It's estimated that there are approximately 3,000 religious cults in active operation today in the United States. That's astounding, isn't it? 3,000. Some major ones that label themselves as Christian, such as Mormonism, Jehovah's Witnesses, and Christian scientists, total all by themselves about 8 million people. But there are also dozens of smaller cults, much too numerous to keep track of. However, the number of those smaller and more numerous cult members nationally is estimated to be as high as 3 million people. Books like this one are written in an attempt to catalog all of those different cults. This one is called Larson's New Book of Cults, and he examines over 100 cults in this book alone. And one thing in particular that they all have in common is their belief that Jesus Christ is not God incarnate. He's not divine and not deity. In almost every instance they deny the divinity of Jesus Christ. Instead, they assert that he was only a man, only human, but not divine, not the second person of the Trinity. Scripture, of course, makes it clear that Jesus was and is both God and man. He is the God-man, God in the flesh, God the Son, even God the Creator, as we'll see this morning. And there is no place anywhere in the Bible where this is more plainly revealed than in today's text passage in Colossians 1 beginning with verse 15 through to verse number 17. In fact, as I was reading this passage recently, The thought crossed my mind that these few verses in Colossians 1 are a formidable defense against any religious cult's objection that Jesus was only a man, that he was only human. Because verses 15, 16, and 17 contain four scriptural proofs of Christ's undeniable deity, and the combined strength of these proof texts is able to defeat any and all attempts by cultists to minimize and reduce Jesus of Nazareth to a mere man. And therefore Christians, listen, Christians should always be ready to respond to those who deny Christ's deity by focusing their attention on this unparalleled passage that clearly discloses and reveals his divinity and his deity. The theme of this morning's text passage is Christ's deity revealed. And there are four proofs of Christ's deity that are revealed to us in the passage. They're printed in the bulletin, so please follow along there on the right-hand side as I read them. They're printed in blue first. In verse 15, Christ's deity is revealed by His being, the image or representation of the invisible God. Second, At the end of verse 15, Christ's deity is revealed by virtue of His being the firstborn over all creation. Third, in verse 16, Christ's deity is revealed by His being the creative agent of the entire universe. And fourth and finally in verse 17, Christ's deity is revealed by His eternal pre-existence before all things. Before we consider those points, let's first look at the context and setting of the passage in verses 13 and 14, where the Apostle Paul wrote these words, notice in verse 13, he has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed or transferred us into the kingdom of the son of his love. in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins." So Paul's subject here is the Son of God, the one whom he designates as the Son of the Father's love. And it is this Son in whom we have redemption, through His blood. And consequently, we also have something else, the forgiveness of sins. And of course, this can refer to no one except our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, in and through whom believers possess these blessings of redeeming grace and mercy. So, As we come to our text passage beginning with verse 15, Paul has made it abundantly clear that the subject is none other than Christ, whose deity is given a four-fold proof in one of the most magnificent presentations of His person, glory, and nature anywhere to be found in Scripture. Again, the first proof of Christ's deity taken from verse 15 is this on your outline. Christ's deity is revealed by His being the image or representation of the invisible God. Verse 15, notice it begins with these words. He is the image of the invisible God. Paul teaches us here that Christ is the image of the invisible God. What does that mean? Well, in the first place, we know that both the Old and New Testaments assert that God doesn't have a body like men. He is Spirit. God is Spirit. and that to us, to human perception, He is invisible. John 1.18 affirms this, which says that no one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him, or Christ has revealed the Father and made Him known. And this revelation of God the Father was made possible when Jesus, in his incarnate humanity, became the image of the invisible God. Now, image is the Greek word icon, which means a likeness or representation of something or someone. An image is a copy. So that Christ is here declared to be the copy of the Father or a representation of Him. Icons sometimes refers to a picture or a portrait. and can also convey the idea of revealing the character of God. And therefore, we are justified in concluding that when Paul describes Jesus as the image of the invisible God, the representation intended includes the revelation of what God's character and attributes are like. Hebrews 1.3. We read it earlier, expresses the same truth well, where the author wrote concerning Christ, he is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint or exact representation of his nature. Therefore, Christ's deity is revealed by the fact that he and he alone is the image and representation of the invisible God. He alone has revealed the Father and made Him known to mankind. It is one author wisely observed in terms of an application, that this not only tells us something about Christ revealing God, but It also tells us something about ourselves. Because as Jesus is the image of God, He is what we are meant to be in terms of character. Because we were all created, were we not, in God's image and in God's likeness. Well, the second proof of Christ's divinity or deity is taken from the end of verse 15, which is this on your outline. Christ's deity is revealed by virtue of His being the firstborn over all creation. He is, Paul said, the firstborn over all creation. Now, initially you might take firstborn to mean that Jesus was born first or was the first person ever to be created. That was many years ago, the heresy that a man named Arius began. Arianism is still alive and well today in many cults. But there are many people who would choose to say that firstborn means that Jesus was simply born first, or was the first person ever to be created, as opposed to pre-existing. After all, if I said to you, I am the firstborn of my family, then you would know exactly what I meant by that, wouldn't you? I have a younger brother by 7 years and a younger sister by 14 years. My parents didn't do well at the family planning class. I'm the oldest in my family, therefore I am the firstborn. But notice that Paul refers to Christ as the firstborn over something. over all creation. And that's the context and connection. And verse 16 amplifies it by saying that by Him all things were created. So Jesus isn't created. In fact, what Paul teaches us is that Jesus is the Creator. And therefore, in verse 15, first born doesn't mean the first child born. In many other instances, the word refers to someone who is first in rank and honor. For instance, the Israelites. were sometimes called firstborn as an indication of their high position as recipients of the Father's unmerited love and favor. And you might recall that Moses was instructed by God to say to Pharaoh, thus says the Lord, Israel is my firstborn. And in Psalm 88, 27, firstborn was the honored designation given to the promised coming Messiah and King Jesus. David wrote, and I will make him the firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth. And therefore, when Paul referred to Christ as the firstborn over all creation, he meant that the highest possible honors all rightfully belong to Jesus, which obviously implies his divine nature and his deity. Third proof of Christ's deity, taken from verse 16, which is this on your outline. Christ's deity is revealed by His being the creative agent of the entire universe. Verse 16, for by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers, all things were created through him and for him. And once again the subject of creation comes up in connection with Christ. And in verse 16, Paul is explaining what he just said in verse 15 concerning Christ being the firstborn over all creation. You notice that word for, f-o-r, at the beginning of verse 16. For might also be translated because. since it explains what immediately precedes it. And Paul's explanation here should just really cause us pause, because Paul says that by Him, by Christ, all things, all things were created. What does that mean? Well, it means exactly what it says. It means that Christ is the agent of creation. By Him, all things were created. And at the end of verse 16, all things were created through Him and for him." Hebrews 1.2, read earlier, says the same thing, namely that God in these last days has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed the heir of all things, through whom also He created the world. You notice too, in verse 16, the examples given. of the variety of things created by Jesus. Paul says that it included not only earthly things, but also heavenly things, a celestial hierarchy of angelic beings. Four ranks or classes of power and rule. Look at them in verse 16. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible. And here they are, whether thrones or dominions, or principalities, or powers. Now both scripture and Jewish literature mention these, the last two referring to the highest order within the angelic realm, namely principalities, and powers. Just make a note of it, but a very similar list of these can be found in Ephesians 1 verse 21, where Paul also lists four orders or ranks of angelic beings, but in a slightly different arrangement and grouping. Referring to Christ, when God raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, Ephesians 1 verse 21 says that he was far above all principality and power and might and dominion. In this hierarchy of angels in the sphere of heaven, we're just as much a part of Christ's creative work as anything on the earth. So once again, this powerfully and convincingly reveals Christ's deity. It is revealed by His being the creative agent of the entire universe, including the creation of heavenly, angelic beings. The fourth and final of Christ's deity is taken from verse 17. It's this. Christ's deity is revealed by His eternal pre-existence before all things. Notice verse 17. And He, Jesus, is before all things, and in Him all things consist. Paul asserts two things here in verse 17. First, he says that Jesus is before all things, and that's not to be understood in terms of physical proximity. It's not that he is always at the head of the line or standing in front of others, no. The sense of Jesus being before all things should be understood in terms of his pre-existence before anything else was created. angels. The English Puritan Thomas Manton understood this and entitled his sermon on this very verse as the pre-existence of Christ before all things. And obviously, if Christ existed as God the Son and eternity passed, then that fact reveals his divinity and his deity. Jesus is before all things. Now, as I'm sure you know, Jesus made many statements recorded in the Gospels that created a lot of controversy in his day. For instance, in John 3.13, he said that he came down from heaven and that he had the authority to forgive sins and is the Lord even of the Sabbath, according to Mark 2.28. But perhaps his most shocking assertion was given in response to the Jews in John chapter 8, verse 58, where amid a heated debate over his identity, Jesus told them this. He said, before Abraham was, I am. Before Abraham was born, I am. I existed. thereby claiming his pre-existence, since Abraham had been born hundreds of years before Christ. And you'll remember that when Jesus claimed to exist before Abraham, his hearers picked up stones to stone him. They knew that Christ's statement was tantamount to claiming equality with God and that the penalty for blasphemy under Jewish law was death by stoning. We could also view Christ's pre-existence from the perspective of the eternal Logos in John's Gospel, Chapter 1, where we read that the eternal Word was in the beginning and was with God, and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. And we have seen his glory," John said, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth, which is what Paul means in verse 17 when he wrote, and he, Jesus, is before all things. So Christ's deity is revealed to us by means of His eternal pre-existence before all things. Paul also says something important at the end of verse 17, namely, and in him all things consist. You see that phrase at the end, and in him all things consist? Consist might be better translated as hold together. like the English Standard Version says. This views Christ as the great sustainer of all things that he has created. In chapter 1 of Hebrews, the author describes it this way, the Son upholds and sustains all things by his powerful word. What's also implied by this is that apart from Christ's continuous act of sustaining everything that He has made, there would be dissolution and disintegration. Everything that now holds together by Christ's sustaining power would literally implode or explode without it. And, as the Son of God, Jesus Christ sustains everything that He has created. His deity and divine nature is thereby revealed. Now here's an application as we come to a close. Armed with these few verses, and you should be armed with them, you can defend Christ's deity with anyone who denies it. Whenever someone you encounter suggests that Jesus was only human, but not deity, take him or her right to Colossians chapter 1, verse 15, and read what the Apostle Paul had to say about the subject. Christ's deity is revealed by His being the image or representation of the invisible God. and by virtue of his being the firstborn over all creation, and by his being the creative agent of the entire universe, and by his eternal pre-existence before all things. So Christians put a bookmark in Colossians 1 so you can defend Christ's deity with anyone who denies it. Just one last application as we close. A biblical perspective of who Jesus Christ is will keep you from embracing heretical teaching concerning his true nature. You can avoid being one of millions, literally millions, who are deceived about Christ's identity, being merely human, by being acquainted with His divine nature and His deity. The Bible is so very clear on this, and yet darkness, spiritual darkness, prevails among so many people. So don't be deceived A biblical perspective of who Jesus Christ is will keep you from embracing heretical teaching concerning his true nature. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation, For by him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through him and for him, and he is before all things, and in him all things consist. And all God's people said, Amen. Let's pray together.