Apr. 4, 2021. Colossians 2:1-10

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FULL ASSURANCE OF FAITH.  Colossians 2:1-10.  04/04/2021. #5.

Colossians 2:1-10 [New King James Version]

¹ For I want you to know what a great conflict I have for you and those in Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh, ² that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ, ³ in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. ⁴ Now this I say lest anyone should deceive you with persuasive words. ⁵ For though I am absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ. ⁶ As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, ⁷ rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving. ⁸ Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. ⁹ For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; ¹⁰ and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.

1. Paul yearns to see the Colossian believers
   1. Paul struggled with not being able to visit believers in Colossae, Laodicea, and Hierapolis in person
   1. Paul was concerned about grounding believers in faith
      1. They were knew Christians without instruction (remember = the NT had not yet been written)
      1. Epaphras had planted the church, but since he was also new to faith, could not fully ground them
   1. Since Colossae is a prison letter, Paul could not come
   1. Paul was with them in spirit and wrote to encourage them
   1. Paul and believers were knit together in a bond of love
2. Assurance of faith
   1. Paul’s main concern was that they would have assurance of their faith
      1. To be well grounded, secure, and able to defend it
      1. Not to be moved from their profession of belief
   1. Paul desired that they come to a full assurance of understanding (fully, unshakably persuaded of their faith)
      1. Not just a hope so belief (wishful desire)
      1. Belief based upon embracing solid evidence
   1. Paul wanted them to understand the knowledge of the
   1. mysteries of God (plan of salvation and our adoption)
   1. Being well grounded involves understanding Word
      1. Since they did not have the Word, Paul was beginning to instruct them in the Word
      1. Romans 10:17 the study of Word increases faith
      1. Luke 24:13-27 – all the Old Testament prophesies concerning Jesus’ Incarnation and atonement for sin had been fulfilled (study of evidence fortifies belief and commitment
   1. The need to continue to reinforce belief continually
3. Attacks on faith
   1. Paul’s greatest apprehension was that they would be persuaded away from belief because they were immature
   1. 3 areas of attack on faith:
      1. Deceptive persuasive words of worldly or cultish philosophy (sounds good and appealing)
         1. II Corinthians 11:14-15 Satan = a great deceiver
         1. More people believe a lie than the truth
      1. Traditions of men – long held cultural, religious, and philosophical beliefs (the weight of the collective “wisdom” of society) – Galileo dilemma
      1. Principles of this world – worldly wisdom that governs the behavior of men (hedonism, tyranny, greed, caste system, pragmatism, fate, atheism)
   1. Romans 3:4 God is true and every man is a liar (John 8:44)
4. Absolute assurance of faith
   1. Christ = the embodiment of all the mysteries and treasures of God (by his wisdom, works, ways, resurrection, Word, and by all measurements he proves his full deity)
   1. In his body dwells the FULLNESS OF THE GODHEAD
      1. He is fully God in all aspects (substance and essence of being)
      1. John 14:1-6 to believe in Christ is to receive God
5. Walk in steadfastness of faith in Jesus Christ
   1. Build faith and good order in one’s life
   1. Rooted in faith (salvation, belief, works of faith, prayer)
   1. Built up in faith (Word, prayer, service, practice, walk)
   1. One’s life needs to reflect one’s faith (James 2)

Key Verse: Luke 24:13-27

¹³ Now behold, two of them were traveling that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was seven miles from Jerusalem. ¹⁴ And they talked together of all these things which had happened. ¹⁵ So it was, while they conversed and reasoned, that Jesus Himself drew near and went with them. ¹⁶ But their eyes were restrained, so that they did not know Him. ¹⁷ And He said to them, “What kind of conversation is this that you have with one another as you walk and are sad?” ¹⁸ Then the one whose name was Cleopas answered and said to Him, “Are You the only stranger in Jerusalem, and have You not known the things which happened there in these days?” ¹⁹ And He said to them, “What things?” So they said to Him, “The things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a Prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, ²⁰ and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to be condemned to death, and crucified Him. ²¹ But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, today is the third day since these things happened. ²² Yes, and certain women of our company, who arrived at the tomb early, astonished us. ²³ When they did not find His body, they came saying that they had also seen a vision of angels who said He was alive. ²⁴ And certain of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but Him they did not see.” ²⁵ Then He said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! ²⁶ Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?” ²⁷ And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.