Colossians 2:1-5
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Last time we went over Colossians 1:19-29. In those verses Paul encouraged the believers by emphasizing what Christ did for them and how the Good News is for everyone. He spoke about why he’s committed his life to spreading the message and how whenever he suffers for spreading the Gospel, it’s a way for him to participate in the suffering of Christ. And that’s something we’re all called to do as we push the Good News together as one body.
1 I want you to know how much I have agonized for you and for the church at Laodicea, and for many other believers who have never met me personally. 2 I want them to be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love. I want them to have complete confidence that they understand God’s mysterious plan, which is Christ himself. 3 In him lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
4 I am telling you this so no one will deceive you with well-crafted arguments. 5 For though I am far away from you, my heart is with you. And I rejoice that you are living as you should and that your faith in Christ is strong.
We’ve already talked about the fact that Paul hasn’t met these people. And going through many of the letters, you know he always has a strong desire for believers to grow. It’s interesting though the verbiage he uses. “I agonize for you and for other’s I have never met.”
Sometimes I can get very selfish with my time. Depending on the urgency and how close I am to someone would many times dictate how much I’m willing to help someone or really even give them much thought. Which I’m not saying is a good thing, It’s something I need to work on. And If someone I never met said they agonized for me, in this case them having such a strong desire for me to grow. I probably wouldn’t totally believe them as I’d think how could they care that much. It would be hard to “connect”
And you have to remind yourself this is the ancient times, it’s not like he could even picture what these people were like that he hadn’t met. He could have no connection except but by what he heard from someone else or in some cases a letter he received from them. It would be hard to really connect in a deep relationship.
But here, Paul was being sincere. And you knew he was by the actions he took to spread the Word. You knew he cared about all believers and getting the message to as many people as possible. Now how can someone care that much. How can you have such compassion and love for someone and feel so connected. It all comes back to Christ. He connects us as a family.
If I’m struggling to feel compassionate for someone in a situation, there’s a good chance it’s when I haven’t been as close to God as I should. I do believe you will love people more the stronger your relationship is with Christ. Because you are being conformed more into His liking.
Paul was an Apostle, this is what he lived for. And this is why he was truly agonizing for someone he had never met in a situation that some might say hey, they’re saved that’s good enough give it a rest. It’s not urgent, we don’t need to give that much mental energy towards it. But Paul cared so deeply, he wanted them to mature in their relationship as well. To be able to stay firm in their faith. He wanted to disciple them.
And Paul wants them to be knit together by strong ties of love. Disagreeing with someone can be an act of love. But there are times when it can be tricky to navigate and things can get chaotic.
16 He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.
As a part of the Body of Christ, we have to help each other grow. We each have gifts and do different things, and in that we can help others grow. Christ knits us together with love. But we have to remember to keep Christ as our foundation. Keep Him at the center of our relationships. Grow in Christ and I believe you will grow in love. And we will learn to support each other more.
Now the second part of verse 2 is important and something every believer needs. Paul wants them to be completely confident. Other translations might say have the assurance.
It’s about understanding the hope we have in Christ, and not just saying I put my faith in Christ and I’m saved in this moment. It’s the understanding of the promise that his blood has atoned all of your sins now and forever. Don talked about this last week, as a believer you are a saint. You’re washed clean because of Christ. If we claim Christ as our savior one thing Satan will try to do is take away your confidence. Prevent you from having a deeper understanding of the gift you have received. He wants you to live like a nervous wreck without any assurance. He wants you to cling to all your mistakes and live in guilt and think I’m not worthy. Well none of us are worthy, so don’t stress about that.
Remember Romans 5:8
8 But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.
Christ didn’t come to die thinking “you know, I think they’ve earned it”. We don’t deserve God and his love and we never will. But the love he has for us is unconditional. So don’t let Satan take away your assurance. Run to Christ for deeper understanding.
And when he says God’s mysterious plan in verse 2, he’s jumping back just a little bit in the letter to 1:27, which we read last week.
27 For God wanted them to know that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory.
When Paul said he agonized for them in verse 1, it was because he wanted to be with them to explain to them and ensure they understood and experienced what he wrote in verse 2 and 1:27 that we just read.
“Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory.”
Now with that, the actions and good works take place because Christ lives in us. 1 John talks about how the good works are the result, and how we should be confident in the assurance of Christ and not stay in guilt.
19 Our actions will show that we belong to the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before God. 20 Even if we feel guilty, God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything.
21 Dear friends, if we don’t feel guilty, we can come to God with bold confidence.
Let the guilt go. Strive to live for God and go to Him.
Now let’s read verses 3 and 4 again. They go together.
3 In him lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
4 I am telling you this so no one will deceive you with well-crafted arguments.
Sometimes people who may be very intellectual on earthly matters can make some convincing arguments on what to believe. You can be deceived if you are not prepared. If you do not contain wisdom and knowledge needed you will be tripped up. And all the wisdom and knowledge needed is found in Christ.
It is a hidden treasure, you must seek Him.
In Matthew chapter 7 Jesus says “Seek, and you will find.”
9 But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.)
15 All who declare that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God.
If you belong to Christ, meaning you have you put your faith in Him, the Spirit of God lives in you. And in Him is all wisdom and knowledge. We are fully equipped.
God’s supply is infinite. And how wise and knowledgeable is he? Remember this in context to what Paul had written before this in his letter when he talked about the Supremacy of Christ. Put this altogether to get the picture that he’s making to these people in Colosse.
16 for through him God created everything
in the heavenly realms and on earth.
He made the things we can see
and the things we can’t see—
such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world.
Everything was created through him and for him.
He is all knowing. And he lives in you allowing you to call on Him at any time.
Now this wisdom and knowledge Paul wants them to understand, which is found in Christ, is because he doesn’t want them to be led astray by well-crafted messages.
You can find a crafted deception all the way back in Genesis. Genesis 3:1
1 The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?”
And then of course fast forwarding, after he’s got Eve thinking,
5 “God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.”
Satan twisted what God said and filled it with lies. And then you have the fall of mankind as Adam and Eve ate the fruit.
So that’s what going to happen to us on a daily basis. Words are going to get twisted and sometimes appear logical depending on how well crafted the person puts them and if we’re not prepared with the wisdom and knowledge we’re going to trip up.
We need to be able to defend our faith and protect it. And we’re reliant on God to help us there. We must seek Christ.
In fact, when Paul preached he said he didn’t rely on himself to come up with crafty things to say. He wasn’t trying to trick people into the Gospel.
4 And my message and my preaching were very plain. Rather than using clever and persuasive speeches, I relied only on the power of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is with you, whether your defending your faith against someone else or your out there preaching the message. Often times those go hand in hand, except when you’re up here at church and no one is pushing back on you.
Verse 5 is Paul confirming the good report he received from Epaphras. These were Christians that needed further discipling. And too often that can be overlooked. Ongoing discipleship is important.
