The Concept of Selflessness

Philippians 2:4-8

Selflessness

We have been looking at Philippians with the umbrella theme of Humility in Ministry.  Within Philippians, Paul presents three different prescriptions to the church in order that they may walk in a manner that was worthy of the Gospel.  To recap, we discussed unity and humility as prescriptions; today, we are going to brush on the third prescription of selflessness.  We will also look at these prescriptions described through the life of Christ.

Philippians 2:3-4: Selflessness

As mentioned, humility was discussed a few weeks ago in relation to verse three.  This seems to tie in greatly with selflessness, as presented in verse four.  It seems that these two things are almost the same; however, I do not believe that this is necessarily the case.  I believe that humility is more of a mindset; a byproduct of this mindset is selflessness, in which you look out for the interests of others above your own.  Humility yields selflessness.

This phrase “...look out for your own personal interests but also for the interests of others”(2:4) can be translated to mean “to seek” with the idea that the Philippians were to seek the interests of others as well as their own. This was an attitude that Paul was familiar with; throughout the New Testament, we are able to see a few examples of when Paul sought the interests of others rather than the interests of himself. 

·         1 Cor. 10:24 “all things are permissible (lawful), but not all things edify. Let no one seek his own good, but that of his neighbor.”

·         1 Cor. 10:31 “whether then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.  Give no offense to the Jew or to the Greeks or to the church of God; just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit but the profit of the many, so that they may be saved.

What Paul was getting at in this passage was that the Philippians were to look attentively at the interests of others, as with deep interest. He wasn’t saying that the Philippians were not to care for their own needs, but that they were not to be preoccupied with them to the degree that they were neglecting the needs of others.

Gauge your selflessness: I think that you can often see how selfless you are by examining your prayer life; how much time are you spending interceding for the needs of others as opposed to yourself?

Philippians 2:5 “Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,”

With this phrase, Paul is exhorting the believers to heed the information that he has just given, not what is to be presented.  However, it is not to mean that it is to be taken separately from what is to follow, as there is a close connection and link between the two.  What have been presented are the prescriptions to walk in a manner worthy of the Gospel: unity, humility, selflessness.  What is to be presented is the example of Christ.

Philippians 2:6: Unity Described

“Although he existed in the form of God, he did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped.”

The word “form” that is used here describes an outward appearance as well as an inward connection with the outward.  Paul was referring to the essential nature and character of God.  Through this, we are able to see Unity described through the life of Christ, as Christ was one with the Father. 

Philippians 2:7-8: Humility and Selflessness Described

“But emptied Himself taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.  Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”

Christ voluntarily chose the path of humiliation that led to his incarnation and death.  When Paul stated that Christ emptied Himself, it was a way of saying that Christ poured out Himself for the sake of man. What is to follow within this verse actually describes, even further, how that Christ was able to “empty himself.”

“Taking the form of a bondservant and being made in the likeness of men” (2:7)

These two descriptions indicate that Christ was willing to take on the form of a bondservant and was willing to be made in the likeness of men.  When Christ was made into the form of a bondservant, He was willing to submit himself to having no rights or entitlements, simply as a slave.  Something else to note is that Christ did not exchange the form of God for the form of a slave, but he manifested the form of God in the form of a slave.  He was born like men are born; taking on all the essential qualities of man, yet fully being God.

“Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death” (2:8)

After being identified with humanity by taking on the form of a servant and being made in the likeness of men, Christ humbled Himself to the point of death.  The furthest that a person can humble themselves is to the point of death; this is exactly what Christ was willing to do for all.  Even further, “…even death on a cross” (2.8). The word that is used for “cross” here is one that is thought to have carried much shame.  In fact, it is even thought that the word was rarely used in public settings, just considering its offensive connotation.  Paul was aware of this, and yet he still included it in his letter.  He was using it to describe how cruel the death of Christ actually was. Not only was Christ willing to humble himself to the utmost limit, he was willing to do it in the cruelest and most repulsive way imaginable…for an undeserving world.

Application: As we have discussed throughout this year, I challenge you to place on humility in everything you do, whether job, ministry, or relationships. If you do not take anything else from our lessons and studies, take with you the importance of humility. Examine your life in light of the humility of Christ. As He was willing to humbly and voluntarily endure the weight of our sin, we should be willing to humbly submit ourselves to Him in service; we are nothing…we should consider it an honor and privilege to humbly serve Him.

Thanks for reading,

CBMaxwell

The Concept of Humility

Humility in Ministry: The Concept of Humility

Philippians 2:3

“Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves” (NASB)

Throughout this entire study, our primary focus has been on the topic of humility in ministry; this was seen in our study of Colossians and will be seen in our continuing study of Philippians.  Though this is our overarching theme, there were other topics that dovetailed in with this, providing supplemental material for our theme; an example of this is what was discussed last week—the concept of unity within ministry.  This week is a little different; this topic is specifically discussing the topic of humility, as prescribed by the apostle to the Philippians.

As mentioned, last week we discussed the concept of unity within the ministry; it is interesting to note the arrangement within this passage, as unity is prescribed in verse two followed by humility in verse three.  I think that the arrangement speaks for itself; in order for unity to be present in ministry, we must also be willing to do all things apart from a selfish or empty-conceited mindset, completely abandoning the desire to please only ourselves. 

When looking at verse three of this passage, Paul presents a few different descriptors of the concept of humility in ministry; some of these will be negative and some will be positive, but all will be actions that must be implemented.

To begin, Paul uses the phrase “Do nothing from selfishness…” (Philippians 2:3).  This can actually be rendered as “do nothing from selfish ambition” or even through “strife.” When Paul was making this statement, he was supposedly addressing those who were preaching to the Roman community that had a mindset grounded in envy.  This type of attitude, one of selfish ambition, is that which provokes most of the actions that we commit; we are entirely fallen, and our selfishness is at its core.

The second phrase that Paul uses here is one that was fairly common in the Roman world, but only found here in the New Testament.  In addition to doing nothing from selfish ambition, Paul also encourages the Philippians to do nothing from “empty conceit” (Philippians 2:3).  This phrase can actually be translated to mean “empty glory” and is a direct reference to one pursuing personal glory. As mentioned, this was a fairly common word and it was used to describe those that might have viewed themselves too highly.  This referred not to those that might have had reason to think that they were better than what they were, but to those who had no reason at all to boast within themselves.

In direct opposition to these negative descriptions, Paul encourages the Philippians—“with humility of mind, regard one another as more important than yourselves” (Philippians 2:3).  The first part of this instruction, the concept of “humility,” is unique to the Christian faith.  It brings about the idea of being low and shabby and stands in direct opposition to any sort of action that would be committed for the purpose of self-gain or empty glory.  This type of attitude is also seen in those that hold a proper view of themselves in relation to Christ.  Those believers that are able to see the worth of Christ and the worthlessness of man truly understand that they are nothing in comparison to the Almighty Creator.

The second part of this instruction encourages the Philippians to “regard one another as more important than yourselves” (Philippians 2:3).  This type of mindset is absolutely impossible apart from humility, as discussed previously.  Essentially, it is the outflow of those that are humble in mind.  Because the humble understand their true unworthiness, they are willing to submit to Christ by serving and loving those that are around them. They are willing to place others’ needs above their own; they are willing to follow the example that is set forth by Christ, as will be discussed later within this study.

If we have to be honest, I know that we can all say that there are times in which we illustrate attitudes set on nothing but self-gain…on a daily basis.  For instance, some of the clothes that we wear, some of the conversations that we have, and even some of the acts of “ministry” that we perform are based solely on the purpose of promoting ourselves.  When we are illustrating this attitude, we are committing those exact acts that Paul was instructing the Philippian church to avoid.

I challenge you consider yourself; consider your words, thoughts, and deeds.  Are you exemplifying that which was spoken against by Paul or are you exhibiting humility, being willing to place others above yourself?

Happy Reading,

CBMaxwell

The Concept of Unity

Humility in Ministry: The Concept of Unity

Philippians 2:2

 “…make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.”

Last week, we were able to discuss the privilege that it is to find encouragement in Christ.  We saw this by observing Philippians 2:1 as Paul presented a charge to the church using four different clauses as a basis for the charge and challenge.  The appeal that Paul placed before the Philippians was for their unity as a body; this week, we will look at this a little bit more in depth.

Before actually jumping into this, however, Paul uses an interesting phrase at the start of verse 2 where he genuinely shows his concern.  He states “make my joy complete…” By making this statement, whatever was to follow this phrase would be what the apostle truly desired to see.  In this case, Paul makes a plea for something that relates to the Philippian church.  This, in itself, is challenging.  Just a tad-bit of application…how selfless are we that we legitimately find joy in something that does not specifically pertain to ourselves.  I have to say, this is something that I find myself struggling with quite a bit; Paul was intentionally selfless and had a deep concern for the Philippian church.

After making this statement, Paul states “by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose “ (Philippians 2:2).  What Paul was presenting to the church was the necessity for unity within the body.  These few phrases, though they may seem redundant, are packed full of practical application. Let’s take a look at each one.

This concept of unity was to be displayed by the Philippians by “being of the same mind…” (Philippians 2:2). Paul uses this statement as the overarching theme that will be described in depth by the phrases that will follow.  This phrase “being of the same mind” is one that can actually be translated to mean “thinking the same way.” Despite the translation, the idea behind the phrase is far more than just “thinking;” this “thinking” is to actually overflow into the physical realm, as the “thinking” prompts movement. Paul was encouraging the Philippians to think the same way by being uniform in thought, mind, and will.

Paul then states to the Philippians “maintaining the same love” (Philippians 2:2). Paul is referencing the love that the believers were to have towards one another within the church.  I believe that Paul recognized that it is sometimes difficult to love others, simply because of personality conflict or a differing opinion, but these were not to serve as the foundation or basis for their love for one another. The foundation for the love that they were to display toward one another was the love that Christ had shown them; everything else was to be shown as nothing in comparison to this.

From here, Paul encourages the believers to be “united in spirit” (Philippians 2:2). By this, the writer is encouraging the Philippians to be inwardly knit together to an extent that they were “one-souled” with each other.  The phrase that is used here is only used in this passage of scripture, and brings with it the idea of being unified with the same passions, desires, and ambitions.

Paul wraps up this challenge for unity with one statement: “intent on one purpose” (Philippians 2:2).  He is suggesting to the Philippian church that the believers exemplify unity by living lives directed at one single goal; Paul desired to see the Philippians live their lives in view of and worthy of the Gospel (1:27).

Paul was very aware of the necessity for living in harmony and in unity with one another; he also understood that there were certain things that created disunity between the believers, thus, his challenge was presented.  These hindrances and causes for disunity are prevalent today, as well. 

For instance, some of the hindrances to living in unity with other believers consist of stubbornness, self-promotion, unmet expectations, a lack of service-mindedness, and even unmet expectations.

The list could go on and on, but one thing is common in them all; they all contain a degree of pride.  Pride is the largest hindrance to living in unity with other believers and we all deal with it in our own individual ways.  We should all be knit together in our desire to destroy this daily, as we know its consequences.  I encourage you this week to live in unity with other believers around you, and by doing so, acknowledging and being fervently aware of your pride.

Happy Reading,

CBMaxwell

Encouragement in Christ

After having such a great introduction to Philippians, taught by the one and only Mark Dickson, it’s time to jump into our text within Philippians 2.  Throughout this section of our study on Humility in Ministry, we will be looking at Christ as our model, as He is the epitome of our overarching theme. Throughout this specific portion of the study in Philippians, we will discuss the concepts of Unity, Humility, and Selflessness all seen through the grid of our example in Christ.

Within this study (verses 1-8), Paul will present a few key concepts that must be noted; all of these describe the mind and attitude of Christ.  As believers, especially those that are ministry, we should be striving to exemplify this attitude on a consistent basis.  This attitude is made up of unity, humility, and selflessness.  When dealing with the concept of Humility in Ministry, which is our theme, these ingredients are essential.  We should be willing to observe the attitude of Christ and apply what is learned.

However, before actually seeing this mindset presented, Paul begins Philippians 2 with a few statements regarding the necessitation of this attitude that is to be observed and personally implemented. He begins this chapter with a “therefore.” This word, as seen on other texts, always refers back to something that has been stated previously. In this case specifically, Paul is referring back to a statement that was presented in verses 27-30 of the previous chapter.  In this passage, Paul was stressing the importance of living a life worthy of the Gospel of Christ through the means of unity and striving together for the Gospel.  He wraps this section of the passage up by briefly discussing the Philippians’ suffering for the sake of the Gospel.

This flows right into the next chapter.  Paul picks up the paragraph with the “therefore”, and then goes on to discuss, because of this suffering mentioned, the inevitable comfort and encouragement that can be found within Christ.  He lists four clauses that all seem to be inevitable statements. All of these statements have a common denominator; they all begin with the word “if.” It has been thought that this word could even be read as “since,” considering that these statements could be seen as presuppositions.

The first statement that he mentions is “if [since] there is any encouragement in Christ” (2:1).  This phrase can be directly related to what Paul has mentioned within the previous passage, specifically in dealing with the suffering that the Philippians encounter.  His main point with this statement is that though there may be suffering on their part, there is encouragement (comfort) found in Christ in the midst of the suffering.  His focus is on Christ and what He alone can do.  This word “encouragement” also stems the idea of someone “coming alongside.” It brings the idea of companionship; one that can be counted and relied upon in the middle of experiencing suffering and pain.

Paul states secondly “if [since] there is any consolation of love” (2:1).  What Paul is implying through this phrase is, again, related back the suffering that is discussed at the end of the first chapter.  Though it is not entirely clear, it seems as if Paul is referring to the “love” of Christ that has been displayed to the Philippian Church.  This love of Christ shed onto the Philippian church has the ability to console and provide solace, even in the midst of suffering.  The word “consolation” has the idea of someone coming close and whispering tender words in your ear. This is the comfort that Christ can provide through the love which He has already displayed.

The third phrase that Paul uses is “if [since] there is any fellowship of the spirit” (2:1).  This phrase, again, refers back to what is mentioned previously in verse 27 of chapter 1 where Paul discusses the importance of “standing firm on one spirit.” It has been thought that this naturally follows the first two clauses, as it is only by the Spirit that the believers were able to experience the comfort and consolation of Christ.  What Paul is essentially saying is that he and the Philippians were able to share and have fellowship in the Sprit because of the common ground of having the same indwelling Spirit of Christ.  They were co-laboring together for the advancement of the Gospel.

The final phrase that Paul uses is slightly different in format than the others mentioned; he states “if [since] any affection and compassion” (2:1); this phrase can also be translated “if any compassion and mercies.” As mentioned, this statement is slightly different than the others, while also being a little vaguer as to the direct meaning.  It’s thought that what Paul is referring to in this section is the affection and compassion that he and the Philippians were to have toward one another.  This same concept can be seen Colossians 3:12 where Paul promotes the idea of being tenderhearted towards one another, as with intense emotion.

Following these several unconditional statements that are inevitably true, Paul presents an appeal to the Philippians. Because of the nature and truth of these statements listed, they were to oblige by the challenge to follow…that the church should illustrate unity, humility, and selflessness. 

In ministry, it is easy to reach a stage of burnout where it is hard to even function with the right intention.  As we think this week on the first verse of the passage, I challenge you to be reminded of what you truly have in Christ: encouragement, consolation of his love, and fellowship and compassion with other believers through the Spirit.  This should provide enough encouragement to strive, with God’s wonderful mercy and grace, towards unity as a body as we work together for the advancement of the Gospel and His Kingdom.

Happy Reading,

CBMaxwell

Conclusion: Colossians 1:18

Well, this post will wrap up our study in Colossians…but what a great way to end a study.  What we have seen, thus far, within this chapter is that Christ is presented and described as:

1.      The Image of the Invisible God

2.      The Firstborn of Creation

3.      The Creator

4.      Before All Things

5.      The Sustainer

Within this concluding verse of our study, we will see Christ described as the “head of the body, the church” as well as “the beginning, the firstborn from the dead” (1:18).   I know that this may seem like a lot to take in at once, but we will break this down into more consumable and applicable pieces.

To begin this verse, Paul describes Christ as being the “head of the body.”  There are a couple of interesting aspects to note about this particular section. First, Paul uses the metaphor of the “the body” to refer to that of the church.  This is something that is not uncommon in Paul’s writing, as it can be seen and referenced in various passages throughout Colossians and Ephesians (Colossians 1:24; 2:19; Ephesians 1:24; 4:4; 4:15-16; 5:23).  It has been said that the exact derivation of this metaphor is not entirely known for sure.  Regardless of its derivation and influence, Paul is pretty clear with his point.  What he is implying is that the “church” is not simply to be contained to the local body of believers, but that the “ekklesia” is to denote the world-wide body of believers that acknowledge Christ as Lord.

The second interesting aspect of this particular phrase is that Paul references Christ to be the “head.” This has significant meaning; in the ancient world, the “head” was seen to be the governing member of the body.  Further, the “head” was seen as that which controlled the body, provided life, and provided sustenance for the body.  By Paul stating that Christ was the “head of the body” he was implying that Christ was the center, source, direction, and sustenance of the church.  This specific phrasing could have been provoked by the false teaching that was prevalent within the Colossian church. Much of their teaching was focused around seeing a spiritual experience in things outside of Christ alone.  Paul was refuting this teaching and stating that Christ was the true and only source for the “body.”

Following this, Christ is described as being the “beginning.”  This verse parallels with what was mentioned in verse 15, as Christ is described as being the “image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.” The basic idea that Paul is attempting to bring out through this word is that Christ is the beginning; He is the source or the beginning of new creation.  The same word that is used here in this passage can also be found in Revelation 3:14 as John states that Christ is the beginning of God’s creation.

Another aspect of this verse that is worth noting is that Christ is described as the “firstborn from the dead” (vs. 18).   This portion of the verse seems to parallel with that of verse 15, as well; specifically, Christ being the “firstborn of all creation.”  With this being said, this verse could denote that Christ is of highest rank to the entire created world; more precisely, of all that have ever been raised from the dead, Christ is superior and in higher rank.  Obviously, there have been others that have been raised from the dead, but of all the individuals that have ever been raised Christ was the only one that was raised to immortality.  All of the others that have experienced resurrection have also experienced death after their resurrection.  This is not true of Christ, as He was raised never to die again.

Concluding this verse is a phrase that, I believe, puts everything into perspective.  Paul states “so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything” (vs. 18).  Specifically, this is in reference to what has been mentioned previously, that Christ is the “firstborn from among the dead.” What this can imply is that a result of Christ’s resurrection is His supremacy in everything. Paul was essentially stating that Christ was to be held in a place of supremacy higher than anyone or anything.  This included all men, angels, and false gods; he was debunking all of the false teachings that had been presented by the Colossians.  Even more directly, Paul was implying that Christ was to be preeminent, personally, within the hearts, minds, thoughts, and desires of the Colossians.

The message that Paul was delivering is true and very applicable for us today; Christ is to be preeminent in everything…in every area of our lives.  If this is to happen, it means that we are to personally forfeit this position. Let’s be honest; this is an area that no one has perfected.  No one has perfected this because it is one of the hardest things that we must do. We all feel the pull for self-entitlement in many different areas…our titles, jobs, relationships, and even our ministries.  As we have seen through Colossians, Christ is so much more than we will ever be; He is so much God and we are so much fallen. Ephesians 2 teaches that we were dead in our sin, but even when we were dead in our sin, Christ made salvation available (2:1-5).  Even logically speaking, Christ deserves this place in our lives as we are only what we are because of Him.

It is my prayer that we would willing submit to Christ’s preeminence as we allow Him to have that place of superiority within our lives.  May we willingly humble ourselves before the Creator of the world and willingly lay our lives down for His service out of a heart of gratitude and thankfulness for who He is and what He has done for us.

Happy Reading,

CBMaxwell

Paul's Attitude

1 Corinthians 15:1-9

It seems like it has been years since the last post that went up in December, but I hope that since then, you have been rested and refreshed. Throughout the duration of last semester, our primary focus was on the much needed topic of Humility in Ministry. This was brought about by studying some of the many qualities of Christ; through gaining a better knowledge of the manifold characteristics of Christ, the byproduct of gaining a better understanding of ourselves then stems. The result of this is humility as we understand that we are nothing in comparison to Him.

Going into this next semester, our focus will be the same, yet shifted slightly. We will still be dealing with the overarching theme of Humility in Ministry, but we will be looking at the ministry and example of Christ as presented in Philippians 2, as his ministry epitomizes our theme.

Before actually jumping into Philippians next week, I wanted to discuss something that has been on my mind over the past week. It is a passage that I was reminded of very recently and its application walks hand-in-hand with what will be discussed throughout the rest of the semester.

1 Corinthians 15:1-9 presents very crucial pieces of information that are pertinent to the Christian faith. Within this passage, the Apostle Paul discusses some brass tacks that make up the basis of Christianity. At the beginning of the chapter, Paul begins this address by introducing what will be presented over the next few verses. He states “Now I make known to you brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received…” (1 Cor. 15:1). By beginning the chapter this way, Paul is stating that what he is about to deliver is not new information, but that it has already been presented to them previously. He carries on by stating “…in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain” (1 Cor. 15:1-2). Paul is describing that not only has this church heard the information before, but that there has already been a response to this information.

The information that Paul is describing in the first couple of verses is the Gospel, as will be presented in verses 3-5. He states this as being the death, the burial, and the resurrection of Christ. These are absolutely foundational ingredients in what we believe as Christians; without the reality of any of these, our faith would be in vain and everything presented in Scripture would be made void.

In the verses following, Paul goes on to record the list of individuals that were eyewitnesses of Christ’s resurrection. His main reason for placing this within the text is to place a greater emphasis on the reality of the resurrection. When you get to the end of his list of eyewitness, you find something rather interesting; Paul lists himself, which refers to his conversion back on the Damascus Road (Acts 9:1-8). What is intriguing about this is his description of himself. Paul states “and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also. For I am the least of the apostles, and not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God” (1 Cor. 15:8-9).

This description is one that, at first, can be quite confusing. Paul refers to himself as one that was “untimely born.” To be honest, this phrase is one that had me stumped for a few days; it was not something that was easy to grasp. The word that Paul uses in this phrase refers to that of an “aborted fetus” or an “unborn fetus.” What Paul is saying is that compared to the other apostles that were previously listed within the passage, he is to these apostles as an unborn or an aborted fetus would be to perfectly formed infants. Paul’s words describe his inadequacy to even be called an apostle due to his wretched past and former position (1 Cor. 15:9).

His view is that of humility; when writing this, he had a clear picture of where he was before the Damascus Road and where he was thereafter. He had a handle on the fact that he was only what he was by the grace of God. This attitude of humility in Paul is absolutely evident in his writing and ministry; it is evident that he was not the subject of his life-- Christ was.

This passage, specifically Paul’s attitude towards his ministry, should present a great challenge to believers. It is so easy to get caught up in ministry and service that we forget that we have been specifically and intentionally placed in our ministries for a purpose that is greater than our own selves. When we stop and consider that we have been blessed with the opportunity to minister, regardless of the venue and despite our own wretchedness, our attitude should be similar to that of Paul’s. We should consider ourselves inadequate for our positions, except for the grace of God. I believe that until this happens, we will not be able to exemplify humility in ministry.

Happy Reading,

CBMaxwell

Christ is Sustainer

ReFocus: Humility in Ministry

“He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.”
Colossians 1:17

Let me be honest, I am not a man of science. By this, I mean I don’t understand many scientific terms, formulas, or much of science’s reasoning. I am not intrigued by the job of combining certain liquids to form gases or mild explosions. The thought of dissecting anything, other than a fried and smothered-in-sauce chicken wing, provokes the same effect as riding upon a deep sea fishing boat. However, there is one scientific concept that strikes my interest; the thought of earth’s location and orbit within the universe is something that truly catches my attention.

It has been claimed that the earth has been placed in the perfect position in relation to the sun. Justification for this claim comes in this way: if the earth was any closer to the sun, the earth would melt and life upon it would cease. This can also suggest that if the earth was any farther away from the sun, the earth would freeze over, causing life to cease. In the same manner, it has also been thought that if the earth rotated any faster, then life upon earth would be impossible due to its quickening rotation. Though these theories entail vast areas of minutiae, much of which immediately flies over my head, there is one underlying principle that is presented: Christ is the One that consistently holds the earth in its place; this principle is the fact that Christ is sustainer.

This principle is one that is seen in Colossians 1:17, as Paul continues his descriptions of the manifold supremacies of Christ. Before jumping in, it may be necessary to recap what has been discussed thus far in this specific passage of Colossians. To start, in verse 15, Paul has stated that Christ is the “image of the invisible God” and that Christ was the “firstborn of all creation.” Verse 16 describes Christ as being Creator, as Paul states that “all things have been created through Him and for Him.” Immediately from here, Paul continues to assert that Christ “is before all things, and in Him all things hold together” (1:17).

The first part of this verse, “He [Christ] is before all things,” is added weight to what has already been presented in the previous verses. Christ is claimed to be creator of all things (1:16), and this verse adds nothing but support to this assertion. To say that Christ is Creator is to imply that Christ existed prior to all things created, much like what is being presented within the first part of the verse; because Christ is the Creator of all things, He is before all things.

The later part of this verse dovetails into the principle presented earlier in the post. In the later portion, Paul states that “in Him [Christ] all things hold together” (1:17). Paul is making an absolute statement that deserves some attention. This phrase has been translated a few different ways. It has been translated “in Him [Christ] all things consist,” and also “in Him [Christ] all things subsist.” This concept is also something that is mentioned by the writer of Hebrews. The writer states that Christ “upholds all things by the word of His power” (Hebrews 1:3). Regardless of how this is translated, the underlying common denominator is that Christ is the Sustainer of life. Not only does Christ create, as noted in 1:16, but Christ utilizes this same power in order to uphold and sustain the things which He has created, including us. This adds a personal touch to creation as it affirms His daily involvement within our lives, even in the areas that we deem as unimportant and insignificant.

Again, this is a humbling thought. To claim that Christ is the Sustainer of life is to claim that we are not the sustainers of our own lives. This is something that is hard to do, yet something that must be done. We must come to understand that, ultimately, Christ is the One that is upholding our lives by His wonderful power, regardless of whether you recognize it or not…regardless of whether I recognize it or not. He does this so effortlessly, simply by His word (Hebrews 1:3), yet based from His love. This is something that must be remembered and applied daily. At that moment, when we fail to acknowledge that Christ is the Sustainer, we feed the lie that we are self-sufficient individuals. May we demolish the false thought of self-sufficiency by understanding and recognizing that we are only upheld and sustained by Christ? This should overflow into our ministries, as it should be considered a great honor to serve the One that is the Sustainer.

Happy Reading,

CBMaxwell