Walk In Christ Alone

I invite you to turn in your Bibles to the book of Colossians, Colossians chapter 2. We're going to consider verses 6 through verse 10 of Colossians 2. Colossians 2 beginning at verse 6. 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. 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. For in Him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in Him, who is the head of all rule and authority. Sadly, today many parents take for granted the raising of children. I think this is almost a demonstrable fact in our country and culture. Many parents put their little thought and effort into raising their children. There's this general idea that kind of goes around in our culture that as long as children are fed and have clothes on their back, everything else in their life will kind of take care of itself. Maybe both parents work. Kids go off to school where, from our perspective, they get most of their catechesis. And then after school, where they get their quote-unquote training, they then go off to after-school programs or sitters or maybe sports practice or maybe at best a relative's home. Now all of these things are not bad in and of themselves. But the fact that the parents then on top of that do not engage their children. Parents today can often just take for granted the growing up of their children, the maturing of their children and the guidance and the relationship that is necessary for their growth. Now this mentality of taking for granted the necessary lessons and guidance of children has a spiritual counterpart in the church. The church often takes spiritual growth and Christian living and the necessary wisdom required in both or for both for granted. i want to ask you tonight have we been guilty of this have we been guilty of simply assuming because we claim to be christians our growth our living will necessarily take care of itself do we take for granted christ and the growth and the life that he calls us to do we assume that being christian doesn't involve constantly abiding in christ well paul doesn't take any of that for granted nor will he allow the colossian christians that he is writing to to take any of that for granted especially especially given the threat that this church was under paul here in these verses calls these christians to continue in christ to abide in him to walk in him to guard against any deceitful false teaching and to be filled with christ so that's what we're going to consider this evening growing and maturing in christ by walking in him by thinking according to him and by being filled with him and so those are our points this evening walking in christ thinking according to christ and being filled with christ at this point in this short book there's been something of a shift of transition if you remember where we've been in the opening verses of this book paul begins by giving praise and thanks and prayer for this church for their faith and the fruit that their faith is bearing in their lives and then he moves on to that beautiful section expounding upon and explaining that Jesus Christ is the foundation of the Christian faith and then he moves into at the end of chapter one and the beginning of chapter two to talk about his own ministry and his struggle for these Christians and that really brings us to where we are here in verse 6 and paul has shifted here he has shifted from what he dealt with previously to now talking about christian living christian living paul announces this transition with the first word of verse 6 therefore therefore signals to the reader that what he is now going to say is in light of all that he has already said and what he's going to say is that christian living is all about living in light of jesus christ walking in him as reformed people we confess at the very beginning of our catechism that our only comfort in life and in death is that we do not belong to ourselves but to our faithful savior who has delivered us from all of our sin. I think we can often think of ourselves as not belonging to ourselves in death. That is, we are thankful and we imagine after this life that we go home to be with the Lord. And that's certainly true. But I think we often forget that it's not only in death that we belong to our faithful savior but it's in life as well our lives are not our own they belong to christ we've been purchased by christ purchased by the blood of christ the life we now live we live for he him who died for us or as paul says in galatians 2 i've been crucified with christ it's no longer i who live but christ who lives in me the life i now live in the flesh i live by faith in the son of god who loved me and gave himself for me see brothers and sisters paul here is speaking of our lives our christian lives our lives in christ he says to these Christians at Colossae, as you have received Jesus Christ, the Lord, so walk in him. As you have received the Lord Jesus Christ, so walk in him. Walk in him. That's Paul's way of saying live out your Christian life. Live in light of Christ. Now, Paul doesn't just say walk in him, does he? He says, as you have received Jesus Christ the Lord, walk in him. What is Paul speaking of here when he says, as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord? Paul's simply saying this. There is no difference between the way one lives their Christian lives and the way one has entered into the Christian life. We receive Christ by faith, and so we live out our Christian lives by faith. In other words, we abide in Christ. We remain in Him. We walk and live in light of Christ. You see, as I've said many times when we've dealt with this book, there were false teachers and teachings that were threatening this church at Colossae. Paul's mentioned, hinted and mentioned this teaching already in verse 4. I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments. He again mentions such teaching and teachers in verse 8 before us. 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. The false teachers were trying to say to the Christians in this church, there's a big difference between entering the Christian faith and living that Christian faith out. they were saying sure one begins their spiritual journey with christ christ is the foundation christ is the door that or by which we enter into the faith but from there the true christian the mature christian the spiritual christian must move on to a fuller kind of spirituality one that is based upon philosophy and asceticism and traditions and practices things of which paul will go on to say have an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion but have no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh you see this way of thinking happens all the time throughout the history of the church christians have been tempted to begin with Christ, but then move on to something else. For example, at the church of Galatia, they were tempted to begin with Christ, but then move on from Christ to righteousness based upon works of the law. Or at the church of Corinth, they were tempted to begin with Christ, but then move on from Christ to worldly wisdom and esoteric spirituality. And this is still happening today. in some churches today christians are called to begin with christ but from christ to move on to 10 steps to your best life 10 steps to the most fulfilled life you can have or christians are tempted today in certain churches to begin with christ but from christ to move on to social justice and social ideologies or like the church at corinth Begin with Christ and then move on to a kind of second blessing of the Holy Spirit. In either case, the Bible never, never calls Christians to begin with Christ and then to move on to anything else. We are to begin with Christ and then remain in Him, abide in Him, live in light of Him. And that's why Jesus called us to abide in Him. as a branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine neither can we unless we abide in him and so the question for us this evening is are we are we abiding in christ when i was a young christian in my 20s in college uh there was a a young man at the college who would go around and ask Christians that very question. Are you abiding in Christ? And I remember that question puzzling me because I didn't exactly understand what it meant to abide in Christ. I knew I needed to abide in Christ, but what exactly did he mean by that? We're called to remain in Christ, to walk in Him as we have received Him in faith, in trust, in dependence upon Him as our lord if we are not if any of us here tonight are not continuing to abide in christ and i call you friend to turn from anything that is distracting you that is directing you away from christ come back come back to christ jesus is your lord your savior as we just sang in that beautiful him in christ alone we're to take his yoke learn from him he is still gentle and lowly in him we find rest christians are to live in light of christ not beyond christ not with anything in addition to christ we're to live to walk in christ alone and that's why paul says further in this verse with christ as lord of our lives it's interesting this is the only place in all of the new testament that these names and titles are placed in this order and i think they're so because paul is emphasizing here the lordship of christ in the life of the christian how have we received jesus christ we've received him as savior and lord who is the lord of your life is it you is it someone else is it maybe something else whatever it may be that's interfering between you and christ put it away turn from it because the truth is jesus is lord he is the lord of all he is the lord of lord the king of kings and he is the lord of his people remember what paul said to the church at philippi he says in philippians 121 to live as to live is christ to die is gain paul confesses to live is to live in christ and that's really no different from christ saying if anyone would come after me he must deny himself take up his cross daily and follow me. Those are serious words, aren't they? Jesus is speaking about his lordship over those who follow him. He calls us to deny ourselves, to follow him, to live in light of him. Jesus even calls us to put him before any family member in our family, to put him before our parents, our children. He says, if anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brother or sister, yes, even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Those are heavy words, heavy words. See, everything hinges upon Christ for the Christian, our eternal destiny, but also the lives that we live here and now. As we live, as we walk, we do so in Christ and in him alone. See, the Christian faith begins with faith in Christ. But the middle of the Christian life also continues with faith in Christ. And as you might guess, the end also ends with faith in Christ. We're in Christ, united to him, so much so that our lives should reflect that union. As Paul says in verse 7, so walk in him, rooted, built up in him, and established in the faith. Paul uses three words here to impress his point upon the Christian life. He uses the word rooted, built up, and established. If you know a little bit about me, you know that I love the outdoors. My family and I had the opportunity a few years ago to drive up to northern california and to see the the majestic california redwoods not to be confused with the giant sequoias which are also majestic but when i think paul speaks here when he refers to being rooted and built up and established in christ i can't help but think of those redwoods in northern california beautiful trees j.i packer in his book a quest for godliness compares the spirituality of the puritans with that of the grandeur of the california redwoods packer describes the spiritual roots of the puritans as running deep into the biblical text so deep that their spiritual growth like the redwoods stretch high into the heavens he says and their spiritual vitality was often strong enough to allow them to weather many storms in life if you're familiar with the lives of the puritans you you know that is true interestingly then packer goes on in that same book to speak of the spirituality of today's american christianity he says we he says we tend to be shallow weak vulnerable instable paul here is describing faith like the puritans faith rooted in christ built up in him established in the faith i think packer sadly is right today like many in the history of the church christians are not solidly planted and rooted in christ we are more like leaves blown in the wind than majestic trees that can weather the storms of time and that's why paul next in this chapter, in this text, issues a warning. And that warning takes us to our second point this evening, thinking according to Christ. As I said, everything hinges upon Christ in the Christian life. We must abide in Him, remain in Him, walk in Him, be rooted and built up and established in him everything is about being in christ united to him being dependent upon him in every aspect of our lives we don't just live lives we live christian lives we live christ-centered lives and the mature christian life is the life that grows independence upon christ you see when it comes to physical growth we often think of growing up as developing in independence right being independent from our parents independent from teachers independent from whatever it is that we see ourselves dependent upon I told the gem girls and the youth group this very thing a few weeks ago kids always want to be older than what they really are don't they if you asked a 10 year old, how old are you? They'll probably tell you something like 10 and a half or almost 11. Why is that? Why is it that children want to be older? I think my thought is kids want to be older because they have this idea that if and when they get older, they get to do whatever they want to do. They think that's what being older is all about. It's about being independent, being autonomous doing what you want to do and i think oftentimes kids look to their parents and they think their parents get to do whatever they want to do kids want to be older for that reason but that's not christian maturity christian growth christian maturity is reflected in learning to be dependent upon christ christian growth doesn't mean that you get to do whatever you want quite the opposite it's growing to learn and understand christ will for you in each and every aspect of your life and that's why his teachings his word his truth is so important for us and for our christian lives how do we know what to do at any given moment in any given situation we have to be filled with the knowledge of his will don't we interestingly that's what paul prayed for this very church back in chapter 1 verse 9 if you have your bible still open just turn there briefly with me paul there says in verse 9 and so from the day we heard we heard of their faith we have not ceased to pray for you what is he praying asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord. And so our thoughts, our thinking, and the truth that we expose ourselves to must always be grounded in Christ. We must think according to Christ. We are to, as Paul says in second corinthians 10 take every thought captive to christ so when christians are threatened to give our thoughts or our thinking or our ideas over to truths and teachings that direct us away from christ that's a huge problem when we're tempted to adopt thinking and patterns and ideas that conform more to the way of this world instead of Christ, that's a problem. That problem was happening at Colossae. False teachers were attempting the Christians to compromise essential Christian doctrine. And that's why Paul says in verse 8, See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit. The Colossian Christians were being threatened with new teachings, with new doctrines, which Paul calls philosophy. when paul uses the term philosophy here he's he's not specifically speaking of the discipline of philosophy the discipline of thinking and seeking truth he's referring generally to any system of thought any set of doctrines or teachings contrary to christ or that direct christians away from christ remember paul had just said a few verses prior to this that all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are found and hidden in christ you see there's most certainly a christian philosophy a christian way of thinking and pursuing truth there is a philosophy founded upon christ paul's not saying that we should give up on that as if christians should be content with ignorance in fact christians should be very thoughtful people people who pursue the truth christians should be people who regularly pursue the truth. Regularly think deep. Consider how Christ and his commandments apply to every area of our everyday lives. Remember again what Paul prayed for this church. That they be filled with the knowledge of Christ's will in all wisdom and understanding. And why? So that that wisdom and understanding, that knowledge of his will would shape the manner in which they lived so paul by no means is saying that christians should be content in ignorance now you know how the caricature goes today right christians believe by faith faith is contrary to truth and knowledge and understanding that caricature is so false now there are certainly truths that we know and believe based on faith and we do so because we're sinful human beings we're not god we don't know as god knows and so there are times that we have to trust in him and what he has said but that doesn't mean that the christian faith is contrary to truth christianity is zealous for the truth our lord is the way the truth and the life we simply take truth to be that which god has said what is truth that's a that's a large question right it's a question that philosophers have wrestled with for thousands of years what is truth have you ever thought about that this is truth truth is what god has said in his word the bible is the standard of truth the bible is the ultimate authority the locus of all truth and maybe if we had time we could talk about how the bible is the preconditions of all intelligibility which is just a big way of saying the bible is the foundation for truth itself now although philosophers have made a big mess of philosophy it really doesn't take a genius to figure that out remove this truth remove this authority from our culture and dr godfrey has a year of sunday school lessons to tell us about where our culture has come and where it is headed sadly so and we are in just one of the most bizarre times in all of the history of existence really see there are autonomous philosophies and then there is philosophy based on god's word our philosophy as christians is based on the teachings of god's word and who is at the center of god's word but christ now of course any philosophy or system of teaching not founded upon scripture will ultimately direct a person away from christ again that's what was happening at colossi this new teaching this new philosophy being circulated in that church was redirecting the people away from christ to things like asceticism denying certain foods and drink is that what christianity is about is christianity about moving off into the desert living in a cave and depriving yourself of certain foods and drink certainly not this new philosophy was also directing the people away from christ to certain religious festivals and traditions and celebrations all of which paul will go on to say are a shadow a shadow the reality of which is jesus christ this new teaching also directed the people to angel worship and how to experience visions in their lives you see this philosophy promised a kind of heightened sense of spirituality but what it ultimately did is directed the people away from the simple truth of abiding in jesus christ the idea again was you become a christian by faith in christ but then you move on to these ascetic practices these religious tradition these esoteric experiences this is why paul calls this philosophy a system of teaching but you see anything that directs a christian away from abiding in jesus christ as paul says it's empty and deceitful empty and deceitful and why because it has its origin in men interestingly paul will go on to say it ultimately has its origin in the elemental spirits of the world he's referring to demons there it's the devil and his minions that are ultimately the source of that those teachings that direct us away from jesus christ and that's why such philosophy can be so dangerous for christians sadly there are a number of such philosophies today both in and out of the christian church and all of which vie for the allegiance the minds and hearts of christians one major such philosophy today which is enslaving many in the church is the new sexual ideology new sexual ideology which says christians can be openly christians can openly accept various sexual norms in their lives you can be a christian and live and sleep with your partner as long as you quote unquote love them or you can be a christian and live openly as an lgbtq person and that philosophy uses deceitful arguments such as the bible never really even addresses these matters these are new matters the bible deals with things in the past or doesn't the bible call us to love and not to be judgmental people to not make judgmental statements about people so sadly today many are enslaved to this new sexual philosophy and ideology you see paul wasn't exaggerating when he says here see to it that no one takes you captive captive the word that paul uses here refers to a kind of enslavement it refers to someone who takes someone else and then makes them their slave indeed that's what was happening that's what happens when christians follow false philosophies and systems of teaching and thought and that's why we need to cling to christ that's why we need to pray alongside with paul as he prayed in this text to be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding you see now why we need to think according to christ because he's the only one and his truth is the only thing that can save us that can free us from such false teaching and it is jesus jesus the lord that paul takes us to next in this very passage and that takes us to our third point this evening, being filled with Christ. In the last two verses of this section, Paul brings us really full circle to the centrality of Christ in all areas of the Christian life. He begins by pointing us to the author of that Christian life, the author and the perfecter of the Christian life, Jesus the Lord. Who is Jesus? Have you ever had someone ask you that question? Who is Jesus? not who he who is he for you but who is christ in and of himself who is jesus paul says here he is the one in whom the fullness of deity dwells bodily what exactly does that mean that that simply means that jesus is a hundred percent man and a hundred percent god he's god almighty we may be made in the image of god but christ is that very image he is the one who holds the keys to death and life he is the lord the maker the sustainer the great i am the sovereign one the king of kings the lord of lords and this is our glorious lord and as paul says here he is the head of all rule and authority. Paul's already said much about authority really when you think about it in this text. And Jesus, whether one acknowledges it or not, is indeed the head of all rule and authority. And this is so important for the church at Colossae to grab a hold of, to grasp and to understand. And it's important for us to understand too, especially in light of the fact of what Paul goes on to say here. Paul says this Jesus is the one in whom the fullness of deity dwells bodily. And then he says in verse 10, and you have been filled in him. You've been filled in him. Christians have been filled in Christ, the one in whom the fullness of deity dwells. As we gather here together for worship we're filled in christ what does that mean what is paul referring to here i'll summarize it for you it's we're filled filled with the fullness of life in jesus christ if we were to go on and continue reading the rest of this section what we would see is that in him which is used over and over and over in this section in him in christ we have been circumcised. In Christ we have died and been buried. In Christ we have been baptized. In Christ we have been raised to newness of life. In Christ we have had our sins forgiven. And in Christ we have triumphed over the powers of darkness. That is what we have in Christ. You see we really do have fullness of life in Jesus Christ. So let me ask you, if this is all true, what more do we need to live out our Christian lives today, tomorrow, and into the future? What more? Nothing. We need nothing more than Christ. We need only to walk in Him. We need only to abide in Him. We need only to be rooted and built up in him. We need only to think according to him. We need only to continue to be filled with Christ. We don't need any new philosophy or ideologies of men. We don't need aesthetic practices and religious traditions. Give us Christ. Give us more and more of Christ. Back in my evangelical days, we used to sing a song that puzzled me at the time that we sang the song the song goes like this all of you is more than enough for all of me for every thirst and every need you satisfy me with your love and all i have in you is more than enough you are my supply my breath of life you're my reward worth living for you're my sacrifice of greatest price you're the coming king you are everything and still more awesome than i know that song puzzled me as we would sing it because i didn't understand i didn't grasp how christ was more than enough for me i hope this evening you've come to see that christ is indeed more than enough for us if you desire to grow in your christian faith look no further than jesus christ your lord Walk in Him. Think according to Him. And be filled in Him. Let's pray. Lord, as I acknowledged earlier, we live in such a darkened world. A discouraging world. And Lord, really our hearts go out to those who are lost. Those who are living this life apart from Christ. We thank you, Lord. We richly bless you because to us has been given the knowledge of the riches of Jesus Christ. And you have indeed blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places as Paul will go on to show us in this very text. Lord, we thank you for all that you've granted to us in Jesus Christ. We pray, Father, that you would continue to work in our hearts draw us ever closer to christ help us to cling to him and to apply the knowledge of his will and all spiritual wisdom and understanding to every area of our lives we pray this all in christ's name amen