Who Is Christ - [Colossians 1:15-20]

The Only Way to Heaven Is Through Christ

Let me open by asking a couple of questions, get my notes set up here, sorry. What one thing sets Christianity apart from all other religions? What I mean is this, as a person who is a non-Christian looking from the outside in to Christianity, what would they or what should they say is the most important thing?

Do you know the answer? Let me ask the question in a different way. You come upon a car accident, you open the door, someone there is lying in the seat bleeding to death, they have 30 seconds to live, remember 30 seconds, and they ask you this simple question, tell me how I can get to heaven.

Would you be able to answer that question in 30 seconds? What are some of the things that some people may say or even yourself, would you tell them to go get baptized? Would you tell them to be a good person?

Would you tell them to just believe in God? Would you tell them to walk an aisle, pray a prayer, sign a pledge card or toss a pine cone in a fire? Would you tell them to go find a priest that they could confess their sins to?

Would you tell them it really doesn't matter what they believe, everyone gets to heaven? Or would you actually tell them you don't even know how a person gets to heaven? Or would you be able to tell them the truth straight from the scriptures that the only way to get to heaven is through Jesus Christ?

The difference between Christianity and all other religions, if you haven't answered this yet is in its name. It's all about Christ. Other religions may include Christ as a good teacher, a moral example and even in some cases a prophet.

But Christianity is the only religion which exclusively states the way to heaven is through Christ and Christ alone. He and he alone can save sinners from eternal punishment. This is an important truth to grasp.

I think most of us understand it today. But the Bible itself claims that Jesus Christ is the one and only means of getting to heaven when we see in the pages of scripture in Acts 4 .12 where it says,.

Although this belief of a single way to heaven, not multiple ways, may sound closed-minded, in a post-modern, all-inclusive, you-must-be-tolerant-except-of-other-Christians type of world we live in today, the Bible says there are not many roads, there is only one road to God.

The Bible claims that you get to heaven only through the shed blood of Jesus Christ upon the cross for the payment and remission of sin. So whose authority do you follow today? Do you follow what it says in the pages of scripture, Christ alone?

Or do you desire what the world tells us, which is there are multiple ways? Your understanding of who Christ is or your Christology has to be central to your Christian faith. There may be other areas where you're unclear or uncertain about your faith and or your theology, but without a clear understanding of who Christ is, what He has done, the doctrines that the scripture lays out for us on behalf of every person who puts their faith and trust in Him, apart from that is eternal separation from God.

If you have an incorrect view or understanding of what Christ has accomplished on the cross, including His life, His death and His resurrection, it could result in you hearing these sobering words as we read in the pages of scripture that says, I never knew you, depart from me, you workers of iniquity.

Those should bring fear to most of you who are not Christians here today. Listen to what some great scholars and writers have actually said about Jesus Christ. Some of these we might even question whether they were saved or not themselves, but they saw the importance.

Augustine or as some would say, Augustine said, Christ is not valued at all unless He is valued above all. Shakespeare, the writer Shakespeare actually said this, quote, I commend my soul unto the hands of God, my creator, hoping and assuredly believing through the merits of Jesus Christ, my savior, to be made partaker of everlasting life.

William Gladstone said, quote, all that I think, all that I hope, all that I write, all that I live for is based upon the divinity of Jesus Christ, the central joy of my poor wayward life. A .W. Tozer is quoted as saying, quote, I have suffered through many a dull and tedious sermon, but no sermon is poor or long when the preacher is showing me the beauty of Jesus Christ.

Christ in Colossians 1:15-20

My hope today is to show you some of this beauty of Jesus Christ that Paul lays out for us in the book of Colossians. I will also say that Pastor Mike has given me liberty. He said go as long as I need because you guys are going to two services next week.

So if I go a little long, I hope not, but we'll see. Let me give you some background. Now, this morning we're going to look at seven attributes of Jesus Christ, which Paul lays out for us, proving his divinity, his supremacy, and his preeminence.

Seven. We are going to be looking at Colossians 1, verses 15 through 20 in our time today. And as you turn there, let me give you some background as to why Paul was actually writing to the church at Colossae.

It's important to understand what he was battling. Paul's purpose in writing to the church was a battling of false teachers bringing a, quote, different, quote, gospel. This false gospel consisted of a mix of Judaism, works-based religion, along with some pre-Gnostic teachings about who Jesus Christ was.

Although the false teachers were common in Paul's day, he continued to battle false teachers nearly every place he went. Paul felt it crucial to defend who Jesus Christ says he is. Do you? The text we'll be looking at today shows us that Christ was not merely a man or a good teacher, as the Judaizers held.

Nor was Christ a created being, a bit lower than the angels, as the pre-Gnostics believed. He was more than an example for your life, as much of Christianity claims today. Paul, in our text, lays out these seven attributes setting Christ apart from any other by showing his preeminence in all his relationships.

You'll see that for the Christian, Jesus Christ is our prophet. He is our priest. And he is our king. Follow along with me as I read from God's word in Colossians 1, verses 15 -20. I'll be reading from the ESV.

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities.

All things were created through him and for him. And 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, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.

For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell. And through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven. The last words here are making peace by the blood of his cross.

Today I'm going to give you seven attributes. Those who like to take notes, seven attributes. And unlike Mike, I'm going to try to get through all seven attributes in the time I have. So if you want to make a note, there will be seven.

And when rightly understood, these attributes of Jesus Christ will guard you from the false claims of teachers out there even today and even show you the continuation and the preeminence of our Lord Jesus Christ and how important he should be in your life today.

In this short text of only around 119 words based on the translation you use, Paul uses the word he or him 14 times when referencing Jesus Christ. 14 times out of 119. Do you think Paul is trying to get a specific point across to his audience?

Could it have something to do with your understanding of who Jesus Christ is and how important he is? By understanding, believing, and trusting what Paul is telling us about Christ, you will have a sure foundation that Christ is who he claims he is.

Paul stresses the preeminence of Jesus Christ here in our text. It is all about and for the name of Christ. Have you personally put your faith and trust in this Savior? Now look with me at the first attribute Paul gives to our Savior, our Lord and our priest.

Do you believe that Jesus Christ is the exact image of God? Or are you like so many led astray by the false teachers that say he is not God? Paul in verse 15 shows Christ's preeminence over anything or anyone by proving his equality with God the Father.

Paul wanted to show that Jesus was more than just a good moral teacher. No other religion, no other religious system has a Savior as Christianity does. No other religion has ever had a person who has stood up and said they are in the exact likeness or image of the Creator God.

Others have claimed to be God themselves, but none have claimed that they are the exact image of the Creator God. Does Paul open this section of the text by saying that Jesus Christ might have been the incarnate image of the invisible God?

No. No. Does Paul say that Jesus Christ was in the past the incarnate image of the invisible God? No. Paul opens this section of the text by saying that Jesus Christ is the incarnate image of the invisible God.

The Greek word used here for all of you who have your Greek text out, the Greek word here may sound familiar to most of you when I say it. The word for image is icon. We get our English word icon from the same Greek.

An icon, much like those found on your computer screens today or on the highways as you drive around, is designed to represent something else, to point to something. Here Paul is saying that Jesus Christ is the visible image.

He is the visible icon. He is the icon, fully representing every part, attribute, and action of the one true invisible God. Although this Greek word can be used to describe something that is similar but not the same thing, much like a sign on a highway points you to a direction but it is not the object itself, here in its context Paul says that Jesus Christ is the very substance or embodiment of God.

Not that he only resembles God, he is the exact image of the invisible God. Understanding that images in Paul's day were really used to represent either events or very important people. Whose image or icon or ekon was on the coin that Jesus said to pay your taxes to.

This was the means back then, like our modern photography, to capture who or what someone was. And Paul here is saying that Jesus Christ is the exact image of God in human flesh. Another example we have of this great truth is actually found in Hebrews 1 .3.

There is no need to turn there if you wish you may, but let me read it for you. It says,. And he, Christ, is the radiance of his, God's glory, and the exact representation of his, God's nature, and upholds all things by the word of his power.

When he, Christ, had made purification for sins, he, Christ, sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high. Here we see the author of Hebrews saying that Christ is the exact representation of God.

He is our high priest. Jesus himself acknowledged that he is the visible image of God. When we see it said in John 14 .9 where Jesus says this, Jesus said to him, Have I been with you so long? And yet you have not come to know me, Philip?

He who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, show us the Father? Paul is stressing that Christ's preeminence is founded first in his relationship with God. Jesus completely and fully represents all of God because he is God.

What's even more amazing? You want to know what's really amazing? I found it amazing. Colossians 3 .10. This same word icon or ekon is used to represent the believer who is said to be in Christ. We as Christians are icons or images of Jesus Christ while here on earth positionally.

It doesn't mean that we are Christ or little Christ as some may teach. When people see your life, do they see you as the image of Christ? Or do they have a problem distinguishing you from the rest of the world?

If people were able to browse through your computer history or your files on your computer, would they be any different from those of non-Christians? Remember scripture says that what is hidden from man's eyes is not hidden from God's.

You must believe that Jesus Christ is the exact image of God the Father. And if not, you are like one of the false teachers Paul is constantly warring against defending our Savior. So first we saw that Christ is superior because of his relationship to God.

Christ as Firstborn Over Creation

And now let's look at his relationship over creation. It's important to note here that I said his relationship over and not his relationship in or a part of creation. Do you believe that Christ is preeminent over every created thing?

Or do you see him only as a good teacher which the false prophets and false teachers proclaimed? Look with me again at verse 15. Paul uses the word here, firstborn. It's been a stumbling block for many, may even for yourself when interpreting this portion of scripture.

The Jehovah's Witnesses, for those who may have been involved in that cult for example, they add the word other in as many as six places in their translation to interpret that Jesus Christ was the creator of all things only after he himself was created by God.

They hold that he is a created being. This cult claims that Christ was created, or that this Christ was created his own universe afterwards. There are other Christs, many Christs as this cult would hold, ruling their own universes that were created.

Their adding of the word other here is not found in biblical manuscripts and making its interpretation incorrect. We know from other scripture references that Jesus Christ was present with the Father and the Holy Spirit prior to creation.

That's clear. He was not created as some would claim these verses teach. Does this mean that evangelicals do not struggle with this verse and this interpretation of the word firstborn? Some may. Let me ask it this way.

How would Paul's audience have understood this term, firstborn? Greek grammar allows you to interpret this word in two different ways. Two. The first interpretation is that Jesus Christ was before the creation.

True. And the second is that Christ is sovereign over creation. True. Paul's audience would have understood it to mean both. Christ is both over and above and before anything regarding creation. It had nothing to do with him being actually born or created.

Paul's use of the word firstborn is to be taken figuratively. It is a metaphor. It is not literal. Good hermeneutics, which is the art and science of biblical interpretation, says that if we are to take a passage literally, we are to take a passage literally unless there is good reason not to.

Here, if we took this verse literally, as Paul, or I'm sorry, as the false teachers believed, and so many cults do today, we would fall into the same error of making Christ lesser than the God he is, which he is not.

The word firstborn here relates to his position. It is not related to an actual birth order or chronological time, as we would think of the word today. It was a positional thing. Having a right view of Christ, first, that he is the exact image of God, second, that he is sovereign over creation, being the firstborn, giving that position, that rule, we begin to learn just how unique and great this God-man was.

Would you yourself be able to leverage the attacks brought by false teachers, those who may come to your door, with this verse as a proof text claiming that Jesus Christ was created, or would you be able to take the Bible and show them the correct interpretation?

Christ as Creator and Sustainer of All Things

Look with me now at the third attribute. We're moving right along. In verses 16 and 17, Paul tells his audience the third attribute by which Christ reigns supreme. He says in these two verses that Christ is the creator of the entire universe.

He was not only prior to creation. You will see he was an active part of creation. Do you truly believe and understand the ramifications of Jesus Christ creating the entire universe? Ponder that for a moment.

He created the entire universe. Jesus Christ created the universe and all that is in it. He created the trees from which his cross was fashioned. He created the metal from which the nails and the head of the hammer were forged, which nailed him to the cross.

He created the materials to construct the instrument used to write the sign that was placed above his head at the cross. Is Christ precious to you? Do you love him? Do you? You may be asking yourself, but I thought God created the universe.

Didn't God create the universe? Doesn't the Bible say God created the universe? This is Paul's point exactly. John 1 .3 says that through him, Christ, all things were made. Hebrews 1 .2 says that Christ created all things.

Paul here in verse 16 of our passage says that Christ created, quote, all, quote, things. And not that he created some things. Paul's flow of logic is this. As he's battling and warring against these teachers, he is saying that Christ created all things, then he must not have been created himself.

This argument went directly in front of the face of the false teachers teaching their false gospel about who this Jesus Christ was. This act of creation includes every galaxy, every star, every planet, right down to every minute subatomic particle.

Let me give you some trivia. I like numbers. I like trivia. Let me try to get so you can try to get your mind around what Paul is saying here about Jesus Christ and the creation of the universe. Prepare yourself to be amazed by Jesus Christ's great creation.

Anyone know what the smallest observable object is in the universe? Some people may say atoms. Some people may say, I heard it over there. Some people may say neutrons, particles, and other such things.

It is the quark. The quark is so small, it is actually difficult, if not impossible, to measure in any way or means with what man measures today. Every atom is made up of a number of protons and electrons and neutrons, for those who have been through physics class.

Yet the foundation of these subatomic particles are each made up of multiple quarks. For example, three quarks make up one electron, with a vast number of space remaining inside. Here's a number for you who like numbers.

The quark is 10 to the minus 35th power. That's 10 with 35 zeros in front of it, meters across. How small is that? Well, it's pretty small, and there's a number I couldn't write here on the page. But let me try to put a little bit more in perspective.

500 ,000 atoms placed side by side is about the width of one human hair. And yet quarks make up even a smaller part of that. It's infinitesimal as to the size and the number of quarks. And yet Christ created and maintains every one of them for his glory and his glory alone.

If Christ were to cease controlling just one quark in our universe, the world would no longer stand. He is sovereign. So let me take it up a notch. Let me give you some bigger things to think about. The sun, the closest star to us, is 93 million miles from Earth.

93 million miles from Earth. One million Earth-sized objects can fit in the sun. That's big. A million. That's big. Light from the sun takes 8 minutes and 23 seconds to travel from the sun before it reaches the Earth.

Eight minutes. A little over eight minutes. That same light traveling, continuing onward, takes 5 .3 hours to reach the edge of our solar system and light Pluto, which I still argue is a planet, but that's just me.

I won't die on that one. Pluto is 3 .67 billion miles from the sun. That's a B, billion. The nearest star to us, apart from our sun, as most of you may know, is four light years away. You may be asking, wow, that doesn't seem very far away.

Well, let me tell you, that is around 25 quadrillion miles, the nearest star to us. Okay? Nearest star. And that's, just for you number junkies, again, if you're taking notes, that's 25 with 13 zeros after it.

That's the nearest star. The observable universe being measured today is said to be 46 billion, that is a B, 46 billion light years in any direction from the earth. That's to say that if you could travel at the speed of light, which we cannot, but the speed of light is 186 ,000 miles per second, so if you got in a car and drove 186 ,000 miles per second and didn't have to stop for gas, it would take you 46 billion years to reach the edge of our known universe.

A new study? A new study suggests that based on observable and mathematical equations that there's a mind-blowing 300 sectillion stars in the universe. That's a three followed by 23 zeros if you're writing them down.

And you know what? Christ knows every one of the stars he's created, and every one of those stars obeys him perfectly. Unlike mankind, that doesn't. We serve a great and awesome creator God. In verse 16, Paul is clear that Jesus Christ is not only the supreme creator of the physical universe, but he's also the creator of the immaterial or spiritual worlds.

So we've talked about those things that we can see, stars, universes, planets, quarks, and other things, and yet Jesus Christ created the spiritual and immaterial worlds also, those things that we don't see.

Christ created the heavens and the earth, the invisible and the visible, the material and the immaterial, our text says. This means that Christ was the direct cause of the universe coming into being. It is all for him.

Paul wants his readers to understand that Jesus Christ was more than just an angel, which the false teachers brought in their other gospel. Paul says that Jesus Christ actually created and rules over the various levels of authority even in the physical and spiritual worlds.

You can see in verse 16 where Christ created the thrones, the powers, the rulers, and the authorities. Each of these words represent various levels of angelic beings. Christ not only created everything, he is a ruler over the angelic beings.

Paul is clear that Christ did not just create the universe and let it run on its own as the deist believe today. He wasn't this great cosmic watchmaker that set things in motion, never to be involved in his work again.

Look with me at verse 17. Here you'll see that Christ holds all things together. He is the sustainer of all things. And remember, without the sovereign hand of Christ controlling every atom or every quark, the universe would fall apart in an instant.

So Christ is the creator and sustainer of the universe, including both the material and the immaterial worlds. But Paul adds one more word, which is found in verse 16. Paul says that Christ created all things for man.

Paul says he created all things for nature. No, Paul says he created all things for himself. It was for his glory, not ours. Greek philosophy, for those Greek philosophy students out there, says that all things must have three causes.

They believed there must be a primary cause, what's called an instrumental cause, and a final cause. Paul uses the same type of logic or argument to show, in this case with creation, that Christ was all three.

He planned it, primary cause. He produced it, the instrumental cause. For his pleasure and his glory alone was the final cause. Paul equates the work of Christ in the creation process with what can only be attributed to God the Father.

From this portion of Scripture alone, you can conclude that God and Christ are equal. Christ is fully God, deity, which the false teachers always denied. Do you wake up every morning and thank God for being the creator, the sustainer, and the maintainer of the universe?

Or are you, like the Israelites, getting up and grumbling and complaining every day, I want more, I'm not content, God, you're not providing for me, why am I suffering? We should be thanking Him every morning for sustaining the world that we live in, because we don't deserve it.

You need to understand and defend this doctrine of Jesus Christ as the most. If not, all cults today and false teachers will strip King Jesus of His rightful title as creator of the universe. So far you've seen that Christ is superior because He is the exact representation of God.

Secondly, you learned that Christ is superior because He is the firstborn over creation. Thirdly, we heard that Christ is superior because He is the creator and sustainer of the universe. The fourth reason Christ is superior is found in verse 18, because He is the head of the church.

The previous sections discussed Christ's relationship to God and creation, and Paul now switches his focus to show that Jesus Christ is superior as a mediator between the material and spiritual worlds.

Paul focuses on Christ's relationship now to the church, the bride of Christ. Who runs the church today? What's the reason we have church today? Why are you all here today? Who's church for? These are some questions so many of us need to ask.

Why do we not just home church or Internet church? Instead of meeting within a building, have we lost the idea and the reasons why we should be a church? Today, sadly, we have clown church, dog church, bar church, and even something called triple X church.

You name it, and I'm sure there's a church out there for it somewhere. If not, somebody's working on it. Yet Paul wants to make it clear from this that Jesus Christ is the head of the church. And all that we do, all that we say, all that we preach, all that we teach, all that we proclaim in this church should be Christ-focused as its number one priority.

Everything else, as my grandma used to say, is gravy. Did you decide to attend this church today because of the hymns, the contemporary music, the comfortable seats you're sitting in, the great sound system, the size of the youth group, etc.?

If you did today, and you can say yes to any of those, your motives are not focused on where they should be. We are here to worship God, and that should be our primary focus. Are you here to worship God today?

Paul here is not only speaking of the church at Colossae, he is speaking of the universal church. It's not a local place where believers congregate specifically. The universal church is not a building with walls or even a given denomination.

The church which Paul is speaking of here consists of the current global believers, including all past, present, and future believers. It is an organism which Christ is said to be its head, and the apostles are the foundation upon which it was built.

Paul is giving the biblical analogy of the church being a living organism here, and Christ is its head. Why is that important? Should it be important? How many of you here have seen a body without a head?

A body without its head cannot survive. A body without its head cannot receive the necessary commands or functions necessary. A body functioning apart from its head would be chaotic and spasmatic at the least.

It's like a chicken with its head being cut off. My grandmother showed me at a very early age what it was to cut the head off of a chicken, and I have a picture of that in my mind right now. It continues to flop around for quite some time.

We ate that chicken afterwards, though, just so you guys know. It was very tasty. But that would be similar to the removal of Jesus Christ as the head of the church. Paul's use of Christ being the head says that Christ is superior over and preeminent over the church.

The church is his bride. We are to submit to his authority. The Greek word here means origin, ruler, or leader. Christ is superior over the church because he is the one leading and controlling the rest of the body.

Jesus Christ is the one keeping the eternal body of believers functioning. That is his role. It is only through Christ's providence and sovereignty that the church can stand against the demons of hell and Satan himself.

It has nothing to do with us. It is also significant because the head is able to maintain the necessary controls, alerts, and warnings so that when the body knows when something is not properly functioning or you touch that stove that is hot, the brain says, pull it away.

And that's exactly what Paul is saying Jesus Christ does for the church. Paul's having to write to the church here at Colossae probably because they may have forgotten that. They may have lost their first love.

They may have thought it was about themselves and not about Jesus Christ. Paul's example leaves Christians understanding how close Christ is to those God loves. There's just no way of separating a head from its body as one cannot separate Christ from the church.

Christ is the measuring rod by which the body is to be viewed against. Are you submitting yourself to the lordship of Jesus Christ? Would you have been one of those that Paul was having to teach at the church at Colossae who Jesus Christ was?

So we've seen that Christ is the exact representation of God. Christ is superior over creation. Christ is superior as the creator of the universe. And Christ is superior because he's the head over the church.

Christ the Firstborn from the Dead

Now look with me at the fifth attribute found also in verse 18, number 5 of 7. In verse 18, Paul is saying not only did Christ pre-exist and is sovereign over creation, as we saw in verse 15, here he is saying that Jesus Christ is the firstborn from among the dead.

We looked at Christ's relationship to God, Christ's relationship to the universe, Christ's relationship to creation, and Christ's relationship to the church. And now Paul says Christ is superior, preeminent, and should be in your lives because he is sovereign over death.

Is it not comforting to know that there is one who has gone before us that holds the power and keys of death? Does that not give you hope and peace with regard to death? It's not that we desire to die or even the process of dying.

But we can look for a hope within us that Christ has conquered the power of death and now reigns sovereignly over it. You may be thinking to yourself, wait a minute, wait a minute, time out, right? The Bible tells us that others have been raised from the dead before, doesn't it?

How can Paul be saying here that Jesus was the firstborn from the dead? True, I tell you, true. Others have died and have been raised. We see examples of that in the Old and the New Testament. But Paul is saying here that Christ is the first to rise from the dead, never to die again, never to die again.

Jesus was the first to receive a glorified body. All others who were raised throughout the text that we see died later physically and still await their glorified bodies upon Christ's return. What a hope.

One needs to think back to the meaning of the word firstborn as I talked about earlier. Hopefully that's still in your mind a little bit. But remember Paul is using the word figuratively and not literally here.

It's a metaphor. Paul is saying that Jesus Christ is superior over death. He is sovereign over it. He rules over it. He is supreme over it. Christ has defeated the sting of death. And we will see this power when he comes again as the King of Kings.

This raising of Christ from the dead tells us two things, two things. First, it's clear that God has accepted payment for sin through the sacrifice of Christ upon the cross. Those who have put their faith and trust have their past, present, and future sins paid for by the shed blood of Jesus Christ.

This is the good news, people. This is the good news. The resurrection of Jesus is your assurance that God has accepted Christ's payment, as we even read today in Colossians, by suffering and dying in your place on the cross.

If you were here today and you didn't know, Christ took the place of sinners for all punishment in the courtroom of God, as we read today. It was a legal transaction. And secondly, Christ being the first to be eternally raised from the dead signifies that he has always possessed power and authority over death.

Positionally, he reigns over it. Man is told not to fear the one who can kill the body physically. You are to fear the one who can kill the body and soul in hell. So far, we've seen Christ is an exact representation of God.

Christ is the firstborn over creation. Christ is the creator of the universe. Christ is superior over the church. Christ is the firstborn from the dead. And look with me now at the sixth attribute. Christ is supreme authority over.

The Fullness of God in Christ

Look with me at verse 19. Sixth, in verse 19, you will see Christ is said to be the fullness of God. The fullness of God. In writing this, Paul was directly attacking what the false teacher's message was, that Jesus Christ only possessed a portion or some of the attributes of God.

Paul in verse 19 is saying that Christ is the fullness of God. This is Paul's way of arguing with the false teachers who incorrectly stated that God gave Christ only a small portion of the attributes.

That he is not fully God. Christ always had and always will have every one of God's attributes. From eternity past to eternity future. Showing that he has always existed with God. Have you had to discuss this with those people who may become knocking at your door with shirts and ties?

You may have had a similar conversation with those who are willing to hand out a Watchtower magazine to you. Cults are going to attack the Godhead of Jesus Christ so that they can stick to their works based religions.

Why do you need a savior when you can save yourself? How many people here have had a heart attack and woke up from that and thanked the doctor for the work they did in that? In bringing themselves back from the dead.

The modern day false teachers come with a different gospel. And like the Pharisees, desire to place heavier burdens upon those in the church. It's imperative that Christians know and understand Jesus was, is and will always be fully God.

Paul refuted the false teachers message by saying that Jesus Christ is and has always been fully God. As we saw earlier, Christ in his earthly ministry was the image or icon of the invisible God while he run earth.