CENTER
This passage is a Centering Code for me. It affirms the centrality of Jesus in all things. It has become a core CODE passage for our gospel community groups.
Colossians 1:13-22 (CEV)
God rescued us from the dark power of Satan and brought us into the kingdom of his dear Son, who forgives our sins and sets us free.
Christ is exactly like God,
who cannot be seen.
He is the first-born Son,
superior to all creation.
Everything was created by him,
everything in heaven
and on earth,
everything seen and unseen,
including all forces
and powers,
and all rulers
and authorities.
All things were created
by God’s Son,
and everything was made
for him.
God’s Son was before all else,
and by him everything
is held together.
He is the head of his body,
which is the church.
He is the very beginning,
the first to be raised
from death,
so that he would be
above all others.
God himself was pleased
to live fully in his Son.
And God was pleased
for him to make peace
by sacrificing his blood
on the cross,
so that all beings in heaven
and on earth
would be brought back to God.
We used to be far from God. Our thoughts made us his enemies, and we did evil things.
But his Son became a human and died. So God made peace with us, and now he lets us stand in his presence as people who are holy and faultless and innocent.
But we must stay deeply rooted and firm in our faith. We must not give up the hope we received when we heard the good news. It was preached to everyone on earth, and we ourselves have become servants of this message.
