DEPTH AND STABILITY IN CHRIST
Colossians 2:1-7
by Cesar Delgado
Bulawan, Sorsogon
October 22, 2005
INTRODUCTION
We lives in a dangerous times- now. It is predicted in the bible.
1. War and conflict in every side – Matt. 24:6
2. Encounter among leaders of nations – Luke14:31
3. Man becomes lovers of themselves – 2Tim.3:2
4. Man becomes lovers of money and pleasure – 2Tim.3:3-4
5. People will not endure sound doctrine – 2Tim. 4:3
However, one that is far more dangerous than the physical realm. Satan is waging war against us, brethren. What is at stake is our soul and eternal destiny. What is at stake is our walk in faith and draw closer to God.
However, there are a lot of Christians that are sleepwalking when they should be alert to the danger of the enemy.
Proposition: We should be strong and deeply rooted in our faith and walk in Christ, in whom all wisdom and knowledge are hidden in Him.
What is deep and stability in Christ?
I. STAND TOGETHER IN LOVE (v.2a)
1. The church cannot proceed to other essential matters until it stands united.
• Believers are to work at keeping the peace so that they can stay bond together in unity of God’s spirit. (1Cor. 1:10; 2Cor. 13:11)
2. That unity come only in love.
• The human heart aches for such strength in love.
• It is the cement that joins and keeps them together, and which edifies and builds them up, and whereby they increase with the increase of God. 1John 4:20
• When our hearts are united in love, then the hearts of every believer will be strong, encouraged, braced, assured, confident, and comforted. Ephesians 4
II STAND TALL IN WISDOM (Vv. 2b-5)
Illustration:
a. Do you like to hunt for treasure?
• Lost coins
• Lost valuable rings
• Hidden gold
Sometimes that fascinates us about hidden treasure.
Let’s not look somewhere for wisdom and knowledge.
The real treasure that we need is revealed in the Bible.
1. Of the mystery of God
• of calling the Gentiles into the Christian church (Eph. 1:9-10)
• Trough the Church the manifold wisdom of God might be made known to the principalities and powers in heavenly places (Eph.3:10)
• Here "the mystery of God", which he is both the author and subject of: it is by him as the efficient cause, ordained by him, and hid in him before the world was; and it is of him, as the subject matter of it; not as the God of nature and providence, which the works of both declare; but as the God of all grace, as God in Christ, which is the peculiar discovery of the Gospel.
2. Of Christ
• He being both the efficient cause and the subject matter of it.
• It treats of his deity and personality; of his offices, as Mediator, prophet, priest, and King; of his incarnation and redemption; of his grace, righteousness, sacrifice, and satisfaction; of justification by him, pardon through him, and acceptance in him.
The Father initiate and Christ implemented.
3. Of His treasures of wisdom and knowledge (v3)
• One reason to admire and trust Jesus above all other persons is that he knows more than anyone else. He knows all people thoroughly, their hearts and their thoughts. "He knew all men" (John 2:24).
• Jesus not only knows all people thoroughly as they were and are today, he also knows what people will think and do tomorrow. He knows all things that will come to pass. "Jesus, [knew] all the things that were coming upon Him" (John 18:4).
• Jesus do these things to reveal himself that He is the Son of God
• The greatest thing that can be said of Jesus’ knowledge is that he knows God perfectly. We know God partially and imperfectly. Jesus knows him like no other being knows him.
• Our knowledge of the Father depends wholly on Jesus’ gracious revelation; it is derivative and partial and imperfect.
True knowledge and wisdom about our God and of Christ protects us from heresy and false doctrine that will endanger our faith and walk in Christ (vv.4-5) We have to….
III STAND FIRMLY IN FAITH (vv.6-7)
1. Receiving Christ is only the beginning; He continues His work in you
• All Christians have, in profession at least, received Jesus Christ the Lord, received him as Christ, the great prophet of the church, anointed by God to reveal his will; as Jesus the great high priest, and Saviour from sin and wrath, by the expiatory sacrifice of himself; and as Lord, or sovereign and king, whom we are to obey and be subject to.--Received him, consented to him, taken him for ours in every relation and every capacity, and for all the purposes and uses of them.
• The great concern of those who have received Christ is to walk in him--to make their practices conformable to their principles and their conversation agreeable to their engagements. As we have received Christ, or consented to be his, so we must walk with him in our daily course and keep up our communion with him.
2. You must be rooted and built up
• The picture of being rooted is that of a tree. The ground provides strenghth against storms and nourishment for life. Christians is to draw his nourishment and strength from Christ. (Matt. 7:24-26)
• The more closely we walk with Christ the more we are rooted and established in the faith.
The point to note is this: the emphasis is upon a strong attachment and a low of nourishment and life from Christ. The believer is to walk in a continous, unbroken communion and fellowship with Christ. His life is focus upon Christ.
3. You must strengthened in Faith
• Means to be firm, stable, holding fast not letting go.
• All that been taught should be live out.
• and a very good thing it is to have the heart established with grace, both as a principle and a doctrine; which is God’s work, and was the happy case of these persons;
• not be like children tossed to and fro with every wind of doctrine, or carried about with divers and strange doctrines, but abide by those which had been preached to them by the faithful ministers of Christ, and they had received.
4. You must be overflowing in gratitude.
• The believer is to walk overflowing with thankfulness. Christ Jesus the Lord has done so much for the believer.
• Therefore the believer is to learn to walk in an unbroken spirit of thanksgiving – a thankfulness that overflows in praise to the Lord moment by moment throughout the day.
• for all which there is great reason for thanksgiving; both for the unspeakable gift of Christ, who is received as such by faith, and in whom believers are rooted and built up; and for faith itself, which is the gift of God; and also for the Gospel, and the truths of it; and for every degree of spiritual light in it, and knowledge of it.
Read 1 Thes. 5:18
IV CONCLUSION
1. These signs of the mature church can only be found in Christ. Let Him lead you to be what you ought to be.
2. Depth and stability in Christ comes by:
• Standing together in love
• Standing tall in wisdom
• Standing firmly in faith.
1. 3. Prayer
