Colossians 2:4-8

Please take your copy of God's Word and turn to Paul's letter to the church at Colossae.

At the risk of giving you ammunition to mess with me during a sermon.

A little over a year ago, I had a hard time getting my notes to print on a Sunday morning.

And as such, I just grabbed the iPad and pulled up the information on it and preached that Sunday

and discovered that I love it because I can see it. I'm getting a bit older, my eyes are getting harder,

and this light's a bit bright. Such a wonderful, wonderful thing.

But I get text messages on my iPad. And from time to time, I'll get a text message.

It pops up at the top of the screen. It's kind of funny.

And just now I got a text, but from four days ago, from my father that said, please call me.

So I just opened my iPad and went, what? Not now.

Well, but it came many days later onto the iPad, apparently.

So don't text me during the service.

It's ultimately the moral of that. But four days ago, you're certainly welcome to.

Our text today is Colossians 2, verses 4 through 8.

Colossians 2:4–8

Before I read it, though, I want to remind you where we've been in our text.

The church at Colossae is a fairly unsubstantial church in our definition of what is substantial.

A small group of believers in a very small, insignificant town.

I don't remember the exact history as I presented it to you at the beginning of our study,

but the Romans had moved the major highway around Colossae and went through Laodicea,

and Colossae was just kind of left in the middle of nowhere.

This wasn't a church that Paul established.

It's most likely that Epaphras, who's mentioned in the letter multiple times,

carried the gospel from Ephesus, where Paul was, back to his hometown,

saw converts and started a church there.

And it's also most likely that it's Epaphras who has come to Paul while he's in prison.

We think in Roman imprisonment.

We do know that he's in prison.

We're not sure exactly where, but more than likely in Roman imprisonment.

And has come to him and asked for his help in correcting some erroneous doctrine,

some heresy that's encircling the church and possibly making some inroads into the church.

We don't know the exact nature of that heresy.

In some of Paul's other letters, it's much more clear,

specifically the heresies of the day that he's addressing.

Here we're not entirely sure, but in some way or another,

as most heresies concerning Christianity do,

these people seem to be denying the deity of Christ,

that he was himself actually God,

because Paul so clearly addresses that beginning in verse 15.

And they seem to, in some way, be attacking the sufficiency of Christ,

that faith in Christ is what brings salvation and adding work to that,

as he expounds upon, oh, interspersed amongst 12, 13, down 19, down through 23.

So these seem to be the two issues of the day,

which are fairly massive heresies.

I hope for our church and for most Christian churches this morning,

that if these types of things were being taught,

denying that Jesus Christ is himself God,

or that we must work in order to maintain our salvation,

that these people would be fairly readily shut down.

So as we come to these texts, sometimes it feels distant to us.

We seem to live in a place where these aren't great challenges.

But I would put forth to you that they are, in fact.

That there are many ways in which the world and the enemy

is trying to deceive us about who Jesus is.

It just seems to be much more subversive these days,

much more, as we live in such a Christian culture, deceptive.

So it's important that we, especially important, I think,

that we draw our attention to how it is that Paul addresses

and what it is he's trying to press upon the Colossian believers

and how it is we ought to also take up these things

in order to stand firm in Christ.

So beginning in verse 4, I read,

I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments.

For though I am absent in the body, yet I am with you in spirit,

rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ.

Therefore, as you receive Christ Jesus, Lord, so walk in him,

rooted and built up in him and established in the faith,

just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.

See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit

according to human tradition,

according to the elemental spirits of the world,

and not according to Christ.

This is God's word to us.

It was written for his glory and our good.

We would all do well to listen to it in order to believe its promises

and obey its commands.

So Paul directly takes on here these doctrinal heresies.

And again, the application is there's many such challenges to our faith today.

And this is why, and this will be the outline for the text today,

that disciples of Jesus Christ, true disciples,

those who have placed their faith in his saving work,

number one, must have a resolute understanding.

Number two, must walk in him.

And number three, must abound in thanksgiving.

So firstly, disciples of Jesus Christ must have a resolute understanding

of who their Lord is and of our salvation.

This is imperative for us, beloved.

And in fact, he in caps this text today with two charges for this.

Verse four, I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments.

And verse eight, see to it that no one takes you captive.

And then he lists off a number of ways in which this can take place,

which we'll address in a moment.

We have to pay attention to the very beginning of verse four,

where he says, I say this in order that.

What is the this that he is referring to?

And last week, we fairly glanced over verses two and three of chapter two.

And now I want to kind of help tie that in here

as Paul speaks of his struggle on behalf of the Colossian believers.

And then in verse two, he writes that their hearts may be encouraged,

being knit together in love to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding

and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ,

in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and of knowledge.

So his struggle on their behalf, even though he hasn't seen these people,

his struggle on their behalf in prayer,

his struggle on their behalf in the writing of this letter,

his struggle in that he's going to send faithful workers to them,

is that they would have a full assurance of understanding

and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ,

that they would know Christ,

that they would understand who Christ is and who he is to them,

that they would get a clear and full confidence in Christ's deity

and his sufficiency, as I referenced earlier in chapter one.

This is who Jesus is.

Fully God, yet man, come to earth,

lived a perfect life that we may have his righteousness,

bore on the cross the wrath for our sin,

ascended and seated at the right hand of the Father,

now making intercession for us,

will one day come back and judge the world,

will separate the righteous from the unrighteous,

the righteous for eternal glory,

the unrighteous to eternal damnation.

This is our Christ.

And we must have a very clear understanding of who he is

and that his work was sufficient for the saving of us,

that we must simply believe that it is his work

that accomplished this thing on our behalf.

1 Timothy 3.16

And what very likely was a first century hymn,

Paul beautifully writes,

maybe somebody else wrote it and he's simply quoting it,

but verse 16,

Great indeed, we confess,

is the mystery of godliness.

Being Christ.

The mystery of godliness.

He was manifested in the flesh,

vindicated by the Spirit,

seen by angels,

proclaimed among the nations,

believed on in the world,

taken up in glory.

So it is Christ

that we must have a resolute understanding of.

And as with Paul's writing,

as it's so beautiful,

and there's so much depth to it,

it has to be unraveled.

In verses 2 and 3,

this is the maybe even a bit trite summation

of what he's trying to say.

Christ.

The treasure of wisdom and knowledge.

It's Him that we must know.

And we must know Him

so that no one may delude us

with plausible arguments.

This idea of delusion

is simply to be led astray,

to be confused by,

to be, as he says later,

taken captive by.

And he uses this interesting language

of plausible arguments,

which I appreciate.

It means that people who believe in other things

aren't entirely insane in the world,

but these are persuasive arguments

that people are making.

They're arguments that contain within them

some bit of truth.

All believable lies

contain within them some truth.

To be able to grasp it,

to be able to understand it.

An example to this,

if I told you a story

that yesterday I met

and was punched by Mike Tyson,

you'd be very unlikely to believe me.

Thinking that,

how is it possible

that Nathan met Mike Tyson yesterday?

What if I told you

that my wife punched me yesterday?

Well, she didn't.

But it'd be much more believable

because I see her all the time

and I certainly deserve to get punched

at times as well.

You see that in order for something

to be believable,

it has to contain some truth within it

that resonates within us.

So there's a truth mixed with the error.

So these arguments are plausible.

They could sound to us at times like,

oh, well that sounds pretty good.

Do you know people like that

or are you that person possibly?

That it's very easy and simple

for somebody to convince you?

You may be convinced of one thing

and they make a simple argument

and now you're suddenly convinced

of the opposite of that very thing.

So easily swayed back and forth

by plausible arguments.

This has been promised to us

that in the future of the church,

Paul writes much about this,

that there would be false prophets.

There would be people

who would come in amongst the church

and lead members of that church astray

with plausible arguments.

There's much strong warning given against this

in the scriptures.

It should be no surprise to us

that we need to be firmed up in our faith,

that we need to contend for the truth

because this is a thing that's repeated again

and again and again.

A couple quick examples of that.

2 Corinthians 11, 13-15.

Paul writes,

For such men are false apostles,

deceitful workmen,

disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.

Sounds so good

because they're coming in the name of Jesus.

In verse 14,

And no wonder,

for even Satan disguises himself

as an angel of light.

People come and they say good things

that resonate with us

and then they slip in underneath

the falsehood, the lies,

those things that lead us astray.

Verse 15,

So it is no surprise

if his servants also disguise themselves

as servants of righteousness.

It's difficult to discern these people at times

if we're not founded in the truth

of who Christ is.

The end of verse 15 says

their end will correspond to their deeds.

Paul wrote to the Galatian believers,

chapter 1, verses 6-9,

I am astonished that you are so quickly

deserting Him who called you

in the grace of Christ

and are turning to a different gospel.

Here are people already being turned

by plausible argument.

Verse 7,

Not that there is another one.

There is no other gospel.

There's one true good news.

But there are some who trouble you

and want to distort the gospel of Christ.

The great heresy we know

for the Galatian church

was from the Judaizers

who said that Jesus is good and acceptable.

You can believe in Jesus

and you can follow Jesus,

but you also must obey the law.

You must keep the practice of the Jews

and therefore you must be circumcised.

This was the great thing

that Paul is addressing

to the Galatian church.

Verse 8 he says,

But even if we or an angel from heaven

should preach to you

a gospel contrary to the one

we preach to you,

let him be accursed.

That is, cut off from the grace of God.

As we have said before,

so now I say again,

if anyone is preaching to you

a gospel contrary to the one you received,

let him be accursed.

And it's a challenge in our day, beloved.

It's so very, very difficult

because there's so few people I know

that are so blatantly heretical.

The kind of people,

you just want them almost like

people our day,

preachers our day,

I just want them to step across that line

just so I can say,

no, never listen to that man.

But there's good stuff happening

and I think good motivation

and intention happening.

I listen fairly often

to conservative talk radio.

The CD player doesn't work in my truck

so the radio comes on

when I'm driving places.

And there's often a previous

Southern Baptist leader,

currently the pastor

of a rather large church

in the Atlanta area,

and he has these little moments

that he gets on and shares something.

And they're usually incredibly good.

More often than not,

I really appreciate

the things he has to say.

He takes these big grand truths

about who God is

and he brings them down

in a simple way

to a broad audience.

I really appreciate it.

This week, however,

he started off by talking about

how in racing,

people look for

every little competitive edge

they can get.

The tenths of a second matter

in racing.

And so they're always trying

to find the way racers are

that they can just

get a little bit

of a competitive edge.

And then he went on to say

that in life,

Jesus is our competitive edge

in our race.

Oh my gosh,

like I just wanted to tackle him

and stop the broadcast

of it all.

That's not the case at all.

Jesus puts us in a different race.

He shatters the race.

He says this is a pointless,

fruitless race,

and he puts us on another track.

Completely different.

And then we run after him.

He's not a competitive edge.

He is the goal.

He is the prize

of the race that we run.

So you have to be so careful

about what you take in

and what you hear

and where the foundation is

for your understanding

of truth.

Bookended again.

Plausible arguments.

This is a man

that people listen to

and probably just consumed

what he had to say.

He said,

oh, that's very good.

Competitive edge.

I like it.

This bookending, though,

goes on in verse 8.

See to it that no one

takes you captive

literally means to kidnap,

right?

To bag up and take away

by philosophy, right?

This is not referring

to our modern study

of general and fundamental problems,

but it's a much broader term,

which certainly can include

our modern philosophy,

but also allows for

religious sex.

Just as an example,

the first century historian

Josephus wrote in Jewish Wars,

there are three philosophical,

same Greek word,

sex among the Jews.

So it allowed for that,

a much looser term

of philosophy,

ways of thinking,

worldview.

Don't be taken captive

by the varying worldviews

that are out there

or by empty deceit.

Certainly the Colossian heretics

and those of our day

would have found great value

in their teaching,

believed it.

Otherwise,

they wouldn't teach it.

But Paul here deems it

empty and deceitful,

of no value whatsoever.

According to human tradition,

which is to say that

just because somebody

believed it before,

in the past,

doesn't make it true.

It doesn't necessarily

make it true.

It's of interest

for us today

to study church history

because it informs

so much about what we believe.

If you tend to believe something

that most of Christianity

has deemed a heresy,

you're probably wrong.

There's some value

in looking at the church itself.

I would encourage you

to look at the great heresies

that have come

and been squashed

throughout the days

of the church

and find that you may believe

some of those things

and may have,

at one point in history,

been burned for it.

Human tradition

is not the reason

that we believe things

to be true.

It can have some value,

but you never say

just because,

just because

grandma and grandpa,

just because

mom and dad,

therefore it must be.

The standard for our truth

is the Scripture,

is Christ.

according to the

elemental spirits

of the world.

Now there's a lot of conjecture

about what this

could mean.

I think the simplest explanation

is the proper explanation,

so I'm just going to give you

that one.

If you are interested,

I would encourage you

to study it

on your own time.

The phrase

elemental spirits

is a single noun

and it refers,

its weightiest definition

is referring to

the letters of the alphabet,

the way the letters

of the alphabet

come in order.

The suggestion seems to be

that Paul is stating

that to believe in heresy

is to descend

to foolishness.

Having been enlightened,

having been taught

the glorious truth,

it's to come back down

to the more base things.

It's like a child

learns to read

and then they go back

to just like learning ABCs.

You already know your ABCs.

Move on to the reading.

This seems to be

what he's communing.

It's a regression

in one's understanding.

He's juxtaposing,

I think,

the mature teaching

of Christ's deity

and sufficiency

to the childish teachings

that oppose his deity

and his sufficiency

that would suggest

that Jesus was just a man

and would suggest

that we can somehow

work and earn

our salvation.

This same language

is used elsewhere,

Galatians 4.3.

In the same way,

we also,

before we were

in the faith,

when we were children,

were enslaved

to the elementary principles

of the world.

Same phrase,

elementary principles

and elemental spirit

used in both places.

I think this is what

he's trying to say.

It's childish

to believe such things

that are,

the end of verse 8,

not according

to Christ.

So anything that is

in opposition

to who he is,

the things that he has

accomplished

are heretical.

So,

we must know

who Christ is

and have an understanding,

a resolute understanding

of who Christ is.

So how does that

come to pass?

How do we foster

a resolute understanding

of who Christ is

and what he's accomplished

as deity

and his sufficiently?

Two quick points to that.

Firstly,

prayerfully

read the text

in its context.

That's the exhortation.

Prayerfully

read the text

in its context.

Before you ever come

to the Word of God,

which completely speaks

of Christ,

we need the Holy Spirit's

illumination.

We need His illumination.

We need Him

to give us

spiritual eyes

to understand rightly

what is contained

within this book.

It was spiritually inspired.

It was given to us

by God

and we need Him

to help us

understand it rightly.

There's a wrong way

to read this book,

beloved.

We must read it rightly.

We must prayerfully,

we must ask,

we must come to the Word of God

on our knees.

This is why Paul prays

for the Ephesian church

as we see recorded

in Ephesians 1.18

that the eyes

of their hearts

would be enlightened.

That they would understand

the truth

of the Gospel.

So read it prayerfully.

And read it.

Prayerfully,

read the text.

We never,

never

outgrow

our need

of the Scripture.

This is such

a beautifully complex

book

in the way that God

has orchestrated

its writing

and the way

in which He uses it

in application

to our life.

I am continually

astounded

at the way

that God speaks

to me

through His Word.

It still blows my mind.

Texts that I am

so incredibly

familiar with.

Things that I can

rattle off to you.

And I'll go back

and reread it

and a phrase

will like stamp me

on the forehead

as if I've never

seen it before.

It's alive

and it's active

because the Spirit

uses it as a tool

to change us

from one degree

of glory

to the next.

99% of the time

someone comes

to me for counsel

and we're talking

about what's going

on in their life

and I ask them

have you been

consistently

prayerfully

reading your Bible?

The answer is

no.

It's incredible.

Go.

Read your Bible.

Ask that God

would work the truth

into your life

and then come back

and let's talk.

He uses the church

as a tool.

But you have to be

practicing these things

beloved.

You have problems

in your life

and we all do.

Go to the Scriptures

for them.

They're sufficient

to give us

the guide

for holy living.

You must read

the text.

You never,

ever,

ever outgrow

your need of it.

You never become

so familiar with it

that meditation

becomes unnecessary

for you.

You've heard me say

before that no doctrine

stays alive in the mind.

No truth just

automatically gets

in our heads

and stays in our heads

and has effect

in our lives.

It must be fed.

You must continually

remind yourself

of the truth

of the Gospel.

Sunday morning's

not enough.

Necessary,

good,

valuable,

important.

Please come and hear

the preaching

of God's Word.

But it's not enough.

You have to be

in this book.

If you spent

all summer with us,

the only thing

you're going to hear

about is the book

of Colossians.

Go study something

else as well.

And I'm in no way

suggesting legalism

to you.

You have to get up

at a certain time.

You have to do

this many minutes

in the Bible,

etc.

But it ought to be

the meditation

of your life.

You ought to be

continually considering

what it is

the Word of God

has to say

to you.

Psalm 1, 1, and 2.

Blessed is the man

who walks not

in the counsel

of the wicked,

nor stands in the way

of sinners,

nor sits in the seat

of scoffers.

Happy is the man

who's not this man,

but instead,

verse 2,

but his delight

is in the law

of the Lord.

Not a labor for him,

but his delight,

his joy,

is to come

to the fountainhead

of God's truth

and impact

in our lives.

His delight

is in the law

of the Lord,

and on his law,

he meditates

day and night.

I know very few people

who can meditate

on the law

of the Lord

day and night

and not spend time

reading it.

I shouldn't even say

very few.

I don't think

I know anybody

who could do

such a thing.

There are days

that I don't

open the Scripture

for the study

of my own soul

because there's

something that's

running around

inside my head

from the day before.

Something I've learned.

Something that's

stuck with me

and I'm still

in the process

of meditating

on that very thing.

So it isn't to say

that you've got to

have your quiet time

every single morning,

but you need to

if you want to have

a life that's fulfilling

and beneficial

and honors God.

You need to be

in the Scripture.

Constantly.

Constantly letting it

work through you.

So prayerfully

read the text.

It's a jewel,

a gift given to us.

And prayerfully

read the text

in its context.

Both immediate

context

and broader context.

And I'm saying this

and I'm adding this

phrase to the end

of this because

there are so many

people who spend

lots of time

in the Bible

and misunderstand

it completely.

A very favorite

verse of so many

people.

And I hope I'm not

squashing your

favorite verse

right now,

but it's Philippians

4.13.

I can do all things

through him

who strengthens me.

Athletes love

Philippians 4.13.

It seems that

they believe that

God's great concern

is that they win

games.

It's not.

It's not what

Paul's even talking

about at all.

Does it include that

as a much lesser

thing?

Yeah, sure.

Can we do anything

apart from Jesus?

No.

There's some element,

some kernel of truth

contained within there.

But if we back up

just a little bit,

oh, I don't know,

read the chapter

before we make this

our favorite verse.

Beginning in the

last half of verse

11, Paul says,

I have learned in

whatever situation

I am to be content.

Verse 12,

I know how to be

brought low

and I know how to

abound.

And Paul's version

of abounding

is not our version

of abounding.

In any and every

circumstance,

I have learned

the secret of

facing plenty

and hunger,

abundance and need.

Paul is talking

about in the midst

of his struggle

in advancing

the kingdom of God,

that he's able

to walk through

the trials

as well as

the comfortable

times because

he can do all things

through Christ

who strengthens him.

The context

matters a lot

for these verses.

Another great

example in a broad

sense,

to understand

the scriptures,

another favorite

of many peoples,

Jeremiah 29.11.

For I know the plans

I have for you,

declares the Lord,

plans for welfare

and not for evil,

to give you a future

and a hope.

You need to know

the broader context

of what's happening

and who the you is

in this particular text.

God is making a promise

to exiled Israel.

Israel.

So,

unless you're an Israelite

in Babylonian captivity,

this promise

is not for you.

A lot of

health and wealth

is based

on this verse.

Right?

Subversively,

subliminally,

based on this verse.

Recently,

I went to a dance

recital for my niece

and the church building

that the dance

recital was in.

Had this verse

painted on the wall

huge

when you first walked in.

And what it seems

to communicate to people,

the way people quote it

all the time,

is that God has

welfare plans

for us.

Future and hope.

It's not what the verse means.

Certainly,

we can look at God's character.

We can go other places

in the Scripture

to see that God

has a great deal of care

and compassion for us.

We can see that He has

our good in mind,

but defined much differently

than here.

Himself giving us Himself.

So you must prayerfully

read the text

in its context.

And beloved,

you don't have to be

brilliant to do this.

You don't have to

be a scholar

to be able to do

this type of thing.

All of us are theologians.

All of us can spend time

in the Scriptures

prayerfully asking

that God would teach us

about Himself.

that we might

understand it better.

So firstly,

prayerfully read the text

in its context.

Second,

surround yourself

with biblical teaching.

Surround yourself

with biblical teaching

with people

and other ways

that you can

take in

the truth of the Bible.

We have

the most amazing,

almost limitless resources

at our fingertips

to be able to do this.

We have no excuse

for not knowing

this book

and knowing it

very well.

Be in fellowship

with a church.

For us,

show up to

our congregational meetings

like this morning.

Be involved

in a community outreach group

where people study the Scripture

and minister the Scripture

to one another.

Get involved

in some small group

discipleship,

meeting with people

on an individual basis

or in small crews

to talk about

the Scriptures

to be of encouragement

to one another

in that way.

I have been told

that my preaching style

tends to be a bit academic.

If you don't like that,

I apologize.

But part of the reason

I do that

is because I want you

to see how I arrive at things

because I want you

to be able to do it

on your own.

I want you to need me.

Like you have to come

and I impart something

to you every Sunday

and you just go,

oh, thank you.

That was so good.

And then you try to

nourish yourself

throughout the week on it.

I want you to understand

how it is we come

to the Scripture

and understand the Scripture

so that you can go

and do it yourself.

This fellowship

is really, really important

to that end.

The church is a grace

given to us

to help us be founded

in the truth.

Remember that Paul

is writing to a church

and the way in which

they're meant to be

functioning together.

You remember in verse 2

that he talked about

them being knit together

in love.

That this seems to be

important and conditional

for them coming

to a full assurance

of faith.

And there are ways

to access the broader church.

Don't just come

and hear my preaching.

I've not written any books

so you can't read

anything I've written

but throughout history

brilliant scholars

of the Scripture

have written books

for us to enjoy

that speak of the Scriptures.

And so,

kind of prioritized

in this order,

be in fellowship.

Read books

that employ the Bible heavily,

that tell you

what the Bible says,

that helps you

pull it together

thematically.

Flip to the back

of a book

and check the Scripture index.

If it has a good

Scripture index,

it's probably,

not always,

still need to be

discerning

concerning the book,

but probably

a good book.

If you want to read

good books,

there's a lot of men

and women in this church

you can ask

about good books.

Read biography.

Access the lives

of saints

that have gone before.

See these examples

of faithfulness,

the breadth

of somebody's life

and the way

in which God

has worked

and moved through them.

It's always so nice

in the midst

of your trouble

and the way

the truth applies

to you

to step back up high

and look down

at somebody's life

and see the way

in which God

has been providential

through it all.

Read.

Take up and read

good books.

Listen to sermons

beyond mine.

Man, we have a great

wealth of sermons.

You have so much

little bits of downtime

in your day.

Driving in the car,

waiting in the doctor's office.

John Piper,

it's a wonderful resource,

DesiringGod.org.

Decades of his preaching

recorded on there.

Amazing project

that they made available.

John MacArthur,

GraceToYou,

GTY.org.

Also another wonderful one.

Arturo Azzerdia,

SpiritEmpoweredPreaching.com.

He's my favorite,

so if you have

limited time,

go check out

Pastor Art.

And more recently,

Martin Lloyd-Jones,

The Doctor,

MLJTrust.org

is a wonderful,

wonderful resource.

Listen to podcasts.

Three that I listen to daily.

Five Minutes in Church History

by Stephen Nichols.

Ask Pastor John

by John Piper.

And The Briefing by Al Mohler.

These things will help you

to have a resolute understanding

of who Christ is.

This should be our activity,

beloved.

You are a theologian

if you're a Christian.

You must understand God rightly.

It matters for your life.

So, disciples must have

a resolute understanding.

Secondly, disciples of Jesus

must walk in Him.

Must walk in Him.

Verses 5, 6 and 7,

I guess the first part of 7.

For though I am absent in the body,

yet I am with you in spirit,

rejoicing to see your good order

and the firmness of your faith in Christ.

Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord,

so walk in Him.

Rooted and built up in Him

and established in the faith

just as you were taught.

Now, remember that Paul

has never seen these believers.

He's never been to this church.

And as far as we know,

he never did go there.

And he says,

as I'm absent in the body,

I'm with you in spirit.

Just to say that I'm longing

to be there with you.

I'd like to be there with you.

I'm considering you.

I'm praying for you.

I'm writing to you now.

And he's rejoicing.

He's heard reports

from Epaphras of their good order.

The way in which

the Gospel is having effect in their life

and that they are in fact

standing against some of these heresies.

There's a challenge to it.

There's a tearing at the seams.

But yet, there's a firmness

of their faith in Christ.

And so Paul commends them

for their conduct.

Good order and the firmness

of their faith.

Proper learning,

a resolute understanding

yields proper living.

It's the necessary outcome

of understanding

that we get it to the degree

that we act on it.

That it's not just some thing

in modern terms

we call it philosophy,

but that it's a reality.

It's a thing that

who Jesus is

causes us to turn

and to move

and to work

and to act.

A good example of this

is Romans 12.

Verse 2

where Paul writes,

Do not be conformed

to this world,

but be transformed

by the renewal

of your mind,

that by testing

you may discern

what is the will of God,

what is good

and acceptable

and perfect.

So don't be like the world.

Be different.

Be changed

from one degree to another

by the changing of your mind.

Resolute understanding.

Getting who God is

and how He functions

with you

now that you're His child.

That by testing

you may discern.

And the word discern

here in the ESV

is kind of a word

too weak,

I think.

It means,

some of your translations

may say,

approve

what is the will of God.

Still,

maybe not quite there.

The word carries with it

the meaning of

valuing.

Doing something

because you have

assessed it

and that you agree

that it is the proper

thing to do.

That you have looked

at something

and you've said,

yes,

because my mind

is being transformed,

I'm looking at this

thing in the world

and I'm seeing that

it is good

and right

and true.

It's a thing

that God treasures,

therefore I will

treasure it.

It's good

and it's acceptable

and it's perfect.

And this is the way

in which we're meant

to walk

in truth

under God.

Ephesians 4.18

It's an interesting

connection here

that Paul makes.

I think I just realized

that every single

reference today

was written by Paul.

Ephesians 4.18

Paul says,

speaking of

those who are not

in the faith,

unbelievers,

I hope categorically

different than who you

are this morning,

it says,

they are

darkened in their

understanding,

alienated from the

life of God

because of the

ignorance

that is in them

due

to their

hardness

of heart.

So it's an interesting

kind of phrasing

that he connects

on the end here.

Rather than just saying

they are darkened

in their understanding,

they don't understand

who God is

and how they're

meant to relate to Him

and therefore

they're alienated

from the life of God

because of this

ignorance

that is in them,

he takes it a step

further to say

it's due

to their

hardness

of heart.

And I just want

to press to you

and say to you

again

that man is

dichotomous,

that our head

and our heart

are never divorced,

that the two

function together,

that these

people have

a hardness

of heart,

their emotions,

their desire

for the things

of God

are turned

away from God

and therefore

they're darkened

in understanding.

And for those

of us who have

been delivered

from that,

our affections

are turned

toward God

and therefore

our mind

should also be

as well.

We should desire

to know Him

more.

These two things

should be functioning

together,

kind of conduiting

one from the

other.

So it's important

that we see

this,

that we see

that there should

be an outflow,

an outcome

of the way

in which we

think.

That there

shouldn't be

head without

heart or

heart without

head.

And so in

verse 6

He says to

them,

as you received

Christ Jesus

the Lord,

so walk

in Him.

And there is

so very much

to be said

about walking

in Christ.

This little

tiny phrase,

so walk

in Him.

We could

expound on

the entire

Christian experience

of what it

would mean

to walk

in Christ.

And I'm

not going

to go

there today.

We don't

have time

for it,

or you

guys have

the bandwidth

for it,

or myself,

but lest

you think

I'm neglecting

this,

the breadth

of that

phrase,

let me

assure you

that there's

much opportunity

to divulge

more concerning

this in the

rest of

chapter 2

and chapter 3.

In fact,

that's what

Paul intends

to go

on to do.

In the coming

weeks,

we'll look

more at

what it

looks like

to walk

in Christ.

But here

it is,

and we

can't

possibly

overlook

it here

in its

immediate

context.

We have

to deal

with it.

He says,

therefore,

therefore,

because you

have received

Christ and

have settled

convictions about

His deity and

sufficiency,

this is working

in your lives

for good

order.

You've come

to this

resolute

understanding

and now

it's out

working.

He's saying

don't stop.

Just as you

received Christ,

walk in Him.

Don't stop

doing the

thing that

you're doing.

I've heard

of your

good order.

I've heard

of your

firmness of

faith.

Don't

stop.

Walk

refers to

daily

conduct.

Continue

believing the

truth concerning

Christ.

Have an

unwavering

Christology and

have an

effect in

your life.

This is

specifically what

he's talking

about.

As he goes

on in the

letter,

he talks

about how

that should

come out

of you

more

practically.

But in the

beginning of

verse 7,

there are

three

participles

that elaborate

on so walk

in Him.

This idea

rooted and

built up in

Him and

established in

the faith.

Those are the

three.

First part of

verse 7,

rooted and

built up in

Him and

established in

the faith.

The phrase

here,

rooted,

you have

been firmly

planted in

Christ.

This took

place at your

salvation.

If you have

placed faith

in Him,

it's in the

perfect tense

which denotes

it is a

completed and

eternal work.

You have

power to

walk in

Him, to

be sustained

in the

truth because

you have

been rooted

in Him.

You've been

planted by

God.

And you

are being

built up

in Him.

The present

tense here

indicates that

it is a

continuous action.

It is an

ongoing thing.

That God

is at work

building us

up in

Christ.

We've been

rooted in

Christ and

we're being

built up

in Christ.

And we

have been

established

in the

face.

The passive

voice denotes

that the

establishing

happens outside

of us.

we have

been

established.

We have

not

established

ourselves,

but we

have been

established.

And that

is that

it is

God who

does the

establishing.

It should be

of a great

deal of

encouragement

to us

as disciples

of Jesus

Christ must

have a

resolute

understanding,

must walk

in Him.

And lastly,

disciples of

Jesus Christ

must abound

in

thanksgiving.

The last

part of

verse 7,

abounding

in

thanksgiving.

This is

the fourth

participle

that explains

the walking

in Him.

And it

would seem,

the way the

Greek works,

get down and

start trying to

sentence diagram

this all out,

that it's a

response to

the other

three

aforementioned

participles.

Rooted and

built up in

Him and

established in

the faith

because of

these things

abounding

in

thanksgiving.

It kind of

seems on

first reading

to almost be

like an

afterthought.

Like Paul's

like, oh

yeah, yeah,

oh and be

thankful.

It's good,

important to

be thankful.

But it really

deserves a

closer look

because there's

a giving

thanks theme,

a theme of

thanksgiving

that develops

in the book

of Colossians.

Look quickly,

chapter 1,

verse 12.

You'll see it

there.

Here in

chapter 2,

verse 7.

And again,

in chapter 4,

verse 2.

I'll talk about

each of those

briefly.

But why is it

that Paul

finds thanksgiving

to be so

incredibly

important?

It seems to

be, what he

seems to be

presenting it

as, is a

weapon against

the very false

teaching that

he's addressing.

Thanksgiving

is a weapon,

an offensive

against

false teaching.

So how could

that be true?

Chapter 1,

verse 12.

Giving thanks is

the proper

response of

what has

proceeded in

chapter 9,

verse 11,

and what

follows in

verses 12-14.

Right?

The goodness

of God

to us,

the brevity

of it,

the breadth

of it,

in Christ.

How is it

God has

saved us

by the

work of

Christ?

And giving

thanks is

given as

this proper

and right

response to

that.

Again,

here in

2-7,

abounding in

thanksgiving

is the

proper response

of the

things that

have been

said previously,

rooted and

built up in

Him,

established in

the faith,

just as you

were taught.

Taught what?

The things

that we've

seen to be

true in

chapter 2,

2 and 3,

which I read

to you

previously.

Hearts

encouraged,

together in love,

to reach the

riches of

full assurance,

of understanding,

and the

knowledge of

God's mystery,

which is

Christ,

in whom are

hidden all the

treasures of

wisdom and

of knowledge.

So it's a

proper response

giving thanks

to who

Christ is

and who

He is

to us.

Being

thankful,

beloved,

is the

outworking

of,

the

grasping

of the

reality of

what Christ

has done

on our

behalf.

It gives

it wheels.

When our

hearts overflow

with

thankfulness,

it takes

it from

being high

and philosophical

to being

real to us

when we

respond to

it with

thanksgiving.

Being

thankful has

perspective

shifting

power.

Let me

give you

a very

obtuse

example of

this,

then I'll

give you

a spiritual

application

as well.

Yesterday,

I mowed

the grass

at our

house.

I really

hate

mowing

grass.

I would

love

someday

to pay

somebody

to mow

my grass

all the

time.

It was

hot out

yesterday.

I have

allergies,

so as soon

as I start

kicking up

the dust