WEEK 3
Colossians 1:24-29 Imagine the rusted hulk of a once beautiful old Rolls Royce now sitting abandoned in a remote field with trees and bushes pushing up through the wreck. What hope does such a sorry ruin have of ever being returned to its former glory? None, unless a skilled expert rescues it from the field and carefully restores it over time. What about us? What hope do we have of ever being put back into a proper spiritual condition before a holy God? Is there any hope of being completely free of the anger, bitterness, lust, jealousy, fear, discontent, and loneliness that seem to constantly eat away at us like rust? There is! Such hope is not found in ourselves and our abilities or good intentions. We can no more restore ourselves to a right condition than the rusted vehicle can restore itself to its former glory. Our only hope of glory is Christ in us (v.27). It is not simply the fact that Christ died and rose again on our behalf. That is essential of course. But it is the fact that Christ now lives within us (Galatians 2:20). He is our life and our very identity before the Father (1 Corinthians 1:30-31). It is only the release of His power within that can enable us to walk in victory over sin’s corruption and enable us to bear up under the inevitable suffering, toil, and struggle that are a normal part of serving Him (vv.24, 29). Paul’s goal was not to somehow coerce people into making themselves presentable to God. His objective was to present everyone complete in Christ and in Christ alone (v.28). Which goal are you vigorously pursuing? LifeStep What means are you using to pursue spiritual growth in yourself and in others? Scripture reading and memorization, accountability, faithful church attendance, protective hedges of some kind? These are excellent but they’ll never produce genuine godliness if they are devoid of a conscious dependence on the indwelling presence of Christ. Write out one way you can consciously depend on Him today. Then do it! Colossians 2:1-7 Having spent the first chapter affirming the supremacy and sufficiency of Christ in the gospel, in spiritual growth, in creation, in the church, and in his own ministry, Paul now warns his readers against all attempts to undermine Christ by pursuing spirituality through human philosophy and methods. The danger was very real and it was a huge concern to Paul. He mentions how greatly he was struggling (v.1) to ensure that his readers would not be led astray by false teachers who were using extremely persuasive arguments (v.4). This translates a Greek word only used here in the New Testament. It describes speech that is fine-sounding, plausible, and extremely compelling. At the core was the notion that simple faith in Christ might be a good place to start but such simplicity could not take them very far. They needed to move beyond childish faith in Christ and pursue mystical wisdom and knowledge, something which the false teachers could help them achieve! They could access hidden secrets and enjoy mystical experiences that most people missed, if they would simply purchase their books and attend their conferences! What was Paul’s response? Bogus! All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are found in Christ. The one who has Christ, has everything necessary for a complete and victorious new life in Him. Therefore, the way one begins through simple faith in Him is the only way to make real progress. LifeStep Are you alert to the possibility that you could be deceived by fine-sounding arguments and be led astray from the simplicity of your devotion to Christ (2 Corinthians 11:3)? Have you somehow become convinced that you need more than simple trust in Jesus? It’s easy for many of us to associate our child-like faith with childishness and to feel that we need more now that we’ve “matured.” Not so! Identify one specific way you have been attempting to make spiritual progress without depending on Christ. What can you do to change that today?
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