This past week I have been spending my time studying the letter of Paul to the Colossians. In particular, Colossians 2 has been the chapter that has drawn me to write this morning. It is a cold Saturday and while I catch up on some things here at the church a dedicated team of volunteers is serving our community through the distribution of food from our new food pantry. I pray for each of those volunteers that as Paul says in Colossians 2:6, “Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him” (NASB). The group of volunteers certainly are living out their faith and sharing the love of Jesus with a whole lot of people they are meeting for the first time.
Two verses in Colossians 2 stand out to me and are circled and highlighted multiple times in mt Bible. They are verses two and eight. Verse two leads me to the question of, “Why do we seek to know God more?” Does Paul answer that in his letter when he writes, “resulting in a true knowledge of God’s mystery, that is Christ Himself.” We seek God more to know God more. Paul was writing here to a church that was drifting a bit. Paul felt that perhaps he should have been there to stem the drift, but that was not possible at the time he was writing. He was encouraging them to go back to what they had been taught about Jesus, about His life, about His death, and about His resurrection. These things, gone through willingly by Jesus, had been done for all people. Simply put, Jesus had done it all. Yet, “things” of the world were creeping into the church and placing doubts.
Really, this is an easy analogy to connect to where the church finds itself now at times. Remember, when I say “church,” that is you and me. It takes a slight twist of God’s truth to at times set our minds off course. In verse eight Paul is clear when he writes, “See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather then according to Christ.” Paul is clear and very much to the point. Do we read his words and say, “Oh no, not me?” I find many thoughts, ideas, and philosophies being thrown at me and the church on a regular basis. Questions such as, “Don’t you think you are being a little strict on that?” God’s Word is clear, and I always look to have my view led by God’s Word. I shared with a church member this morning that at any opportunity to speak at an outside event or for that matter I will speak John 14:6. I am not quoting that here, so if you do not know it, enjoy reading it today. The response from my church member was a fist bump and then he quoted John 14:6.
What is the point here? Know the truth of God, be strong in the truth of God, have joy in the truth of God. With that truth live fully and joyfully in all that Christ has done. God bless each one of you. Pastor Tom