Through the Bible - Colossians

Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ... To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. (Colossians 2:8; 1:27)

A letter to a church Paul never visited, calling believers away from every counterfeit holiness to the transforming power of Christ within.

A Letter to a Church Paul Never Planted

Remember that an epistle and an apostle are different things: the apostle is the one sent with the message, and the epistle is the message itself. Paul wrote this letter to a church he had never visited and had not planted. Most of Paul's letters went to churches he founded, with two exceptions—the letter to Rome and this letter to Colossae. He didn't know these people personally, but he had heard about their faith and their witness.

That is encouraging to consider in light of our own church. As you travel around, you find the witness of this fellowship has sounded abroad as well; people have heard about the work going on here. It is much like what we see in this church at Colossae.

Paul writes because this church had begun to face a challenge the wider church would battle for the next hundred years. In the later first century and through the second century, the church fought a deceiving doctrine called Gnosticism—the idea that everything physical is evil and only the spiritual is good. Colossae was one of the first churches to experience that heresy.

Defilement Comes From the Heart

People were teaching that you must not touch, taste, or handle physical things, lest they dirty and defile you. But remember what Jesus said: it is not what goes into a man that defiles him, but out of the heart proceed evil thoughts and evil actions. It is not the things we touch that make us morally impure; it is our wicked heart. Jeremiah 17:9 tells us the heart of man is desperately wicked—who can know it?

Our own society says it is outside influences that make a child evil or mean or prone to lies. But that is not the case. People have long told me that very early on you begin to see a child's personality and traits emerge. My son Ethan is seven weeks old, and already we see he has a strong will—when he gets frustrated, he clenches his fists, turns bright red, and grunts to get his way. It's precious now, but we already see the sin nature, because out of the heart proceed evil thoughts and actions.

There is a strong sentiment in America that there is no such thing as evil—that people are merely shaped by their environment, and that good diplomacy will set them straight. But it is not simply outside influences. It is the heart that is desperately wicked.

Three Heresies: Intellectualism, Legalism, and Mysticism

Paul confronts three heresies that had begun to take root in this church. The first is an intellectual heresy, for Gnosticism focused on the intellect and the philosophies of man. He addresses it in Colossians 2:8: "Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world."

Philosophy is not entirely bad—the word means to love wisdom, and Proverbs shows wisdom is important. But wisdom is found in the fear of the Lord, which is its beginning. Man has all kinds of philosophies and worldviews, but Paul warns this church not to let their faith be spoiled by them.

The second is a legalistic heresy, taken up in 2:11 and following, concerning circumcision, keeping feast days, fasting, and doing specific Jewish things to be righteous. Some think holiness is found in education and intellect; others think it is grasped by keeping rules and laws.

The third is a mystical heresy, addressed in 2:18 and following—the spiritual, touchy-feely things people get sucked into. You can divide our own nation, and the whole world, into these three groups or mixtures of them. Some say that if we just build good schools in Africa everything will be fixed; others say it's found in legalistic patterns; still others say it's found in meditation and emptying the mind. Wherever you go, you will meet these things, because the enemy is always seeking to bind man up in them. Paul says we must stay away.

The Theme: The Power of God That Transforms

The book of Colossians centers on the power of God—that it is God's power that transforms, not following some intellectual, mystical, or legal pattern. I believe the theme verse is Colossians 1:11, where Paul prays that they would "be strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness."

It is in God's might and glorious power that you and I are transformed. As we saw at the end of Philippians 3 last week, God is able to change us, and the same power that raised Jesus from the dead is active and effective in our lives as we yield ourselves to Christ.

The Mystery Revealed: Christ in You

Paul calls this a mystery hidden in the Old Testament but now revealed. In 1:25–27 he speaks of "the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints... which is Christ in you, the hope of glory."

People try to reach some level of enlightenment—godhood, paradise, heaven, an astral projection, a glorified state—through intellectualism, legalism, or mysticism. Here Paul reveals the secret. As he told Timothy in 2 Timothy 1:9–11, Jesus "hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace." Jesus, at His appearing, abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. He unwrapped the gift and revealed the mystery.

The only hope we have for glory is Christ, and Christ in us. The only way to have Christ in us is to receive Him by faith. It is a gracious gift, not by works of righteousness we have done. In 1:28–29 Paul says, "Whom we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus." That word perfect means complete or mature, lacking nothing. Our purpose is that on the day of Christ we may stand together, mature in Christ—and that was Paul's aim and ambition.

Beware: These Things Creep Into Our Own Lives

The enemy seeks to destroy God's church. He comes with vain philosophy, binds man with legalism, and seduces man with mystical practices to confuse everything. Wherever you go—our own county or the other side of the world—you will encounter these things. India and Belize are seduced by mysticism; Europe by intellectualism; the Middle East by great legalism. We answer with the power of God, the only thing able to transform.

But we must also guard our own lives, for these things can creep in and seduce us. I have counseled many a Christian bound up with legalism, and many seduced by some weird mystical practice that is not of God but of another spirit. We must always be on guard, because these things slide so easily into the church.

Set Your Mind on Things Above

In 2:20–23 Paul speaks against mystical practices: "Touch not; taste not; handle not... which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body." These things look very spiritual. When you meet a monk, or someone deep in Buddhism, they appear deeply wise. I have read articles on the Dalai Lama and how spiritual he seems—but it affects nothing on the heart level. If he stands before God without Christ, God will say, "Thou fool." It profits nothing.

Now, sometimes we do have to stay away from certain things that hinder our walk—1 Corinthians is clear about that. But casting those things off does not make us holy; it is the Lord who makes us holy. So Paul says, do away with all this and focus on the Lord. Colossians 3:1: "If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above." The things of this world grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace. Jesus said, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."

If I tell you, "Don't think of a pink elephant," your mind is now consumed with it. The only way to be rid of it is to set your mind on something else. Sometimes we get so focused on the thing tripping us up—and it may truly be hindering us from God—but the best remedy is to seek those things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God, in the position of authority, power, and dominion. In Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; if you want completeness, it is found only in Him.

Holiness Is Found Only in Christ

"Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory" (3:2–4). He is so glorious as to make us glorious when we come into His presence.

This does not mean there are no things we should flee from. But we must recognize these things hinder us from coming to God; merely neglecting them does not make us holy. Many religious people abstain from the very things we are about to read about, yet they are not holy, because they do not know Christ. You can abstain from every one of them and not have Christ in you, and you will go to hell. A person may say, "I'm not an adulterer; I've never murdered," and still be wicked and unrighteous before God. The Dalai Lama, religious as he is, will go to hell unless he repents—because he has not Christ in him, and so no hope of glory.

Put Off the Old, Put On the New

Because these things hinder us from receiving the glory God gives, Paul says, "Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: for which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience" (3:5–6). God will pour out His wrath on those who practice such things—and also on those who abstain from them yet do not know Christ.

"In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them." Such were some of us, as Paul said in 1 Corinthians 6. But now put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication, and lying, "seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds."

Then put on the new man, "which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him" (3:10). If any man be in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and all things become new. Here there is neither Greek nor Jew, bond nor free, but Christ is all in all. As the elect of God, holy and beloved, "put on bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; forbearing one another, and forgiving one another... even as Christ forgave you" (3:12–13). This is the mind and life of Christ—the same humility and obedience we saw in Philippians 2, and the example Paul, Timothy, and Epaphroditus set before us. As he told Corinth, "Imitate me as I imitate Christ."

Above All, Put On Love

"And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness" (3:14). When we studied 1 Corinthians 12, Paul spoke of the spiritual gifts—the mystical things many believers desire—but at the end he said, "I shew unto you a more excellent way," and in chapter 13 he spoke of love. "Now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity."

These three are the components of maturity in Christ. The whole book of Hebrews drives toward maturity: chapter 11 is the hall of faith, chapter 12 deals with hope, chapter 13 with love. Faith, hope, and love are the marks of maturity.

We see this underscored at the very opening of Colossians. In 1:3–5 Paul gives thanks, "since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints, for the hope which is laid up for you in heaven." What identified them as believers? Faith, hope, and love—the characteristics of God Himself. That is what God desires to bring us to.

Beware of Being Beguiled

So many things can derail us. The Corinthians were sidetracked; the Galatians were bewitched into legalism—"O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you?" This church faced Gnosticism. Twice in chapter 2 Paul warns, "Let no man beguile you." Don't let anyone spoil you with a show of spirituality that looks good outwardly but inwardly is a ravening wolf, just like the Pharisees.

You may meet the perfect monk who has denied himself every pleasure, and he is still going to hell if Christ is not in him. You may meet the smartest person alive who denies God and is a fool before Him. You may meet the most religious legalist with a form of godliness who denies the power thereof. None of it profits if Christ be not in them. But if Christ is in you tonight, do not allow yourself to be derailed by the desires of the flesh that will pass away.

What Christ Does Through Us

The letter divides neatly into two halves: the first two chapters tell what Christ did for us, the last two what Christ does through us. It becomes very practical, much like Ephesians—they were written at roughly the same time, AD 60–61, while Paul was imprisoned in Rome.

In chapter 3 Paul speaks to wives, husbands, fathers, children, servants, and masters: wives, submit to your husbands; husbands, love your wives; fathers, provoke not your children; servants, obey your masters; masters, deal justly with your servants, knowing you have a Master in heaven. God makes it clear—"this is the way, walk ye in it"—not some weird ethereal calling.

Then in 4:2 he says, "Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving," asking them to pray that God would open a door of utterance to speak the mystery of Christ. "Walk in wisdom toward them that are without... Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt." Be ready in season and out of season to give the salt this world needs. If the salt loses its flavor, it is good for nothing but to be trampled. May we never lose the flavor of Christ—the flavor that burns when it touches sin and the light that men do not like. Let it shine; don't hide it under a bushel.

Let the Peace of God Rule as Umpire

As we follow God and let love be preeminent, there is a great promise in 3:15: "Let the peace of God rule in your hearts." We saw something similar in Philippians 4—set your mind on things above, and let the peace of God guard your hearts. The word rule in the Greek means to be the umpire over, or director of. God's peace is the umpire of our hearts, telling us safe or out.

When we are walking in Christ and begin to move in a direction that will derail or hinder us, His peace is suddenly gone. That is a great measure of whether we are walking as God would have us. If we lack the peace of God in our lives or our relationships, it is a strong indication that we are not where we should be and need to stop and repent right there.

The extent of brokenness in our lives is revealed by how quickly we repent when the peace of God is removed. Consider David. There was little righteous about parts of his later life—much like Saul. But when confronted with his sin, David repented; Psalm 51 reveals it. Saul, when confronted, rejected the rebuke and hardened his heart. May we never harden our hearts when the peace of God is gone.

I once met a man who told me God had removed His peace from him on purpose, because God had made him a prophet. I told him I didn't see that anywhere in Scripture, and that perhaps something was not right in his life and he needed to repent. If you don't know what to repent of, do as David did in Psalm 139: "Search me, O God... see if there be any wicked way in me; and lead me in the way everlasting." May the Lord do that for us as we draw near to Him.

Closing Prayer

Father, I thank You for this letter—only four chapters, but so powerful, Lord. I pray that we would be those who allow Your peace to direct us and move us. And when we experience that we don't have it, that we would fall on our knees before You and cry out for Your peace. Just as Moses, when the children of Israel sinned and their sin separated them from You, and You said You would withdraw Your presence, stopped and said, "We're not going anywhere without You"—Lord, may that be our heart as we go out into this world, that we would never leave You behind, but always seek for You to lead us ahead. For we ask it in Jesus' name. Amen.