Introduction

Welcome, dear brothers and sisters in Christ. We gather here today, not as strangers meeting for the first time, but as a family joined together by the love of our Savior. We share a common bond, a common faith, and a common purpose – to know Him more and make Him known. Today, we gather to open God's Word together, to learn from it, to be challenged by it, and to be changed by it.

The great theologian J.I. Packer once said, "The life of true holiness is rooted in the soil of awed adoration." Isn't that a beautiful truth? Holiness, my friends, doesn't come from us striving in our own strength. It is birthed out of our reverence and love for our Heavenly Father. It is this adoration for God that we must cultivate, for it is the fertile soil in which our faith grows.

Let's read together from Colossians 2:8-23:

"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. In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.

Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind, and not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God.

If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations— “Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch” (referring to things that all perish as they are used)—according to human precepts and teachings? These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh."

False Beliefs

In the world we live in, we are constantly bombarded with a myriad of beliefs and ideologies. It's like a marketplace of ideas, where every stall is vying for our attention, trying to sell us their version of truth. But as followers of Christ, we are called to discern the truth from the falsehood, to sift through the noise and hold fast to the truth that is found in Christ alone.

This requires vigilance, discernment, and a deep understanding of God's Word. It's like being in a battlefield, where the enemy is not a physical foe, but a barrage of false beliefs that seek to lead us astray. We must be equipped with the armor of God, ready to stand firm against the onslaught of falsehoods that threaten to undermine our faith.

The Scripture we read from Colossians warns us about being taken captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition and not according to Christ. This is a clear call to guard our hearts and minds against the false beliefs that are prevalent in our society.

The first area we need to be mindful of is the influence of worldly philosophies. These are ideas and beliefs that are not grounded in the truth of the gospel, but are based on human wisdom and understanding. They may sound appealing and logical, but they are devoid of the life-giving truth that is found in Christ.

We must be careful not to be swayed by these philosophies, no matter how persuasive they may seem. We must remember that our faith is not based on human wisdom, but on the power of God. We must hold fast to the truth of the gospel, refusing to be swayed by the shifting sands of worldly philosophies.

The second area we need to be mindful of is the influence of empty deceit. This refers to the lies and deceptions that are often disguised as truth. They may come in the form of false teachings, false prophecies, or false interpretations of Scripture.

These deceptions are dangerous because they can lead us astray, causing us to veer off the path of truth and into the wilderness of falsehood. We must be vigilant in discerning the truth from the lie, holding fast to the truth of God's Word and rejecting any teaching or prophecy that contradicts it.

The third area we need to be mindful of is the influence of human tradition. This refers to the customs and practices that are passed down from generation to generation, often without question or scrutiny. While not all traditions are bad, we must be careful not to elevate tradition above the truth of God's Word.

Traditions can become idols, causing us to place more value on the rituals and customs of our faith than on the God we are supposed to be worshiping. We must guard against this, ensuring that our faith is grounded in the truth of God's Word and not in the traditions of men.

The fourth area we need to be mindful of is the influence of the elemental spirits of the world. This refers to the spiritual forces of evil that seek to lead us astray. These forces are real and powerful, and they are constantly at work, trying to pull us away from the truth of God.

We must be vigilant in resisting these forces, standing firm in our faith and holding fast to the truth of the gospel. We must remember that we are not fighting against flesh and blood, but against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Biblical Understanding

As we continue to engage with the text, we find ourselves in the midst of a rich tapestry of theological truths ... View this full PRO sermon free with PRO