This Sunday we turn a corner in the book of Colossians. Paul goes from talking about doctrine to talking about duty; from talking about belief to talking about behavior; and from talking about the declaration of our faith to talking about the demonstration of our faith. But, as he begins to show how we are to live, he doesn't let us forget the reason. We don't live godly lives FOR our salvation. We live godly lives FROM our salvation.
Christians are free in Christ, but we tend to not live in that freedom. We often find ways to make ourselves more holy, more righteous, and more spiritual. It can be easy to forget that Jesus Christ is enough. In Christ we are free from self-made religious practices. We are not righteous by what we do or what we do not do. We are righteous by faith in what Christ has done. In this freedom we can humbly do religious practices that help us to see our need for Christ and how much God has given us.
In our text for this Sunday, Paul begins arguing against the specific false teachings that were threatening the Colossian church. Although they were faithfully taught the truths of Scripture, the people there were being encouraged to add to Christ and His Gospel in order to get to higher levels of the Christian life. Join us this Sunday as we are reminded that when we have Jesus, we have everything we need. And when we try to add to the Gospel, we actually diminish it.
In our text for this Sunday, Paul confronts the Jewish-gnostic heresy with the truth that the mysterious knowledge has been revealed in Christ. It is not an exclusive knowledge reserved for some elite group, rather it is for the whole world. Also, Christ is not far off from this world, rather he dwells in us, the Church. Today, God calls the Church to continue the mission of Christ to reveal the mysteries of God, which is to point to Christ and the cross. Like Paul, and namely Christ, the Church experiences suffering as it toils to make Christ known. This is the way of the cross.
As the Apostle Paul continues in his warning against the "Colossian Heresy", he writes one of the most theologically rich and Christologically dense descriptions of Jesus in all of the Bible. And through these amazing words, we not only get a crystal clear picture of who Christ is, but we also get a crystal clear picture of who we are without him. Come and see the image of the invisible God!
This Sunday we enter into the third of Paul's prison letters - the book of Colossians. And as we read this letter to the church in Colossae, it becomes clear that Paul is writing it because false teaching was knocking at their door. So, in the next few weeks, come and hear Paul proclaim and defend both the truth of the Gospel and the supremacy of Christ. It is some powerful good news!
As we get to the last section in the book of Philippians, we come across one of the most well-known, often-quoted verses in the whole Bible. However, as we see it in its context, we find that it doesn't say what we often believe it says. We see that we've often been applying it incorrectly. Come join us this Sunday as we finish Paul's letter, and see that the news he brings is much better for us in this world we actually live in.
Throughout the book of Philippians, Paul has been calling on the Church to rejoice. And knowing that Paul is writing this letter while in chains for the gospel, we know that true joy is not dependent on our circumstances. This Sunday, as we enter the final chapter, Paul gives biblical advice on how to deal with bad circumstances, such as conflict and concerns, and still have joy and assurance in spite of them.
We are prone to focus our attention on things in this life that we think will give us peace, life, and happiness. The reality is that those things actually will lead to our destruction. Paul calls us to a heavenly perspective, focusing on laying hold of Christ, the one who has laid hold of us.
As we get to chapter 3 of Philippians, the Apostle Paul warns the Church of a threat. A threat that comes both from within and without. A threat that promotes confidence in the flesh, specifically confidence in our works as a means of salvation. Paul loved the Church too much to allow this treat to go unhindered. So, he points the Church to the only One in whom we can truly be confident.
