- Aug 10, 2006
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“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.” (Colossians 1:15-18 NASB1995)
I have been going through some trials and tribulations for the past two months, particularly having to do with shooting chest pains, labored breathing, and chest pressure, which have not let up. I also have a lung mass which has nearly doubled in size from the last time it was checked 9 years ago, and which is concerning for cancer. So the Lord has been taking me through a series of medical tests to help determine the source of the pain, and that has involved many doctor visits to many different doctors.
Now, this is not the norm for me. Generally speaking, I have a yearly well visit with my primary doctor where he checks to see how I am doing, and he orders some blood work, which usually ends up with no issues. And then I don’t see him again for another year, unless I have any issues. So, all this is out of the norm for me. And I am seeing different doctors with varying opinions of what could be going wrong with my body. So, with everything they tell me, I take it to the Lord in prayer, and I seek his counsel.
For it is of critical importance to me that I am in the center of God’s will, doing what he has for me to do, and that I am being led by the Spirit, and not by the flesh. So I pray about every visit and every recommendation in order to make certain that I am on the right course that God has for me at this time. Yes, I believe in healing, and God has healed me numerous times over the years. But he also promises us that we will go through trials and tribulations to test our faith in order that we might be more like him.
So, when I read this passage of Scripture this morning, it really jumped out at me. God is in control! He is completely sovereign over my life, and Jesus Christ is before all things, and in him all things hold together. He is the one directing all that is going on in my life right now, and for his purposes, and for his glory, to continue the process of sanctification in my life. None of this happened without his knowledge and without his consent. And all of this is for my ultimate good. And it is his love and grace which are sustaining me.
And this last phrase is also standing out to me here.. “so that he himself will come to have first place in everything.” For no matter how long any of us have been Christians and followers of Jesus Christ, we are still clay in the hands of the Potter God, being molded to his likeness, as we cooperate fully with his work of grace in our lives in changing us to be more like him. No matter how closely we have walked with Jesus, there is still room for more growth, and more change, and even greater submission to our Lord’s will.
Not one of us has arrived at the point to where there is no more need to be pruned by God. For we live in flesh bodies. We are still human beings who are in the process of being perfected by God as we submit to his will and purpose for our lives. There is always room for improvement and for the cutting away of more flesh. For this is the process of sanctification in our lives, which is also the process of our salvation. And this process will continue through our lives until Jesus takes us home to be with him in glory.
[Matthew 5:10-12; Matthew 7:13-14; Matthew 10:16-39; Matthew 24:9-14; Luke 6:22-23; Luke 21:12-17; John 15:18-21; John 17:14; Romans 5:3-5; Philippians 3:7-11; 1 Peter 1:6-7; 1 Peter 4:12-17; 2 Timothy 3:12; 1 Thessalonians 3:1-5; James 1:2-4; 2 Corinthians 1:3-11; Hebrews 12:3-12; 1 John 3:13; Revelation 6:9-11; Revelation 7:9-17; Revelation 11:1-3; Revelation 12:17; Revelation 13:1-18; Revelation 14:1-13]
But just because we are in the process of sanctification, and not one of us has yet arrived at the point of absolute perfection, this is never an excuse for any of us to live in willful, defiant, deliberate, and habitual sin against our Lord. For our salvation from sin is not freedom to keep sinning without feeling guilty, assuming that God’s grace covers it all. For Jesus Christ died and rose to deliver us out of our slavery to sin so we will now serve him with our lives in walks of obedience to his commands. So let him rule your life.
[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 2:5-10; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 10:19-39; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22]
Walk With Me
By Al Langdon and P.J. Zondervan
Walk with me, walk with me,
Lest mine eyes no longer see
All the glory, all the story of Your love;
Talk to me, talk to me,
Like You spoke so tenderly,
When You talked there,
When You walked there by the sea.
Talk to me, talk to me,
Lest mine ears no longer hear
All the wonder, all the beauty of Your grace;
Walk with me, walk with me,
As You walked so lovingly,
When You walked there,
When You talked there by the sea.
Let me follow in the footsteps
That trod the shore of Galilee,
Let me learn to pray like He did
In the Garden of Gethsemane;
Take my hand, take my hand,
Teach me Lord to understand,
All the duty, all the beauty of Your love.
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So Jesus Christ Has First Place
An Original Work / November 13, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
