Collossians Ch.2: Commitment

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Collossians Ch. 2

A Pig and a Chicken, Ham & Egg Breakfast, Contribution & Total Commitment

I believe the Lord would have me continue today along the lines of the last message I gave 4 weeks ago.
The theme then was "What does it entail to Follow Christ."
Today It is "What does Commitment" involve

Ch. 2 v. 1Apparently this letter to Collosse was also intended to read in Laodicea
Which was about 10 miles to the east with whom the the town obviously had a close contact.

To focus our minds and set the scene I’d like to read the first 3 verses of Chapter Three. Then a few verses in Chapter 2

Col 3:1-3 If then [by the way I’m using the RSV]
I’d like you to note that big word IF (This is the Stipulation of a condition required,
if the condition applies then the following is written to you )

If then, you, have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hid with Christ in God.

Have you been raised with Christ ? [ Note the Passed tense]

I feel I need to Clarify this a little with another portion of Scripture Again by the Apostle Paul.

Romans 6: v. 3-5. " Do you not know that all of us who have been baptised into Christ Jesus were baptised into his death?
[note again the passed Tense]
We were buried therefore with Him by baptism into His death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the father, we too might walk in newness of life".
For if [that big word again] we have been united with Him in a death like His, we shall certainly be united with Him in in a resurrection like His.

The inference here is that

Christ Was Crucified, Christ Was raised, and We Were United with Him Ergo We Were raised to a newness of life

If then, you! have been raised with Christ,
seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hid with Christ in God.

Now, It’s not for us to judge who has and who hasn’t been raised
The If condition is there for each individual to decide for themselves

Having established that let’s continue with the introduction

Col 1:4-5 Paul Says "because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love which you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven.
v.7 as you learned from Ep'aphras our beloved fellow servant".

Ep’aphras apparently had reported to Paul that the collossians are certainly bound together by Christian Love
Very similar I suppose to how somaone might make a report about our fellowship.

Then Paul continues in

v.9-10 And so, from the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you,
asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,
to lead a life worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.

Paul is not only letting them know he is praying for them, but is also seeking to indicate to them by giving the substance of his prayer, that there is more to the Christian life than being part of a loving fellowship, there is a need aquire Spiritual wisdom, and to lead a particular kind of life that is productive.

Paul continues in Chapter 1 to give us reasons why we need to aquire these qualities,

This is summed up in vs.15-17 because

"He" [that is Jesus] "is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation;

for in him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or authorities, all things were created through him and for him.
He is before all things, and in him all things hold together."

And the most important reason of all in

v.18 He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the first-born from the dead, that in everything he might be pre-eminent.

in everything he might be pre-eminent.
It is the responsibility of all who claim to be Christian to play their part and live a life worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him

With that introduction in our minds lets go on to

Ch. 2:1. For I want you to know how greatly I strive for you, and for those at La-odice'a, and for all who have not seen my face,

I mentioned earlier that this letter was also meant to be read in Laodicea,
this is the town which John in his vision on Patmos is instructed to describe as Lukewarm, a problem which apparently is liable to lead to some dire consequences

You are liable to Spat out.

God would sooner you be against Him, than profess an allegience that is lukewam.

Rev. v. 15 You are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other.

I find that It’s easier to deal with those who admit that they don’t know Christ than those who think they do.

There are many within the Visible Church who have no knowledge or understanding of the purpose of the body of Christ on earth.
The Bible refers to them as tares

The Church is the Body of Christ for a purpose, it is not a select social club
No-one joins a golf club to play cards in the clubhouse or just enjoy fellowship at the annual dinner. They join to play Golf.

A Body where just one tiny member is missing can very easily lose it’s whole Point
And I’m living proof that that is true

In vs.:2-3 Paul again acknowledges that the Collosians are united in love,
but the purpose in his striving [the NIV says struggling] is that there hearts may be encouraged to have all the riches of assured understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, of Christ, in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

The Greek word translated assured there is ‘Plerothoria’ Which means
full assurance, a most certain confidence in. A plethora of understanding in fact

Paul is concerned that they have a sure Knowledge in what they believe

If we truly belong to Christ we shall have the confidence to speak for him.

I was going to say [If we belong to Christ we should have the confidence to speak for him.]. But it comes back again to that Big word again ‘IF’
If we belong to Christ we have the confidence to speak for him.

Paul purpose in speaking this way is shown in

v.4. I say this in order that no one may delude you with beguiling speech.

Paul is anxious that they have the confidence not to tossed about with every wind of doctrine. And that they may truly know the person in whom the have believed

v.6-7 As therefore you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so live in him,
rooted and built up in him, and established in the faith,
just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.

We might at this point begin to wonder why Paul is so insistant on their confidence in the teaching they had received from Epaphras.

Well the report that Epaphras took to Paul must also have included the danger of an heresy that was creeping into the church. It was an heresy that to a greater or lesser degree, is in many fellowships nowadays, It consists of the introduction of special rules required, to be a member of this or that fellowship, particular rules that must be adhered to, a certain order of service that must be followed, A particular style of worship that is taboo.

Paul points out in v. 8-9

See to it that no one makes a prey of you by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the universe, and not according to Christ.

It’s important to note where Paul suggests that these instructions have there origin
It’s according to the elemental spirits of the universe, and not according to Christ.
As is always the case anything that draws men and women away from the gospel Is the work of Satan.
There is a philosophy in some areas, from those who purport to speak for the Church, which says there is no Satan, there are no such things as Demons, human knowledge nowadays is more enlightened these beliefs are a thing of the past.

The word of God says in

Eph. Ch. 6 v. 12. "We battle not against flesh and blood but against Principalities and Powers - - - Against the Spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavanly places"

I don’t really want to get sidetracked into a discussion about Satan. Because this letter to Collosse is really all about how to defend ourselves against him.
And this defence lies in being sure that we are in Christ and fully Confident in our knowledge of Him and being totally Committed to Him.

v. 9-10 For in him the whole fulness of deity dwells bodily,
and you have come to fulness of life in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.
And if we take a quick look at V. 15
He disarmed the principalities and powers and made a public example of them, triumphing over them in the cross.

It’s interesting to note that vs.11-14 are again written in the past tense,
these events are deemed to have already taken place.

v. 11 In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of flesh [ The NIV has has sinful nature] in the circumcision of Christ;

In other words, It’s a "Fait a Complait" you Cannot be anything other than a new person

Not forgetting that big IF
v.12 and you were buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.

Now this verse is talking about our baptism in water, that is symbolic of what is considered here to have taken place when we committed our life to Christ.
This is one of the reasons we encourage all who love the Lord to be baptised.

Do you recall the verses in Romans Ch. 6 vs. 3-4 we read earlier on

Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?
We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

These verses although very similar to the verses in Collossians Don’t refer to water Baptism, they speak of being "BAPTISED INTO CHRIST" in other words being totally immersed in Christ. Totally Committed, On fire for Christ,
Red hot, not Lukewarm.
If there is no big if in your lifeand you truly Know who you believe we can go on to Verse 13

"And you, who were dead in trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses,
having canceled the bond which stood against us with its legal demands; this he set aside, nailing it to the cross.

Now, the words "The Bond that stood against us" in the Greek is ‘Cheirographon Dogma’ Which is, Handwritten rules and regulations

vs. 16-20
Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a sabbath.
These are only a shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ.
Let no one disqualify you, insisting on self-abasement and worship of angels, taking his stand on visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind, and not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God.

These are all Handwritten rules ‘Cheirographon Dogma’

v.20-23
If It’s that big IF again IF with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the universe, why do you live as if you still belonged to the world? Why do you submit to regulations,
"Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch"
(referring to things which all perish as they are used),
according to human precepts and doctrines?
These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting rigor of devotion and self-abasement and severity to the body,
but they are of no value in checking the indulgence of the flesh.

Other peoples beliefs, Ideas, thinking, viewpoints, and values, may indeed have an appearance of wisdom.
But they are of no value in checking the indulgence of the flesh.

There is only one way to overcome the flesh, [that Sinful Nature], and that is to be fully committed to Jesus Christ.

Ch. 3:1-4
If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.
For you have died, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

Only you Know whether you Have been Raisedwith Christ

Are you Confident?