In preparation for an address I was to give at a Women’s Conference recently, in which I was going to speak about the culture in which we live, I came across a poem on the internet by a self-professed “atheist.” In this poem, entitled God Isn’t Real, the author proclaimed the uselessness of praying, going to Church, or reading the Bible because, well, God isn’t real. The poem could be viewed by some as arrogant and bombastic. I found myself feeling sad- sad for this person, sad because of what may have happened in his life that led him to pen such awful words. I was convinced that the bitter words could only have come from a heart broken by disappointment, perhaps tragedy. To me the author’s pain was evident, and understandable. If we only look at the troubles of this life, the inhumanity, the suffering, it’s easy to begin to doubt that God exists.
The Bible teaches us to look to the God who has made Himself real. It says of Jesus Christ, He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation (Colossians 1:15). Jesus Christ, the beloved Son of God, is the image of the invisible God.” The God who does not possess a material body, who otherwise cannot be seen, was seen in Christ. All that God is, in the essence of His being, was reflected in the incarnate Son. God’s holiness, wisdom, greatness, power, have been perfectly revealed in Christ because they’re in His possession. No one has ever seen God, we read in John 1:18, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made Him known. Jesus has made visible what is otherwise invisible. He said, Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father (John 14:9).
But He’s also the firstborn over all creation. The thought here is that Jesus is the eternal Son of God who was present and very active in creation, and holds all power and authority over it. This term speaks of His relationship to the creation. He is owner and heir of everything! And He holds supremacy over all creation because He is its Creator. We read in Genesis 1:1: In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. And then we read John 1:1,2: In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. He existed eternally, so He could say to the Jews, “Before Abraham was, I am.”
Paul, in Colossians 1:16, says that by Him all things were created. Our Savior did not begin His quest to save us as Jesus of Nazareth. He existed eternally. Moreover, all things continue to exist because of Him. He maintains the order of the universe by His power. If He were to remove His hand, the universe would disintegrate. It’s He who continues to move all things to their appointed end. Jesus is a Savior of exceeding magnificence. He is God our Creator, who called all things into being and sustains all things by His power. He is the God who has reconciled us to Himself, establishing peace, restoring the brokenness that existed between God and man.
Who, what, can separate us from the love of God when we have such a Divine Savior? What need we fear here on earth with such a Savior in heaven? What trials and troubles could come our way that the Magnificence of Christ, our Divine Savior, cannot conquer? What sin and temptation could be so strong, so vile, that the blood of our precious Savior cannot wash it away? Look to Him, trust in Him alone, love Him. He alone can save us perfectly. Accept no substitutes. God is real.