Bible Study - Christ the Center Center of My Belief - Colossians 2 - February 19, 2012

Bible Study – Center – Center of My Belief – February 19, 2012

This is lesson three (3) in our series entitled “Christ The Center.”

Our scripture is Colossians 2:8-23.

This is a compelling lesson, which will likely need to be pondered. As a Christian, you have all of CHRIST that you will ever have. HIS fullness indwells you through the miracle of the rebirth through CHRIST. If you have the fullness of CHRIST in you, why aren’t you experiencing the power of HIS presence in your life? We may have all of CHRIST but HE may not have all of us.

One caution as you study this lesson. It may seem that Christianity has no restrictions but keep in mind that Christians can and do sin and become enslaved to the things that rob them of their relationship with GOD – Such as dabbling in the occult, the wrong use of drugs, alcohol and various vices. That is why Christians must study the Bible to know what GOD warns us not to do. These are common sense things that block the right relationship and fellowship with HIM. When Christians sin, they must confess their sins, repent and GOD forgives and restores. Un-confessed sin becomes a breeding ground for Satan to use in an effort to defeat a Christian. CHRIST paid the price for all of a Christian’s sin. HE lived as a human and understands temptation. Let’s explore!

Let’s read Colossians 2:8-15:

⁸ Be careful that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit based on human tradition, based on the elemental forces of the world, and not based on Christ.
⁹ For in Him the entire fullness of God’s nature[2] Or the deity dwells bodily,[3] Or nature lives in a human body
¹⁰ and you have been filled by Him, who is the head over every ruler and authority.
¹¹ In Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not done with hands, by putting off the body of flesh,[4] Col 1:22; 3:9 in the circumcision of the • Messiah.
¹² Having been buried with Him in baptism, you were also raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.
¹³ And when you were dead in trespasses and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive with Him and forgave us all our trespasses.
¹⁴ He erased the certificate of debt, with its obligations, that was against us and opposed to us, and has taken it out of the way by nailing it to the cross.
15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and disgraced them publicly; He triumphed over them by Him.[5]

Paul gives the Christians in Colosse excellent advice. It is advice Christians must heed today. Christians can be duped into following religious ritual as the way to salvation and spiritual growth. How does a Christian know whether or not he/she is being misled? Christians must study GOD’S Word, the Bible, ask GOD to reveal truth to them and test it against what they are hearing or reading about. Christianity, as I mentioned some time ago, is simple. CHRIST gave HIS life for all who would believe in HIM. All who ask HIM to forgive them for their sins, believing that HE gave HIS life for them, and ask HIM to come into their lives are saved. What are they saved from? They are saved from sin and its consequences, which is death.

Once a person becomes a Christian, he/she has the fullness of CHRIST in him/her, by the indwelling Holy Spirit. Salvation is the beginning of the process of sanctification, which lasts until the Christian dies physically.

Salvation is much like human conception. When the sperm and egg unite, a human is created. Conception is the instant that every person begins. Yes, some never make it to the birth process but, never-the-less; they were conceived as a human. Many grow in the womb and are born. The point being, at the instant of conception, we were completely human. The rest was process. The same is true when a person receives CHRIST as his/her Savior. They experience the miracle of rebirth in their spirit through their union with GOD’S Spirit through CHRIST. The instant CHRIST comes into his/her life; he/she has the fullness of CHRIST. At that instant, the new Christian has all of CHRIST he/she will ever have or need. A Christian is the light of the world and the salt of the earth. At the moment of salvation, a Christian “is” Spiritual light and salt because he/she has the fullness of CHRIST in him/her.

So, if this is true, why does a Christian go to church, a Bible study, read and study the Bible, serve, pray or do anything? As humans, we have a desire to explore the physical world, to grow and to interact with it. As Spiritual beings, it is our nature to explore and discover our new Spiritual world. GOD, our Father, nurtures and nourishes us through our union with CHRIST. CHRIST said it best in John 15:5 -
⁵ "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. As Christians, it is our nature to seek Spiritual food and to exercise through obedient service as led by GOD. Some Christians choose to allow the flesh to rule their lives and stunt their Spiritual growth and development. They still have the fullness of CHRIST but do not allow HIM to be revealed through their lives. They choose to keep on their old clothes of the flesh and cover up their new clothes of righteousness. They are closet Christians and miss the blessings of allowing the fullness of CHRIST to be revealed through them. It is a matter of the will of the flesh versus the allowing the will of the Spirit to rule one’s life.

The Christians in Colosse had been infiltrated by Gnostics and Judaizers. The Gnostics thought that gaining knowledge and exploring philosophies was the path to the fullness of GOD. The Judaizers were steeped in the Jewish traditions and believed that following the laws, commandments and traditions was the path to the fullness of GOD. Paul was telling the Colossians that both were wrong. CHRIST in you is all you need because:

-          Since CHRIST is over all authorities and rulers and HE is in you, then you have HIS fullness and answer only to HIM. You do not have to be intimidated or swayed by mere human logic or traditions. You have been accustomed to following certain physical or elemental (Certain procedural protocols) steps to be acceptable to GOD through the eyes of man. But these physical things have been cast aside and no longer relevant because as Christians you are complete in CHRIST. As Christians complete with the fullness of CHRIST, you need to focus on yielding your will, which is controlled by the flesh, to being controlled by the will of the Holy Spirit. In doing so, it does not mean that you follow certain physical steps but as you walk in concert with GOD you obediently follow the leadership of the Holy Spirit.

-          The Judaizers say you should be circumcised, which is a physical act. GOD established circumcision as a covenant symbol between HIM and those who believed in the GOD of Israel. It was a physical action symbolizing this relationship. Being circumcised was a physical badge of honor but it did not reflect the heart of that person toward GOD. GOD said in Deuteronomy 10:16 -
16 Therefore, circumcise your hearts[6] Jr 4:4; Rm 2:29 and don’t be stiff-necked any longer. GOD looks upon the heart and not the outward things that we do to know our true relationship with HIM. The birth, sinless life, death and resurrection of CHRIST established a new covenant relationship between GOD and mankind, for all who would believe upon CHRIST as their Savior. Christians have, in essence, been circumcised by CHRIST, through their faith in HIM and what HE did for them on the cross. This circumcision was not outward and physical but it occurred in the very eyes of the heart, the very center of a person’s being. It is an inward change in the spirit of a person. The Christian experiences a life changing miracle which is confirmed by the indwelling Holy Spirit. Whereas, once a person has been physically circumcised, the foreskin is cut off and tossed aside. Then the person lives by the dictates of the laws and commandments which are impossible to keep. This does not mean that any physical restraint is not exercised. Those with certain addictions should restrain themselves lest they fall into situations that can rob them of their relationship with CHRIST. They do not lose their salvation but they can lose fellowship with GOD.

-          Paul reminded the Christians in Colosse that what they had in CHRIST went far beyond what could be accomplished by tradition and ritual. They had been baptized, which was a symbol of their salvation experience. In essence, when CHRIST died, they died to their old life and when HE was raised from the dead by GOD, they were also raised to walk in their new life with CHRIST. When GOD raised you from the dead, you left your old life in the grave. You were raised to walk in newness of life. Paul put it well in 2 Corinthians 5:21 -
21 He made the One (JESUS) who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that we (Christians) might become the righteousness of God in Him. Christians have taken off their old clothes from their old life and put on their new clothes which only GOD can provide. These are the clothes of righteousness. Just let that sink in. In CHRIST you are righteous. It is not something yet to happen but right now you are righteous before GOD, through CHRIST.  HIS shed blood has washed you whiter than snow and you stand pure before HIM. All of your sins, past, present or future have been forgiven by HIM because you have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. That is why you can call HIM, Father or even better you can call GOD Daddy. You have the fullness of CHRIST dwelling in you. The ruler of all is your Father and HE loves you unconditionally. Don’t let anyone rob you of that fact.

-          In verses 14 and 15, Paul continued to reveal the truth of salvation. When CHRIST gave HIS sinless life on the cross, all of our sins were nailed to the cross. When CHRIST died those who believe in HIM also died and since all of their sins were nailed to the cross, the penalty for them was paid in full. The certificate of debt was erased, gone forever and forgotten. Oh, Satan will bring things to your memory in an effort to defeat you and prevent you from living the victorious and abundant Christian life. CHRIST defeated Satan, all the authorities and rulers because HE was raised from the dead by GOD as proof that HE was HIS ONLY SON and worthy of giving HIS life to redeem all who would believe in HIM from sin and death.

Let’s read Colossians 2:16-19:

16 Therefore don’t let anyone judge you in regard to food and drink or in the matter of a festival or a new moon or a sabbath day.[6] Or or sabbaths
17 These are a shadow of what was to come; the substance is[7] Or substance belongs to the Messiah.
18 Let no one disqualify you,[8] Or no one cheat us out of your prize insisting on ascetic practices and the worship of angels, claiming access to a visionary realm and inflated without cause by his fleshly mind.
19 He doesn’t hold on to the head, from whom the whole body, nourished and held together by its ligaments and tendons, develops with growth from God.

Paul was telling the Christians in Colosse that since they had the fullness of CHRIST, they did not need to do anything else to become more Spiritual. Hanging onto and observing the traditions of the things that were foreshadows of the coming of the promised Messiah were no longer necessary because the Messiah, CHRIST, had come and fulfilled HIS mission. Therefore, clinging to that which had passed away was no longer of Spiritual value to them as a Christian. Its value may be to reveal the non-Christians how much they miss the mark and reveals to them their need of salvation through CHRIST.

Some false teachers, who had infiltrated the Christian church, were promoting the need for the Christians to live a life of self-denial or ascetic lives. They also brought in the worship of angels. They were saying that they communicated with angels who in turn communicated with GOD and therefore they had better access to GOD through these angels.

Verse 19 – Paul was saying that it was clear that a person who:

-         insisted on ascetic practices and the worship of angels, claiming access to a visionary realm and inflated without cause by his fleshly mind,
 doesn’t acknowledge CHRIST as the head. Such a person fails to see and understand that CHRIST is the head and is all-sufficient.

-         Such a person does not know the truth and Christians should not pay any attention to their teaching. They are false teachers. CHRIST is the head of the true living Spiritual body, which is the living church. Paul was saying, when the human body is in unity and harmony with itself, it experiences growth, nourishment and all that renders it a healthy, functioning body. Physical grow is a natural part of being a human. By the same token, when the true church is in unity and harmony with CHRIST as the head, the true believers will grow, be nourished because they are grafted into the true vine, CHRIST. Spiritual growth is a natural part of being born into GOD’S family.  

Let’s read Colossians 2:20-23:

20 If you died with Christ to the elemental forces of this world, why do you live as if you still belonged to the world? Why do you submit to regulations:
21 “Don’t handle, don’t taste, and don’t touch”?
22 All these [regulations]* The bracketed text has been added for clarity. refer to what is destroyed by being used up; they are human commands and doctrines.
23 Although these have a reputation of wisdom by promoting ascetic practices, humility, and severe treatment of the body, they are not of any value against fleshly indulgence.

Paul was saying, as a Christian you died when CHRIST died and when HE was resurrected, you were resurrected. Your citizenship is in heaven. This is not something you are still trying to obtain by becoming more Spiritual. You have the fullness of CHRIST in you now!!! Therefore, you do not have to keep jumping through hoops to try to prove yourself to GOD. You have arrived because GOD is your Father. You are HIS child. So why do you live as if you still belong to the world? You follow and obey the dictates that the system tells you to obey such as – don’t handle, taste or touch. Such physical thou-shalt-not’s along with human commands and doctrines have been nailed to the cross of JESUS and were annihilated when HE gave HIS life to pay the sin debt. They no longer exist and do not hang over the heads of Christians. CHRIST came to fulfill the law and HE has done that. Therefore, you know that when you accepted CHRIST as your Savior you died when CHRIST died, you were resurrected when CHRIST was resurrected and you fulfilled the law. Christians are free in CHRIST to live the abundant life as HE directs because HE is in charge of all things. So why aren’t most Christians experiencing the abundant life? We live according to the dictates of the flesh. We want to satisfy the desires of the flesh over the desires of the Spirit. Does that mean Christians walk around in long robes with long faces? No!!! We walk according to the leadership of the Holy Spirit. We work, invest, play, worship, mingle with our friends, we respond when we are led to respond because we maintain a dynamic relationship with GOD through the indwelling Holy Spirit. We stump our Spiritual toes and GOD reveals where we need to modify our walk with HIM. It is part of the sanctification process. We get to know HIM more each day as we yield more of our lives to HIM. We will never reach perfection but GOD’S goal for each Christian is for him/her to be made in the image of HIS ONLY SON JESUS.

In essence, Paul summarized his remarks by stating that those who promote these thou-shalt-not practices claim that doing so, prevents a person from doing the things that disappoint GOD which results in GOD’S punishment. The bottom line is that following such restrictions does nothing to prevent fleshly indulgence, which gives that person a false sense of Spiritual security. Self discipline by following certain manmade rules, laws or regulations does not make a person Godly. Doing so may give those who observe such a disciplined life the idea that such a person is godly. But the truth is that it only gives the appearance of Spirituality. Remember GOD looks upon the heart and not the outward appearance. CHRIST in you provides you, as a Christian, the power to overcome the flesh through the renewing of your minds and the indwelling Holy Spirit.

A Christian has the fullness of CHRIST in him or her now. Christians strive to become more Spiritual. Christians need to take off the old clothes of their old life daily and allow the righteousness which has been imputed to them to be revealed and walk in the power of GOD as HE leads them. Build an intimate loving relationship with GOD through CHRIST by yielding your will to HIM and allowing HIM to lead and direct your life. It is vital that Christians are led by the indwelling Holy Spirit and maintain a dynamic relationship with CHRIST.

Christians have all of CHRIST at the moment of their salvation but HE does not have all of them. Salvation begins the process of becoming more CHRIST like as Christians yield their will to the leadership and guidance of the Holy Spirit. Blessings and understanding as you ponder CHRIST in you the hope of glory.