Hebrews 1:3, Part IV

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;

I am going to examine the third point in our outline, “and upholding all things by the word of his power.” “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever.” What exactly does He uphold by the word of his power?

1. All His creation and His creatorial force

2. His plan of redemption.

3. His promises He has made to man.

4. His gifts He has given to His church.

5. His infinite love.

6. His Holiness and Righteousness.

7. The word of His power.

These are just a few of the many things that He upholds with His infinite wisdom and power. Let us begin with His creation. Not only did He call all things into existence, Colossians 1:16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:, but those things He maintains. He is the planter and the husbandman. He creates and maintains. Hebrews 1:3 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;. Could one Being have so much power and order to call the whole creation into existence? Yes, because He is God, and He upholds all things including my faith. Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. What is this unseen substance called “faith?” Hebrews 11:1 ¶ Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. It is one of God’s building blocks of understanding of who He is. A tangible truth backed by His Sovereignty and the power of His Word — both living and written. The Spirit of God writing through Paul, in Galatians, uses this phrase, “I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20. Faith here is not a fluttering feather to be caught by man, but a direct movement of God upon the heart of man. Just as the visible, tangible creation is brought into existence and maintained — the invisible things of God’s creation are also kept by the word of his power. Faith, though invisible to the eye of man, is seen and acknowledge by God in the heart of man.

Galatians 3:6 ¶ Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.

Galatians 3:7 Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.

Galatians 3:8 And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.

Galatians 3:9 So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.

Abraham possessed this unseen tangible or substance worth more to the soul than fine gold.

1 Peter 1:5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

1 Peter 1:6 ¶ Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:

1 Peter 1:7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

1 Peter 1:8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:

Faith is of the Son of God, it is His to give and to impart. He is the injector of faith to those He calls. So it is by faith that I believe unto righteousness; this righteousness is also the out-moving of my faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, who loved me and gave himself for me. So it is by faith that I believe that He upholds all things by the word of his power.

Now back to the Creation of all things, Genesis 1. God in His word tells us that it was He and He alone who did the creating, He does not tell us about His Son in Genesis 1, nor the plan of redemption, or that man must be born again and become a new creation of God, John 1:13 “Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” John 1:13. God simply declares in the beginning of all things that God created the heaven and the earth, and only with tangible unseen faith can man believe this great truth, and this faith like the creation must be created in man. God’s word declares that all men do not have faith — do not have this substance. Why? Because faith is by the will of God. Abraham did not leave Ur of Chaldees by his own thought, or by his own initiative. He left his home by the call of God. Abraham was called by the God of glory. Acts 7:2 And he said, Men, brethren, and fathers, hearken; The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Charran,. It was God’s choosing and God’s will. Abraham obeyed God by faith and it was counted unto him for righteousness. There were many descendants of Shem in Ur, but why Abraham? Because it was God’s will to choose him. Abraham was not looking for God — God was looking for Abraham. It was God who did the looking and choosing of Abraham.

Why do some men read the Bible to deny it? Some to learn the history of the Book of Books, some to learn it’s teaching and knowledge, but few read and study it with a heart of faith — to know God and to love Him. Truly, not all men have faith. So faith cometh by hearing the voice of God through the Spirit of God whether by His word or by divine intercession as with Abraham. God imparts faith into the hearts of His redeemed so that they trust Him with life and soul. His Word upholds all things, His Word is how we learn of God, and this knowledge must be imparted through the heart by the Spirit of God. Faith comes from Him and by Him, and thereby we receive the knowledge of the God of glory; and this comes to us by His Word, both living and written, and both without error. And I might say —all the power of the Almighty God is within the written and living Word, the Lord Jesus Christ. It is He who upholds all things by the Word of His power.

So, God, being my Sovereign I have full faith in Him and in His word. When men attack His word, they are really attacking God; and because I live by the faith of the Son of God, they are attacking me! For I have full trust in the God of Creation, however, I understand what is in the natural man — SIN. Man is blinded to the things of God, God’s Person and God’s Word. His eyes like mine can only be opened by God Himself. Man, as the blind man who was blind from his birth could only receive sight from God, read the Gospel of John, Chapter 9. It was the Son of God who gave him sight, there were no doctors or physicians who could do this, why? Because it was to display God’s glory, the glory of the Son of God. The Gospel of John 9 has 41 verses dealing with the physical blindness of one man and the spiritual blindness of the Pharisees, Sadducees, and the rulers of the Jews — who were the religious leaders of that day. They were in darkness, they could not see the glory of God standing in their midst, they were truly spiritually blind from their birth; and so it is with every man who comes into this world. He comes in spiritually blind and dead to God. His only hope is meeting the Son of God. Think how the Son of God gave the blind man his sight. God’s Son made a paste from spittle and clay, that which is in man — without God he is just clay and water. His natural reasoning denies God, and so Christ used what man IS in his lost estate, merely clay and water. Man is represented by the dust, “from dust thou art and to dust thou shalt return.” But is that all there is to man? Yes, without God’s Christ man is spiritually blind from birth. Note — the Son of God sends this man to wash in a pool of water called “Sent.” He washes, the scales fall from his eyes and he sees; so too, with the Word of God initiated by the word of his power gives sight to those who are spiritually blind.

John 9:37 And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee.

John 9:38 And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him.

Notice in John 9:37-38 that not only was he given physical sight, but Christ quickened his heart so that he might have spiritual sight as well. He worshipped Christ, only a man born of God can worship the Son of God. Also notice, Christ never rebuked this man for worshipping him, it would have been blasphemy if Christ in His Person was not God. The man had met God and now God was ALL to him, and as sight is light of the body, so faith is light of the soul. And this faith must be in the light of the world, the Lord Jesus Christ. John 1:4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men. Was not this miracle a display of the word of his power?

Now why does the Spirit of God phrase this verse “the word of his power?” Why not “the power of his word?” Because, He is the living Word of God. Revelation 19:13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. John 1:1¶ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. His Word is the power that He spoke the worlds into existence. His Word comes first, and His power enacts His word.

As I write I would like to have God use these writings for His will and purpose, but I can’t put power into these words. God must take them and put His power in them. If not — they are just useless words. But faith acknowledges this power, so that the Word of his power is in His very Person. Through His Word He works and wills through His entire creation.

Now concerning the written word of God — our Bible — just as the creation is upheld by the Word of his power, the written word of God is also upheld by that same power. As the worlds were framed by the Word of God, Hebrews 11:3. God maintains and keeps His word inerrant by the power of the Word of his power. Then why do men feel that God cannot keep His written word? Many times I have heard men raise doubt about this word and that word, this book and that book; when God’s Son upholds all things by the Word of his power. Does not the world continue to turn by God’s power; the sun, moon, and stars stay in their courses by the word of his power! Is not my life, my breathe, and number of my days upheld by the word of his power? So should I think that God cannot keep His word? What a lie from unregenerate men. These are men without faith, and without God’s Christ. Jude 1:4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.

So the word of his power gives power to His written word so that men of faith can know the God of glory in an intimate way. My God embraces me with His love, corrects me with His stern will, guides me with His word through His Spirit, gives me an understanding in this unholy and ungodly world, opens my eyes to false teachings and doctrines of devils; but most of all, there is a rainbow of His love all around me — and I see it by faith and He upholds my faith by the Word of his power.

Article may be used, but not for gain. Freely ye have received, freely give.

All Scripture references from the Authorized King James Bible (KJV).

Hebrews 1:3, Part IV