COLOSSIANS 1:18 – He is also the head of the body, the church; He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He might come to have first place in everything.”

THEME OF THE DAY:  THE PREEMINENCE OF THE LORD JESUS.  One of the easiest things to do in the Christian life is to acknowledge the first part of today’s scripture but noticeably forget to personalize the ending. Allow me to explain my statement. Is it not easy to say, “Yes, Jesus is the Head of the church.  He has first place or preeminence in all things and everything in His church.”  And that is exactly what the Apostle Paul is telling us in the opening of today’s scripture.  But what about applying the latter part personally – the part about Jesus having first place in everything and that in our lives? We are going to answer that question with two other questions for self-examination, but first a reminder from the Apostle Peter laying the foundation – But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9). If we hope to be able to answer with a confident “Yes, Jesus has first place in everything in my life”, we must be settled in our minds that we are owned by Him. We are bought property.  Now, the self-examination questions.

Does Jesus have first place in our affections – And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself” (Luke 10:27)? If He does, there is no relationship, no pursuit, no hobby, no recreation, no vocation, and no desire that puts Jesus second place in our hearts and minds.  I know.  A tall order and never-ending battle but our God is a jealous God and will not allow our hearts to have competing affections.

Next, does Jesus have first place in the use of our resources – time (what and who we invest in), talents (others-centered or self-centered), and treasure (money; its investment and use – spiritual and eternal or materially and temporal) – Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever (1 John 2:15-17)?  The way to determine our answer is when choosing how to use our time, talents, and treasure. Do we first pray and ask God what and how He would have us to act or are we quick to decide what we want to do, then give God our “leftover time” to include the use of our talents and treasures?

Well, Christ is Head over all things in His church and He is to be in the same position in all areas of our lives.  May it be so in an ever-increasing fashion all the days of our lives!

PRAYER: “Father, help me to see the preeminence of Your Son, not only in the church, but my life.”
QUOTE: “We will know how much we understand the Christian life by the supremacy Christ has in life.”

Because of Him,
Pastor Jim