In view of the election this coming Tuesday, I spoke this morning at Calvary Baptist Church on the above subject from Colossians 1:15-20, highlighting three major points from the text:
- Jesus Christ is the Creator of all political authority (Colossians 1:16). This includes both visible and invisible political authority; that is, political authority has a physical dimension that can be seen as well as a spiritual dimension that cannot be seen. The physical dimension includes the throne of Satan (Isaiah 14:12), the dominion of Adam (Genesis 1:26), succeeded by Noah (Genesis 9), Abraham (Genesis 12), Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Joshua, and the Judges, and the throne of David (Isaiah 9:6,7). At the center of all of history is a battle over who will occupy the throne, who will rule. The spiritual dimension also includes a throne (Revelation 4) from which God dictates the affairs of men. The thrones of the physical dimension and the throne of God are in conflict because of the rebellion of Satan, some angels, and man against God. In spite of the rebellion, Jesus Christ is the head of these rogue thrones (Colossians 2:10). These thrones do not share God’s authority, they mediate God’s authority and they are slaves to God (Romans 13:1-7).
- Jesus Christ is reconciling rogue poltical authority to Himself (Colossians 1:20). He is accomplishing this “through the blood of his cross” by which he has ransomed for himself a people for his own possession who are “a kingdom of priests” who will rule with him (Revelation 5:9). He has ransomed people “out of every tribe and language and people and nation,” making them a new nation with alligiance to Him. Our first allegiance is to Jesus Christ and His Kingdom, not to the United States of America. We have been called out of America to be a people for God’s own possession. Rogue political authority – the visible dominion of humanity – will one day be reconciled to Jesus Christ’s throne – the invisible dominion of God, made possible by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
- Jesus Christ has disarmed rogue political authority and triumphed over it (Colossians 2:15). He did this both by the Cross and by his resurrection from the dead. And we have been raised with him, and as participants in his resurrection Paul enjoins us to focus on the invisible Kingdom of God rather than the visible rogue authorities presently ruling through the political authority granted to them by Jesus Christ (Colossians 3:1-4). The affections of a spiritually resurrected believer are not wasted on allegiance to visible political authority, but focused on the invisible authority of God as He rules the affairs of men from his throne in heaven (Revelation 4).
What all of this means as we vote on Tuesday is that God ultimately rules and that our allegiance is to Him and His Kingdom, not to the rogue political authorities, regardless of who is elected president of the United States; that the Cross of Christ, His suffering, death, and resurrection are as much about restoring order to the political realm as they were about individual salvation.
For the context of the message, listen to it in its entirety here: http://www.cbcwaterford.com/audio/s11-02-08am.mp3.
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Psalm 2
1 Why do the nations rage
and the peoples plot in vain?
2The kings of the earth set themselves,
and the rulers take counsel together,
against the LORD and against his Anointed, saying,
3″Let us burst their bonds apart
and cast away their cords from us.”
4He who sits in the heavens laughs;
the Lord holds them in derision.
5Then he will speak to them in his wrath,
and terrify them in his fury, saying,
6″As for me, I have set my King
on Zion, my holy hill.”
7I will tell of the decree:The LORD said to me, “You are my Son;
today I have begotten you.
8Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage,
and the ends of the earth your possession.
9You shall break them with a rod of iron
and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.”
10Now therefore, O kings, be wise;
be warned, O rulers of the earth.
11 Serve the LORD with fear,
and rejoice with trembling.
12 Kiss the Son,
lest he be angry, and you perish in the way,
for his wrath is quickly kindled.
Blessed are all who take refuge in him.
Hey Paul,
Amen. And Amen. Our first allegiance is always to Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. This election will not change that allegiance of His truly elect. Our responsibility is to “preach the Gospel to every creature” and leave the saving up to the Holy Spirit. Take care, my friend, and God bless you!