Colossians 1:17 – All Things Consist In Him

Colossians 1:17
And He is before all things, and by Him all things consist.

What a wonderful verse. At first read you probably skip right over the revelation Paul gives the Colossian church. He’s already shown what Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection purchased in earlier verses but he wants them to grasp the depth of God’s awesomeness—His power, consistency, and faithfulness.

I find such rest and hope in this verse. It tells me that God has always been and that Jesus, being acquainted with all the things that affect our lives, identified with you and me so He could be our advocate, our strength, our deliverer, our redeemer. From before the beginning, He had you and me in His heart and thoughts. He knows our beginnings.

By Him all things consist. The consistency of the physical material of our world consists by Jesus. The Greek amplifies our English in putting it this way:  by Him or in Him, through Him, with Him all things consist. Jesus is the cohesion that holds all things together. It’s also interesting that the Greek word for consist means to set together, to approve, consist, make, stand with. All things are set together, approved and stand by Him. The Amplified version says that all things cohere and are held together in Him.

His consistency rests in His faithfulness. He is the same God every day, every year. His heart is always toward us. He is a good God who wants do bless your life. He doesn’t change His mind half-way through working in your life. He’s consistent, always the same. James 1:17 says there is no shadow of turning in Him. He doesn’t have a split personality. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever; and in that understanding you can establish your trust and faith.

Jesus is always for you, never against you. He loves you today and will love you tomorrow. He isn’t mad at you. Because of His faithfulness to His Heavenly Father’s plan, He paved the way for us to be restored in full fellowship with God. Thankfully He continues to show Himself faithful in so many ways in our lives. You can rest in His consistency and faithfulness.