Only Captive to Christ (Col 2:6-23)
Colossians 2:6-23 Outline
What we’ve seen so far
Chapter 1: The power of the gospel, supreme glory of Jesus, and the holiness of his people
The unstoppable gospel saving a people for (1:1-14)
The preeminent King and Ruler over all things (1:15-23)
Who wants his people holy and mature when he returns (1:24-29)
Jesus’ endgame is not your heartbeat and a ticket to heaven, he wants you to be holy for him
Justification & Sanctification matter to Jesus. (1 Thess. 3:11-13, 4:3)
Chapter 2: dives deeper into this presentation of the Church to Jesus
Last week Jesus is the key to our maturation (2:1-5)
Today: What should we do about it? What does Jesus want you to actually do to help in this goal of us being ready for his return?
2:6 = first inference + imperative: “Walk in Him” What does it mean?
How you live your new life is vitally important to Jesus and his mission. Do you believe that?
Header command to the church across Paul’s letters. (Col. 1:10; Eph. 2:10, 4:1; 1 Thes. 2:11-12, 4:1)
Header for the rest of Col. (24 commands coming)
Three lessons on how to walk in Christ:
Next week: Living with a Healthy Heart
Following week: Living with a Healthy Household
Today: Living on guard against worldly lies
Prayer
Lesson 1 in living for Christ
Big idea: Make sure no one deceives you with false worldviews (1:8)
There is a war, and we need to actively fight against the enemy.
What makes an empty and deceitful philosophy? Examples?
Materialism + Gnosticism, legalism + licentiousness
The measuring stick: According to Christ. Why is Christ the measuring stick?
Reason: Fullness of deity dwells bodily in him. Heaven and earth. Spiritual and physical.
Resume: gave his body to make us alive (2:13)
Baptism symbols: Died with him, raised with him (2:11-12)
Effectiveness: No more legal guilt! Disarmed enemies! No more shame-driven effort. (2:13-15)
Our enemies have been disarmed because they can’t pin our guilt against us any longer
No Jesus’ incarnation = no defense against worldly lies of paying off our debts
Idea Applied to Colossae:
Don’t let anyone pass judgement on you (Col 2:16)
Don’t let anyone disqualify you (Col. 2:18)
What is happening? Gnosticism it seems
Making spirituality the means of salvation
Making physicality evil or unhelpful
Why is this wrong? It is not for Christ, it’s instead of Christ.
Substance belongs to Christ (2:17)
Not holding fast to Christ (2:19)
Christ’s work is your life. Don’t let people make your work how you come alive
Kill shot: If you are in Christ, don’t submit to the world’s legalist rules for life. (2:20-22)
They seem wise and good because they are more spiritual (2:23)
But they don’t work. They don’t help you become more mature for Jesus.
Summary:
The gospel is saving a people for the preeminent King and he wants his people holy at his return.
Therefore, we need to walk/live/behave according to him
But, in this work of living for Jesus, you need to watch out for people who are going to twist things from responding to God’s love, to earning God’s love.
A few exhortations
We don’t fight legalism by not living for Jesus and only relishing in grace. We live for Jesus while watching out for legalism’s poison
We need to be actively on guard against any worldviews that are against Christ. Do you pay attention to the ideas that are shaping you? Are they Christian?
That means we need to know the word!
A few worldviews that I think are a threat to our living for Christ:
Gnosticism - spirituality is good, creation is a distraction (family, work, home, etc.)
Materialism - just amass and consume things without any spiritual intention in any of it
Relativism - truth is self-defined. Therefore, the word of God only gets the authority I give it.
Feminism - a war against God’s ideas for humanity that are selfish and not to his glory
What things would you add? What things do you watch out for?
As we seek to live according to Jesus, we must hold fast to the work of Jesus to save us, and the truth of Jesus to guide us.
