Word by Mail

COL 07 – C28 - Not of this World - Col 2:8-15 The title today is a reference to an Evangelism Ministrykinda disguised as Christian Clothing Company My family & I have had the privilege of getting to knowthe C28 & NOTW companies & their founder(& my daughter Breezy works with them) & I can tell you their purpose is to bring Jesus Christ to the worldthru Christian Retail Outlets (& by other means) – so Ck ‘em out  But let’s get to the Message – C28 – Not of this Worldwe’re going to Col 2:8 Last msg we looked at “Maturing The Church” & we ended w/ a strong encouragementto let our Roots grow down deep into Christ& let our lives be Built on Christ Today, Paul follows up that encouragementw/ a WARNING A Warning for us not to be taken “Captive”by the Philosophies of this world AND (in Paul’s warning) we also have a great teachingon exactly what Jesus did for us – at the Cross Col 2:8 8 Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. NLT 8 Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ. “Beware” is a great way to start here because the GK implies that there is “immenent peril” here The word “cheat” (NKJ) is better translated “capture” or “take captive”  Beware lest anyone [capture] you through philosophy and empty deceit, . . . This is a Warning regarding the False Teachings that were “Gaining Ground” in the Colossian church  & it’s just as appropriate TODAY – as it was in 61 AD The NIV says;8 See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, . . .  The word Philosophy (as used here) is probably best defined as “Higher Human Thinking” or “Human Wisdom”  Today we’re going to call it – Worldly Philosophy & what Paul is actually doing in this Vs.is giving a 4-PART Description
 of what a Worldly Philosophy Looks Like  So that we can - BEWARE - & NOT be “Taken Captive” By Them Here are the 4-PARTS of a Worldly Philosophy – in Col 2:81) empty deceit (NIV = hollow & deceptive)2) according to the tradition of men3) according to the basic principals of the world4) NOT according to Christ  FIRST – Wordly Philosophy is described as - “empty deceit”  “deceit” means – to be Led Astray“empty” means – Futile, without Truth Paul’s saying ; Don’t be Led Astray (taken captive) by Empty (& futile) Philosophies of this World The NLT calls this 1st description - “high-sounding nonsense”   Continuing to describe a Worldly Philosophy Paul says  SECOND – They are “according to the tradition of men”
NLT says they come from “Human Thinking”  Worldly Philosophies – are Empty Deceit that come from the tradition of men (or human thinking ) AND – we need to Avoid them like a “Spiritual Plague” We need to be very careful w/ the - “Traditions of Men” Traditions (rightfully used) can be OK as long as they are Never Given Biblical Status Traditions of man can NEVER add to God’s Word & especially can NEVER supersede God’s Word We MUST cling to the GOD’S WORDAs the ONLY source for our Spiritual Life – Our ONLY source  Now – in PART-3 of our definition (in Col 2:8) Paul really starts getting serious THIRD – Worldly Philosophies are “according to the basic principals of the world”  This is actually more concerning than it might appear Because prob the most Literal Translation here would be – the “Elemental Powers” of the world  The ref is to – the basic spiritual principals operating in this world the NLT says these Worldly Philosophies - come from human
thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world Man might think that he’s coming up with these Worldly Philosophies all on his own  but God’s Word gives the credit where it’s ultimately due to the “spiritual forces that are at work in this world”  & Col 2:8 says Beware lest you are “Taken Captive” by these Worldly Philosophies  that are actually inspired by Spiritual Forces at work in this World  Finally – the Fourth description of Worldy Philosophy is the clearest & most important warning FOURTH - These Philosophies of the World are “NOT according to Christ” The phrase “instead of” would help here - because Paul’s saying  “beware of Philosophies that come from this world, INSTEAD OF coming from Christ” ALL “Higher Philosophies” come from A spiritual power  They come EITHER from the spiritual powers at work in this world or they come from Jesus Christ  THOSE are the only two options ! Paul separates all “Spiritual Philosophies” into two very clear categories  ALL the Philosophies in this World lumped together& then - - JESUS CHRIST WHY ?? WHY can we lump ALL Worldly Philosophies together & set them aside & choose Christ  WHY CAN WE DO THAT ? The answer – is in the next verse Col 2:9 Col 2:99 For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; The NLT translates this verse really well; NLT - 9 For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body. In Christ – ALL the Fullness of God – Lives in a Human Body & THAT is exactly why you can lump ALL other Spiritual Philosophies
together - & set them aside  Because if ALL THE FULLNESS of God – LIVES in Jesus Christ Then all other Philosophies re: God – Are OUTSIDE of That !  & If you can have ALL the Fullness of God in Jesus Christ then what could you possibly ADD to THAT  “All The Fullness of God” is like a DOUBLE POSITIVE ALL of the ALL of God – The FULL of the FULLNESS of GodIn IN Jesus Christ ! Jesus Christ IS the Fullness of God & when you He lives in you – YOU ARE COMPLETE  You can’t get more “ALL” than Jesus Christ You can’t get more “FULL” than Jesus Christ  When Jesus Christ lives in you - you have “All the Fullness of God” & YOU ARE COMPLETE In Him  . . . just like the next Vs says   Col 2:1010 and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power. NLT 10 So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority. you are complete in Him . . . Spiritually – You can be NO MORE Complete (no more full)than when you are IN CHRIST ! & isn’t it true that the Worldly Philosophies of Empty Deceit that come from Human Thinking & the Spiritual Powers of this world  ALWAYS lead you AWAY from the only one Who can truly make you Complete ??  When you are IN CHRISTYou ARE Complete IN the One Who IS the Fullness of God  & by the way – V.10 also makes it clear Jesus Christ is actually the HEAD (He rules)
over all the Worldly Principalities & Powers anyway  Col 2:10 (again)and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power. ALL Principality & Power !! NOT just the Godly - - but also the UnGodly Principality & Power at work in this World  Jesus Christ is HEAD of ALL – (He Rules Them ALL) & we’re going to see exactly WHY – at the end of the msg But before the WHY – We’re going to see the HOW   Exactly HOW are you made complete in Jesus Christ ?? Col 2:1111 In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, Let me just read the NLT – to get us on the right track NLT - 11 When you came to Christ, you were “circumcised,” but not by a physical procedure. Christ performed a spiritual circumcision—the cutting away of your sinful nature. Before you received Jesus Christ as your Savior you were living in your Sin Nature
 & that Sin Nature was ultimately leading you - to destruction  SO – simply put – your Sin Nature had to be CUT AWAYIt had to be “Overcome” – “Rendered Inoperative” & So - - - When you Received Jesus as your Savior (or when you DO receive Jesus as your Savior)
 He performs a Spiritual Surgery to Overcome your Sin Nature  Now – that doesn’t mean your sin nature is Gone  It means “POSITIONALLY” your sin nature has been conquered by the Victory of Jesus Christ on the Cross His Victory over sin, becomes Your Victory over sin, BY YOU PUTTING YOUR FAITH IN HIM Positionally Jesus Christ Conquers Sin IN YOUR PLACE That means Sin’s Power over you has been broken & you now have the POWER to CHOOSE Jesus over your Sin Nature   So - Jesus Conquered your sin nature & then - - He cut it away  BUT -- How does that work - that HIS Victory over sin becomes OUR Victory over sin ?? The answer – is in the word “Identification”In the Bible it’s commonly referred to - as “Baptism”  Col 2:1212 buried with Him in baptism, in which [baptism] you also were raised with Him [-] through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. NLT 12 For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized. And with him you were raised to new life because you trusted the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead. “For you were buried with Christ . . .” you might say – “that’s funny, I DON’T REMEMBER BEING BURIED” WHEN was I buried with Christ ??  The answer is - In Baptism The problem is - this word for “Baptism”DOES NOT just mean being dunked under water In Fact - being dunked under water is only A PICTURE of what this word “BAPTIZED” really means This word “Baptized” here - is BAPTIZMOS which is the noun form of my favorite GK word – BAPTIZO Which means “to be so identified with something,
that it brings on a permanent change”  Now, as believers - we are commanded to be Immersed under water
 AS A SIGN – A PICTURE – of what the word Baptized really means  But - - what “Baptized into Jesus Christ” means is: Thru the Miracle of IDENTIFICATION w/ Jesus Christ YOU are permanently changed - - So that
 HIS Death to Sin - becomes YOUR Death to Sin When He was buried - your Sin Nature was buried with Him  When He ROSE from the dead - YOU rose from the dead with Him THAT is the miracle of putting your Faith in Christ And please notice very carefully You are NOT identified with Christ because you were immersed under water  Look carefully at the middle of V.12 NKJ - 12 . . . you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised [Christ] from the dead. NLT - 12 you were raised to new life because you trusted the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead. There is ONLY One Way to be raised to New Life IN Christ  THAT IS - through faith in the working of God,who raised Christ from the dead. It is YOUR FAITH – that Identifies you with the Work of Christ& it is your FAITH that makes you COMPLETE in Him   & do you want to know WHEN He did this for you ??. . . He did it – when you were still Dead in your Sin !!! For Time’s Sake – let’s read V.13 – right out of the NLT Col 2:13 - NLT13 You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. NKJV - 13 And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, We didn’t EARN the right be made ALIVE with Christ We didn’t reach some Level where God said“OK now their worthy of the Life of Jesus” NO – He did it – When we were DEAD in our sins It was at that point that Jesus Christ took our sins upon Himself & paid the full penalty on the cross – IN OUR PLACE & when He did – He wiped out the debt of all our sinThe Record of our sins that stood in Judgement against us The Record of our sins that proved we deserved God’s full judgement That record was obliterated !! It was Nailed to the Cross& it was covered with the Blood of Jesus Christ Himself  Now – this next Vs was one of our KEY Vs’s last week in our Resurrection Msg & this is the verse that brings to life the Nailing of the hands of Jesus . . .  to NOT ONLY - hold Jesus to the cross  But to also hold the list of our sins -pinned between His bleeding hand, & the rugged cross Col 2:14 - NLT14 He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. NKJV - 14 having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. When (BY FAITH) You become Identified with Jesus Christ  His Blood on the Cross – wipes out your sin& His VICTORY Gives you New (& eternal) Life - IN HIM !!! AND THAT – is True – Eternal – Victory !!  Now - it’s critical that we understandthat both Heaven & Hell want you for eternity ! & Hell thought they had you
when you were dead in your sins  But then something happened – AT THE CROSS  Jesus Christ Disarmed the Principalities & Powers that are at work in this World  & He made a Public Spectacle of Them  & He Triumphed over them – Once & for all -On behalf of those who put their Faith in Him for Salvation  & in our last vs. - Col 2:15we have the “Hammer Down” – “Final Word” – “VICTORY”
 of Jesus Christ (On Your Behalf)over the Principalities & Powers of this World  Col 2:15 - NLT15 In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross.
 NKJV - 15 Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it. IN THIS WAY ? – He disarmed & shamed the spiritual rulers & authorities  What does that mean - IN THIS WAY – In WHAT WAY ?? The words “IN THIS WAY” are the Most important words for YOU !because it refers to the previous Vs.  The Previous Vs. is the WHERE & the WHEN of Jesus Christ Triumphing over Your Spiritual Enemy  Again - Col 2:14 - NLT14 He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. The moment you put your Full Faith in Jesus Christ  Thru your Identification with Him;He cancels the Record of Sin against you - &He takes it away by Nailing it to the Cross and IN THAT ACTION He Triumphs over your spiritual enemy – On your Behalf  & So – Because of what Jesus Christ has done for you Because of the Complete Fullness of Life Jesus Christ offers you There are TWO THINGS - that I urge you to do this morning #1) Put your Full & Complete Faith in Jesus Christas your only way of Salvation and Eternal Life & #2) as C28 says - (NIV)8 See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. Be Identified today with Jesus Christby putting your complete Faith in Himby making Him your Savior - & the Lord of your Life