Jesus Christ: Sustainer of Life

He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power.

–Hebrews 1:3

Jesus did not come into being in Bethlehem. Colossians 1 says He was preexistent to creation. Not only that, but Jesus Christ was the cause of creation. He’s the one who created everything, both visible and invisible.

Paul then pointed out that Christ is also the heir of creation. Look at verse 16: “All things have been created through Him and for Him.” Now, those prepositions “through” and “for” may not seem like much to you, but they meant a lot to Paul’s audience. The Greeks taught that everything in existence has three causes: a primary cause (a plan), an instrumental cause (the power to execute the plan), and a final cause (the purpose of the plan).

Paul said when it comes to this universe, Jesus is all three causes. He’s the primary cause–He planned it all. He’s the instrumental cause–He is the one who caused it to happen. And He’s the ultimate cause–He created everything for Himself. If that seems extremely selfish to you, then consider that Jesus created everything for Himself and for all those who are related to Him by faith. The moment you trust in Christ as your Savior, Romans 8:17 says you become a joint heir with Jesus Christ. Everything in this universe that exists for Him becomes yours as well. He is the heir of all creation.

Finally, Jesus Christ sustains creation. Colossians 1:17 says, “He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.” Deists believe in God, but they believe He created this world, wound it up like a clock, and left it to run on its own. But that’s not what the Bible teaches. The truth is, not only did God create this world, but He is the one who upholds it, who keeps it from spinning into chaos. Hebrews 1:3 says Jesus “upholds all things by the word of His power.”

Let me illustrate to you why that is so important. The surface temperature of the sun is over ten thousand degrees. If the earth were just a few percentage points closer to the sun, we would all burn up. If the earth were just a few percentage points farther from the sun, we would all freeze to death. Who keeps the earth in its perfect orbit around the sun?

The Bible says Jesus is the one who sustains His creation. He is the one who sustains your life.

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Today’s devotion is adapted from “Jesus Christ: Creator, Originator, and Reconciler” by Dr. Robert Jeffress, 2011.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.lockman.org.