"The Gospel is Our Daily Source of Sustenance"

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 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. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister (Colossians 1:15-23).

In this moving passage that reads like a psalm, Paul declares the preeminence of Christ over all things, visible and invisible. To clear away confusion, the apostle states that from the creation of all things to the redemption of their souls, Christ is Lord of all. He is both transcendent Lord of all things far removed from them, and immanent Lord of all things near to them. The One through whom all things were created (v. 16) is also the One who provides peace with God through his blood on the cross (v. 20). He is the head of creation (vv. 15–17) and the head of the church (vv. 18–20).

Here is the awe-inspiring mystery of the God-man, Jesus Christ—he who threw out the stars with his hands also had nails driven through those hands to reconcile us who were once alienated, hostile, and evil (vv. 21–22). Now that we are considered holy and blameless before God through Christ’s sinless life and sacrificial work on the cross, Christians are called by Paul to remember their hope in the Lord Jesus and to remain steadfast in their walk (v. 23; cf. Matt. 7:24–27). And once more Paul tells us that the gospel is our daily source of sustenance; we are to be “stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard” (Col. 1:23).

Gospel Transformation Bible