The theme for this week, as we wait before the Lord, is that we are all stewards who have received grace from the Lord. We are appointed stewards with one intention: we are here to manage the mystery of God.
There are two aspects to this mystery of God: the mystery of Christ and the mystery of the church. Yesterday, we began to speak about the mystery of Christ. We could not begin with time; we had to go back to eternity past, because our Lord existed before eternity past.
He is God’s Son, the Beloved Son of God, and the fullness of God. He is God’s purpose. We have to see Him from eternity.
This morning, we will go a step further. We will see the mystery of Christ in creation.
In Scripture, there are two beginnings. One is recorded in John 1:1:
In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
There is also the beginning in Genesis 1:1:
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
There is a great difference between these two beginnings. The first beginning is the real beginning, because that beginning is God Himself. God is the beginning. From beginning to beginning, He is God.
When He appeared to Moses, He said, “I AM THAT I AM.” God is the beginning of everything. The Lord also tells us in Revelation that He is the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last.
That beginning is the beginning of God. But the beginning in Genesis 1 is the beginning of creation, because at that moment God began time and space.
We really do not know what was between eternity past and the beginning of creation, because time had not yet begun. But we know that in the beginning there was God. Then there was a moment when God began to create.
Even to this day, astronomers do not know the origin of the universe, nor do they know when this universe began. But because of God’s revelation, we know:
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
The heavens and the earth did not come by themselves. No, God created them. This is what God has revealed to us. Because of that revelation, we praise and thank Him.
Genesis 1:1 is not merely a declaration that God created the heavens and the earth. Other portions of Scripture tell us how God created the universe: He created it by His word.
Hebrews 11:3 tells us that the things which are seen were made according to God’s word. In Genesis, God spoke. When God said, “Let there be light,” there was light. He created all things by His word.
Why did God create this universe? We are told that He created all things for His own pleasure. God created all things according to His purpose.
We have to ask ourselves a question: What is the key to the universe? If we want to understand the universe, we need the key that unlocks it.
Astronomers do not have this key. Philosophers do not have this key. Those who are powerful, those in high positions, do not possess this key. Up to this day, they cannot enter into the secret of this universe.
But we praise and thank God. Though the universe is a secret, He has given us the key. That key is Christ.
In Christ, we discover the mystery of the universe. We know why the universe was created, for whom it was created, and how it was created. Therefore, the mystery of Christ is the mystery of creation.
Turn to Proverbs 8. There we find a reference to wisdom. This is not the wisdom of philosophers. It is God’s wisdom.
This wisdom is not abstract wisdom. This wisdom is a Person. Christ is the personification of God’s wisdom.
Listen to Proverbs 8:12-16:
I wisdom have made prudence my dwelling,
And find out knowledge and discretion.
The fear of the Lord is to hate evil:
Pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way,
And the perverse mouth, do I hate.
Counsel is mine, and sound knowledge:
I am understanding; I have might.
By me kings reign,
And princes decree justice.
By me princes rule,
And nobles, even all the judges of the earth.
Here we see whom this wisdom refers to and what kind of character is found in this wisdom.
In Proverbs 8:17-21, wisdom says:
I love them that love me;
And those that seek me diligently shall find me.
Riches and honor are with me;
Yea, durable wealth and righteousness.
My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold;
And my revenue than choice silver.
I walk in the way of righteousness,
In the midst of the paths of justice;
That I may cause those that love me to inherit substance,
And that I may fill their treasuries.
If you love wisdom, wisdom will love you. If you seek Him, you will find Him. He gives us all this grace.
In Proverbs 8:22-26, we see that wisdom is eternal:
The Lord possessed me in the beginning of His way,
Before His works of old.
I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning,
Or ever the earth was.
When there were no depths, I was brought forth,
When there were no fountains abounding with water.
Before the mountains were settled,
Before the hills was I brought forth;
While as yet He had not made the earth, nor the fields,
Nor the beginning of the dust of the world.
Before creation existed, before there was anything upon the earth, wisdom already existed. This speaks of the eternal nature of this wisdom.
Proverbs 8:27-31 shows us that wisdom was present when God created all things:
When He established the heavens, I was there:
When He set a circle upon the face of the deep,
When He made firm the skies above,
When the fountains of the deep became strong,
When He gave to the sea its bound,
That the waters should not transgress His commandment,
When He marked out the foundations of the earth;
Then I was by Him, as a master workman;
And I was daily His delight,
Rejoicing always before Him,
Rejoicing in His habitable earth;
And my delight was with the sons of men.
When God created all things, was Christ merely a spectator? No. He was there as a master workman. He was there creating the universe.
He was daily God’s delight, rejoicing always before Him. This tells us how the Lord Jesus was a pleasure to His Father.
Here we see the Christ who is in creation. The One who existed in eternity past is the One who created all things. He is the Creator.
Turn to John 1:1-3:
In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
The same was in the beginning with God.
All things were made through Him;
and without Him was not anything made that hath been made.
This Word is the spoken Word, the expression of God. The Word existed in eternity past; this speaks of His eternal nature.
The Word was with God; this tells us of His deity. The Word is divine. The Word is God. He and God are one. This is how our Lord exists within the Godhead.
Verse 2 is repeated because it links to verse 3. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.
Here we see that the One who created all things is none other than the Word, the One who existed in eternity past. Everything in the visible universe was created by Him.
Turn now to Colossians 1. Christ is described as:
The image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.
Our God is a Spirit; therefore, He is invisible. But being invisible does not mean that He is unknown to us. Though He is invisible, He has an image.
The image expresses the invisible God Himself. When we think of the word “image,” we often think of an outward form. But the original word does not refer merely to something outward; it refers to inward character.
In other words, the Son is the image of the invisible God. He fully expresses the hidden character of God. Therefore, through Him, we can come to know God.
This is His relationship with the Father. He shares the Father’s nature and fully expresses the Father’s character.
Then we see His relationship with creation: He is the firstborn of all creation. We have to be very careful here, because there are heresies among Christians that say our Lord Jesus was the first created being.
But we know that our Lord Jesus is the Creator. He was not created. What, then, does “the firstborn of all creation” mean?
There are two uses of this word. One is the ordinary use, according to birth sequence. In Genesis 49, Jacob said to Reuben:
Reuben, thou art my first-born, my might, and the beginning of my strength;
The preeminence of dignity, and the preeminence of power.
Reuben was the firstborn according to the order of birth. This is the ordinary usage of the word.
But Scripture also uses “firstborn” in an extraordinary sense. In Exodus 4:22, God said to Pharaoh:
Israel is My son, My first-born:
And I have said unto thee, Let My son go, that he may serve Me.
Israel was not the first nation in history. Many nations existed before Israel became a nation. Egypt was older than Israel. Yet God called Israel His firstborn because Israel had priority in His purpose.
In Psalm 89:27, God speaks concerning David:
I also will make him My first-born,
The highest of the kings of the earth.
David was not the first king. Saul was Israel’s first king. Yet God called David His firstborn because God established him as highest among all kings.
This extraordinary use of “firstborn” is not according to time, but according to God’s choice. Those whom God chooses as firstborn are given the privilege of priority and sovereignty.
Thus, in Colossians 1, Christ is the firstborn among all creation. In all creation, He has priority. He has sovereignty. He is above all things, and all creation is under His rule.
Colossians 1:16 explains why Christ is called the firstborn of all creation:
For in Him were all things created,
In the heavens and upon the earth,
Things visible and things invisible,
Whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers;
All things have been created through Him, and unto Him.
In this verse, we find three things. First, all things were created in Him. Second, all things were created through Him. Third, all things were created for Him.
The phrase “in Him” is very important. All creation derives from Him and issues from Him. It is like a building whose design first existed in the mind of the architect.
When you see a building, its form and appearance reveal something of the architect’s thought and character. The picture expresses what was in his mind. Every building reflects the character of its architect.
In the same way, when we look at all things in creation, we see God’s thought behind them. God is a God of beauty, so everything He created is beautiful. God is a God of life, so His creation is fresh and living.
All things in creation express His character. Creation was created in Christ; it issues from Him.
The phrase “through Him” means that He actually created all things. The architect designs the building, and then the construction is carried out according to that design. Christ is the One through whom creation came into being.
Finally, all things were created for Him. He did not create all things for you and me. He created all things for Himself. He is the owner of the house.
This is why He is the firstborn of all creation: all things were created in Him, through Him, and for Him. Therefore, He has priority and sovereignty.
Colossians 1:17 says:
And He is before all things,
and in Him all things consist.
All things were created by Him, and the reason all things hold together is because of Him. All things are integrated in Him.
When the Lord Jesus was crucified on the cross, from the sixth hour to the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land. The sun did not shine, and the earth was shaken. Why? The One who holds all things together was on the cross.
If you remove the Lord from your life, your life will fall into pieces. We meet many people who are falling apart inwardly. They are scattered. They cannot face reality. They are very negative and disintegrated.
Why? Because they do not know the Lord. But if we know the Lord and are one with Him, there is inward cohesion. The Lord integrates us together. Without the Lord, we all fall into pieces.
What does this have to do with us? We need to know the mystery of Christ not merely as a revelation, but as a reality in our lives.
God has called us into the fellowship of His Son. He wants us to have a share in His Son and in His eternal mystery.
When He created all things, we were not there. We are His creatures. Because He is the Creator and we are His creatures, there is a relationship between us.
Many people today think they can do everything by themselves. But we have to recognize that we did not create ourselves. We are His creatures. We were created by Him; therefore, we belong to Him. We are His servants, and we are here to live for Him and serve Him.
Psalm 139 tells us how God created man. Psalm 139:13-16 says:
For Thou didst form my inward parts:
Thou didst cover me in my mother’s womb.
I will give thanks unto Thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made:
Wonderful are Thy works;
And that my soul knoweth right well.
My frame was not hidden from Thee,
When I was made in secret,
And curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
Thine eyes did see mine unformed substance;
And in Thy book they were all written,
Even the days that were ordained for me,
When as yet there was none of them.
The psalmist meditated on the marvel of God’s creation and said, “I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” Therefore, he praised and thanked God.
Have you ever thanked God for creating you? Most likely, we have never thanked Him for creating us. Sometimes we do not even thank Him; sometimes we complain.
Someone may say, “Why did You create me with such short stature?” Another may say, “Why did You create me so tall?” We are not always happy with the way He created us.
But God loves variety. He does not want to make everybody exactly the same. Thank God, we are all different. That is beauty. That is fullness.
We are often ungrateful people. We forget that we were created by Him, and we forget that He created us wonderfully. Think about yourself: you are a wonderful person. You are fearfully and wonderfully created. Only God can create like this.
We ought to praise and thank God. God did not create us to be angels; He created us to be human beings. Angels may be higher than man in the order of creation, but God did not redeem angels. God redeemed you and me.
We see the mystery of Christ in creation, and we ought to praise and thank Him.
Psalm 100 says:
Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands.
Serve the Lord with gladness:
Come before His presence with singing.
Know ye that the Lord, He is God:
It is He that hath made us, and we are His;
We are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.
The one who does not know the Lord cannot truly praise God with his lips. But those who have received mercy ought to rise up and sing praises, because we know that it is He who made us.
We are made by Him, and we are not our own. We belong to Him. We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
He not only created us; He also cares for us. We are the sheep of His pasture. When we think about this, we cannot help but acknowledge: “We are Your creatures. We belong to You. We ought to rise and serve You.”
Yesterday we saw Christ in eternity past, and we worship Him. Today we see that we were created for His pleasure and for His purpose. We are here to give His heart satisfaction.
The most noble duty is to glorify God and serve God. That is our highest duty.
We are those who have received grace. He not only created us, but we denied Him. Romans 9 speaks of the foolishness of the creature rebelling against the Creator.
But we are not only His creatures; we are also redeemed by Him. Redemption brings us into God’s eternal purpose and completes His purpose in creation.
We must be clear that we are not our own. We belong to Him. While we are on this earth, we live for Him. We are His servants.
Everyone created by God and saved by God is His servant. He bought us with a great price. Therefore, glorify God.
Do you know that we are God’s slaves? You do not belong to yourself. You belong to the One who paid a price for you. To serve Him is your glory.
In the Old Testament, there was a servant who had a very intimate relationship with his master. At the end of his service, he could say, “I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free. I want to serve for the rest of my life.”
They would take him to the doorpost, put his ear against the doorpost, and pierce his ear with an awl. The hole in his ear was a sign that he was forever a slave.
This was not slavery in a merely legal sense. It was slavery of love. He served his master not because he was poor or forced, but because he loved his master.
The most important thing about a servant is his ear. Some people think the most important part is the hand, because the hand does the work. But the most important part of a servant is the ear.
The Lord must open our ear.
Psalm 40 prophesies concerning the coming of the Lord Jesus, the Servant of the Lord. Hebrews says, “A body didst Thou prepare for Me.” Psalm 40 says:
Sacrifice and offering Thou hast no delight in;
Mine ears hast Thou opened:
Burnt-offering and sin-offering hast Thou not required.
Then said I, Lo, I am come;
In the roll of the book it is written of me:
I delight to do Thy will, O my God;
Yea, Thy law is within my heart.
The Lord Jesus had a body, and He had an open ear. Every day He heard the voice of His Father. He heard His Father’s command, and His body carried out those commands.
Brothers and sisters, are we those who say, “Lord, I am here to hear from You. Speak, for Your servant hears”? That should be our attitude.
Our ears must be open. Then our whole body can do His will. Then we can serve Him together. This is evidence that we know the One who created us, and evidence that we love the One who created us.
If we are to become His servants, we must first have an open ear. Once we understand what is in His heart, we must allow the life within us to serve.
We must serve with the life of the Lord Jesus. If we serve by relying on our natural wisdom, past experience, or natural ability, God cannot appreciate that kind of service.
We have to rely on the life that He has given to us. He has already given us His life. Allow that resurrection life to serve Him.
The Lord said, “By Myself I can do nothing.” He did the work because He saw His Father work. The Father worked, and therefore the Son worked.
Many people are busy, busy, running to different places. Their hands may be very busy, but they do not have an open ear. They do not know what the Lord wants them to do. They do things according to their own desire.
Some people have heard, but they rely on their natural strength to do the work. We have to serve with the resurrection life within.
Real service is not outward busyness. It is not merely doing all the work. Real service is the flow of life. It is the release of life from within.
You need to allow the Lord to work in you. Then you can do work for Him. Real service to God is the release of Christ’s life to others.
What should be the result of our service? The Bible tells us that we are unprofitable servants.
If we do something for the Lord, we should not immediately expect others to tell us how good servants we are. The one who is a slave never expects praise from his master. He serves and serves.
Our attitude before the Lord should be: “I wish I could be more useful. Even though I have tried, I still fall short. Forgive me, and allow me to serve.”
In this way, we enter into the fellowship that is in Christ Jesus. In this way, we share the Christ who is the Creator.
Our Father, how we praise and thank Thee that we did not make ourselves. Thou hast made us. Oh, how we praise and thank Thee that Thou hast not only created us, but Thou hast redeemed us. Amen.
We are doubly Thine, and we are Thy love slaves. We do not want to go out free. We want to serve Thee with gladness.
Lord, create in us such love toward Thyself that we may serve Thee with gladness. Lord, we ask Thee that we may serve Thee with that which Thou hast given to us, even Thy own life. Amen.
We pray that our service to Thee may be acceptable. Amen. We pray that we may satisfy Thy heart, Father.
Our Father, we come back to Thee and say that we are unprofitable. How we hope that we may be more profitable. We pray in the name of our Lord Jesus.