something for us. It accomplished something over our enemy—the real enemy, the enemy of your soul. He says:
“He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, triumphing over them in Him.” — Colossians 2:15
Think about an old western showdown for a moment. Two men stand in the middle of the street. The dust is blowing. A tumbleweed passes by. Finally, one reaches for his revolver and there’s nothing there. The holster is empty. He’s been disarmed.
That’s the picture Paul is painting. Before the cross, Satan’s greatest weapon was accusation. Every time he pointed at you, he’d say: “He’s guilty.” “She’s guilty.” “They deserve judgment.” And apart from Christ, he was absolutely right. We really had sinned. We really had broken God’s law. We really did stand condemned before a holy God.
But then Jesus went to the cross. He forgave every trespass. He canceled the record of debt. He laid our sin on His own shoulders and nailed it to the cross. So now, when the Accuser, Satan, and his rulers and authorities reach for their weapon, there’s nothing there. The holster is empty. He’s been disarmed. The debt is gone. The record has been canceled. The case has been closed. His greatest weapon has been taken away because Jesus has already paid in full what justice demanded. That’s what you have to see here!
And then Paul goes even further. He says Christ “put them to open shame.” In the Roman world, when a king or general won a great victory, he would return home leading a triumphal procession through the streets. The defeated rulers would follow behind him, stripped of their weapons, exposed before everyone as conquered enemies. Their defeat was humiliating and public.
Paul says that’s what happened at the cross. From the world’s perspective, it looked like Jesus had lost. He was arrested, mocked, beaten, crucified, and buried. It appeared that darkness had won. But heaven saw something entirely different. The cross was not Satan’s greatest victory; it was his greatest defeat. What looked like defeat became Christ’s triumph. The rulers and authorities thought they had silenced the Son of God. Instead, they participated in the very plan that would secure their own defeat.
Three days later, the empty tomb announced to the world that Jesus Christ had conquered sin, death, and every power that stood against His people. That’s my Jesus.
Don’t misunderstand what Paul is saying. Satan is still a liar. He still tempts. He still deceives. He still seeks to discourage and intimidate God’s people. But because of the cross, he no longer has a legitimate case against those who are in Christ. The devil still has a voice, but because of the cross, he no longer has a case. Jesus has forgiven every trespass, canceled every debt, satisfied every demand of God’s justice, and triumphed over every enemy. And because Christ has won that victory, we don’t fight for victory against the enemy; we fight from victory. This is how Jesus accomplished our freedom.
V16-17: “The Substance” — Freedom Needs Nothing Else
Now we finally arrive at Paul’s “therefore.” Every time you see the word “therefore” in Scripture, you should ask, “What’s the therefore there for?”
Paul has spent the last several verses reminding us of everything Jesus accomplished. We were dead, and God made us alive together with Christ. He forgave every trespass. He canceled the record of debt that stood against us. He laid our sin on the shoulders of His Son and nailed it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities. He put them to open shame. He triumphed over them.
Therefore… if all of that is true, then don’t let anyone put you back into the prison Christ has already set you free from.
That’s exactly what was happening in Colossae. There were teachers who were saying, “Jesus is good, but He’s not enough.” They insisted that if someone really wanted to please God, they needed Jesus plus Jewish food laws, Jesus plus religious festivals, Jesus plus Sabbaths, Jesus plus all the ceremonies of the old covenant. They weren’t outright denying Christ; they were diminishing Him. They were telling believers that Christ had started their salvation, but they needed to finish it by keeping the Law.
Legalism has never really disappeared; it has just changed clothes. Today it may not look exactly like first-century Judaism, but the message is often the same. It says, “If you do enough, if you perform well enough, if you keep all the right rules, then God will accept you. Then Jesus will really work in your life.” It sounds spiritual, but it quietly shifts our confidence away from Christ and back onto ourselves.
But think about what Paul has just told us: We were dead. Dead people don’t make themselves alive. God made us alive together with Christ. So why would we tell spiritually dead people, “Act like you’re alive so that maybe God will make you alive”? That isn’t the gospel. The gospel is that Christ gives life first, and transformed living follows. Obedience is the fruit of salvation, not the price of admission.
And for those of us who already belong to Christ, let me ask another question. After everything Paul has just described, what exactly are we going to add? Can your church attendance improve on what Jesus accomplished at the cross? Can your Bible reading add to a canceled debt? Can your giving improve on a finished sacrifice? Can your performance defeat an enemy Christ has already triumphed over?
Of course not. It almost sounds stupid to say out loud. That’s why Paul concludes by saying that these things were “a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.”
Shadows are not bad. In fact, they served a God-given purpose. They pointed forward. They prepared God’s people. But no one clings to the shadow once the person has arrived.
The substance has a name: Jesus Christ. Everything the Law anticipated finds its fulfillment in Him. Everything the sacrifices pointed toward is accomplished in Him. Everything the festivals celebrated is completed in Him. Everything we need for life, forgiveness, righteousness, acceptance, and freedom is found in Him.
So today, don’t leave here trying to earn what Christ has already accomplished. Don’t rebuild the prison He has already opened. Don’t carry a debt He has already canceled. Don’t believe the accusations of an enemy who has already been disarmed. Don’t live like you’re still dead. Walk in the freedom that Jesus purchased for you because the substance belongs to Christ. The freedom that Jesus offers needs nothing else.
