Firmness in Faith. Part 3
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Introduction
Introduction
Over the last couple of weeks we have been looking at verses 1-5 of Colossians chapter 2.
Do you remember what we have been seeing?
We have seen the work of God, knitting our hearts, not only individually but as a community in love assurance, understanding, and in Christ.
Remember when we are speaking about our hearts, we are speaking of more than our emotions, we are speaking of our inner beings.
We are speaking of what it is that drives us get out of bed each day.
We have seen that wisdom and knowledge are a treasure and that treasure if available to us in Jesus.
These verses have been building upon one another.
We have seen these verses building upon one another.
Paul has been explaining all of this for a purpose which we will see today.
Through these verses we can see how being knit together in love and understanding in Christ, we have firmness in our faith.
Read
Don’t be persuaded away from the truth. V. 4
Don’t be persuaded away from the truth. V. 4
Verse 4 makes an abrupt shift and begins into one of the main things Paul and Timothy were writing specifically about.
The sentence begins “I Say
Paul has been saying these things, encouraging his readers for the purpose he states in verse 4.
4 I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments.
The verse begins “I say this” to grab our attention as to what is about to be said.
This verse is the first that we see that there was some trouble in Colosse.
Paul is not saying that this has already occurred but seems to be warning of the possibility.
This makes sense as to what we have seen in the letter so far.
Paul has been writing for the purpose building up the believers and stabilizing their faith.
He is writing to see them become even more firm in what it is that they believe.
Moving through the verse it states
Delude
“That no one may delude you”
Delude
1: to mislead the mind or judgment of: DECEIVE, TRICK
2 obsolete
a: FRUSTRATE, DISAPPOINT
b: EVADE, ELUDE synonym see DECEIVE
The reason delude is used here though rather than deceive is because of the specifics of the term.
To deceive is to cause someone to accept something that is not valid as valid.
UM Parking tickets? Have you ever left a parking receipt on your dash in hopes of not getting a ticket?
implies imposing a false idea or belief that causes ignorance, bewilderment, or helplessness
Deluding though
implies deceiving so thoroughly as to obscure the truth
So taking that understanding Paul is writing -
Inc Merriam-Webster, Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary. (Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster, Inc., 2003).
I am writing to you of my intense struggle for Christ in you, the hope of glory, that we might proclaim him, be grown together in His love and understanding, so that we will not be made to believe things that seem okay, but really hide the truth from us.
One of the hardest parts of all of this is the method that is being used to hide the truth.
4 I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments.
These plausible arguments are things that sound true, and have some truth in them.
They use the art of persuasion.
This is where things like gnosticism come in.
Gnosticism was in essence a religion of philosophy.
Basically gnosticism stated that all matter is evil, all spiritual things are good.
This implies that anything done in the body does not matter because true life is only in the spirit.
This was revealed from a greater view of knowledge. This knowledge came from a higher plane, not the Bible.
Gnostics were redeemed from the evil of the physical world rather than the redemption of mankind from sin offered through faith in Jesus.
This was such a problem that many of the letters of the New Testament have some sort of warning or writing against it.
One reason it is thought John wrote his gospel was to combat this way of thinking. As well as 1,2,3 John.
Peter and James also speak against it. Paul wrote in 1, 2, Timothy and Titus against it and that may be one of the influences he is writing against here in Colossians.
The idea was that if you knew enough divine knowledge you would be saved. Jesus or no Jesus.
That definitely obscures the truth.
The other thing that Paul may have been writing against is opposition from the Jewish people.
They very well might have been arguments stating that the Christian faith was not enough.
That the only true way to worship the Lord was to follow their code of behavior.
Either way the point remains the same.
These people were using persuasive language to draw others away from the Christian faith.
Where do we see this type of language used today?
One thing I think of that uses persuasive speech is advertising.
Flex seal, cutting a boat in half.
I have talked with a few of you that have been to Mormon funerals, one of the things that you have said is that it sounds good, until a certain point and then it veers off the deep end.
The reason you know the changed is because of what Paul has been writing about.
You know the change, you know something is wrong, because of Christ in you, because of the wisdom and knowledge He has given you.
You know the difference because you have been knit together in love and the full assurance of understanding.
You know the difference because of the firmness of your faith.
But what about those other people that don’t have this?
What are they hearing?
Are they being deluded?
Have you had the opportunity to share the real truth with them?
What about things that maybe aren’t as clearly wrong in our eyes?
What about things like Prosperity Gospel teaching - If you believe in Jesus you will have health, wealth and prosperity?
What about the name it a claim it movement? There are verses that seem to support this but is that what they are really saying?
There is only one source of truth that is completely true. That is the Bible.
We look the the Bible as our rule of faith.
16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
We only become firm in our faith by spending time in God’s word and allowing the Holy Spirit to work in us.
It is so easy to be pulled one way or another and so difficult to stay grounded in truth.
That is where the community part of the knitting and instructing comes in to play.
Paul and Timothy write that we might have firmness in our faith, that we will share the truth of the love of Jesus.
Paul’s physical absence was not also an absence of caring. V. 5
Paul’s physical absence was not also an absence of caring. V. 5
5 For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ.
Most often when we think of caring for someone, we think of physical presence.
Paul throughout his introduction has put forth his authority in writing to this group of people which he had not met face to face.
Though they were not a church he had planted, Paul still cared for them as fellow believers, fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.
Paul’s care for the church as a whole is shown by what we have read so far in the book of Colossians.
Look to his prayers and his hopes for the people.
This is Paul’s connection in spirit to his brothers and sisters in Christ.
This has to do also with the knitting and instructing that Paul was speaking of a couple of verses earlier.
Paul cares for his brothers and sisters in Christ.
Paul is providing us with an example of love for fellow believers.
Are we praying for the church as a whole?
Are we doing something to support the church as a whole?
One thing we are doing as a church is OCC.
That provides pastors across the world with resources to share the gospel!
Good order and firmness of faith in Christ. V. 5
Good order and firmness of faith in Christ. V. 5
The second half of verse 5, Paul writes that he is rejoicing to see their good order and firmness of their faith.
This helps us to see that what Paul is doing with this letter is writing a warning to the people.
He has seen this sort of thing happen in other places and heard that it might be starting there.
He doesn’t want to see the church divided.
The church being in good order carries the meaning of being in a state of proper procedure.
The Colossian church appears to be a relatively healthy one.
It is as if the Colossian believers have their battle lines drawn and are standing firm in the truth of Christ.
Thinking and applying this to our own lives and our own church.
What outside influences do we have?
Are we in good order? Is our faith in Christ firm?
Or are we a little shaky on some things? Are there things that we individually need to sure up and set right?
We aren’t doing so today, but that is part of why we celebrate the Lord’s supper together.
To be reminded of just how much Jesus has done for us.
To firm up our faith and turn to him.
The greater Helper
The greater Helper
With all of this being said, Paul’s message here I think stems from another.
Who else do we know of in scripture that said some of the same things that Paul is now writing to his fellow believers?
Jesus -
Jesus begins in describing that he is the only way unto salvation.
1 “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. 4 And you know the way to where I am going.”
John 14:1-
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”
John 14:6-
Following this Jesus promises help,
15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.
John 14:15-17
This truly gives us firmness in our faith.
26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.
Jesus promised the helper, the Holy Spirit, would be with his disciples.
That same helper is alive inside of each and every believer here today.
23 Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.
That helper
If you haven’t made that commitment to allow Christ to make his home within you, there is no better time than now.
Paul sought to be with his fellow brothers and sisters in spirit as Christ was with him, and also with them.
We have firmness in our faith when we are knit together in love and understanding, having the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Jesus.
It is by the work of the Holy Spirit, revealing to us the truth of God’s word as we spend time in it and with fellow believers, that we will be able to be in good order and stand firm in our faith in Christ.
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