Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Sustaining the Universe - Evangelical Caucus/Devotional
Gracetoyou.org ^ | 1997 | John McArthur, Grace Community Church

Posted on 12/30/2024 6:24:04 AM PST by metmom

“[Christ] is before all things, and in Him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:17).

The eternal Christ sustains His creation.

When the universe began, Christ already existed. The apostle John spoke of Christ’s eternal existence this way: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him; and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being” (John 1:1-3). Christ Himself testified of the same truth when He told the Jews, “Before Abraham was born, I AM” (John 8:58). He was saying that He is Yahweh, the eternally existing God. The prophet Micah said of Him, “His goings forth are from long ago, from the days of eternity” (Mic. 5:2). Revelation 22:13 describes Him as “the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” Christ has preeminence over all creation because He “is before all things” (Col. 1:17). He already existed when the universe began because He is the eternal God.

Having created the universe, Christ sustains all He has created (v. 17). He maintains the delicate balance necessary to life’s existence. He is the power behind every consistency in the universe and the One who keeps all the entities in space in their motion. He is the energy behind the universe.

Christ, however, will not always sustain our present universe. One day in the future He will dissolve the heavens and earth. The apostle Peter describes that day, when “the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up” (2 Peter 3:10). Until that time, we can be thankful that Christ continues to sustain it.

How encouraging to know that the eternal God who sustains the entire universe is also watching over you. No detail of your life is too small for His concern; no circumstance is too big for His sovereign control.

Suggestions for Prayer

Thank the Lord for caring for the details of your life while He controls the universe.

For Further Study

According to Hebrews 1:3, what does God uphold? How?

From Strength for Today by John MacArthur Copyright © 1997. Used by permission of Crossway Books, a division of Good News Publishers, Wheaton, IL 60187, www.crossway.com.


TOPICS: Evangelical Christian; Theology; Worship
KEYWORDS: gty

1 posted on 12/30/2024 6:24:04 AM PST by metmom
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Alex Murphy; boatbums; CynicalBear; daniel1212; ealgeone; Elsie; Gamecock; HossB86; Iscool; ...

Studying God’s Word ping


2 posted on 12/30/2024 6:24:28 AM PST by metmom (He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: metmom

“[Christ] is before all things, and in Him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:17).


I remember the challenging question from the Truth Project. “Do we really believe what we say we believe?”


3 posted on 12/30/2024 6:59:24 AM PST by PeterPrinciple (Thinking Caps are no longer being issued, but there must be a warehouse full of them somewhere)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: metmom
I just stumbled upon this woman who deserves widespread exposure:

LIVE WITH JULIE: THE UNITED STATES WILL NOT FALL

4 posted on 12/30/2024 10:01:47 AM PST by Robert DeLong
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson