Understanding Colossians 1:17: How Christ Holds All Things Together
"Without a Creator who reveals Himself, we lose the purpose of everything."
“He is before all things and in Him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:17 NIV).
“But now He has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in His sight, without blemish and free of accusation” (Colossians 1:22 NIV).
In my life, I have had a few pivotal moments. One in particular occurred in a seminary class. The professor drew a circle representing the world. Then he drew arrows enclosed within it, which represented every religion or philosophy based solely upon human reason or experience. Even though I was a “cradle Christian,” I will never forget the power of the next stroke on that blackboard. He drew a large arching line that started outside the circle, crossed over all boundaries and ended in the middle of the world. He turned to us and said, “God has come to us from outside to give Himself to us. That is the meaning of creation, revelation and all salvation.”
I realized for the first time the radical implications of the idea that God creates all things. It changes everything. The One who formed all that is, including you and me, did so out of pure love. I have noticed over years of torturous debate between a biblical theology of creation and evolutionary perspectives that one major loss in a solely scientific understanding is the absence of any talk of love as the foundation of all. Without a Creator who reveals Himself, we lose the purpose of everything.
The One who spoke all things into existence does not need us in any way. Yet, He wanted us to share in the grandeur of creation. Our Maker’s divine purpose is not bound by our sin or the problems it produces. We are not determined by our sins. He can re-create anyone.
At the basis of all things Christian, and Salvationist, is a God who is holy and who is Love. We would not know that without a line drawn between Creator and creation. The history of the people of God is His loving invitation to be remade into His original intent, our created purpose, which is to image the very nature of the Holy One. The purpose of your createdness is to be filled with the Life of God. Wherever He is, is holy.
That is why it was so hard for people to understand who the incarnate Jesus was and what He came to do. To conceive of the Creator Himself actually taking on our createdness with all of the implications of the damage we had done to our humanity was not conceivable without revelation from outside.
And what may be even more difficult to grasp is that the very real, weak, broken vessel we know as our actual human life is made to bear, to be overflowing with the nature of His holiness. Only His beautiful presence can truly convince us that what He has made can be restored in a way that is pleasing to Him.
What are we humans for? We are created, delivered, redeemed and reconciled for Him. Our existence only makes sense as His holiness is made known in and through our lives. What is thrilling and breathtaking is that He desires to form in every hour an intimacy, a mutual conversation of love that gives victory over (never from) temptations, power to not commit blatant sin, and divine boundary-crossing love for others that is poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit. Now that is enough to live for!
Questions to ponder
- Given that God entered into creation from outside it, are you able to trust that He can enter into any situation and reveal His divine purposes for you?
- What specifically do you sense God calling you to? How is He leading you to cross boundaries to love others?
This article was originally titled “Do You Know What You Are Made For?” in the February 2025 issue of The War Cry.