Colossians 2:1-3 ESV
“For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, 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 knowledge.”
What was Paul’s message here in these words? The Apostle Paul was continually being attacked for his messages by his opponents. He was continuously being hounded and falsely accused of teaching lies. For the enemy of our souls wanted to silence him because he was speaking the truth of God’s word that so many of the people did not want to hear. But he didn’t give up. He continued to resist the lies and to proclaim the truth.
For God had called him, not only to preach the truth of the gospel, but also to refute the lies of the enemy and to warn the believers in Christ against buying into the lies in order that he might present everyone mature in Christ. And so he toiled and struggled with all his energy that God so powerfully worked within him to keep on speaking the truth, and to keep on rebuking the lies, so that the people would follow the truth and not the lies.
Colossians 2:4-8 ESV
“I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments. For though I am absent in 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, abounding in thanksgiving.”
His concern was that there were people who were conning and tricking some people with persuasive speech (arguments) which were not based in truth but in half-truths, usually which were diluted and altered gospel messages, either leaning toward adding on to our salvation what God does not require, or else they were removing from the Scriptures many of the truths of the gospel, and God’s requirements for us, in order to appease human flesh.
And this is the situation we are in today, as well. For we have many wolves in sheep’s clothing and charlatans among us who are telling the people lies disguised as truth in order to get the people to believe the lies, which are usually half-truths, and in order to get them to reject the truth of God’s word. And many of these people can be very convincing with their smooth talk and their manipulative tactics in how they twist the Scriptures.
So, why do these people do this? Why do they attack the truth of the gospel and fill people’s minds with lies? It has to do with what is stored up in their hearts. Some of them are people who are angry with God because God did not perform for them as they thought he ought to. And so their hearts are filled with bitterness and resentment against the Lord and against those who are following the Lord and who are teaching the true gospel, too.
Some of them, too, are people whose lifestyles are represented by what is dishonorable, improper, corrupt, immoral, wicked, dishonest, and sinful. So many of them have hardened their hearts against the Lord and against the truth of his word because they are the self-indulgent and the sexually addicted and those whose minds are filled with the lusts of the flesh, and the lusts of the eyes, and the pride of life, and they won’t let go.
So, even if they do know the truth of the gospel, they resist it, and they oppose it, because it reminds them of their sinful condition and of their need to repent (to turn from their sin) and to follow our Lord Jesus in obedience to his commands. And so they fill their minds with lies, instead, which will give them permission to keep walking in deliberate and habitual sin without conscience, compassion, and genuine remorse.
And even if they are shown the truth, and their lies are exposed, they will not yield. They will not give an inch, for they are stubborn and unyielding, for they want to continue in their sin. And so they will continue to resist and to refuse the truth of the gospel, and they will continue on in their sin, holding on to the lies, resisting God and his word and his messengers, even strongly opposing the truth while spreading their lies.
But we must resist the lies and we must hold fast to the truth, but the only way we are going to know the truth is if we are students of the Scriptures who study them in their full context, prayerfully, seeking truth and righteousness and holiness in walks of obedience to our Lord, and if we forfeit our sinful practices to now walk in the ways of the Lord in obedience to his commands (New Covenant) out of love for God and for his Word.
And then we have to stand on the truth, even if most people turn against us and oppose us and even lie about us. For we must have the heart of Christ, like Paul did, in putting the true needs of the people above his own comfort, for he truly cared deeply for them that they know the truth and that they walk in the truth and that they come to maturity in Christ and that they are not led astray by liars and deceivers who don’t care for their souls.
And sometimes we just have to walk away from some situations where we are not able to reason with those who are stubborn and unyielding and who will not listen to reason and to the truth but who want to hold on to the lies, many of them because they are living in sinful addiction and they do not want to give up their sins in order to follow the Lord in obedience and in order to live holy and godly lives for the glory of God, in his power.
The Truth of the Gospel
So, what is the truth of the gospel? It is that Jesus Christ died on that cross that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. For he died that we might live for him and no longer for ourselves. And he shed his blood for us to buy us back for God (to redeem us) out of our lives of sin so we will now honor God with our bodies (with our lives). And Jesus died that we might be crucified with him in death to sin and raised with him to walk in newness of life in him no longer as slaves to sin but now as slaves to righteousness.
[1 Peter 2:24; 2 Corinthians 5:15; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; Romans 6:1-23]
And Jesus Christ said that if anyone would come after him he must deny self, take up his cross daily (die daily to sin and to self) and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to our old lives of living in sin and for self, we will lose them for eternity. But if for the sake of Christ we die with him to sin and live to his righteousness, in his power, then we have eternal life. For Jesus also said that not everyone who says to him, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one DOING the will of God the Father in heaven.
[see Luke 9:23-26; Matthew 7:21-23; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14]
Therefore, if sin is what we practice, and if we continue in deliberate and habitual sin, and not in walks of obedience to our Lord in living holy lives pleasing to God, in practice, we will not inherit eternal life with God, regardless of what faith in Jesus Christ we profess with our lips. For it is not enough to just give lip service to the Lord, but we must surrender our lives to him, walk in his ways, obey his commands, and not walk in sin.
[Matt 7:21-23; Lu 9:23-26; Jn 6:35-58; Jn 15:1-11; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; 1 Co 6:9-10; 2 Co 5:10; Gal 5:16-21; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-11; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Heb 10:23-31; 1 Co 10:1-22; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; 1 Pet 1:17-21; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15]
Oh, to Be Like Thee, Blessed Redeemer
Lyrics by Thomas O. Chisholm, 1897
Music by W. J. Kirkpatrick, 1897
Oh, to be like Thee! blessèd Redeemer,
This is my constant longing and prayer;
Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures,
Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.
Oh, to be like Thee! full of compassion,
Loving, forgiving, tender and kind,
Helping the helpless, cheering the fainting,
Seeking the wandering sinner to find.
O to be like Thee! lowly in spirit,
Holy and harmless, patient and brave;
Meekly enduring cruel reproaches,
Willing to suffer others to save.
O to be like Thee! while I am pleading,
Pour out Thy Spirit, fill with Thy love;
Make me a temple meet for Thy dwelling,
Fit me for life and Heaven above.
Oh, to be like Thee! Oh, to be like Thee,
Blessèd Redeemer, pure as Thou art;
Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;
Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrYhiK2nQBg
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