A true philosopher is a seeker after truth, but truth is not found in human wisdom.
Truth is found in Christ Jesus.
Found in Christ Jesus alone.
The apostle Paul wrote,
1 Corinthians 1:30 "But of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom …"
False philosophy is like a blind man looking in a dark room for a black cat that isn’t there - there is no hope for its search for truth.
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, and not after Christ."
Apostle Paul warned the Colossians to beware of this.
"After the tradition of men."
Remember that the Lord Jesus condemned the religious rulers in His day because they taught the tradition of men rather than the Word of God.
We need to study the total Word of God.
God gave us 66 books but to this day we have those who like to lift certain portions out of Scripture, and dwell on them.
Some people like to dwell on prophecy but there is more in the Word of God than just prophecy. Then there are those who dwell on the Christian life. That certainly is in the Bible, but there is more in the Word of God than just the Christian life.
Then there are those that continually want to dwell on Israel and there is far more in the Word of God than just Israel.
It is most important for us to study the total Word of God.
Everything Word that God has given to us is important.
God's Word is Truth.
I know some people who attend a certain church because the preacher always teaches what they like to hear and it is always very encouraging, uplifting and it makes them feel good. They dont like to hear about the sins they are committing nor about the good things they ought to be doing in their community and are not doing. These are the sins people in the pews do not like to hear about.
That is grave danger today of becoming complacent.
There are those who love this pretense toward intellectuality among preachers rather than the plain Word of God. They do not like to hear the Word of God as it is.
They like to hear "Well this is what the Word says but God never meant it like that" and of course each person likes their own interpretation of what God actually meant when
He said,
"the heart above all else is desperately wicked."
"that Christ died to deliver us from the sin we keep committing"
And oh how we need to hear the Gospel like it is.
Christ died to redeem sinners.
He died to save us and He lives to keep us saved.
We today have been exposed to liberalism.
There are many false philosophy's abroad today.
We need to be grounded in the Word of God.
Apostle Paul warned us to beware of those who would beguile - charm - us with enticing words and will victimize - abuse - us.
Their words cause many people to follow a certain individual instead of the Word of God.
It is like the Pied Piper of Hamlin, he starts playing, and the unthinking start following.
This teaching on the sinful nature of man will certainly not make me the most popular preacher around, but it will cause unthinking people to think!
And there will be people who will get saved.
Although it is not popular, people need to be told today that they are sinners and that there is no spark of good in them.
Oh, how they need to know Christ who came and died on a cross for no other reason than that mankind is a sinner.
And God, who created man, wants to bring him back into fellowship with Himself.
There is a movement in our day of bringing all religions together. This certainly falls into the pattern of the false church which is to appear - and Scripture doesn’t even dignify it by the name of church, although I am sure it will call itself that.
I believe that this movement is more dangerous to our own country than is any foreign political system and that it is more dangerous than the so-called new morality.
It will become a power that will dazzle the unthinking mob.
It will bring the world under the influence of the wild Beast out of the sea and the wild Beast out of the earth.
They will us will use the apostate church to control the masses, and the church will yield to this arrangement for political preferment and power.
When we reject the genuine, we are wide open for the spurious.
Apostle Paul wrote to the Thessalonians
"that when someone rejects the love of the truth that they might be saved, they will believe the big lie."
Colossians 2:5 "For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ."
At this time apostle Paul was receiving word that the church in Colosse was stedfast.
"Beholding your order " - Order is a military term. It means "to stand shoulder to shoulder."
That is what believers ought to be doing - standing shoulder to shoulder.
Instead, today many believers are trying to undermine other believers or take advantage of them.
We need a solid front - steadfast in Christ.
We need to be immovable.
Apostle Paul writes this same thought to the Corinthians.
1 Corinthians 15:58 "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord."
The Colossian church had a reputation for steadfastness,
and apostle Paul wanted them to continue like that and not be led away by the oratory of some.
Apostle Peter also warned us,
2 Peter 3:17 "Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness."
Do not be a lazy dear reader, learn the Word of God. There is no little course that we can take or little program that we can follow that will change and revolutionize our lives. There is no easy way.
We are to seriously study the entire Word of God, not just a few little verses of Scripture that we throw about.
Apostle Peter says,
"beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness."
Dear reader, when you have a comprehensive knowledge of Scripture and apply it to your own life, you will be a steadfast Christian.
You will grow steadfastly in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
True knowledge is not some esoteric information concerning a form or formula, a rite or ritual; nor is it some secret order or password, as the Gnostics claimed.
It is to know Jesus Christ as He is revealed to us in the Word of God.
This is the secret of life and of Christian living.
John 17:3 "And this is life eternal, that they might know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent."
Colossians 2:6 "As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him."
What does it mean to be a Christian?
What does it mean to be saved?
Salvation is to receive a Person, and that Person is Christ Jesus.
"As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord."
"So walk ye in Him."
Now that we have received Christ Jesus , we are to walk in Him, walk in the Spirit.
We are to walk down the streets where we live, it is not a balloon ascension, it is right here upon this earth that we are to walk.
It is true that we are seated in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus but our feet are to walk down here upon this earth.
We are ambassadors for Christ.
It is in our homes that we are to live the Christian life. It is in the office, in the schoolroom, on the street in our neighborhood. The way we get around in this life is to walk.
We are to walk in Christ Jesus.
God grant us this day that we might be joined to Him in our daily walk.
Colossians 2:7 "Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving."
We are to be grounded in Christ Jesus, and living in Him - alive in Him.
"Rooted" means to be rooted like a tree, and a tree is a living thing. We are to be "built up" as a house.
A house is not a living thing, but it requires a tremendous foundation.
Paul tells us in Ephesians that the foundation is Jesus Christ. Having received Christ, we are to walk in Him.
Doing what?
Drawing our life from Him as a tree, and built up in Him, our faith resting upon Him.
"and stablished in the faith."
Faith is the means by which we I lay hold of Christ.
Apostle Paul warns us about the danger of philosophy.
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, and not after Christ."
"After the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ."
The Greek word for "rudiments" is stoicheion, which means "that which is basic," the abc’s.
Some people try to build their Christian living on some worldly system that seems simple.
Our base is not philosophy or a worldly system; our base is Christ.
Colossians 2:9 "For in Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily."
In Him dwelleth all the pleroµma.
This speaks to us of the deity of Christ.
It could not be stated any clearer than it is here.
In Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead.
Colossians 2:10 "And ye are complete in Him, which is the head of all principality and power."
We are ready for the voyage of life in Him.
Isn’t that a wonderful way of saying it?
Are you ready for our Lord Jesus Christ to come again?
Are you are ready to go out into this present world today?
Whatever you need for the voyage of life you will find in Christ.
This is where we say that Christ is the answer.
What is your question?
What is it you need today?
Are you carried away by human philosophy?
Then turn to Christ.
Are you carried away by enticing words, the systems and traditions of men?
Then turn to Christ Jesus.
Colossians 2:11 "In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ."
Apostle Paul tells us to get rid of that which is outward.
The real circumcision is the New Birth.
He explained this to the Galatians:
Galatians 6:15 "For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature."
We are to become new creatures when we come to Christ and trust Him as our Savior.
We are to rest in Him.
We are identified with Him.
We are joined to Him.
Colossians 2:12 "Buried with Him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with Him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised Him from the dead."
The death and resurrection of Christ is an historical fact.
When Christ died we - those who receive Him as their personal Saviour - died with Him; He took our place.
And when He was raised, we were raised in Him, and we are now joined to a living Christ.
This is very important for us to see.
We are joined to the living Christ.
We are to keep this in mind always.
There is no outward ceremony that brings us to Christ.
The issue is whether or not we are born-again, whether we really know Christ as our personal Saviour.
If we do know Him, we are identified with Him.
Identification with Christ is
"putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ"
This is spiritual circumcision.
When we place our trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit baptizes you into the body of Christ and it t is by this baptism that we are identified with Christ, and we are also "risen with Him" - joined to the living Christ.
"Through the faith of the operation of God who hath raised Him from the dead" - salvation is accomplished by the resurrection power of God.
This is not some philosophy; it is not some gimmick; it is not some system; it’s not the taking of some course that will enable you to live the Christian life.
Colossians 2:13 "And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses."
Salvation is not the improvement of the old nature; it is the impartation of a new nature.
Remember that the apostle Paul had to deal with two systems of Greek philosophy which were very popular in his day. They were diametrically opposed to each other, but they both came out at the same end. One philosophy was Stoicism, and the other was Epicureanism.
The Stoic taught that man was to live nobly and that death could not matter.
The idea was to hold the appetites in cheek and to become indifferent to changing conditions.
In effect they said,
"Be not uplifted by good fortune nor cast down by adversity."
They believed that man is more than circumstances and that the soul is greater than the universe. It was a brave philosophy but the problem was how to live it.
It was like the people who say that they are living by the Sermon on the Mount when actually they are many miles from it.
The Epicurean taught that all is uncertain.
"We know not whence we came; we know not whither we go. We only know that after a brief life we disappear from this scene, and it is vain to deny ourselves any present joy in view of the possible future ill. Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die."
The interesting thing to observe is that both these systems attempted to deal with the flesh - that is, the old nature that we have - not the meat on our bones. The old nature works through our old habits, old desires, old temptations.
How are we going to bring that under control?
There are all kinds of gimmicks and systems that are set before us today to enable us to live the Christian life.
I know of people who have been to Bible conferences where the Christian life is taught, and at home they have a drawer filled with notebooks. But they are not doing so well in living the Christian life.
Why not?
Because we need to recognize this one important thing that Paul is saying here:
we are joined to the living Christ.
Now, if we are joined to Him, then we are going to live for Him as if we are.
How close are you to Him?
Do you turn to Him in all the emergencies of this life?
Is He the One who is the very center of your life?
Paul turns to the error of legality.
And we see that the answer is to come to the Word of God and through it to come into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
Colossians 2:14 "Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to His cross."
Our flesh has been condemned.
When Christ died, He died for our sin; He paid the penalty for our sin.
Pilate wrote this title and put it on the cross:
"This is Jesus of Nazareth the King of the Jews" (see John 19:19)
He was being publicly executed on the grounds that He had led in a rebellion. This was, of course, not true, but that was the charge against Him. When the people standing there read that sign they understood that He had been disloyal to Caesar in that He had made Himself to be a king.
To them that was the reason He was dying on the cross.
But when God looked upon that cross, He saw an altar on which the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world was offered.
God saw another inscription there high above the inscription that man had written.
"Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to His cross."
What did God write on that cross?
He wrote the ordinances - He wrote the Ten Commandments.
He wrote a law that I cannot keep, ordinances that I am guilty of breaking.
When Christ died there, He did not die because He broke them;
He was sinless.
But it was because I broke them, because I am a sinner.
He died for the sins of the entire world, including mine.
Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God."
The law was given to discipline the old nature.
Neither you nor I can ever hope to keep the law in our own strength.
The believer is given a new nature, and the law has been removed as a way of life.
Colossians 2:15 "And having spoiled principalities and powers, He made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it."
The spiritual victory that Christ won for the believer is of fathomless value
Not only is a sinner saved by grace through faith, but the saved sinner lives by grace.
Grace is a way to life,
And grace is a way of life.
Grace!
'tis a charming sound,
Harmonious to the ear;
Heav'n with the echo shall resound,
And all the earth shall hear.
All sufficient
grace!
Never powerless!
It is Christ who lives in me,
In His exhaustlessness.
'Twas grace
that wrote my name
In life's eternal book;
'Twas grace that gave me to the Lamb,
Who all my sorrows took.
Grace taught my
wandering feet
To tread the pilgrim road;
And new supplies each hour I meet
While pressing on to God.
Grace taught my
heart to pray,
And made my eyes o'erflow;
'Tis grace which kept me to this day,
And will not let me go.
Grace all the
work shall crown
Through everlasting days;
It lays in love the topmost stone,
And well deserves the praise.
Oh, let that
grace inspire
My heart with strength divine;
May all my powers to Thee aspire,
And all my days be Thine.
Thanks: Hymnal. Net
Prayerfully:
May
the mind of Christ, my Saviour,
Live in me from day to day,
By His love and power controlling
All I do and say.
AMEN!
Reply to Caryl@cherith.co.za.
THIS PAGE UPDATED: 15-2-2008.