Only Jesus – Colossians 2:16-23
Paul writes to address Colossian believers’ temptation to conform to Hellenistic Jewish practices; a temptation Paul believes to be detrimental to their faith. This is to say, that for the Colossian Church, and for ourselves, the greatest temptation is not toward apostasy or abandoning the faith; it is not toward outright immoral or unethical behavior; our greatest temptation is to believe the subtle lie that Christ is insufficient.
3 Point Summary of Colossians
This letter is written to a young church: The Apostle Paul writes this letter from prison to a young church in the city of Colossae that they may grow in “maturity to Christ” (1:28), despite the cultural pressures that they were experiencing.
Christ began a new Kingdom: The foundation for resisting cultural pressure is recognizing we have been saved from ourselves and are now citizens of a new Kingdom– established in Christ. (1:13;1:15-20;3:1)
Spiritual maturity is learning to live in that new Kingdom: Paul believes that learning to live in the Kingdom of Jesus transforms every aspect of our lives.
This letter is written to a young church: The Apostle Paul writes this letter from prison to a young church in the city of Colossae that they may grow in “maturity to Christ” (1:28), despite the cultural pressures that they were experiencing.
Paul advances the idea that Christ began a new Kingdom: The foundation for resisting cultural pressure is recognizing we have been saved from ourselves and are now citizens of a new Kingdom– established in Christ. (1:13;1:15-20;3:1)
Spiritual Maturity is learning to live in that new Kingdom: Paul believes that learning to live in the Kingdom of Jesus is growing in maturity in every aspect of our lives.
Our greatest temptation is to believe the subtle lie that Christ is insufficient.
Three dominant worldviews that influence the Church in the U.S. today:
Christian Performance Culture
Core Desire: Be more like Jesus in all his perfection and characteristics.
Disordered Priority: We make our boundaries and rules the source of salvation
Indicator: Judgment of others may show that you have added Christian Performance to Christ.
New Age Thought
Core Desire: Reach ultimate truth
Disordered Priority: The search for truth becomes Spiritual Wandering formed by cherry picking beliefs, and we find ourselves Deeming Christ insufficient.
Indicator: If you find yourself absorbing different “truths” or beliefs in a space of Spiritual wandering, then you may have exchanged truth for a spirituality that is self-made.
Idol of Political Party
Core Desire: See human flourishing
Disordered Priority: You’re more committed to a political party's platform than the ways of Jesus
Indicator: Political anxiety is a good indicator that you‘ve bought into the idol of political party.
“The church need look nowhere else for forgiveness for the past, for maturity in the present, and for future hope.” - N.T. Wright
“…the sin underneath all our sins is the lie of the serpent that we cannot trust the love and grace of Christ and must take matters into our own hands.” - Martin Luther
Being a disciple of Jesus is a progressive process of learning to be influenced by Jesus. It’s not about perfection, it’s about commitment that aims to look more like Jesus every day.