Following someone who teaches you the wrong things or way about something can get a person into a lot of trouble. Learning the wrong way to load, unload, and clean a firearm could be dangerous. Being taught to mix different strong, chemical-based cleaning solutions could be deadly. Being taught the wrong things about God, sin, and salvation is also a very serious mistake. The church in Colossae had been visited by some false teachers who were trying to instruct the believers there in some very false teachings, and part of Paul’s letter to the church was to clear up these wrong beliefs.
Among other things, these false teachers were instructing the believers here that in order to be saved one must be circumcised and faithfully follow the Jewish ceremonial Law. Paul was adamant in telling the Colossians that this was not the case. False teachers get people to believe in lies (vs. 8). They rob people of the truth of salvation, and of blessings. False teachings, which do not follow God’s Word, are empty lies and worthless deception. Circumcision symbolized man’s need for the cleansing of the heart. It was the outward sign of cleansing of sin that comes by faith in God. When we get saved, we have a spiritual circumcision of putting off the sins of the flesh (vs. 11-12). The outward affirmation is believers baptism. Baptism parallels the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, and it also portrays the death and burial of our sinful old way of life, followed by a resurrection to a new life in Him. Today false teachers might be telling people that we need to do this or that in order to get to heaven, or to please God we must eat or not eat certain foods. The only thing one must do in order to be saved is believe that Jesus died for your sins, and to call upon Him as your Savior (Acts 16:31; Romans 10:9). Our commitment to God is written on our hearts, not on our bodies.
Paul continues to teach the Colossian Christians some basic doctrines and teachings. One was to review in their minds the doctrine that Jesus is both God and man (vs. 9). Jesus is God incarnate. Jesus was not a god-like man, nor a man-like god. He is God-Man. He is both fully God, and fully man (John 1:1, John 1:14; Philippians 2:6-8). Everything was created by and for Jesus, and is under His authority - all nations, governments, and rulers (vs. 10). Everyone will one day bow the knee to Him (Philippians 2:10). Jesus alone holds the answers to the true meaning of life because He is Life. He is the source of knowledge and power, for the Christian life. We are complete in Him, for as born again believers, we have Jesus’ perfect righteousness, and full sufficiency of all heavenly resources for spiritual maturity (vs. 10).
Another basic teaching Paul brings here is that before we accepted Jesus as Savior, we were “dead in our trespasses” (vs. 13). We were totally devoid of a spiritual life. Only through our union with Jesus Christ can those hopelessly dead in their sins receive eternal life. By Christ’s sacrificial death on the cross, God totally erased our sin debt, and made our forgiveness complete (vs. 14). A crucified man’s crimes were written down,and then nailed above his head on the cross. Jesus had “King of the Jews” written above Him on the cross (Matthew 27:37). When Jesus took upon Himself all of our sins, they were nailed to the cross (vs. 14). The cross spelled the doom for Satan and all of his demons (vs. 15). Satan was defeated at the cross. Jesus won the victory!
Paul also taught us in this passage today that our daily conduct should reflect our faith in Jesus (vs. 6). Our life and behavior should be patterned after the Lord Jesus. Our faith should be rooted in sound doctrine, not the false teachings that were infiltrating the early church, and also infiltrate churches today (vs. 7). We need to be built up and established in sound doctrine. Paul warns us to refuse to listen to ungodly advice or false philosophies so popular in the world, along with worldly values (vs. 8). As a plant gets its nourishment through its roots from the soil, so we should get life-giving strength from Jesus. The more we do, the less we will fall victim to false teachers.
No comments:
Post a Comment