Walking in Christ

Captivating the Colossians

The pressure on the Colossian Christians

Philosophy & Empty Deceit

Paul is not warning these students against Plato and Aristotle and Socrates. He is not speaking of Greek philosophy and he is not even speaking of modern philosophy. He is speaking of this mishmash of teaching - taking bits from Christianity, and combining with with the other religions

Empty - Like clouds without rain, all promise, no fulfillment. As man-made creations they are utterly unable to save - only to deceive - a bait and hook

Elemental Spirits -

pantheism, naturalism; gods of harvest, fertility Following stars and planets - horoscopes

Superhuman beings who control aspects of our lives

This Spirit is Alive and Well

CRT - dividing people between haves and have-nots, a constant struggle for power

Nominal-Christianity - moralistic, therapeutic deism, god wants me to be happy and do as I please

Christians who talk more about saints, about stars, about heroes on the field of play, or politicians and pundits than about Christ

Christ Triumphant

Jesus is the Fullness of God

The fullness of God was pleased to dwell in Him. The essence of God, undivided and in its whole fullness, dwells in Christ in His exalted state, so that He is the essential and adequate image of God.

But there is something else which is utterly breathtaking: Christ, full of Deity, fills us.

If you were to take a pint jar and allow the ocean to rush into it, in an instant that jar would be filled with the fullness of the Pacific. But you could never put the fullness of the Pacific Ocean into the jar!

Thinking of Christ, we realize that because he is infinite, he can hold all the fullness of Deity. And whenever one of us finite creatures dips the tiny vessel of our life into him, we instantly become full of his fullness.

Jesus is our Circumcision - The false teaching was probably a mix of influences from the Roman cult and Jewish mystics - adding all these into the Christian faith

What circumcision signified.

Being marked as belonging to God’s covenant community Putting off the flesh -

Circumcise the heart - Deut 10:16 ; Deut 30:6

Deuteronomy 10:16 ESV

Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no longer stubborn.

Deuteronomy 30:6 ESV

And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.

How this is connected to baptism?

In baptism we are joined to Christ’s death - so that sin has no power over us - the body of death, our old self and slavery to sin have been cut off, crucified with him

Romans 6:6 ESV

We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.

In baptism we are joined to Christ’s resurrection - we are raised to new life in Christ

Romans 6:4 ESV

We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

In baptism we are joined to Christ’s life - we live by faith in the powerful working of God

Galatians 2:20 ESV

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Jesus is our Forgiveness

Our record of debt, all the legal demands, he has taken upon himself, they were nailed to his cross

Sinclair Ferguson - the debt is paid upon death

God Disarmed them all in Christ

In these things God has put all other options, all philosophies, all man-made traditions, all rulers and authorities, to open shame

Why would you be captivated by these lesser options?Christ has triumphed over all. If you are going to be captive to anyone, be captive to the one who has given life, by giving himself, to you.

Walk in Him

As you have received Him

They had received Him as Christ Jesus, the Lord

Christ - the one sent from God

Jesus - a man in time, real flesh and blood

Lord - to whom every knee shall bow Walk in him - an ongoing, lifelong journey with him

Rooted, Built Up, and Established in Him

Roots - like the tree

Built up - like the temple

Established in faith - bearing fruit

Overflowing in Thanksgiving

Praise is the evidence of those who belong to the one who is praiseworthy

Kent Hughes - “Thankfulness is a good test of our spiritual state. A thankless spirit betrays a life which is no longer focusing on the greatness of Christ. It is looking down, not up. Thankful hearts herald spiritual health.”