UPHOLDING ALL THINGS
Hebrews 1:1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, 2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; 3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;
That Greek word, here translated “upholding” is elsewhere translated, “let us go on” in Hebrews 6:1. It is listed as “they could ..endure” in Hebrews 12:20. And it is seen as “bearing” in Hebrews 13:13. Therefore we see it implying that the world continues to exist and endures as the Person of the Word bears it up. He is “upholding” even while he is “down sitting.” (Hebrews 1:3).
The Amplified Bible states that he is, “upholding and maintaining and guiding and propelling the universe.”
The Apostle Paul brought a matter of spiritual understanding to the philosophers on Mars Hill in Athens. He made them to understand that God was not just in the world, but that the world was in God! Acts 17:28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. And in Colossians 1:17 he wrote of the Eternal Son of God; And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. And that word, “consist,” means “are held together.”
For the Eternal Son of God is the power which holds the entire universe together. Consider nature’s upheavals when “Christ the mighty Maker died, for man, the creature’s sin.” Matthew 27:50 Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. 51 And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; 52 And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, 53 And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.
And he plainly told the sisters of dead Lazarus that the resurrection was not just a scheduled event, but that the resurrection was His Person! John 11:25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: 26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?
In the good pleasure of God’s purposes He intends to have Christ to be the culmination of all things. For as the Lord Jesus is the Alpha who began all things, so he is the Omega to finalize all things. Ephesians 1:9 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: 10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:
Christ is already seated at the right hand of the Majesty on high. And as presently reigning Lord, all authority over creation and all its creatures is His! 1 Peter 3:22 Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him. Philippians 2:9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
In our most “Christ-based” religion, even though we pride ourselves in not having any images of God in our religious buildings, but to be honest we should just go ahead and put up statues, and hang pictures of “Jesus.” Because most religionists worship a figment of their imagination. Genesis 6:5 And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 2 Corinthians 10:5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
We provide our youth with bibles that have pictures of “Jesus.” Thus training their imagination that he is a baby in a cow stall, or a dead god handing limp on a cross, or a man with a beard, long hair and a robe. And we wonder at the results! For this only presents the Lord as human.
Even though we strongly claim to believe in the Ten Commandments, its like we have never heard of this one. Or if we have, its like God really didn’t mean it all that much. For we go right ahead with our images of “Jesus.” Exodus 20:3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me. 4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: 5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;
Therefore we cannot conceive of the Person of Jesus Christ “upholding all things by the word of his power.” We have no understanding of the light which God called forth in the first day of creation, even though the sun, moon and stars were not created until the fourth day. But we read and quote John 8:12. Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. When God said, “Let there be light,” he introduced creation to the Eternal Son, “the light of the world.” For he is the life-giving source of all things!
As the light of the world he provides intellect and discernment to every human being. John 1:9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. And as the light of life he provides spiritual birth and a redeeming knowledge of God to those who are granted believing faith. 1 John 5:20 And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.
Jesus Christ is very God. He is eternal. He is the second Person of the Trinity. He is co-equal with the Father and Spirit. He therefore possesses all the attributes of the Father and the Spirit. For as he has the splendor of God’s Person proceeding from Himself, he must therefore possess inherent, or essential splendor. That is, he cannot produce “the brightness of (the Father’s) glory,” nor “the express image of (the Father’s) person,” unless he and the Father are truly One!
Consider these verses: John 10:30 I and my Father are one. 36 Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God? 37 If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. 38 But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him.
John 14:9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? 10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake.
2 Corinthians 3:17 Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. (That is, He is the spirit of the word. 2 Corinthians 3:6 Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.) Therefore it can truly be said that He upholds all things by the word of his power!
Even believers have not eternal life of themselves. We only have “everlasting life,” and that due to the Son of God providing it for us. God alone is eternal. There was a point in time when we did not exist. For there was a point in time when we were born. But there is no point in time when God did not exist! Psalm 90:2 Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.
Of the Eternal Son we read: Proverbs 8:23 I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was. 24 When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water. 25 Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth: 26 While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the world. 27 When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he set a compass upon the face of the depth: 28 When he established the clouds above: when he strengthened the fountains of the deep: 29 When he gave to the sea his decree, that the waters should not pass his commandment: when he appointed the foundations of the earth: 30 Then I was by him, as one brought up with him: and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him;
The Apostle Peter speaks of the word upholding the worlds in his second letter. He states that mankind is willingly ignorant of the word of God upholding all things! 2 Peter 3:5 For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: 6 Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: 7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
He speaks of both the world that then was, (the world before Noah’s flood), and the heavens and the earth, which are now. He reveals that the pre-flood world was upheld by the word of God, reserved to perish by water. And our world after the flood, is upheld as well by the same word of his power, but is reserved unto fire.
God asks Job a most solum question. Job 38:6 Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof; Isaiah 45:7 I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things. Fallen man still cannot truthfully answer these questions. Therefore he cannot abide the truth of Creationism, for that implies a Creator! They must have the ungodly theory of evolution, which requires no Creator. But what kind of pseudo faith does it take to believe that a piece of slime became a monkey-man? Unbelievable!
And when you un-god God, you dehumanize yourself. For man was made in the image of God. And having lost the true image of God, the human race has even also lost the concept of the relationship of the man with the woman. Romans 1:19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. 20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: 21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. 24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: 25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
The scriptures speak of the “seven Spirits” of God. And they relate the power (seven horns), and omniscience (seven eyes) of Christ as being the seven Spirits of God. Revelation 5:6 And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. But there is but one Holy Spirit! Yet in this setting forth of Christ in this manner it reveals to us that Christ, as God, is of the same attributes as the Father and Holy Spirit. And having said that he is as seven Spirits, it implies the multiplicity of his power and influences.
Therefore it is the spirit of Christ, the Eternal Son, by which all things are sustained. Remember our verse in Colossians 1:17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist (are held together). And these seven spirits are listed out by the Prophet Isaiah as belonging to the Branch – the Eternal Son of God.
Isaiah 11:1 And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: 2 And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD; 3 And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: 4 But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.
Jesus Christ is very God, and upholds the worlds.
Pastor Gene Breed
October 18, 2019
