Colossians 2:6-7

JESUS CHRIST IS OUR STABILITY IN THIS UNSTABLE WORLD

Paul is concern for the believers in Colossae because of the presence of false teachers and false teachings.

The fundamental problem Paul identifies is that human rules and traditions are being recommended as necessary supplements to Christ (as if Christ is not enough)

These false teachings are a threat to destroying the stability of the lives of the believers that they have found in Christ.

Colossians 2:4–5 NASB95

4 I say this so that no one will delude you with persuasive argument. 5 For even though I am absent in body, nevertheless I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good discipline and the stability of your faith in Christ.

delude - deceive - false teachers came to the church and is trying to deceive the church. The thing that Satan will always try to do 24/7 to deceive and to destroy the church, the people of God.

Paul is rejoicing to see your discipline - they were living in the right manner and conduct.

Paul is rejoicing to see the stability of their faith in Christ

That stability of faith is being tested by the presence of the false teachers bringing their false teachings inside the church.

Here is another warning:

Colossians 2:18 ESV

18 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,

Colossians 2:23 ESV

23 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.

resulting to denial of the humanity of Christ (Col. 2:9)

Colossians 2:9 NASB95

9 For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form,

These philosophies and teachings denies the deity of Jesus and the saving power of Jesus.

denial of his full deity

denial of his humanity

Council of Ephesus 431 AD - declared Mary “Theotokos” which literraly means “bearer of God”. The purpose is to protect the deity of Christ.

However, it has come to be often translated incorrectly as “Mother of God”

Believers face the very real threat of being captivated by false teaching and lured away from an unswerving devotion to the absolute supremacy of Christ.

Paul’s warning now becomes direct In verse 8:

Colossians 2:8 NASB95

8 See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.

See to it that no one takes you captive. Captive means “to carry away” or “kidnap.” Here it refers to someone being carried away from the truth into the slavery of error.

Illustration:

They say, Love can make do crazy things. But no, love, real love can make you patient, kind, merciful, forgiving, humble, does not rejoice in unrighteousness.

Another example:

They teach about the law of natural selection, and the famous slogan for that is “Survival of the fittest.” They studied the animals and they came up with that idea. It is only the strong, the cunning, those who have evolved will survive. So, people now will do everything to survive - they will murder, they will cheat, they will do any sort of immorality just to survive and then justify it as - OK Ra na buhaton para mo survive ko.

They did not consider God in the equation and in the decision making in their lives - Thinking that they don’t need God to survive. and that is the danger.

Being slaved to sin and error will lead to unstable spiritual life and ineffective, joyless life.

So Let us learn from God’s Word, the Principles to Maintain Stability of Faith.

PRINCIPLES TO MAINTAIN STABILITY OF FAITH

A PERSON CAN ONLY EXPERIENCE THE STABILITY IN CHRIST:

I. When Christ is acknowledged as Lord or Master (v.6)

Colossians 2:6 NASB95

6 Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him,

As you have receieved - past tense - they have confessed, believed, and have professed to be followers of the Jesus as their Lord.

What is the meaning of the word “Lord”?

It means Master / Owner / Possessor.

When a person receives Jesus as his Lord, the person is professing that Jesus is the Master and the Owner of his life, that he surrenders his life and everything he has to Jesus.

However, When Jesus Christ is received as Savior but not Lord, there is a danger of not fully surrendering the life to Jesus. There is the danger of false conversion.

You see, if Jesus is not the LORD of all, then He is not the LORD at all.

Luke 6:46 NASB95

46 “Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?

True Lordship of Jesus in the life of a person is manifested in his or her behavior.

An acknowledgement of Jesus’ lordship is logically accompanied by a submission to Jesus’ authority. If Jesus is Lord, then He owns us; He has the right to tell us what to do.

John 6:34–35 NASB95

34 Then they said to Him, “Lord, always give us this bread.” 35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.

Stability that Christ can offer: Contentment in Life

Who is the Lord and Master of your life?

II. When there is continual WALKING and ABIDING in Christ (v.6-7a)

Colossians 2:6–7 (NASB95)

6 Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, 7 having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith,

Christians who have received Jesus are expected to continue walking in Him.

Walk - Present active Imperative - a command to continually walk.

What does it mean to walk in Him?

We received Christ Jesus as Lord. Now we are to continue to live with him as our Lord. Live literally means walk. Step by step, day by day, we are to conduct our affairs in conscious submission to the lordship of Jesus Christ. Life is a journey, and we are not expected to sprint through it. We are just to make steady progress.

The theology must match the behavior - life style.

To continue living appropriate to the person’s confession that Christ Jesus is his or her LORD.

Christians who have received Jesus as Lord will be firmly rooted and built up by God.

Rooted - Analogy of a plant being planted and deepening it’s roots causing stability of the plant.

Having Been firmly Rooted - perfect passive tense - indicating a once-for all planting. It has been done and is finished. God has firmly rooted them in Christ.

Built Up - analogy of a building, it’s foundation is being strengthened, causing stability of the structure.

Being Built-up - present passive - indicating a “continual” building up” through obedience and appropriate living. God is continually building up His church.

This is our comfort as we continue serving the LORD in this Local church - God will continue to build us up to become more and more like Christ in our actions and identity.

BUT...It is our responsibility to cooperate with God is our daily walk.

John 15:4–5 NASB95

4 “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. 5 “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.

Abide = bear fruit

Romans 14:19 NASB95

19 So then we pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another.

How is Your walk with the LORD?

I hope you are not running away from the Lord.

How is your walk with your brothers and sisters in the faith?

I hope you are not running away and avoiding your brothers and sisters in Christ.

III. When there is continual remembering of the TRUTH we received (v.7)

Colossians 2:7 NASB95

7 having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude.

Just as you were instructed - the Church in Colossae received the instruction and the teachings of Paul.

We have received the Word of God - the Bible and it is for us to remember it and apply it.

Romans 15:4 NASB95

4 For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

written for our instruction - for perseverance and encouragement and hope.

“Not Reading the Bible will lead to forgetting the TRUTH, FORGETTING THE TRUTH will lead to BELIEVING the LIES of SATAN”.

IV. When Theology matches with Behavior, there is real joy and thanksgiving (v.7)

Colossians 2:7 NASB95

7 having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude.

Overflowing with gratitude - One of the marks of a faithful Christian in joy and thanksgiving regardless of circumstance.

Philippians 4:4–5 NASB95

4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! 5 Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near.

Rejoice - repeated twice

The Lord is near - the cause of rejoicing.

The World may end but our lives will not - we will continue to live with Christ after our bodily death, and we will be resurrected with Christ.

Romans 6:5 NASB95

5 For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection,

Application: Stability in our Christian Life:

Continue abiding to the vine (Jesus)

Sink your roots deep in Jesus Christ (drink from the Living Water)

Continue drawing identity from Jesus and His Word

Continue drawing strength from Jesus