The Maze Of Mysticism

PART 1

There are passages in Scripture where Paul is not merely defending doctrine — he’s saving people from losing the very Jesus who saved them. Colossians 2 is one of those moments. The church in Colossae was young, vibrant, and full of brand-new believers who had just stepped out of paganism and into the radiant freedom of the gospel. And almost immediately, spiritual predators began slithering into the church with a message that sounded spiritual, looked intellectual, felt mystical… but led away from Christ.

That’s why Paul wrote Colossians — to declare the absolute, unmatched, irreplaceable sufficiency of Jesus Christ.

Jesus is not a way; He is the way.

Jesus is not one truth among many; He is the truth by which all others are measured.

Jesus is not a life option; He is the life that makes us alive.

And anything — anything — that puts itself forward as a supplement, addition, or enhancement to Jesus is not innocent spiritual curiosity. It is a maze. A system designed to confuse, mislead, and ultimately rob believers of the simplicity and security of the gospel.

Paul addresses four traps in Colossians 2:

Intellectualism. Ritualism. Mysticism. Legalism.

All four still exist today; they simply wear modern clothing.

Tonight we enter the third: Mysticism — the seductive belief that you can reach God, experience God, or know spiritual truth apart from Jesus Christ and apart from Scripture.

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THE MAZE AND THE MIRAGE

A few years ago a farmer in Wisconsin built a corn maze covering about 400 acres — one of the largest ever built. Using satellite images and digital mapping, he created a sprawling labyrinth of winding paths, dead ends, false turns, and blind corners so complex that lookout towers had to be installed just to rescue lost wanderers.

It’s a perfect picture of the spiritual landscape of our time.

Our culture loves the mystical.

People crave supernatural experiences but reject supernatural truth.

They want spirituality without Scripture.

They long for transcendence but avoid repentance.

They hunger for the invisible while ignoring the Incarnate.

And just like a maze, mysticism feels thrilling at the entrance — until you realize you’re lost, disoriented, and unable to find your way.

That is exactly what was happening in Colossae.

A group of teachers — the early Gnostics — moved into the church offering “higher knowledge,” “deeper spirituality,” and “secret revelations.” They told believers that Jesus was good — very good — but not enough. Christ could bring you part of the way, they said, but there were levels beyond Him, realms above Him, experiences deeper than Him.

It sounded humble.

It sounded spiritual.

But Paul calls it what it truly was: a trap.

> “Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and the worship of angels… not holding fast to the Head.”

— Colossians 2:18–19

This is not an ancient problem alone.

It is a modern epidemic.

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THE OLD GNOSTICISM IN NEW CLOTHES

The early Gnostics believed they possessed hidden truth unavailable to ordinary Christians. They saw themselves as an elite spiritual class — insiders who understood mysteries others didn’t.

Today, the same spirit surfaces through:

the New Age movement

“Christianized” mysticism

visions that contradict Scripture

spiritual experiences not tested by the Word

angel-obsession

occult curiosity

channeling, crystals, energy alignment

manifestation and “the universe is listening”

progressive Christianity that replaces revelation with personal experience

Mysticism says:

“Truth is whatever I experience.”

“Authority is whatever I feel.”

“God is whoever I imagine Him to be.”

But Colossians says something very different:

Truth is what God has revealed.

Authority is Jesus Christ.

God is known only in His Son.

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THE SPIRITUALITY OF “MORE”

Gnostics told believers:

“Jesus is wonderful — but there’s more.

More levels, more beings, more revelations, more experiences. Let us lead you through the maze.”

Their “more” came in several forms:

1. False humility

A kind of false lowliness that actually masked deep spiritual pride.

2. Angel obsession

A fascination with heavenly intermediaries that distracted from Christ.

3. Secret knowledge

The lure of hidden truths available only to the initiated.

4. Spiritual pride

The feeling of superiority that accompanies “special revelation.”

Mysticism looks spiritual — but its end is always the same:

A slow loosening of the believer’s grip on Christ.

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PART 2

Paul’s message is simple, powerful, and liberating:

Spiritual life, spiritual growth, and spiritual transformation come from one source alone — Jesus Christ, the Head.

All other spiritual paths promise light but lead into shadow.

All other systems promise depth but end in confusion.

All other voices offer wisdom but cannot give salvation.

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SPIRITUAL TRANSFORMATION: THE REAL THING

Paul contrasts the counterfeit with the authentic.

Mysticism promises spiritual experience; Jesus gives spiritual life.

Mysticism claims secret knowledge; Jesus reveals God openly.