The True Jesus We Worship

By David Ettinger

Great Bible Book
I love the Book of Colossians because it gives us such a crisp, awe-inspiring, and true characterization of the Jesus we worship.

The Book of Colossians was the apostle Paul’s response to the Gnostics who were spreading heresy in the church of Colossae and elsewhere. The basic teaching of Gnosticism is that the physical is evil and unspiritual. Therefore, Jesus Christ could not be God – or at least a “pure and undefiled” God – because He took on flesh and blood. Yes, He may have been pure in His natural state, but once He became a human being He was forever corrupted.

Paul, in essence, said “nonsense!” as he repudiated the muddled and false claims of the Gnostics. And by way of contrast, he penned a breathtaking epistle filled with clarity and conviction, astuteness and adoration, vision and veracity.

The Book of Colossians gloriously reveals to the world who the “true” Jesus is, and puts to shame any teaching, theology, or belief which attempts to negate His holiness and deity.

Jesus is God; Jesus is Supreme
So, who is the “true” Jesus?

• He is the image of the invisible God (1:15)
• He is the premier being of all living things (1:15).
• He is God, the Creator of all things – both in Heaven and on Earth (1:16).
• He is the One which holds all of creation together. All creation is bound up in Him (1:17).
• He is the head of the Church (1:18).
• He is the Resurrected One, and therefore the Supreme One (1:18).
• He is the “fullness” of God the Father and is one in essence with Him (1:19).
• He is the One – who because He died on the cross – who has reconciled the world to Him that all who will accept His gift of salvation will be saved from their sins (1:19; John 3:16).
• He is the One who has cleansed you from your sins and presents you as holy to God the Father.
• He is the embodiment of deity (2:9).
• He is the head over every power and authority.

Jesus Christ is God, and He has reconciled the world to Himself through His shed blood on the cross. But He is also the ruler of every power, authority, and principality, and is not to be trifled with.

What You Should Do About It
If you are wondering how you should react to all of this, Paul tells you how:

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ (2:6-8).

Notice both the practical and mental aspects of this command. The first half tells you how you should live in light of knowing the true Christ; the second half warns against any teaching which contradicts these truths of Colossians.

Don’t let anyone abase or demote Jesus in your mind. Our true Jesus is the pure, holy, and, divine Creator of all things. May we worship Him as such for eternity!  

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Tagged: Christology, Glorifying Christ, Jesus is God, Jesus is Lord, The Apostle Paul, The Book of Colossians, the New Testament, The True Christ

Posted in: Application, Bible study, Bible teaching, Christ's Deity, Christianity, Devotional, Editorial/Blog, Glorifying God, Jesus My Savior, Jesus the Judge, Jesus the King, Loving God, New Testament, Practical, Resting in Jesus, Salvation in Christ, The Apostle Paul, theology