Holding Fast To Christ
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Sometimes in the church, we Christians can find ourselves lost in our pride.
The body of Christ is a beautiful place to be.
Sometimes it’s the elements of worship that we find ourselves worshipping and not the object of worship.
Sometimes we find out identity in the institution of the church and not in Christ.
My testimony: Early in my Christian walk I was very involved - and I found my identity in my involvement.
In reality, I was serving myself other than God and those in my church family
I was filling up the emptiness with good works and pride
Sin goes deeper than we realize
Let’s pray...
The Text
The Text
[v. 16-18]
Let no one pass judgment (v 16)
Let no one disqualify you (v 18)
“let no one beguile you” - KJV “let no one condemn you” CSB
Let no one tell you you’re not actually a Christian because you’re not meeting up to their false standards - that are not of Christ and not found in scripture.
No one can say you are not qualified to consider yourself a Christian due to their own list of qualifications
What makes someone a true Christian? A Child of God? Adopted into the family?
Looking back at v.12
having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead.
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,
yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.”
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
There is only one way to be good - justified: to be declared just, before God - and that’s by putting our faith - our full confidence in Him.
At risk of repeating myself from last Sunday:
Faith is more than just believing in Jesus.
You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!
Faith is more than belief in something or someone, it is putting your full confidence in Christ of your salvation. All of your trust - all of your hope - all in!
How are we made right before God?
A Christian is one who follows Christ!
Admonish One Another
Admonish One Another
Therefore let no one pass judgment on you...
Paul does not mean we should never pass judgement on one another
Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath.
But, we are to admonish one another
Build one another up
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, …
Admonish: “reprimand firmly”
As an example:
We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone.
We hold one another accountable - whether we like it or not this is what Christ has called us to do
This is a large part of what membership is about: When you become a member of a church you are saying: “I want you to hold me accountable before God - Help me to be accountable before God!”
We are not to lord-it-over one another, but to help and encourage one another to fight against the sin in their life.
The Christian walk is not one we walk alone
What does Paul say next?
Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind, and not holding fast to the Head, (that is Christ) from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God.
We’re being knit together as the body of Christ.
Not tearing one another down to build ourselves up in pride and arrogance.
Building Themselves Up In Pride
Building Themselves Up In Pride
What are the different ways that Paul says they were building themselves up and tearing one another down?
A diverse population in Colossae (tri-city area on well travelled roads (Espanola))
syncretism: combining or blending of a number of religious beliefs or practices
Very common in the Roman world. Everyone can worship their gods - we’ll just add them to the list
Judaism and Christianity were so hated - monotheists - only one God. The one true God. God is exclusive and wants all of your worship.
All other gods are false gods
Paul does not appear to be referring to one particular religion
Which is good. We don’t want to get lost in the weeds (can’t see the forest for the trees)
Ask ourselves: What are the principals that we should draw from this?
OT Ceremonial Law
OT Ceremonial Law
Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath.
Perhaps Jewish (or not strictly) members of the church carrying over elements from the Old Covenant
“A shadow of things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ” (v. 17)
The ceremonial aspects of the OT Law were pointing us to Christ
Now Jesus has come, they are no longer of any value
They serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things. For when Moses was about to erect the tent, he was instructed by God, saying, “See that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown you on the mountain.” But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant He mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion to look for a second.
For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near.
If it’s morning time and we’re standing facing west and enjoying the view and we look down and see a shadow suddenly appear, where do we look? Up or behind us. The shadow is an indication that something is there, but the shadow is not the thing.
To His disciples Jesus said:
Then he (Jesus) said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures,
For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.
It all points to Christ - He is the center of it all - all of life
Christ is the offspring of Eve that will crush the head of the serpent
That’s the beauty of the Bible - it’s unity and centrality in purpose: The salvation of mankind through the Son of God.
Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath.
Some people in the church were insisting that certain diets needed to be adhered to or that they gave you an elevated spirituality.
Follow OT festival dates and adhere to the Sabbath rules
All shadows of Christ. Don’t play in the shadows - take hold of Christ!
Asceticism / False Humility
Asceticism / False Humility
Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind,
asceticism
“voluntary humility” KJV
Maybe we might say “prideful humility” if there ever was an oxymoron, there’s one.
Asceticism is a practice of self-denial or self-discipline
Renouncing worldly pleasures: prolonged fasting from food, wear uncomfortable clothing, abstain from sexual relationships
Inflicting pain on yourself
Achieve a higher state of consciousness or spirituality
Not new to Christianity - brought in from other religions
If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations— “Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch” [abstaining] (referring to things that all perish as they are used)—according to human precepts and teachings? These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.
No value
That was the problem with the Pharisees
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean.
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
The religious leaders had taken God’s law and turned it into pure legalism
To change the behaviour is to get at the root of the problem: it is a change of the heart
“Outwardly you appear beautiful - righteous to others - but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.”
Ouch! Is that me?
Worship Of Angels / Visions
Worship Of Angels / Visions
Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind,
Not 100% clear what Paul is referring to
God alone is worshipped - never the creation
No angel accepted worship
Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God.” For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
The first commandment
“You shall have no other gods before me.
Visions: not 100 % sure
Being puffed up in their pride they imagined that they saw visions or heard voices
Paul is clear: They were “puffed up without reason by their sensuous mind”
Satisfying there own pride / ego
The Root of the Problem
The Root of the Problem
That was the root of the problem. The heart has not been changed. The motive is all wrong.
The were “puffing up” themselves “without reason by their sensuous minds” v. 18b
“fleshly mind” KJV
To remind ourselves what the “Desires of the flesh” are:
Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
These false teachers were causing jealousy and division within the church:
Passing judgement where they had no right to
Puffing themselves up - making themselves look bigger and better than they should
See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.
If we’re to understand Paul’s meaning behind “elemental spirits of the world” they were being led astray by Satan and his demons. Deceivers.
The motive: arrogance and pride which are “works of the flesh”
These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.
Being legalistic has no power against the sinfulness of the heart
Insisting on “super spiritual” practices has no value
It is only a mechanism to boast in yourself
What Is The Remedy?
What Is The Remedy?
What is the remedy for a prideful heart? So what are we to do?
Hold fast to Christ:
and not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God.
Remain “rooted”: Remember from last week
Sap into the roots that spread to the branches
v.19 nourished
I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
Sap-fed fruit of the spirit:
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
V. 19 knit together -
Something that happens to the whole body of Christ. All Christians. Bound together in love.
Building one another up - not setting ourselves apart from one another
[1 Cor 12:21-26]
We’re all in this together. United. Bound together in love. Not competing for a position of higher stature or relevance. Therefore:
2. Be aware:
Beware of those who tell you that you must do certain things to become more spiritual. There are no levels in Christianity. This isn’t karate where you try to earn your black belt.
Perhaps some of you have witnessed this. You will recognize them...
“Let no one pass judgment” , “Let no one disqualify you”
Hold fast to Christ. Take joy in humility and in humbleness.
Take joy in the knowledge that Christ is your saviour. He cancelled the debt. He did it all. He does it all. He is to be worshipped. Not ourselves. Not our high position of standing in the church. We come together as the body - confessing our sins. We find our identity in Christ.
