Series title: Growing in the knowledge of Jesus Christ
Scripture Readings
- Ephesians 4:1-13
- Colossians 2:9-15
Introduction
Dear friends in the Lord,
Our series from Colossians goes under the heading “Growing in the knowledge of Jesus Christ.” We find terms like fulness, wisdom, understanding, every way, all power, all things, everything, glorious riches, all wisdom, perfect in Christ, all energy, full riches, complete understanding, all treasures, etc. are terms driving the message of this letter. And these things point to Jesus Christ, the One perfect Saviour between God and us. To know Him is life-changing; eternity depends on it.
Last week we looked at the necessity to grow in the knowledge of our Saviour. This week we continue and examine the effect of a poor knowledge of Jesus Christ
The effect of a poor knowledge of who Christ is
Verse 8 spells out the devastation of a poor understanding of the Gospel. It spells out the result of a church where people are in no position to defend the Gospel. Let’s read:
See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. (Colossians 2:8)
The language of this verse is very openly that of a struggle or battle. This side is the truth, the other side is false gospel. One is about Christ, the other is about the devil. One is about light, the other is about darkness. On one side the forces of the Gospel are gathered; on the other side the forces of darkness. The fight is between two kingdoms: the Kingdom of the Son of God’s love, the Crown Prince of the living God, against the kingdom of darkness, rules by the destroyer of souls.
Those gathered under the banner of Jesus Christ look at the cross where He defeated the powers of darkness. His victory there is their victory. Under his banner they march forth. He is the head of every power and authority. When they were baptised, they were baptised in Him; through faith they received all that belongs to Him sealed and signified in the sacrament. Spiritually they rose with Christ from the dead by the power of God. They believe Him who raised Christ from the dead.
False doctrines
Ceremonialism
Under those who joined the church in Colossae were people with Jewish background. Judaism still dictated their theological thinking. To become part of the people of God they taught that men had to be circumcised. This was only one aspect of their teaching which became a problem in that church. Next week we will look at other aspects of their teaching.
For these people the act of circumcision was the thing, and not as much as what it signified. Right through the Old Testament God held the charge against Israel that they were uncircumcised in heart. Moses warned the people:
Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and do not be stiff-necked any longer. (Deuteronomy 10:16, NIV)
The prophet Jeremiah delivered the Word of the Lord to the people:
Circumcise yourselves to the Lord, circumcise your hearts, you people of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, or my wrath will flare up and burn like fire because of the evil you have done— burn with no one to quench it. (Jeremiah 4:4, NIV)
Outwardly (ceremonially) they held to the practice but inwardly there was no sign of trust in God. Paul writes about this:
A person is not a Jew who is one only outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. (Romans 2:28, NIV)
This is what Paul refers to in verse 8: “these things depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ”.
When Paul addressed this problem in Colossae he pointed them to Christ:
For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority. (Colossians 2:9–10, NIV)
Now, we need to understand the following two verses very carefully. Paul argues that the sign and ceremony which visibly made man part of the Old Testament people of God, circumcision, is replaced by something else, while what was spiritually required to become part of the covenant people still remains: what remains is the act of God’s grace
which took away one’s sinful nature… Your whole self ruled by the flesh was put off when you were circumcised by Christ (Colossians 2:11, NIV)
How did that happen? God’s saving grace is seen only in Jesus Christ:
In Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Your whole self ruled by the flesh was put off when you were circumcised by Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead. (Colossians 2:11–12, NIV)
Listen carefully to this text. What does it say? Let’s take it apart, step by step.
- We need a circumcision of the heart to become part of God’s family.
- The circumcision we get is through the saving grace of God in Christ. He circumcise us spiritually.
- The salvation we need is in Him and is our gift because of his death and resurrection. He was buried and He was raised from the dead.
- Through our union with Him we are not buried or brought to life through the sacrament of baptism; we plainly receive what He accomplished for us.
- What makes salvation a reality in our life is a living faith and trust in Him who was buried and was made alive.
- Baptism therefore does not require of us to ceremonially be buried in the water to be spiritually made alive. This is to add to the verse.
- Baptism is nothing less and nothing more than a sign and symbol that what Christ has done by dying and being raised from the dead in our place.
- By faith what He has done, is now mine. Baptism means therefore nothing more and nothing less than the sign circumcision in the old Testament.
- Nothing changed as far as the substance of our salvation is concerned (it God’s work of grace!), but what has changed is the sign
That’s exactly what Paul states in the next verse:
When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, (Colossians 2:13, NIV)
We find the same idea in Romans 6:
Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptised into Christ Jesus were baptised into his death? We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. For if we have been united with Him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with Him in a resurrection like his. (Romans 6:3–5, NIV)
When were we buried with Him? When He died. When were we raised to life? When He rose to life. Did it happen when we were baptised? No. Baptism was the sign that it surely did happen, but it was grace which united us with Him.
The claim of the ceremonialists in the time of Colossae that circumcision was still necessary was to deny the grace of God in Jesus Christ. In fact, it was to deny the fruit of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Little wonder then that they wanted to add all sorts of legalistic requirements as we shall see next week.
But what is also true is that those who demand that all babies should by baptised as soon as possible after their birth less they die outside Christ has no Biblical warrant. The Roman Church teaches that the sacrament acts as a funnel through which grace is poured out on the soul. It is therefore not uncommon to attend a funeral in that church and then to hear over and over again that the deceased person was baptised, and therefore saved.
It is equally unbiblical to teach that if one was not immersed into water through baptism one will not enter the kingdom of heaven. What saves us is not the water and the quantity of it; what saves is God’s grace in Jesus Christ. Baptism is a sign of grace and receiving that sign is setting one apart from the world as being owned by God.
The theology of Jesus Christ
On the other hand Paul gives a few remarkable statements:
For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority. (Colossians 2:9–10, NIV)
- Christ is God, the second Person of the Trinity, who came to dwell with us in all his fulness.
- When in Him we lack nothing , we were brought to fulness. To his work we add nothing, but we cannot take from it, or diminish the work of his salvation.
- In Him we were circumcised not with a circumcision done by hands (Colossians 2:11) Not like the Jews believed!
- We are saved by God’s act of grace, not be ceremonies (Colossians 2:12) Not like the Jews believed!
- Our sins are forgiven and by faith we are united with Him who is our Saviour (Colossians 2:13)
Conclusion
We will have to continue next week and find out more about Christ alone, no if’s, no but’s. Let’s thank God for the fulness of his Son who has become our Saviour.
Amen
Sermon preached by Rev D. Rudi Schwartz on Sunday 17 January 2015
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