What is your anchor?
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We are continuing our study of Colossians today, picking up where I left off in Colossians 2.
Thank you, Paul for filling in last week, and covering Colossians 3:1-4. He did a fine job reminding us of the results of the resurrection, and how our hearts and minds need to be on things above.
Today, we are picking up in Colossians 2:6-15. As you turn in your bibles to that passage, please allow me to explain the question I want us to consider: “What is your anchor?”
What is an anchor?
Barge Illustration
This reminds me of the parallel book to Colossians, Ephesians. Specifically, this reminds me of Colossians 4:14.
Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.
The context is similar to Colossians. We have already seen Paul’s purpose in Colossians 1:28-29. He proclaimed Christ, admonishing and teaching so that people we be mature in Christ.
The context in Ephesians 4 is that Christ gave apostles, prophets, evangelists, and pastors/teachers to equip the body so that as each does his part, we would become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
For when we are mature, we will be solidly anchored in Christ, and nothing will move us; no teaching, no cunning or craftiness of people.
Paul desired that all believers would grow to maturity in Christ and be solidly anchored.
The Colossians were being challenged. They were facing teaching, and cunning and craftiness that were designed to lead them away from Christ. So, Paul is writing to them to make sure that they had a solid anchor that would hold them steady through the storm that threatened to move them away from Christ.
Let’s begin by reading from the beginning of the chapter, to get the context of what we are going to be studying today.
I want you to know how hard I am contending for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally.
My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ,
in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments.
For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit and delight to see how disciplined you are and how firm your faith in Christ is.
As we saw a couple weeks ago, Paul was wrestling in prayer for these believers. He knew that there were attacks coming at them from our spiritual enemies, the world and their own sinful nature. These attacks questioned the deity and authority of Jesus. They questioned the wisdom of God. They were meant to cause doubts in the minds of the believers, like, “Did God really say?”
Paul knew that these attacks would sound like good arguments, and appeal to our faulty human reasoning. So, he wrestled in prayer for them.
These arguments dealt with how to become a Christian, and how to live as a Christian.
In the first chapter of the book, Paul dealt more with how we have become Christians through faith in Christ. Now, he is going to transition to how we live as Christians.
That is where we are picking up with verse 6 today. Paul is going to remind them of their anchor in the storms of the attacks coming at them.
Let’s read the passage, and then dig into it.
So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him,
rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.
For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form,
and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority.
In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Your whole self ruled by the flesh was put off when you were circumcised by Christ,
having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.
When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins,
having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.
And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him,
received - how did you and I receive Christ Jesus as Lord?
Faith! Not ritual nor prayer.
Christ - Messiah, fulfillment of the promises. The prophet who discloses God to us. The priest who brings us near to the Lord. The King who rules with grace, truth and justice, shepherding his people in love.
Jesus - God who saves us
as Lord - our master
so continue to live - walk through life in him
rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
rooted - root systems are strong!
built up - upon a foundation, what is the foundation? Christ
strengthened in the faith as you were taught - fixed, firm, reliable
overflowing with thankfulness - thankfulness is a good spiritual test… are we looking unto Jesus, or are we looking at the things of this world? Are we focused on Christ? That will lead to thankfulness. Are we focused on the things of this life? That will lead to ungratefulness, selfishness, greed, misery, despair.
give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name.
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.
Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.
See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.
captive
hollow - unfruitful
deceptive
For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form,
and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority.
In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Your whole self ruled by the flesh was put off when you were circumcised by Christ,
having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.
When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins,
having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.
And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
What is your anchor?
What is your anchor?
How are you a Christian? How are you accepted by God? Why would God every allow you to be in a relationship with Him for all eternity?
How do you live as a Christian?
Self-reliance?
Just keep living the way you used to live?
Do we buy into the hollow, deceitful philosophies of this world?
Thankfulness?