Rooted in Christ- Part 20- Mysticism Refuted
Rooted in Christ • Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 8 viewsPaul now confronts the mysticism of the false teachers and reveals the error in this perspective on spirituality.
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Last week we saw the Apostle Paul refute the legalistic perspective of the false teachers in Colosse. We must remember that our spirituality is not measured purely by our outward conformity to some given set of standards but rather by our faithfulness to Christ and our willingness to yield to the leadership of the Spirit of God as he conforms us to the image of Christ.
Tonight we will see Paul refute the Mysticism of the false teachers in Colosse.
Mysticism emphasizes experience, intuition, and emotion over intellectual reasoning. This introduces a subjectivity that is extremely dangerous to its adherents.
Mysticism says “what I feel and what I experience is more important than what the Word of God says.”
The false teachers in Colosse were asserting the idea that spiritual growth came through mystical experience and secret knowledge rather than from searching out the riches which are already ours in Christ.
Paul pointedly deals with the false teachers here and specifically addresses the...
Deceptive Nature of Their Teaching
Deceptive Nature of Their Teaching
Apparently the false teachers in Colosse were attempting to convince the believers that their eternal reward would be on some basis which could only be realized through their teachings and supposed visions and secret knowledge.
They were asserting that they would miss out on rewards because of their lack of mystical experience and their failure to adhere to the teaching of those who had supposedly had such experiences.
Paul warns the believers in Colosse not to allow themselves to be beguiled by them. Spiritual growth and the resulting eternal rewards are not to be gained by mystical knowledge or experience, but rather through union with Christ and progress towards conformity to His image.
What we need today is not some new revelation or some new experience, but rather a return to Christ and the scriptures which testify of Him.
Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.
And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.
Our reward is dependent upon our yielding to the Spirit of God within us as He guides us in discerning the truth of the scriptures and leads us to apply its principles to our daily lives such that we may become more like Christ each day.
The false teachers had set themselves us as the umpires who were now in the position to judge all others as to the depth of their spirituality and worthiness of reward.
We must remember that God alone has the right to judge and to distribute or to withhold rewards.
Their False Humility
Their False Humility
The false teachers in Colosse were also exhibiting a false humility, supposing themselves unworthy to come directly to God and Christ.
The false teachers may have appeared to be humble but their humility was something that they delighted in and promoted.
Their pretended humility was immediately recognized by Paul as pride in disguise.
They used this pretended humility to support their false ideology.
Illustration- the catholic church prays to God through Mary and various saints it may be assumed under this same false pretense.
The wonderful truth is that you and I, though unworthy, do have direct access to God through our relationship with Jesus Christ.
There is still much of this same issue that is present in the world today. There are many who feign humility but who in truth take pride in their supposed humility.
True humility recognizes our own deficiencies, but also recognizes the sufficiency of Christ and our position as a child of God and a joint-heir with Christ.
Paul, in the latter part of the verse, speaks of the fact that the false teachers were actually vainly puffed up by their fleshly minds.
The false teachers were actually arrogantly exerting their own authority above the authority of the scriptures and of Christ.
They made their own experiences and revelations the measure against which all others were to be judged. Their emphasis upon themselves and deemphasis of Christ reveals the extent of their fleshly pride.
Their Worship of Angels
Their Worship of Angels
The false teachers had placed an unnatural emphasis upon angels and in doing so had deemphasized Christ.
Illustration: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was founded by Joseph Smith in New York State in the USA in 1830. Smith had received a revelation from God, first through an angel, and then through a book inscribed on golden plates. Islam- When Mohammed was about forty years old he began receiving at mount Hira' what Muslims regard as divine revelations delivered through the angel Gabriel, which would later form the Quran.
The false teachers in Colosse supposed that they were interacting with angels and that these “angels” were opening to them the opportunity for a deeper spiritual experience and revelation.
The danger here is that what the false teachers supposed to be angels may well have been demons in disguise.
And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
The scriptures plainly present the fact that angels are not to be worshipped for they also worship God as we should.
And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things. Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.
God alone is to be worshipped and He alone is the source of revelation not angels or any other entities.
But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
Their Departure from Christ
Their Departure from Christ
The greatest error of the false teachers was their departure from Christ. Paul states that they were not holding onto the Head (Jesus Christ).
The true source of spiritual nourishment and growth is the revelation of Christ Jesus not angels, not man’s experience, not some supposed new revelation.
Paul asserts that our spiritual nourishment is dependent upon our connection with Christ and that spiritual growth happens as the result of God’s work within us.
We need not seek some new experience or some deeper revelation, for as Paul has already stated we are complete in Christ and we have no need of any addition.
We grow spiritually as we search the riches which are already ours in Christ. Our union with Him has provided everything that is necessary to life and godliness (II Peter 1:3).
The moment we go beyond Christ or we begin to place our emphasis on something outside of Him, we have entered into error.
To turn away from Christ is to sever the vital connection that is necessary for our spiritual growth. Our life will produce fruit only when we abide in Christ as John 15 states, He is the vine and we are the branches and we cannot bear fruit except we abide in Him.
Conclusion
Spiritual growth is not the result of some mystical experience or some interaction with spiritual entities, rather it is the result of God working within us and guiding us into all truth.
May we purpose to remain firmly connected to Christ and to the development of our relationship with Him, not substituting mystical experience for real communion with Christ.
May we never be deceived and lose reward because we have followed after those who promote mysticism.
May we never be guilty of the false humility of these false teachers nor of their emphasis upon angels to the exclusion of Christ.