Word of Salvation – Vol.44 No.42 – November 1999

 

Living In Christ – Part 1

 

Sermon by Rev. P. Smit on Colossians 2:6-12

Scripture Readings: Colossians 2:1-12

Suggested Hymns: BoW 179; 434; 295; 428; Rej 402; 519

 

Brothers and Sisters in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Phil Yancey in his book “What’s So Amazing About Grace”, says (p 68): “Dr Bob Smith and Bill Wilson, the founders of Alcoholics Anonymous, went to a man named Bill D when they first devised their twelve step programme.  Bill D was a prominent attorney who had flunked out of eight separate detox programmes in six months.  Strapped in a hospital bed as punishment for attacking two nurses, Bill D had no choice but to listen to his visitors, who shared their own stories of addiction and the recent hope they had discovered in God, whom they called a higher Power.  As soon as they mentioned their Higher Power, Bill D shook his head sadly.  ‘No, No,’ he said, ‘It’s too late for me.  I still believe in God alright, but I know mighty well that He doesn’t believe in me any more’.”

Like Bill D, as Christians we can feel weighed down by failing God time and again.  Rather than thinking of ourselves as full in Christ, we see ourselves as empty, continually striving for something more, but never attaining it because of our sin.  Like Bill, we might think deep down “It’s too late for me.  I believe in God all right but I’ll never be good enough for him.”

I’m sure that this is what the Colossians felt about themselves.  That’s why they were attracted to the teaching of getting something more, some secret knowledge, to get closer to God.  But Paul, God’s apostle, tells us just how we ought to live in Christ, and what he reveals gives us tremendous encouragement.

After having told us in chapter 2 verse 3 that in Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, Paul gives us a couple of commands that call us to God’s way of drawing closer to him.

The first command is – Walk in Jesus (vs 6).

See verse 6 and 7- “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.”

These two verses are the big idea of Paul’s letter.  This is how we are to live in Christ.  Paul literally says in the original language, “As you received Christ Jesus as Lord, in him you walk.”  Walking, here, means the way you live your life.  God is telling us, “as you received the truth about Jesus and his Lordship of your life, then conduct your life in accordance with that truth.  Let your habit be ‘walking with Jesus’.”

He uses a few words that give us a picture of what this means.  Rooted and built up and strengthened.

Let’s think about the word “rooted”.  You can think of your life as a tree.  Your nourishment can only come by having roots.  Not just shallow roots, because when the winds blow, shallow rooted trees topple.  Your roots need to be deep and strong.  Deep roots that grip the truth of God’s Word.  You can test the depth of your roots by asking yourself, “how many of God’s promises are in my mind, fixed to my heart.  How many scriptures do I find comfort in?  Do I turn to them often?”

The next word is “built up”.  Becoming a Christian, receiving Christ as Lord is foundational.  But your faith needs to grow.  God didn’t intend you to survive in the Christian life on basics of faith.  He wants you to be built up.  I remember a college professor who told me, “if you want to build a sky scraper, you need deep foundations.”  You cannot build up your Christian life without deep foundations in understanding his truth, but God wants to build your faith and trust higher and higher, so you can display for all, his love and grace.

The final word Paul uses is, “strengthened”; strengthened in the faith.  The Greek word means, being made firm, strengthened and established.  An old architect once mentioned the buildings of Frank Lloyd Wright, the famous American architect, who designed and built a huge sky scraper in Japan earlier this century.  During a severe earthquake nearly all the buildings were demolished, except for this building designed by Wright.  He had excellent engineering skills, which strengthened the structure of his buildings.  The inner strength of the building made it firm and established during testing.

God wants us to be firm and established in our faith and the only way we can do this is to walk in Christ; to be rooted in his Word, to be built up, to be strengthened in our faith.  The word “faith” here means more than our subjective feelings.  It means the truth of Christ revealed in the gospel.  If you desire a rock solid hope, an unshakable faith, a living, breathing, vibrant life in Christ, then walk in him.  Hunger after opportunities for fellowship, spending time in his truth.  When you do, you will overflow with thankfulness.

That’s the first command God gives us, Walk in Jesus.  The second is: Beware of false teaching (vs 8).

Literally, Paul says, “Don’t let anyone carry you off as booty.  Don’t be taken captive.  Don’t get kidnapped by false teaching.  Don’t get in slavery to error.”  The error you and I need to be most concerned about is if anyone tries to tell us that there are other ways to heaven than by faith in Jesus Christ.  People may say, “if you do this or that, if you write this cheque or send money, you’ll be more acceptable to God” – Wrong!  Nothing but Jesus’ death can make us acceptable to a holy God.  The other error we need to strive against is legalism.  People who add lists of rules and regulations to God’s Word.  It sounds holy and righteous but it undermines the grace and freedom which God gives us in Christ.  God says, “Beware, don’t get kidnapped by false teaching.”  That can be tough.  It can be easy to be led into error.  Error is always mixed with truth.  Note that.  We need to think, test, question, read Scripture.  Don’t accept things without thinking about it.  Hold it in mind and ponder.  Don’t accept things outright or reject it outright.  Test it and think it through.  Build your knowledge of God through reading, his Word and sound devotional books.  Beware of false teaching.

Lastly, God tells us: You have the fullness of Christ (vs 10).

See verses 9 and 10 – “For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority.”

Remember Bill D, the alcoholic?  He said, “It’s too late for me.  I still believe in God alright, but I know mighty well that He doesn’t believe in me anymore.”  Maybe your addiction isn’t alcohol.  Maybe it’s old fashioned sin.  You keep falling into that same problem and feel empty and isolated from God.  If you believe Christ died for you, God says, “You have been given fullness in Christ.” You didn’t do anything, God has given you fullness in Jesus.

Right now, positionally, God says, “All that Jesus is, is yours.”  All his forgiveness, all his love, all his obedience, all his righteousness, all of his perfect holiness, all his mercy and compassion; all of the fullness of Christ is yours.  God has declared you perfect in his sight through Jesus.

When you believed in Jesus, all that which was unclean and clinging to your life, God removed.  Just like physical circumcision, God has cut away all wrong in your life.  All the past sin.  Gone!  God will not condemn you.  God has given to you a new heart and life, through Jesus’ death and resurrection.  You have been raised, washed clean as through the waters of baptism.  Please never, ever, say that you’re not good enough for God.  If you trust what Jesus has done, God has declared you are perfect in his sight.  All the fullness of Christ is yours.  Now God says, Believe it.  Live it.  Don’t despair in your weakness, but in humility live in Christ’s fullness.  Live thankfully out of all that he’s done.  Bless the Lord.  Rejoice.  All this through faith in Christ, and the power and divine working of God.  Christ’s fullness doesn’t depend on your effort.  God’s given it to you free of charge.  That’s grace.

Now, just a few words of application.

No 1 – Walk with Jesus.

Draw near to him and he will draw near to you.  Travel your life with him.  Let prayer be your daily spiritual breath.  Live your life under his Lordship.  Submit to him and be humble.  Let your life take root in the good soil of his Word.

No 2 – Beware of false teaching.

Think, think, think.  God has given you a mind.  Use it.  Be alert to God’s Word.  Be ready to ask questions.  If you are unsure, talk to your pastor.  Most of all, ask God and allow his Word to shape your understanding.

No 3 – You have all Christ’s fullness now by faith in him.

What God has given you, is a resurrected life.  His Spirit now dwells in your heart.  If you’ve submitted to his Lordship, God has declared your sinful life over, buried, gone.  Now he’s saying, “Live your new resurrected life.”  But remember, you cannot live a resurrected life in your own strength.  Sin takes over.  Old habits die hard.  You need to depend on God, moment by moment.  He saved you.  He will help you.  Trust him.

God says to you, “My child, all the fullness of Christ’s resurrection is yours, what I have given to you, you must now live.  Just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, keep on living in him.”

Let’s do it with thanks, for Jesus’ sake.

Amen.