The Supremacy and Sufficiency of Christ

6 Days

Who Am I? Why Am I Here?

Day 2

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The threats to the pure faith of the believers in Colassae were serious, and the Apostle Paul treated them as such. What we’ll find as we dive into our teaching today is a response from the spiritual heavyweight detailing the deity of Jesus. That alone is worth our study, but in case you are wondering what all of this has to do with you today, here are two questions that every human being on earth has asked and that we will answer today: Who am I? Why am I here?

Let’s get started.

Summary

Did you wake up today with purpose? Did you imagine that you would be able to answer these two questions today? Two existentially massive questions, ones which will define the next moment, the moment after that, and every single moment of your life moving forward? Or maybe you have been a believer in Christ for a decade, and you needed a reminder of the answer to these questions today. Either way, take a minute right now, maybe close your eyes and just pray the simple prayer, “Thank you.”

To the threat facing the pure faith of the believers in Colossae, Paul put his foot down. Look at verses 15-16 again:

The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.

Many of us may know, or even believe, that God created everything. We look around at the awe-inspiring peaks of mountains, or we close our eyes and listen to the sound of a heavy rainstorm, and somewhere in our minds, we realize that there are bigger forces at play than we can imagine. But here in Colossians, Paul is laying down a heavy theological truth that when the triune God created all things, all things were through the person of Christ.

All. Things.

You.

You were created through Jesus and for Jesus.

So to anyone who has ever told you that you were a mistake, to anyone who has ever tried to measure you on the scale of accomplishment or accolade, to any person who has stapled a definition to your heart and reduced who you are to a spiteful comment, even to your own inner monologue who has never let you live down a single mistake here’s what you can remind them.

You were created through Jesus and for Jesus. That is who you are, and it’s WHY you are.

Your purpose is not your job.Your purpose in existing is to know God. Your purpose is not your significant other.Your purpose is to be in a relationship with God. Your purpose is not in how much money you have.Your purpose is to worship God. Your purpose is not to fix everyone’s problems. Your purpose is to give praise back to God.

To honor God and reflect back to him all the greatness he has put inside of you. That is your purpose.

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 and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.Colossians 1:17-20

Why is everything all about Jesus? Because everything was created by and for Jesus, everything and everyone belongs to him. This is why challenging the deity of Jesus was such a threat to the Church at Colossae, and it’s why Paul responded with such fierce vigor. Read those verses again; you’ll find no quibbling as to his meaning.

For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

Once again, all things.

Jesus created you. Jesus shed his blood to redeem you. Therefore, Jesus gets supremacy over every breath of your entire life.

Have you given it to him?

What's Next?

Today, we are going to get real. In your journal, make a list of all the places or people in which you could find yourself looking for your purpose other than Jesus. The temptation to do so is universal, so this isn’t an exercise in shame. Instead, we are putting everything back on the table so that we can say to Jesus, “Thank you for all of this, but only you deserve to define me.”

Scripture References

8.For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9.not by works, so that no one can boast. 10.For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

12.and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you1:12 Some manuscripts us to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. 13.For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14.in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.15.The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16.For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. 17.He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

1.Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2.Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3.For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4.When Christ, who is your3:4 Some manuscripts our life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.5.Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6.Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.3:6 Some early manuscripts coming on those who are disobedient 7.You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. 8.But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. 9.Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10.and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. 11.Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.

6.So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, 7.rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.8.See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces2:8 Or the basic principles; also in verse 20 of this world rather than on Christ.

13.For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14.in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

18.And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.

17.And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

3.His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.

27.To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

3.For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.

17.He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

3.We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4.because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all God’s people— 5.the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven and about which you have already heard in the true message of the gospel 6.that has come to you. In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world—just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God’s grace. 7.You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant,1:7 Or slave who is a faithful minister of Christ on our1:7 Some manuscripts your behalf, 8.and who also told us of your love in the Spirit.

Louie Giglio

Louie Giglio is the Visionary Architect and Director of the Passion Movement, comprised of Passion Conferences, Passion City Church, Passion Publishing and sixstepsrecords, and the founder of Passion Institute.