Colossians 2:1-5 says...
Today's verses are Colossians 2:1-5, which read,
v.1-3 - For I want you to know how great a struggle I have on your behalf and for those who are at Laodicea, and for all those who have not personally seen my face, that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God's mystery, that is, Christ Himself, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
Paul is the master of the long sentence. I picture him dictating this to one of his writers in one long breath and when he breathes, the writer puts the period. Paul is writing and speaking to 2nd generation Christians from him and some of them he has never met face to face. Paul shared the gospel with someone and discipled them and then they shared the gospel with someone else and discipled them and now spiritual grandpa Paul has this opportunity to communicate with them.
The mystery yesterday was that Christ came for both Jews and Gentiles. The mystery today is Christ Himself. Within Christ is all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. It was a common practice then and a common practice today to pay for knowledge that no one else has for your benefit. Therefore, certain knowledge was only available to people who had the resources to pay for it.
Paul comes with the message of Christ that has not been charged for and actually he has put his life on the line many times so that they could receive the message. He proclaimed not for a profit for his pockets but he came so that they could be encouraged and knit together in love and have the wealth of full assurance of understanding about Jesus Christ Himself who embodied wisdom and knowledge. Paul was coming in a much different vain than the false teachers of his day who were lining their pockets with coinage from those seeking special knowledge only they possessed and disseminated at a price from the receiver and not the giver. Paul was paying the high price as the giver with his very life to give the message to the receiver just as Christ did for us and him.
v.4, 5 - I say this so that no one will delude you with persuasive argument. 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.
Christianity does cost us our very lives in full surrender to Christ but if someone comes claiming to be able to give you Christianity through a monetary gift or payment then a red flag has flown of something that is not true. We like the quick fix. We like just being able to take a pill. We like what is comfortable. It is very persuasive to us but Paul is on a quest to help the new Christians in Colossae who he has not seen to be disciplined and stable in their faith that it is centered on Christ Himself and His words.
Our walk with God because of His grace given through the cross of Christ is a total surrender of our lives to Him. It is on His terms and not our own. It is grounded in His actions prior to any of our response in return. It is based on His righteous obedient life to the Father and we are receivers of grace that only He could give. When false teachers come along and promote themselves and claim to provide something that you can't get other than through them, know that the message they proclaim is coming for Satan himself. We are more than sufficient in Christ because He is the Christ. Let's pray.
"Lord, Your grace is enough, Your grace is enough, Your grace is enough for me. May I not live my life with the thought that I have You but I need something or someone else added to it. The mystery is that You are all sufficient to provide all that I need in all things including wisdom and knowledge. May I continue to keep my focus on You so that I can continue to be instructed by You. Amen."
Pastor Adam
v.1-3 - For I want you to know how great a struggle I have on your behalf and for those who are at Laodicea, and for all those who have not personally seen my face, that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God's mystery, that is, Christ Himself, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
Paul is the master of the long sentence. I picture him dictating this to one of his writers in one long breath and when he breathes, the writer puts the period. Paul is writing and speaking to 2nd generation Christians from him and some of them he has never met face to face. Paul shared the gospel with someone and discipled them and then they shared the gospel with someone else and discipled them and now spiritual grandpa Paul has this opportunity to communicate with them.
The mystery yesterday was that Christ came for both Jews and Gentiles. The mystery today is Christ Himself. Within Christ is all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. It was a common practice then and a common practice today to pay for knowledge that no one else has for your benefit. Therefore, certain knowledge was only available to people who had the resources to pay for it.
Paul comes with the message of Christ that has not been charged for and actually he has put his life on the line many times so that they could receive the message. He proclaimed not for a profit for his pockets but he came so that they could be encouraged and knit together in love and have the wealth of full assurance of understanding about Jesus Christ Himself who embodied wisdom and knowledge. Paul was coming in a much different vain than the false teachers of his day who were lining their pockets with coinage from those seeking special knowledge only they possessed and disseminated at a price from the receiver and not the giver. Paul was paying the high price as the giver with his very life to give the message to the receiver just as Christ did for us and him.
v.4, 5 - I say this so that no one will delude you with persuasive argument. 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.
Christianity does cost us our very lives in full surrender to Christ but if someone comes claiming to be able to give you Christianity through a monetary gift or payment then a red flag has flown of something that is not true. We like the quick fix. We like just being able to take a pill. We like what is comfortable. It is very persuasive to us but Paul is on a quest to help the new Christians in Colossae who he has not seen to be disciplined and stable in their faith that it is centered on Christ Himself and His words.
Our walk with God because of His grace given through the cross of Christ is a total surrender of our lives to Him. It is on His terms and not our own. It is grounded in His actions prior to any of our response in return. It is based on His righteous obedient life to the Father and we are receivers of grace that only He could give. When false teachers come along and promote themselves and claim to provide something that you can't get other than through them, know that the message they proclaim is coming for Satan himself. We are more than sufficient in Christ because He is the Christ. Let's pray.
"Lord, Your grace is enough, Your grace is enough, Your grace is enough for me. May I not live my life with the thought that I have You but I need something or someone else added to it. The mystery is that You are all sufficient to provide all that I need in all things including wisdom and knowledge. May I continue to keep my focus on You so that I can continue to be instructed by You. Amen."
Pastor Adam
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