Colossians 1:15-23: Jesus saves and sustains. It's all about Jesus!

TVCC Students,
As we continue to dive into the book of Colossians, it is so wonderful to be reminded of our status before God because of the work of Christ. Where we were unqualified, Jesus qualified us. While we were in the kingdom of darkness, Jesus transferred us to the kingdom of light. Jesus is our hope and salvation. Last night we took a closer look into the life and character of Jesus as described in Colossians 1:15-23. Here is a recap...

Colossians 1:15-23
~1:15: Jesus is the image of God's likeness. This word for "image" means "icon." When we want to know what the Father looks like, we need to look to Jesus. What was Jesus like? Who did He hang out with? How did He spend His time? What was important to Him? When we look into Jesus' life through the gospels and answer these questions we know more of the character of God as Jesus is the exact representation of the Father.

Q: When was the last time that you took an in depth look into the character of Christ as seen in the gospels? What things stick out to you about the life of Jesus and the things He values? Are there any changes that you feel called to make in your own life as you look at the life of Christ?

~1:15: Jesus is also the firstborn. All rights of the firstborn son are His and we are co-inheritors with Him through (Romans 8:17) His death and resurrection. In Christ, nothing can separate us from the love of the Father (Romans 8). What a great hope we have in Christ!!

Q: Do you realize your standing before the Father through the death of Christ on your behalf? How is your life different when you are meditating on your standing before the Lord? How is your life different when you are not meditating on your standing before the Lord?

~1:16: Before the world was, Jesus was. He was with the Father before the world began and the Father gave Him permission to create the world. How amazing that the creator of the world would come live amongst His creation and ultimately be killed by His creation in order to save them. Ultimately this act of Him coming to earth was to bring Him glory. Creation was brought about to bring Him glory. Our salvation brings Him glory!

Q: In what ways has your personal salvation story brought Him glory? Spend a little time meditating on the great ways He has shown you mercy and think about how those things have all happened to bring Him glory.

~1:17: All things hold together in Him. Without Jesus, the planets would not orbit correctly around the sun. Without Jesus, even the substance that makes up everything- the atom- would not stay together!

~1:18: Jesus is the head of the church. Animals will die if separated from their head. Without their head, animals will writhe around in a state of crazed confusion and quickly die. We must remember this truth when thinking about the church of God and how crucial it is for us to remain connected to the head, Jesus Christ. We must continually be checking ourselves to make sure that we are connected with the Head and that we are all heading in the same direction- the glory of the Lord!

Q: What does your life look like when you are "connected" with the Head, Jesus? What does your life look like when you aren't walking in "alignment" with Jesus? What encourages you to "stay connected" with Jesus?

~1:18: Jesus is the firstborn. All of the glory is His. It's all about Him and His glory.

Q: Are you living in such a way that Jesus is getting all of the glory that He deserves? Is your life pointing to Him? Are you seeking to know Him more?

~1:20: It was God's design that all things should be reconciled to Him through Jesus. The whole earth is under the condemnation and curse of sin. Christ is the only One that can restore everything to its rightful state before sin. He reconciled us to the Father through His death on the cross and He is coming back to make everything right once again.

~1:21: We were all alienated from the Father because of our sins (Isaiah 59). We are all separated from the Lord and we all from birth love darkness (John 3:19). Our only hope is the Cross and Jesus' death on our behalf. We cannot even come to believe in Jesus on our own. The Father must draw us to Him (John 6:44). Everything we are and have depends on the mercy of God through Jesus.

Q: Do you realize the grace that is yours through Christ? What does it look like for you to be living thankfully to the mercy of Christ on a daily basis?

~1:22: Jesus reconciled us. The perfect Lamb of God washed us clean in order to present us to the Father WITHOUT any blame! Wow! In Jesus, we are without blame and a charge cannot even be brought against us. There is now no condemnation for us that are in Christ (Romans 8). What a great truth to meditate on!

Q: Do you realize that nothing can separate you from the love of God through Jesus? Are you living your life like a child of the Lord most High? What does it look like for your to live as a co-inheritor in Christ?

~1:23: This section can seem a little scary as it says that we are His "if" we continue in the faith. We must look at this sentence in light of other Scriptures. There are many people who profess Christianity who are not truly His (Matthew 7 & 1 John 2:19). These people are either deceived or are trying to deceive others. The truth is that Christ does not know them and they do not know Him. Once a person comes to understand their complete insufficiency before the Lord and they trust that Jesus is their only hope- they are secure in the Lord. Nothing can separate a believer from the Lord. The Lord is the Author of our faith and He is also the Perfecter of our faith. We are secure in Jesus. He saves and He sustains.

Q: Do you realize that Jesus both saves and sustains you? We can do nothing on our own. Our hope is to live a life surrendered to Him knowing that He is the One who continually draws us closer to Him.

Dear Students,
We are always encouraged to be around you all and see that you are growing in your love towards the Lord and others. We pray that this week you will spend time meditating on His Word and on the grace that is yours in Christ. We love you guys! Let us walk in thankfulness this week!!

With hope,
~Sonny and Casi