Colossians Part 3

Colossians Part Three
Walking Lessons


Today we’re going to get some walking lessons. Now that we are free from the Law and have joined the kingdom of God, we need to learn to walk according to the Spirit. Paul talked to the Colossian church about walking by faith rather than by their senses.
Paul addresses the topic of our walk specifically within the context of the church. This is because many believers in the early church were influenced by people who taught that ceremonies, rituals, and rules were required in the Christian life. This is man-made religion and foreign to the good news of Jesus Christ.

The word translated “religion” in Scripture is some form of θρσκος (thrêskos 2357). Threskos means, “Religious worship, especially external, that which consists in ceremonies.” – New American Standard Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible
The form Paul selected at the end of Colossians Chapter Two means,
“Worship which one devises and prescribes for himself, contrary to the contents and nature of the faith which ought to be directed to Christ.” The King James Version translates it as “will-worship”, which is very interesting. Worship powered by the will. Perhaps even more startling, the Vulgate (the Latin translation of the Bible that preceded the King James) translated it “superstitio”; superstition. –from Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament.

This is of particular interest to me because I have long felt that a lot of what I’d call “popular theology” is nothing more than superstition. Did we say our prayer correctly? Did we have our quiet time every morning at 5:00? Are we “keeping short accounts” with God regarding any unconfessed sins?
Jesus came to set us free, and because He finished what He came to do, we are free indeed. This morning we are going to get some lessons in how to walk in that freedom.

Colossians 2:1-23 (NASB)
1  For I want you to know how great a struggle I have on your behalf and for those who are at Laodicea, and for all those who have not personally seen my face,
2  that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God's mystery, that is, Christ Himself,
3  in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
4  I say this so that no one will delude you with persuasive argument.
5  For even though I am absent in body, nevertheless I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good discipline and the stability of your faith in Christ.

Paul struggles for the people in the churches to receive several things:
·       that their hearts may be encouraged,
·       having been knit together in love,
·       and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding,
·       resulting in a true knowledge of God's mystery, that is, Christ Himself, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge”
·       so that no one will delude you with persuasive argument

Notice that encouraging their hearts and the fact that they are a fellowship of believers knit together in love is linked to an achievement. There is great wealth that comes from this—stronger faith. Being fully assured of our understanding of the good news of God’s grace results in deeper knowledge of Jesus Christ, the author and perfecter of our faith. Jesus; us in Him and He in us the hope of glory, is where true wisdom and knowledge are found. He has given us the soundness of mind necessary to keep us from being deluded by fine-sounding arguments. He has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love, and a sound mind.

6  Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him,
7  having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude.

Walking Lesson One—Walk by faith, not by your senses
·       As you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him
o   We received Him by grace through faith, and that not of ourselves, it was the gift of God
o   This is how we walk in Him—by grace through faith, and that not of ourselves, it is the gift of God—lest any man should boast
·       You have been firmly rooted
o   He firmly rooted us in Himself by recreating us,
o   circumcising our sinful Adamic nature,
o   replacing our heart of stone with a heart of flesh
o   He gave us His Spirit as a pledge and allowed us to participate in the divine nature
·       You are now being built up in Him
o   He authored our faith and now He is finishing, or perfecting, it
o   God isn’t looking to tear you down or break you
§  The broken and contrite heart He wants is the one that agrees with His plan of salvation and stops relying on self for righteousness
·       established in your faith and overflowing with gratitude
o   This is the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, and a true knowledge of God's mystery, that is, Christ Himself

8  See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.

Walking Lesson Two—Why walk by faith, not by your senses
·       so that no one will delude you with persuasive argument
o   There are a lot of persuasive arguments out there
o   It’s very hard for people to simply trust God to do it all, and every religion in the world except ours says that we have to live “good” lives.
o   This is worldly thinking and it is pervasive even with professing Christians. It’s often communicated as balance. You’re saved by God’s grace, but once you have your ticket to heaven, you have to serve God and live a moral life.
·       no one takes you captive through philosophy
o   These arguments often rely upon philosophy. Intellectuals reason out a theology and take many captive who can’t debunk their logic.
o   The gospel is simple. You don’t have to be a philosopher or an intellectual to understand it.
·       no one takes you captive through empty deception
o   Send me twenty dollars and I’ll send you a handkerchief I’ve prayed over so you can be healed.
·       according to the tradition of men and the elementary principles of the world rather than according to Christ
o   The world tells us God helps those who help themselves
o   Jesus says, come to me and I will give you rest
o   The world tells us that we owe it to God to be good
o   Jesus says canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against you
o   The world says seeing is believing
o   Jesus says seek those things which are above and walk by faith, not by sight

9  For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form,
10  and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority;
11  and in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ;
12  having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.
13  When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions,
14  having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.
15  When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him.

Walking Lesson Three—the reason you are free to walk by faith and not by your senses
·       Jesus made you complete
o   2 Peter 1:3 (NASB) …His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.
·       Jesus removed your sinful nature (what you inherited from Adam) the body of the flesh
o   You got Adam’s nature by birth
o   Genesis 5:3 (NASB) When Adam had lived one hundred and thirty years, he became the father of a son in his own likeness, according to his image, and named him Seth.
o   You got God’s nature by rebirth
o   2 Corinthians 5:17 (NLT) This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
o   2 Peter 1:4 (NASB) …He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature…
·       You were raised up with Him
o   Ephesians 2:6 (NASB) and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
·       When you were dead He made you alive
o   Ephesians 2:4-5 (NASB) But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),
·       having forgiven us all our transgressions
o   Ephesians 1:7-8 (NASB) In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us.
o   Hebrews 10:17-18 (NASB) "AND THEIR SINS AND THEIR LAWLESS DEEDS I WILL REMEMBER NO MORE." Now where there is forgiveness of these things, there is no longer any offering for sin.
·       canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees
o   2 Corinthians 3:7-9 (NASB) 7  But if the ministry of death, in letters engraved on stones, came with glory, so that the sons of Israel could not look intently at the face of Moses because of the glory of his face, fading as it was, how will the ministry of the Spirit fail to be even more with glory? For if the ministry of condemnation has glory, much more does the ministry of righteousness abound in glory.
o   The commandments were part of the old covenant. These decrees were hostile to us. Here they are called the ministry of death and condemnation. They pointed out our sin and made it clear that we could not achieve righteousness in our own strength. We needed a savior.
·       disarmed the rulers and authorities made a public display of them and triumphed over them by the cross
o   Mankind gave their dominion over the world to the enemy, and sold themselves into slavery, but Jesus redeemed us.
o   First Corinthians 6:20 tells us that we were bought with a price.
o   He made us free to enter His sabbath rest and walk by trusting in Him instead of by what we see.

16  Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day—
17  things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ.
18  Let no one keep defrauding you of your prize by delighting in self-abasement and the worship of the angels, taking his stand on visions he has seen, inflated without cause by his fleshly mind,
19  and not holding fast to the head, from whom the entire body, being supplied and held together by the joints and ligaments, grows with a growth which is from God.

Walking Lesson Four –Don’t be bullied into walking by your senses
·       no one is to act as your judge
o   Judgmental people sour many to the church
·       in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day
o   Far too often people are focused on specific behaviors
§  You’re not one of those Christians who drink, are you?
§  Oh, we never do yardwork on the Lord’s day
o   Such things are a mere shadow of what is to come
·       Let no one keep defrauding you of your prize
·       What is the prize? Our inheritance; the Kingdom itself.
o   Philippians 3:14 (NLT) I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.
·       by delighting in self-abasement
o   Paul was talking about asceticism here. The Ascetics practiced severe self-discipline and abstention from all forms of indulgence. We sometimes see groups bordering on such practices today. I was raised in the holiness church tradition, and there were ascetic tendencies there.
o   Despite all the effort this requires, it cannot bring righteousness
·       the worship of the angels, taking his stand on visions he has seen
o   There is a lot of discussion about visions people have seen these days. Books and movies recount the more interesting stories. Use extra caution when considering these things. If God is a part of the equation, be careful to compare what you hear with God as He reveals Himself in Scripture.

20  If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as,
21  "Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!"
22  (which all refer to things destined to perish with use)—in accordance with the commandments and teachings of men?
23  These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence.

These matters have the appearance of wisdom
·       in self-made religion, or will-worship, or superstition
·       self-abasement severe treatment of the body, or asceticism
but are of no value against fleshly indulgence.

This brings us to our final walking lesson.

Walking Lesson Five—Forget about religion; walk by faith and not by your senses.
·       Forget about religion
o   You have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world. Why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees in accordance with the commandments and teachings of men?
o   Galatians 5:1 (NASB) It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore, keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.
·       Walk by faith and not by your senses
o   Galatians 5:16-18 (NASB) But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (NET1) Therefore we do not despair, but even if our physical body is wearing away, our inner person is being renewed day by day. For our momentary, light suffering is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison because we are not looking at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen. For what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal.

Comments

Popular Posts