Devotion
BY Herschel Smith
3 years, 3 months ago
“And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.”
“And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power.”
Col 1:17, Heb 1:3
For the Christian, our ontology and cosmology sees the universe as utterly dependent upon the Son of God, who could bring something into or out of existence with a thought.
On January 18, 2021 at 3:17 am, Old Bill in TN said:
Yes, and this has implications that answer many “problems” posed by materialists.
On January 18, 2021 at 3:35 pm, Fred said:
I’ve not much success in drawing those who admit that a god is ‘in’ everything.
How, would you explain these verses to somebody who has a hippy type understanding (believe me they are everywhere and surprisingly most were born decades after the sixties) that (a) ‘god is in the flowers and the trees and in everything?’ One must make the switch, no? From a god being in those things to God holding the very fiber and substance of their existence in His mind because in Him all things consist(kjv). Always make the change from a god of creation to the Creator God and to one of Holy God’s authority and power early in a conversation with a lost man. We are not trying to get them to add the God of the bible to their understanding we are trying to get them to submit.
Anyway, below are some verses, in addition to the two above that one can share with the blinded to begin to bring them from the awareness that (a) god is in all things to then understand that He holds all things and by Him all things consist, to then take them to Mars Hill and commend this unknown God to them, that a man can indeed both know Him, as a person, and most assuredly be saved from the wrath to come. That’s a long and hard leap of faith for anybody, but the seeds are well planted for the waterer, and He who it is that gives the increase.
If you don’t know how to exposit a set a verses you should learn. It takes the Holy Spirit of God in you, practice, failure, practice, and then success. Being able to share the Gospel from the place of a man’s current belief or understanding about God, drawing them to the foot of the cross of redemption is critical to a seed well planted.
Also consider these verses which by conceptual application can be related:
“Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.
For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:” – Romans 1:19-20
Also consider:
“For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.
Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device.
And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:
Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.” – Acts 28-31
God winked, but no more. How would you explain this? I would ignore the obvious pagan idolatry and continue the thread by making application that God is not in the silver or gold or trees or flowers but that Holy God created these, and that’s why you can see Him in His creation, because His signature is upon all these things. Then make it personal; the very signature of God is upon you, you are His, you belong to Him, and He wants you to know Him.
Explain the simple Gospel. They won’t want to hear about how they are a sinner but make sure to explain it anyway, consequence, Christ’s atoning death and resurrection and His power and authority, and the choice of eternal life or death and damnation. You are a spirit with a body. Your spirit lives on in Christ or in eternal torture.
One could even simply stay in Col 1 and exposit verses 12-15.
On January 19, 2021 at 11:18 am, Ned said:
Fred, while you may think you haven’t reached some people sometimes it’s a cumulative effort, and the seeds you planted may root later. Don’t be discouraged.