October 2, 2024
Praying Friends,
The valuable book of Colossians continually warns us of the dangers facing believers, the reality of who Christ is, our relationship to Him, and how that affects our spiritual development.
These ideas all come together in Colossians 2:8-10 in the following words:
See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ. For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority.
As I look over this passage, four significant questions need answering:
Firstly, what is the danger facing believers? Our enemy, who is the enemy of God, has always been characterized by deception.
What we believe determines how we live.
If the enemy is able to twist the truth, shade the truth, add to the truth, and cause believers to accept what is false, it will have disastrous effects.
The term used by Paul is to be taken captive, which means to be carried off as prey.
The word “philosophy” is only found here in the New Testament, and means “the love of wisdom.” Obviously, wisdom is not a bad thing, but when it becomes empty, deceptive, and satanic, it is. It is basically wisdom apart from our Lord Jesus Christ. According to Paul it is based not on the Bible, but on human traditions.
Human traditions may be good and helpful, but if they are obsolete or against the clear doctrine of Scripture then they are bad. If the tradition takes the focus away from Christ, as it was doing in Colosse, then the tradition must be removed, because Christ must always be supreme (Colossians 1:18).
Secondly, who exactly is Christ? The purpose of the enemy is to minimize and devalue who Jesus is and what He has done. Paul says that the fullness of who God is dwells in the Lord Jesus Christ.
While here on earth, Jesus proved that He was the eternal Son of God, and here the inspired text confirms that reality. The truth that Jesus is both human and divine is a mystery that must be accepted and appreciated. It cannot be fully understood.
Down through the centuries, false teachers have tried to displace and devalue the person of Jesus, but the Scriptures are clear and conclusive that He is who He claimed to be.
Thirdly, what does it mean to be “in” Christ? To be “in Christ,” is a place of privilege, security, and blessing. As we learn from Chapter 1, when God saved us, He took us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of His loved Son.
What Paul is stressing here is that we as believers get our fullness from Him. He is our head (Colossians 1:18), and therefore supplies everything that we need for growth and development.
This is why it is so important for us to stay in a place of happy fellowship and communion with Him. We need to hear His voice. We need to sense His presence. We need to enjoy His Word. We need to fill our minds with Him, and He will supply the nourishment required for our daily walk.
Lastly, How does Christ being the head impact believers? If the enemy can convince us that Christ is somehow less than what the Scriptures tell us, or that He is just one of many sources of nourishment, then our spiritual advancement will be greatly compromised.
Christ is not only our head, but verse 10 says, “He is the head over every power and authority.” This means that we do not need to fear the enemy. If our faith is deeply rooted in our God, He will sustain us and protect us.
There are days that our lives may seem out of control. There are days when everything seems to go wrong. There are days when we feel like we fail Him. There are days when it appears as if the enemy is leading the way, and there is disappointment, distress, and darkness.
We, as children of God, must never forget that Christ is the head over all. He knows our weaknesses. He knows our need for Him, and best of all, He is committed to our formation and preservation.
Keep your eyes on Him! Thanks again for praying for our prodigals and for revival.
Love in Christ,
Bryan and Rachel
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