“The Preeminence of Christ”

Colossians 1

17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the pre-eminence.

Revelation 21

5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.

Napoleon said that he had not found anyone like Jesus Christ, nor anything approaching unto the Bible and the Gospel.

Before the coming of Jesus, a person’s life had no value. But today, one person’s soul is worth more than the whole world. Before Jesus came, many nations had the custom to offer their babies as sacrifices to demons. Others would practice infanticide, where they cast their handicapped children away in the bush to be eaten by wild beasts. The early Christians would rescue these children, and raise them as Christians. Today, the pagans still sacrifice their children by abortion.

Before Jesus came, a woman didn’t have much value. But through Jesus, women are respected and their lives have value.

During the Roman Empire, half of the population were slaves. In Athens, where Paul preached, 3/4 of the population were slaves. The life of a slave was such, that he didn’t earn a salary for his work. He was treated as a dog. Through the influence of Jesus Christ, slavery was brought to an end. However, in Islamic countries, slavery is still practised. Should you remove the Lord Jesus out of a culture, there is natural and automatic devolution and decivilisation.

Proverbs 14

21 He that despiseth his neighbour sinneth: but he that hath mercy on the poor, happy is he.

Jesus emphasised compassion on the weak and poor. Christian principles form the basis for western civilisation. Charity organisations, old-age homes, etc. were established as a result of Christian teachings. When politicians try to take these functions into their own hands, it is a disaster. Only Christians can successfully perform these tasks.

Schools and colleges are a direct result of Christian principles. Today you will find people in these very institutions who reject Christ. Oral languages became written languages, through the work of missionaries who wanted to enable all people to read God’s Word in their own language.

Luther and Calvin said that all education must be in accordance with Jesus Christ because He has established education. The nations that have accepted this teaching, have progressed. They invent new things, because Jesus Christ enlightens the mind.

Scientific advance is also through Christians. The countries who reject Christ remain backward. Remove the light, and darkness automatically has entrance!

The scientific revolution has its roots in Christianity, or from those who come from Christian backgrounds. Even economic progress has its foundation in the Gospel. A person who knows Jesus Christ stops with a lazy lifestyle and becomes hard working, creative and inventive. 100 years ago orphanages were prominent in Europe, but over the years the need for them has decreased because of their economic advance. However, here in Africa the need for orphanages is ever-increasing especially because of the AIDS pandemic.

KwaSizabantu exists because of what the Lord Jesus has done for us. It is because of the Gospel that I value the black people, and together we can preach the gospel.

Remove the gospel, and no good remains! You’ll only go backwards!