Who is Christ?-the firstborn of the Father

Christ is also refereed to as the frirstborn.

Colossians 1:15
     Who is the ^aimage of the invisible ^bGod, the ^cfirstborn of ^devery creature:
Romans 8:29
     ^aFor whom he did ^bforeknow, he also ^cdid predestinate ^dto be conformed to the ^eimage of his Son, that he might be the ^ffirstborn among many brethren.
Colossians 1:18
     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 preeminence.


1 Peter 1:20
     ^aWho verily was ^bforeordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,


I think there is some interesting ideas in these scriptures.  First, that Christ is in the image of God and that he is the firstborn.  Second, that he was foreordained as the firstborn, and that that happened before the world was created.  In the LDS doctrine, that idea seems to pretty clearly show that Christ lived before this world was created and that he was in fact created by God the Father, and that he was the first to be created in his image.  Also, we get the idea he was predestined to fulfill his role as Savior.


Following is an example of how LDS doctrine describes this relationship:

"None of these considerations, however, can change in the least degree the solemn fact of the literal relationship of Father and Son between Elohim and Jesus Christ. Among the spirit children of Elohim the firstborn was and is Jehovah or Jesus Christ to whom all others are juniors. Following are affirmative scriptures bearing upon this great truth. Paul, writing to the Colossians, says of Jesus Christ:

“Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:

“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:

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

“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 preeminence.

“For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell” (Col. 1:15–19).

From this scripture we learn that Jesus Christ was “the firstborn of every creature,” and it is evident that the seniority here expressed must be with respect to antemortal existence, for Christ was not the senior of all mortals in the flesh. He is further designated as “the firstborn from the dead,” this having reference to Him as the first to be resurrected from the dead, or as elsewhere written “the firstfruits of them that slept” (1 Cor. 15:20; see also 1 Cor. 15:23); and “the first begotten of the dead” (Rev. 1:5; compare Acts 26:23). The writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews affirms the status of Jesus Christ as the firstborn of the spirit children of His Father and extols the preeminence of the Christ when tabernacled in flesh: “And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him” (Heb. 1:6; read the preceding verses). That the spirits who were juniors to Christ were predestined to be born in the image of their Elder Brother is thus attested by Paul:

“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

“For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren” (Rom. 8:28–29)."

After reading  another Christian's commentary, I realize that they choose to interpret the idea of being the first born differently.  The idea that God created Christ is inconsistent with this person's believe, so they choose to look at these scriptures more symbolical rather than literally.
Here's what he had to say:
     "He does not say that, in all respects, he resembled the first-born in a family; nor does he say that he himself was a creature"


For me, this just testifies that in order to understand the true relationship with God and Christ, we need to also be involved with speaking to God and receiving answers to our own prayers.  


How has your understanding of Christ been influenced through prayer?  I think I'm going to take this week to do my own praying in the hopes that I might come to a better understanding of what the doctrine of Christ as the firstborn really means, and what it means to me personally.