Hope for Today

Thank you for joining us in studying the Bible together. It doesn’t matter if you’ve read the Bible many times or just recently started following Jesus; there is something here for everyone, and with God’s help, you will hear what He is saying to you.   

Last time, we started Colossians 3. This is the part in Colossians where Paul switches from teaching us how to believe to living right. Since Jesus is the Messiah who saved you, it will affect how you live. It is more than a nice thought; it comes out in our lifestyle. 

Again, our title is “Risen with Christ.” We will finish verses 1-7. We had the first two changes resulting from being risen with Christ, a change in desires and our deliberation, and today is the final two changes, our destiny and our discipline.  J Mark will begin by reading Colossians 3:1-7, so please turn there if you can.    

1If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 

 2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.  

3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 

 4 When Christ, who is our life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. 

5 Therefore, put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 

 6 Because of these things, the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, 

 7 which you once walked when you lived in them. 

In verse 2, Paul urges us to set our minds on heavenly things. Psalm 1:2 gives us a picture of what this looks like. “[the godly man’s] delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law, he meditates day and night.” That means we should be filling our minds with Scripture, turning it over and over in our thoughts, savoring its richness. Think on heavenly things instead of things limited to earth and this life.  

We must think consciously about how we can use earthly things to advance heavenly things. How can I lay up treasure in Heaven? How can I use the resources God has given me, whatever those are, to bless others and bring Him glory?  

The reason for the command to think on heavenly things is that you have died. A dead person has no consciousness of – or connection to – the things of earth. They cannot be tempted by their favorite food, a get-rich-quick scheme, or a pornographic picture. They can’t desire an easier life or extravagant wealth. As Believers, you and I are to be separated from the things of the world by our death and resurrection with Christ. That’s not a popular message in today’s world. Many false teachers loudly proclaim that following Jesus will bring you health, wealth, and a life of ease. Usually, they are the only ones who become wealthy.  

Furthermore, Paul says, your life is hidden, or concealed, with Christ in God. The Expositor’s Bible Commentary says, “With Christ in God asserts Christ’s union with God and emphasizes our union with God in Him.”1 This verse is another refutation of the Gnostic denial of Jesus’ deity. He is with God, He is God, and we are in Him.  

So, what is it that dominates your daily thoughts? Things from above or things from the earth? Again, reviewing my thoughts of recent weeks and months leaves me feeling convicted and realizing the need to refocus on what matters.  

The Next CHANGE (that results from our being risen with Christ) is, 

Our Destiny 

“When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” Is Christ your life? Christ indeed sustains our physical life; we can’t do that alone. But that’s not what Paul has in mind here. He’s talking about resurrection life, eternal life. The life that Christ has given us is the motivating energy and directive agent of our new life. 

And notice with me that this eternal life is not merely something we share with Christ, our life is “in” Him. When you are “in” something, you are surrounded by it, such as being in your house, the water, or the light. Jesus is the essence, the nature, the core of this new life. Paul is fond of using this concept of being in Christ. In Second Corinthians 5:17, he writes, “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”  

When Christ appears, because He is our life, we will also appear with Him in glory. This is a reference to the anticipated Second Coming of Christ. Then, our real life, our true, redeemed self, will appear without the taint of sin. So, we live in a state of ‘already but not yet.’ We’re already counted as fully redeemed, but we’re waiting for the ultimate fulfilment of that reality.  

The apostle John writes about this in First John 3:1 to 6 and connects our future destiny and how it affects our current discipline. He sets the stage for the final change resulting from our rising with Christ. Listen.  

“Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore, the world does not know us because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone with this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. Whoever practices sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness. And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and there is no sin in Him. Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him.”  

Being raised with Christ changes our destiny, leading us to the final change.  

The Final CHANGE (that results from our being risen with Christ) is, 

Our Discipline 

“Put to death, therefore, what is earthly within you…” As you can see, there’s tension here. Earlier, Paul said that we have already died with Christ, and the dominating power of sin has been broken. Yet, we continue to live in our mortal bodies with their desires and minds not entirely focused on the things of heaven. So, there’s a continued striving to live out the results of rising with Christ. And this “putting to death what is earthly” is painful.  

“To put something to death is never pleasant. It’s not the same as practicing asceticism. Self-denial says that by my will, I can subdue the flesh by denying its desires. Christian self-control says that I can subdue the flesh by relying on the Holy Spirit to empower me to deny its desires.”2 

Because of this, Paul says we are to account the members of our body as dead, that is, we are to deprive them of power. This instruction is given as an imperative, a command. In Romans 6:13, he states the principle like this. “And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.”   

The list of sins in verse 5 deals with sexual practices. Sexual desires are among the strongest drives we humans have. They are NOT sinful – God gave them to us! However, they are to be used only in the context of marriage. Paul states emphatically that the perversion of these desires and the practices they birth must be cut off.  

Fornication is illicit sexual intercourse. Uncleanness is a broad term, but it’s used almost exclusively in the New Testament in the context of sexual sin and all kinds of moral impurity. “Passion” means uncontrolled, illegitimate desire, “like an inward fire that is kindled in the heart.”3 Evil desire is the result of the diseased condition of the soul. All these sins dishonor those who indulge in them. And finally, covetousness.  

When we think about covetousness, we often think about material possessions. How does covetousness fit with sexual sins? At its root, covetousness is simply a desire for more, frequently leading to greed and injustice in pursuing what’s desired. Someone has said that covetousness is the arrogant assumption that all other people and things exist for my benefit.  

“Because of these things, the wrath of God is coming.” The wrath of God is often used in an eschatological sense, that is, referring to the final judgment. In Revelation 22:14 and 15, John writes, “Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life and enter through the gates into the city. But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie.” The time is coming when all will face a holy and righteous judge.  

Sadly, too many churches allow these things to flourish among their congregants. That is contrary to the instructions and commands of Scripture. And make no mistake, the church is paying a price for this. The apostle Paul says in First Corinthians 11:30 that because sin is ignored, many are spiritually weak, and many have died. The church lacks power because it is becoming so much like the world that it has little to offer those seeking true meaning and purpose.  

Paul reminds the Colossian Believers and you and me that while these sexual sins were the natural outgrowth of our past lives without Christ, that must now change. These sinful behaviors once circumscribed our path, but now those things must be put to death.   

Have you been raised with Christ? Are you finding that the things that were once attractive to your sensual passions are losing some of that appeal? They should be.  

Are you noticing a change in your thought patterns? Do you respond differently to temptation? Are you pursuing the command to think about the things that are from above?  

What about your destiny? Do you find yourself thinking more about heaven and things that are eternal? Is Jesus sitting, as it were, on the throne of your heart? Are you looking for the return of Christ? Are you anticipating your eventual release from the bondage of sin into the glorious liberty of the children of God?  

Finally, has being raised with Christ brought about a change in your lifestyle? Are you living a disciplined life in the power of the Holy Spirit? What conscious choices are you making each day to give evidence that you are truly risen with Christ? 

I invite you to join me today in asking God through the Holy Spirit’s power to continue developing these changes in my life. Will you join me?   

This lesson ended with many practical questions; if you are risen with Christ, none of these questions will seem strange. Our risen Messiah demands total surrender; dying to self is needed as we walk with Him. This changes our desires and our deliberations, and, thank God, destiny and discipline are changed. Thanks for being with us for this teaching.  

If you missed the first part of this teaching, or would like to hear this one again. Here are a few other ways you can get our teaching. You could email us and ask for it, our email is [email protected]. Or go to our website, which is heraldsofhope.org. You can contact us or go to the listen tab to hear any teaching you would like. Use any method you choose, we would love to hear from you and help you with your request.  

Thanks again for being with us today. Till next time, I hope you have a chance to think about what it means to be risen with Christ. This powerful truth is built on Jesus Christ, who died and returned to life. As Jesus tells us in Revelation 1:18, “I am the Living One, I was dead and behold I am alive forever and ever.” 

*This episode is an exposition by J. Otis Yoder, re-recorded by J. Mark Horst, with an opening and closing by Arlin Horst.

We are honored to be with you today. Thanks so much for being here. The Bible is always relevant; we study it to become more like Jesus. He is our Savior, and like we have learned from Colossians, He is the preeminent one. Today’s lesson is the first of two parts, and the title is “Risen with Christ.” The passage is Colossians 3, the first seven verses.  

This is the part of Colossians where Paul switches from what we think and believe to how we live. Many of his books follow a similar pattern. First, he builds the foundation for what we believe, teaching us the why behind our actions. Here in Colossians, the first two chapters teach that Christ is God and He is over all and above all. Then Paul switches and shows how this teaching affects our actions. So today, we look at how this preeminent Jesus wants us to live. Christianity isn’t just right thinking; it has to include right living.  

The next time you read a book by Paul, see if you can find this switch. Where he goes from teaching doctrine and theology, correct thinking, to right living. How believing in Jesus affects daily life. Now let’s turn to Colossians 3, and we will go with J Mark for the rest of our lesson.  

In Romans 12:2, the apostle Paul wrote, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind…” The word, transformed, is from the Greek metamorphoo, from which we get our English word, metamorphosis. Metamorphosis is the developmental change in the form or structure of a creature (like a butterfly or a frog) that occurs after birth or hatching. Most insect larvae are not very appealing to look at. Yet, the beauty of a butterfly emerging from a cocoon is a powerful reminder of the beauty that can come from transformation through Christ.  

While Paul doesn’t use the word metamorphoo in the Colossian letter, he does use the cycle of death and resurrection to show the changes that take place in one who embraces Christ.  

I’ve repeatedly said that this letter emphasizes the preeminence of Christ. In chapters 1 and 2, Paul addresses the doctrinal and theological aspects of Christ’s preeminence. He deals with the nature of Jesus’ person, His deity, His provision for our salvation, and more. In chapter 3, he shifts to the practical application of Christ’s preeminence in the lives of individual Believers, providing us with a roadmap for living a Christ-centered life.   

In my teaching from chapter two, I stated emphatically that you and I can add nothing to Christ to secure our salvation. The Scripture is clear that our salvation is not by any good works we’ve done, but the mercy of God gives it, Titus 3:5. I used the term Solus Christus – Christ alone!  

Some Bible teachers have concluded from this vital truth that you and I have no choice or responsibility in our salvation. I respectfully disagree. The offer of salvation is not just a possibility but a reality available to all. So, while we can’t do anything to earn or merit our salvation, we can accept or reject the offer. And remember, while salvation is essential, it is just the beginning. Jesus is calling each of us to be His disciples, His followers. That’s a life-long commitment, a commitment that begins with the acceptance of His offer of salvation.  

In addition, some say that once a person is saved, they can never lose their salvation. I agree! No one can take my relationship with the Lord away from me, whether it’s another human being or a demonic spirit. And I can’t mistakenly lay down that relationship somewhere and forget where I put it. However, I can turn my back on God and walk away from Him. I can harden my heart to His voice and refuse to obey His commands.  

Am I still saved? I don’t know the limits of God’s mercy, but I don’t want to test them. The Bible is clear that those who practice sin, as a lifestyle, will NOT inherit the kingdom. I don’t want to be anywhere near that dividing line. Many portions of Scripture warn us about exercising unbelief or turning away from following Christ. 

As we begin studying chapter 3, Paul teaches us what the preeminence of Christ looks like in the lives of individual Believers. As we start, I will read Colossians 3:1 to 7. Then, we will explore it under the title “Risen with Christ.”  

This passage explores the concept of being ‘Risen with Christ’, a transformative experience central to our Christian faith, and has profound implications for our lives. 

1If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 

 2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.  

3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 

 4 When Christ, who is our life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. 

5 Therefore, put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 

 6 Because of these things, the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, 

 7 which you once walked when you lived in them. 

This text reveals the significant CHANGES that result from our being “Risen with Christ.”  

The First Significant CHANGE is, 

Our Desires 

Verse one begins with the word, if. In our minds, if is a word of possibility. But that isn’t what Paul is saying. What we have here is called a condition of the first class, assumed as true. We have a similar construction in Colossians 2:20 and the other half of the picture of baptism, being buried with Christ, in Colossians 2:12.  

So, a more literal translation of this first phrase is “since you have been raised with Christ…” There’s no doubt or question here. Chapter 2, verse 12 speaks of being buried with Christ in baptism, and this verse speaks of the second part of baptism, being raised with Christ in newness of life. Jesus’ resurrection was physical; His body came out of the grave. Ours is a spiritual resurrection, a metamorphosis, a transformation of our core being.  

The result of our being raised with Christ is that we are called to seek heavenly things. This means we should focus on the things present where Christ is seated at God’s right hand. This resurrection gives us new life and a new focus on heavenly things. This new life in Christ is potential based on Jesus’ death and resurrection; it becomes actual when we embrace Christ as Savior and Master. It’s a call to prioritize our spiritual growth and focus on the things of God.  

I found some interesting details in this text. For example, the word, things, is emphatic in the original. It contrasts the above things, the heavenly things, with the things of earth, the things the false teachers emphasized. This is direct pushback against their error. In addition, the idea expressed here is that “the THINGS above we are to be constantly seeking.” This is not an individual act, but rather a continual process of making proper choices moment by moment.  

This illustrates the practical striving of a true disciple of Jesus Christ. This focus on the things above is not a prerequisite or a requirement for salvation. Instead, Paul says, it proves that one is genuinely born again! It is a cause-and-effect situation. You will desire the heavenly things if you are truly risen with Christ. Paul states in Romans 6:7 that our death with Christ, symbolized in baptism, sets us free from sinful desire as a controlling force in our lives.  

Now that we understand what Paul is saying, what heavenly things will we seek? What’s the environment where Christ is seated at God’s right hand? (Incidentally, Paul’s statement that Christ is sitting at God’s right hand refutes the Gnostic denial of Christ’s deity.) Sitting at someone’s right hand is a place of privilege, responsibility, and authority. But it’s also a place of submission; it is not sitting on the throne.  

Jesus’ earthly ministry was designed to show us how to seek heavenly things. He spurned the honor of the religious world and the enticements of the secular world in pursuit of His Father’s will and His Father’s glory. He taught us to be content with just the necessities of life. He gave freely of His time and energy to others, never seeking personal reward.  

Seeking heavenly things motivated Him to spend significant time in prayer and communion with His Heavenly Father. He used the natural things of the world to point others to the Father, things like water, bread, fish, sheep, coins, and so on. In none of His actions was He striving to accumulate earthly wealth or position. His sole desire was the glory of the Father.  

This text is deeply challenging and convicting to me. I must admit that too often my desires are more earth-focused than heaven-focused. I have been buried with Christ. I have been raised in the newness of life, but I still live in the flesh with its desires and appetites. Spending significant amounts of time in prayer is a struggle because I allow other choices to crowd it out. I want the Spirit of God to continue changing my desires to reflect the risen Christ more clearly. 

The Second Significant CHANGE (that results from our being risen with Christ) is, 

Our Deliberations 

Deliberation is another word for our thoughts. What are you thinking about? Where does it go when your mind isn’t occupied with your daily responsibilities? What are the things you’re passionate about? Being raised with Christ should impact our thoughts.   

Notice that there’s some overlap between this change and the previous one. That’s natural because separating our thoughts and actions is difficult. However, Paul does seem to emphasize the action of seeking in verse one and the thought processes that motivate those actions here in verse two. Someone has said, “You must not only seek heaven, but you must think heaven too.”  

The word affection speaks not only of the ability to think but also of the moral considerations that are part of the process. The impact of the will is also part of the picture. Sometimes, we talk about a person’s “mindset.” We mean how they process the information they receive—the deliberations they use to reach conclusions. The Scriptures use a different word when referring to the mind as the organ of perception.  

We are to keep setting our thoughts on things above, not things on the earth. In other words, keep on thinking about the things that are above. This is the inward impulse and disposition of the mind. The emphasis in verse one is on the practical results of being risen with Christ. Here, the emphasis is on how being raised with Christ changes our thinking processes. 

In Jesus’ interaction with His disciples in Mark 8:31 to 33. He told them about the things he was going to suffer, how He would be crucified and then rise again. Peter took Him aside and rebuked Him, protesting that these things wouldn’t happen to Him. Jesus responded by saying, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” Like Peter, you and I need to focus on the things above rather than those that belong only to this life.  

Thanks, J Mark, for sharing the first part of this teaching. Our desires and deliberations are the first two changes from being raised with Christ. Lord willing, you can join us next time as we look at the last two changes in our destiny and discipline. This is a big one, and we look forward to being with you soon.  

If you have any questions about today’s teaching or want to contact us, here are a few ways to reach us. An easy way is to email. Our email is [email protected]. You can also message us online; our website is heraldsofhope.org. We look forward to hearing from you soon.  

Lord willing, we can be together next time as we study the rest of what it means to be “Risen with Christ.” Until then, go with God and practice verse two from this lesson: “Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.” 

*This episode is an exposition by J. Otis Yoder, re-recorded by J. Mark Horst, with an opening and closing by Arlin Horst.

Thank you for joining us as we study God’s Word together. No matter where you come from or what you have been through, we are confident the Bible speaks to you right where you are. The Holy Spirit, through God’s Word, can speak to you and guide you. It is on us to have a heart that is in tune with God’s heart, and with God’s help, this will happen as we study Colossians today.  

Bible teacher J Mark Horst will teach from Colossians 2 on “Don’t Be Disqualified.”  

Rules or qualifications constrain many things in life. Failure to observe and obey the rules leads to disqualification. Many things have varying degrees of importance, but one area of life where you and I must be sure we’re not disqualified is our faith journey with Jesus Christ. Disqualification in our spiritual journey has eternal consequences!  

Our previous message focused on our being “Complete in Christ.” In Colossians 2:8 to 15, Paul explained the essential reasons that reassure us of this completeness: the person of Christ, the power of Christ, and the provision of Christ.   

However, some did not agree with Paul’s teaching. They established their qualifications for what was required of Christ’s followers, including extra-biblical requirements. Because of his love for them, Paul clearly warns about the false teachers and their influence. So, let us study together Colossians 2:16 to 23 under the title “Don’t Be Disqualified.”  

16 So let no one judge you in food or drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths,  

17 which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.  

18 Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,  

19 and not holding fast to the Head, from whom all the body, nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments, grows with the increase from God. 

20 Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations—  

21 “Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle,”  

22 which all concern things that perish with the use—according to the commandments and doctrines of men?  

23 These things indeed appear as wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh. 

In these verses, Paul sets forth several possible WAYS in which we could be disqualified from our relationship with Christ and His church.  

The First WAY is, 

By Deception 

Paul begins verse eighteen, saying, “don’t let anyone deceive you and cheat you out of your reward.” These false teachers said, “If you don’t follow our guidelines, then you are unworthy of your reward.” They said, “You need Christ – plus – what we’re telling you.”  

But Paul had stated earlier in verses 13 to 15 that the Mosaic law had been completely fulfilled in Jesus Christ. The record of debt that stood against us with its formal decrees had been cancelled! It was a judicial act. Jesus nailed it to His cross.  

Paul begins this section by reminding us that since the handwriting of ordinances has been cancelled, we mustn’t let anyone belittle our position in Christ. Food, feast days, and keeping the Sabbath were no longer the criteria by which one measured their devotion to God.  

Those dietary and ceremonial guidelines of the law were only a shadow, pointing toward Christ. Now that Christ has come, we have the substance; we see exactly what God is like and His intentions. He is our holiness because we are in Him!  

These false teachers were sitting in judgment over those who rejected their additions to the Gospel. Verse 18 gives us some of the things they were promoting. The first thing Paul mentions is “a false humility” or asceticism.  

There’s nothing wrong with a Christ-follower practicing self-denial in pursuing a holy life. But when self-denial is made a requirement for salvation, for acceptance with God, that is unbiblical. So, these false teachers wanted people to be impressed with their piety and false reverence for God.  

In addition, they worshipped angels. Their reasoning went something like this: Because human beings are made of matter, and matter is evil, human beings couldn’t approach God directly because He is perfect. They rejected Christ as the Son of God, so they invented a need for angelic mediators to reach God.  

Paul says these additions to the Gospel were conceived in minds still controlled by their sinful natures. They were “puffed up” or proud of the things they created. Their goal was not to bring people to freedom in Christ but to bind them to their belief system. So, don’t let anyone deceive you into believing there are things you must add to Christ to be saved.  

Before leaving this warning about adding things to Christ for salvation, let’s not think our choices and behavior as reborn Christ-followers aren’t necessary. One may fall into two ditches here: first, adding requirements for salvation, and second, promoting the mistaken teaching that once you are saved, it doesn’t matter how you live.  

The Next WAY (we could be disqualified from our relationship with Christ) is, 

By Desertion 

The false teachers were deserting Christ as the Head of His Church. Paul warns the church not to fall for this teaching. They praised Christ as a good person but rejected Him as God’s Son.  

What is the consequence of deserting Christ as the Head? When you think about the human body, how important is the head? The head is the control center for the rest of the body. Without the head, the other body parts aren’t able to function.  

Paul says the whole body is “nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, [so that it] grows with a growth from God.” This is true in human biology and the Church. Paul reminded them they would be disqualified as genuine believers if they deserted Christ as the Head. When you remove Christ as the Head, the Body has no cohesion or direction.  

These false teachers prevented genuine spiritual growth by substituting angels for Christ, the Head. Removing Christ from His exalted position left them without spiritual direction and discernment. All they had left was their imagination and the reasoning of their fleshly minds. Scripture is very clear about where the unconverted mind will take you. 

We see this in the church today, with leaders embracing and promoting philosophies and behaviors that God calls an abomination. All the while, they tout their superior spiritual knowledge and all-inclusive love. I tremble because it will not end well for them personally or for those under their supposed spiritual care.  

So, remember, if you desert Christ as the Head, you disqualify yourself from a relationship with Him and the true Church. He is the only source of salvation and the Head of the Church. 

The Final WAY (we could be disqualified from our relationship with Christ) is, 

By Digression 

To digress is “to step or turn aside; to swerve; especially, to turn aside from the main subject of attention.” In Paul’s argument, Christ is the main subject of attention.  

In verse 20, Paul begins a question that spans the following three verses. The fundamental question is this: “In light of what Christ has done for you, why are you turning aside from Him to pursue the very things from which you were set free?”  

Paul states that their death with Christ has occurred in the past. Since we have, figuratively, come out of the grave with Christ from His death, we must not live as though this never happened! We must not turn aside to pursue the things Christ has set us free from.  

In verse 21, Paul mentions that the ordinances, or the Law, contained prohibitions. But those prohibitions were all concerning things that disappear with use: foods, drink, the ceremonial washing of hands, etc. All of those things were done away with in Christ. Now, he asks why you would return to those prohibitions, “handle not, taste not, don’t even touch?”  

Notice the progression here. Handling, as it is used here, is superficial and mainly sensory. Taste is self-explanatory. As used here, touch means to fasten oneself to something or cling to it.  All these prohibitions perish with use because the things themselves are consumed. 

The false teachers at Colossae were trying to distract the people from Christ. Their regulations appeared to be wisdom, but man’s wisdom, not God’s. They rejected God’s guidelines for worship and substituted the things created by their unregenerated minds.  

Paul closes this section by saying that these prohibitions, while they appeal to men as indications of superior wisdom and piety, have no value as remedies against sensual indulgence. Denying oneself the legitimate pleasures of life without a corresponding change of heart doesn’t bring about a life that brings forth fruit to the glory of God.  

I pray that you will not allow yourself to be disqualified from your relationship with Christ and His church. Don’t be deceived by the many smooth talkers who claim to follow Christ today. Don’t let anyone fool you into believing there are things you must add to Christ to be saved. Embrace the substance, not the shadow. 

Further, don’t desert Christ as the Head. Christ’s headship is the keynote of this letter to the Colossians and the heart of the Gospel. Deserting Christ as the Head will leave a leaderless and out-of-control church, and we’re seeing that today. 

Finally, don’t turn aside from Christ to return to the bondage of the things from which you were set free. You have died with Christ and been raised with Him into glorious freedom. Don’t allow anyone or anything to disqualify you from your relationship with Him!  

We just heard J Mark explain three ways we could be disqualified. It is a sobering reminder to take life seriously; our choices have consequences. Thinking about the first deception, I was struck again with how insidious deception is. If we knew it was happening, we would correct it, but it typically happens gradually. In Thessalonians, Paul gives us what I believe is the best way to guard against deception. He tells us to love the truth. Truth is in Jesus, hearing directly from Him and others who know Him. Then I realized this is also a great guard against desertion and digression, and I love the truth. If you love Jesus, you won’t turn away or turn aside from following Him, and you will hear His truth spoken to you through His Word and His people.   

If you have any questions about today’s teaching or want to contact us for any reason, here are a few ways to reach us. An easy way is email; our email is [email protected]. You can also message us online; our website is heraldsofhope.org. Once there, click “Contact Us” on the top right.  And of course, there is always a pen and paper. Our address is Hope for Today, Box 3 Breezewood, PA 15533. We look forward to hearing from you soon.  

Thanks again for being with us today. In closing, I leave you with the verse I mentioned from II Thessalonians 4, “They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason,  God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie.” Let’s go now and love the truth.   

*This episode is an exposition by J. Otis Yoder, re-recorded by J. Mark Horst, with an opening and closing by Arlin Horst.

I am so glad to be with you for part two of “Complete in Christ.” If you missed the first part of this teaching, please take the time to look it up; it is worthwhile. The first reason we are complete in Christ is because of His person. The following two reasons are His power and His provision. Notice the three “P” words: His person, power, and provision. Each of these comes through knowing Jesus. He is the real focus; we are here to learn about Him.  

Turn to Colossians 2:8, and J Mark will read these verses before we look at Christ’s power and provision.   

Last week, we began exploring Paul’s teaching in Colossians 2:8 to 15, “Complete in Christ.” As we resume our study, here is the Scripture text. 

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. 

11 In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ,  

12 buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.  

13 And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses,  

14 having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.  

15 Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it. 

The Next REASON (that reassures us that we are complete in Christ) is, 

Because of His Power 

  An attack on Jesus’ person is an attack on His power. If He is not who He said He is, then He doesn’t have the power He claims. Christ’s sufficiency is evident in three things that God has done for us through Him: He has spiritually circumcised us (vv. 11-12), He has forgiven our sins (vv. 13-14), and He has given us victory over the forces of evil (v. 15). 

In stark contrast to the teachings of the Gnostics, Paul emphatically states that the Colossian Believers were complete in Christ! Completeness means being filled up, crammed, and fully furnished, like a net crammed with fish when the miraculous catch broke the nets of Peter, James, and John.  

As he did earlier, Paul reasserts Christ’s preeminence. He is first in both time and rank. He is the head of ALL powers, whatever their source. They are ALL subject to His control. Not only is His power absolute, but it’s also transformational.  

Paul speaks of a circumcision performed without human hands, a spiritual circumcision. Circumcision was given to Abraham and his descendants to signify their separation from the world. Romans 2:28 and 29 state “For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God.”   

That circumcision of the heart enables us to put off the indwelling power of sin. “The body that was put off when the Colossian saints were saved was the physical body as dominated by the depraved nature. This body, while still the temporary dwelling of the believer, was put off because it was rendered inoperative so far as the constant control of the evil nature was concerned.”1 Sin was no longer the controlling influence.  

This putting off is likened to stripping off clothing or armor. An added prefix suggests that you are not only getting out of those garments but also distancing yourself from them. You are rejecting them, disowning them. You won’t return later and put them on again! Paul’s concept of putting off the controlling passions of the flesh is only possible through the power of Christ.  

The Final REASON (that reassures us that we are complete in Christ) is, 

Because of His Provision 

Paul further illustrates our completeness in Christ through His death, burial, and resurrection. In verse 12, he states that we have been buried with Christ in baptism. Water baptism is a vivid analogy of having our old, sinful self put to death and buried.  

The believing sinner’s identification with Christ in His death broke the power of indwelling sin. His identification with Him in His resurrection resulted in the impartation of the divine nature. The baptism (introduction into) is the one that the Holy Spirit affects. The baptism in our Colossian passage is the same. Thus, “risen with Him” does not refer to our future physical resurrection but to that spiritual resurrection from a sinful state into divine life.  

According to I Corinthians 10:2, it was a baptism when the children of Israel went through the Red Sea with Moses. It signified their cleansing from Egypt, which, biblically, is a type of sin. It also signified that they were exchanging a state of bondage for freedom.  

Baptism also declares that we accept Christ’s sacrifice as the only adequate payment for our past, present, and future sins. Emerging from the waters of baptism signifies being raised in the power of Christ’s resurrection so that we can walk in newness of life. We access these provisions through faith in the effective working of God, who raised Christ from the dead.  

Paul begins verse 13 with the words “and YOU.” YOU (the word is emphatic) Gentiles were dead (spiritually) in your trespasses and your alienation from God. The sinful nature possesses all people in their unsaved state. Our uncircumcision is a symbol of that separation from God because of the controlling impulses of the flesh. Your carnal nature hasn’t yet been “cut away.” Your heart is uncircumcised.  

But now, God has made you alive through Christ since ALL (note this word again) your sins have been forgiven. Further, Christ’s sacrifice blotted out, erased, rubbed out, and wiped off the handwriting of requirements against us.  

The handwriting of requirements was a legal certificate of debt. In other words, it showed the amount you owed to someone and was legally enforceable. Paul is most likely referring to the Mosaic Law, but it can also include God’s law in general. It was against Jews and Gentiles in the sense that neither of them could keep it!  

Paul says this handwriting of requirements was contrary to us. One writer said, “Law is against us because it comes like a taskmaster, bidding us do, but neither putting the inclination into our hearts nor the power in our hands. It is against us because it comes with threats and foretastes of penalty and pain. Thus, as standard, accuser, and avenger, it is against us.”2 Praise God this handwriting can be erased and something else can take its place.  

In addition, “the law with its decrees was abolished in Christ’s death, as if crucified with Him. It was no longer in the foreground, as a debtor’s obligation is perpetually before him…”3 John the Baptist said about Jesus in John 1:29, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” Jesus nailed that document of guilt and condemnation to His cross. Hallelujah!  

This brings us to verse 15. First, who is the subject of this verse, God or Christ? I believe God accomplished these things through Christ, consistent with the earlier verses.  

But who are the principalities and powers? Are they good or evil? Several Scripture portions refer to the role of angels in giving the Law, such as Acts 7:38 and 53, Galatians 3:19, and Hebrews 2:2. These must be good angels, so why would they need to be “triumphed over?” One possible explanation is that their subjugation declares Christ’s superiority over the Law.  

A second plausible idea connected to the former view is that these powers are the “angels” the Gnostics worshipped. This angel worship shows up in verse 18 of this chapter.  

Another idea is that it could be evil angels, as Paul references in Ephesians 6:12. The powers of darkness facilitated Jesus’ death on the cross. In responding to the Jewish leaders who came to arrest Him, Jesus said, “This is your hour, and the power of darkness.”   

In this view, Christ needed to pass through the kingdoms of Satan in the air (Ephesians 2:2) to reach the heavenly Holy of Holies and present His blood on the Mercy Seat. When the demons offered opposition, He boldly stripped them off, signifying His power over them. 

I’m not convinced we must restrict this verse to a single idea. However, what is clearly expressed in all of these views is Christ’s supremacy! Paul paints a word picture of the Roman military victory parades. The conquering general would lead his chained captives in a triumphal procession. God won a complete victory over all angelic spirits. He alone emerges as supreme!  

What does all this mean to you and me today? I return to the words I used at the beginning. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”  

If you have acknowledged the fact that you are a sinner, and confessed with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and have believed in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead – you are complete in Christ! There is nothing you can add to the sacrifice of Christ; it is full, complete, and sufficient.  

And when you confess Christ, you will receive the circumcision of the heart and mind. The fleshly mind that is in opposition to Christ is put to death, and you are raised to newness of life in Him. That new heart will bring forth new patterns of living in harmony with the commands of Jesus, whether He spoke them or other inspired writers of Scripture. You will be made alive in Christ. You will demonstrate that you are His masterpiece, created in Christ Jesus for good works.  

For these REASONS, you will stand “Complete in Christ” in His person, His power, and His provision. I urge you to enter into that assurance today!  

Wow, this is encouraging teaching. It is just good for us to think about Jesus and meditate on what he has done for us. Thanks, J Mark, for this teaching. His one line near the end was an excellent summary of the lesson. He said, “There is nothing you can add to the sacrifice of Christ; it is full, complete, and sufficient.” Imagine all of that being yours! Jesus has done this for you, for me. He has given us access. He has opened up the way, and it’s through Him that we can come to God. Don’t hesitate; move toward completeness in Christ.     

If you have any questions about today’s teaching or want to contact us for any reason, here are a few ways to reach us. An easy way is email; our email is [email protected]. You can also message us online; our website is heraldsofhope.org. Once there, click “Contact Us” on the top right. And of course, there is always a pen and paper. Our address is Hope for Today, Box 3 Breezewood, PA 15533. We look forward to hearing from you soon.  

Thanks for being with us this week, and blessings as you grow in Christ and are completed in Him. Paul also taught this principle to the church at Ephesus. He wrote, “Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” May all of us be more like Jesus.  

*This episode is an exposition by J. Otis Yoder, re-recorded by J. Mark Horst, with an opening and closing by Arlin Horst.

Thank you for joining us. Whether you’ve read the Bible many times or just recently started following Jesus, there is something here for all of us, and with God’s help, we will learn together.  

Think back to the first week of creation. God created the earth, and then each day, he created things to fill the earth. On day six, he created the land, animals, and man. Sometime after the first week, God saw that man was alone, and this was not good. So, God put Adam to sleep, and from his rib, God made a woman. This story is familiar, but it is incredible. Now, Adam has a wife; he is no longer alone.  

We would say Eve completed Adam. Before her, there was something missing; with her, he was now complete. This idea of being complete is the topic of today’s lesson. If you can, turn to Colossians 2, and we will learn how to be “Complete in Christ.” 

In John 14:6, Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.” That statement has frustrated many people.  

It’s hard for proud people to accept the Gospel because it is simple. It’s hard for them to admit that their knowledge, efforts, or whatever, are of no help in acquiring salvation.  

One author discusses her epiphany while reading the Gnostic Gospel of Thomas during graduate school. The passage was: “If you bring forth what is within you, what you bring forth will save you.” She says, “The strength of this saying is that it does not tell us what to believe but challenges us to discover what lies hidden within ourselves….” This Gnostic perspective essentially says that salvation is within us and that it is in a process of self-discovery that we find redemption. Many prominent people, past and present, in organized religion, academia, and the arts, embrace this false gospel.  

But, German Pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer had a different perspective. He wrote, “The fact that Jesus Christ died is more important than the fact that I shall die, and the fact that Jesus Christ rose from the dead is the sole ground of my hope that I, too, shall be raised on the Last Day. Our salvation is “external to us.” I find no salvation in my life history, but only in the history of Jesus Christ. Only he who allows himself to be found in Jesus Christ, in his incarnation, cross, and resurrection, is with God and God with him.” Bonhoeffer understood that we can add nothing to our salvation; it is all of Christ, and we are complete in Him.  

As we continue our study in the book of Colossians, we are brought face-to-face once again with Christ’s preeminence. The Gnostics at Colossae promoted the idea that you had to embrace their philosophy to be a genuine Believer. The Judaizers said you had to keep certain parts of the Law to be accepted by God. People today are still trying to add things they say we need to be genuinely saved.  

In our text, Paul attacks both groups and refutes their errors, clearly teaching that we are “Complete in Christ.” That’s the title of our study today: “Complete in Christ.” Now, listen carefully as I read Colossians 2:8 to 15.  

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. 

11 In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ,  

12 buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.  

13 And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses,  

14 having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.  

15 Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it. 

In this text, Paul sets forth the essential REASONS that reassure us that we are complete in Christ.  

The First REASON (that reassures us that we are complete in Christ) is, 

Because of His Person 

The importance of Christ’s person can’t be overemphasized. If you look at the cults, at all false religions, the one main similarity they share is – they don’t give Jesus His proper place. It is clear that what these false teachers wanted was for the Colossian Believers to accept what can only be called “additions to Christ.”  

And so, Paul begins this teaching section with a strong imperative – BEWARE! The sense of the warning is to watch out, pay attention, and always be on your guard because some are actively trying to lead you astray. They are trying to plunder you, that is, to steal what you have, your completeness in Christ. They try to take you captive with their smooth talking; they want to show you off as a trophy of their success. 

How many times have we seen this in our world today? A man with charisma and good speaking skills comes on the scene with a “new revelation, a new word from God.” He’s smooth, convincing, and even quotes Scripture, but generally, he’s out of context.  

I recall watching one teacher on YouTube talk about how, for 1900 years, the church has missed that whole sections of the New Testament don’t apply to the Church. I couldn’t watch the entire thing because of his arrogance, proof-texting, and twisting of the Scripture. And yet, the person hosting the video was convinced that this guy had the answers! I’ve said it before, but I’ll repeat it: just because someone quotes the Scriptures doesn’t mean they’re not a false teacher.  

One interesting note in this warning is that “man” is singular. One influential teacher in Colossae did most of the damage by leading people away from understanding and embracing their completeness in Christ. A charismatic, persuasive teacher can do immense damage, especially to those not grounded in their understanding of Scripture. 

Paul explains how this deception is attempted – through his philosophy, the philosophy of the false teacher. We don’t see that important detail in our English translations, but it’s in the original. This is the only time this word for philosophy is used in the New Testament. Perhaps Paul used it here because the Gnostics were so fond of it.  

As we learned in our previous study, Paul was not anti-knowledge. He encouraged his readers to reach for full knowledge in Christ. But he was opposed to false teaching. He refers to this philosophy as vain deceit, hollow, and deceptive teaching. In 1 Timothy 6:20 and 21, he warned, “O Timothy! Guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the profane and idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge – by professing it some have strayed concerning the faith.” Paul was using the terminology of the Gnostics to refute their heretical teachings and point out that their philosophy was falsely called knowledge.   

Paul goes on to outline the specifics of this false teaching. It relies on the tradition of men. The word, tradition, by itself can refer to either good or bad tradition. The context gives us the sense of meaning, so, here, it is negative. It is used in the same way in Mark 7:3 when Jesus speaks to the Pharisees about their traditions. Paul uses it in the positive sense in Second Thessalonians 2:15, where he tells the Believers to “hold fast to the traditions they have been taught.”  

Paul further identifies this false teaching as having its source in “the rudiments, or basic principles of the world.” We can understand those principles because Paul said they were the opposite of Christ’s person.  

The traditions of the Judaizers and the Gnostics measured spirituality by things of the flesh, particularly asceticism, in Colossae. They emphasized their esoteric spiritual understanding, which means something confined to a small group of people who are especially initiated into certain understandings. They saw themselves as the spiritual elite!  

One scholar said, “Christ is the yardstick to measure philosophy and all phases of human knowledge. The Gnostics measured Christ by their philosophy, as many men do today. They have it backward. Christ is the measure for all human knowledge since he is the universe’s Creator and Sustainer.”1  

In verse nine, Paul gets to the heart of the matter regarding our completeness in Christ because of His person. The reality of Christ’s person is why we shouldn’t listen to those who teach that He is insufficient. The false teachers at Colossae acknowledged Christ but said, “You need these other things, too.”  

Paul’s reasoning about why Christ is sufficient is that, in Him and His physical body, lives the very fullness of God’s essence. That fullness existed before Jesus came to earth in human form and continued throughout His time here on earth. By His testimony and the affirmation of the biblical writers, He was God in the flesh.  

Here, Paul shows the fallacy of two theories the Gnostic false teachers promoted. Because Gnostics taught that matter was evil, one theory said that if Jesus was God, he couldn’t have had a human body. They argued that He only seemed to have a human body; it was an illusion. He wore his humanity like an actor wearing a costume or role-playing.  

The other heresy was that “the Christ” was actually a spirit being that came upon Jesus at His baptism and then left Him just before the crucifixion. So, in this view, Christ and Jesus were two different persons. The perpetrator of this heresy claimed that Jesus wasn’t born of a virgin but was conceived just like all human beings.  

Both of these falsehoods leave us with a Jesus who is unable to be our Savior. The writer of Hebrews 2:14 to 18 specifically refutes these falsehoods. “Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For indeed He does not give aid to angels, but He does give aid to the seed of Abraham. Therefore, in all things, He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.  For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.” 

In our text, the verses I just read, and many other places, we clearly state that Jesus’s deity and humanity were present and visible in His person. Therefore, He alone can satisfy God’s wrath against humanity’s sins; Solus Christus! 

Agreed! I 100 percent agree that being complete in Christ starts with who He is. Thanks, J Mark, for sharing the first part of this teaching. This is a great place to start, and there is so much we could say about Jesus’s person. As the centerpiece of history, the more we meditate on him and understand how His life impacts ours, the better off we will be. If you can, please join us next time for the rest of this lesson.  

If you miss next week, no worries. Here are a few other ways you can get our teaching. You could email us and ask for it—our email is [email protected]. Or go to our website, which is heraldsofhope.org. There, you can contact us or go straight to the listen tab and hear just the teaching you want to hear. Use any method you choose. We would love to hear from you and help you.  

Thanks again for being with us today. Until next time, I hope you have a chance to meditate on the majesty of Jesus Christ. In Hebrews, it says this about Him: “God has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person.” Jesus is God.  

Let’s go with Pastor J Mark to Colossians 2 for today’s lesson.  

Last week, we began exploring Paul’s teaching in Colossians 2:1 to 7, “God’s Treasure Chest.” As we resume our study, here is the Scripture text. 

1For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face,  

2 that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ, 

  3 in whom all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden.  

4 I say this so that no one may delude you with plausible arguments.  

5 For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ. 

6 Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him,  

7 rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. 

The Next Priceless TREASURE (found in God’s Treasure Chest) is, 

Full Knowledge 

Paul warns his son in the faith, Timothy, about intellectual knowledge in 1 Timothy 6:20, 21. “O Timothy! Guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the profane and idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge – by professing it some have strayed concerning the faith.” 

 Grasping the great mystery of Christ in you calls for the complete and balanced exercise of all your mental powers. As I said earlier in this series, knowledge and faith are presumed by unbelievers to be mutually exclusive, but that just isn’t so. We have Scripture after Scripture that tells us to pursue knowledge and understanding in both the Old and New Testaments. Yet those same Scriptures alert us that some things can only be grasped by faith.  

The knowledge Paul wants his readers to embrace is experiential; it results in a changed lifestyle, a different way of living than the way of the ungodly. Then, he makes a statement that many people react to. He says, “ALL the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in Christ!” Not a few, not some, but ALL the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. So, any search for these things outside Christ is doomed to fail. 

That is not to say that Jesus and the Scriptures address every possible subject. If you pursue knowledge without having Christ as the focal point, you will discover and learn many things, but they will have no eternal value.    

Paul said these treasures are hidden in Christ. That means they can only be uncovered by diligent search. I once read a book on the Klondike gold rush that took place in the closing years of the 1800s. Tens of thousands in North America sold everything they owned, left their homes, and flocked to the Yukon territory of northwestern Canada in search of gold. The hardships and trials some of them endured were almost beyond imagination. Many died, either on the way or searching for the elusive gold. Many more returned home, physically broken and penniless. Are you and I willing to be that devoted in our pursuit of the knowledge of Christ?  

Paul wants his readers to experience this fullness of assurance and knowledge so they are not deceived by false reasoning that sounds believable. Someone once said, “The art of persuasion is the height of oratory, but it easily degenerates into trickery and momentary and flashy deceit.”  

But there’s a more dangerous form of deceit; it comes from those who profess to know Christ yet twist Scripture to make it mean what they want. One author I read said that his method for healing people’s physical ailments would only work if you used the King James Version of the Bible. I have no disrespect for the KJV; I’ve used it for many years, but that comment is ridiculous.  

Paul told his readers that truth is knowable. He wanted them to use their powers of reasoning and intellect to understand and apply it to life. Genuine love and full knowledge lead to the final item in God’s treasure chest.  

The Final Priceless TREASURE (found in God’s Treasure Chest) is, 

Growing Stability 

Maybe you question whether growing stability is a treasure. If you do, I can only say that you need to be more alert to what is happening in our world and the church. The very foundations of our faith are under concerted assault from forces outside the Church and forces within, much like Paul warned the Ephesian elders in Acts chapter 20.  

Even though Paul had never met these Believers personally, they were never far from his pastoral heart. He rejoiced in their “good order and the steadfastness of [their] faith in Christ.” Paul is fond of military analogies, and he uses two right here. Good order is a military term that means to “close ranks” around Jesus Christ. This term is used for troops moving closer to each other in formation, closing up any gaps in the line. They are united in purpose.  

Steadfastness is another military term meaning “the massing of the line.” This presented a formidable obstacle to the enemy. There were no gaps in the line, no weak points for them to exploit. Faith is pictured as an armed host, drawn up in full array. Strange doctrines do not readily carry away Christ’s followers who embrace the treasures of genuine love and knowledge. They are unyielding in their allegiance to Him and engage false ideas before they enter the ranks!  

Notice how, once again, in verse 6, Paul emphasizes being IN Christ as part of this growing stability. In the same way you embraced Christ for your initial salvation, continue in Him. In other words, you must continue to appropriate the truth personally through faith.  

That reality of making the truth personal leads Paul to change the analogy from military order to walking. Being a Christ-follower is a walk of faith. So, Paul counsels his readers to walk in the teaching they had received and apply it to their lifestyle choices. Romans 8:1 speaks to this very idea. “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not [continue walking] according to the flesh, but [continue walking] according to the Spirit.”  

As we move to the final verse of our text, Paul has another analogy. He moves from walking to being rooted and then to a building. Let’s examine how these add to our understanding of this treasure of growing stability.  

First, rootedness implies that a tree, or person, is rooted so that the rootedness will remain. In other words, “having been rooted (past tense) with the present result that you are firmly anchored.” In Ephesians 3:17, Paul uses this same analogy. “That Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love… may be able to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge…” 

A pastor once visited an orange grove where an irrigation pump had broken down. The season was parched, and some of the trees were beginning to die from lack of water. The man giving the tour then took the pastor to his orchard, where irrigation was used sparingly. 

“These trees could go without rain for another 2 weeks,” he said. “I frequently kept water from them when they were young. This hardship caused them to send their roots deeper into the soil for moisture. Now, mine are the deepest-rooted trees in the area. While others are being scorched by the sun, these are finding moisture at a greater depth.” Being firmly rooted in Christ will contribute to the treasure of growing stability.  

The final analogy is that of a building under construction; the process is ongoing. This house is made of stone, with each layer continually growing until the building is complete. In his writings, Paul uses this metaphor numerous times to refer to individual believers and the church.  

Peter encourages us to “[Come] to Him [Christ] as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”  

Paul ends with a final admonition to the Colossian Believers to continue being established in the faith as they had been taught. The exercise of faith strengthens both belief and practice. As someone has so succinctly stated, “Right doctrine must result in right living.”  

Finally, pursuing all these treasures is to be done with a spirit of profound and overflowing gratefulness. You and I have no right to these treasures. As Paul writes in chapter one, verse 21, we “were alienated and enemies in [our] mind by wicked works…” Our right, if you want to call it that, was eternal death! God, in His grace, has given us Life! 

Have you discovered these treasures and taken the appropriate steps to make them your possession? Are you discovering the treasure of genuine love in your relationship with Jesus and others? That will only happen if you have accepted Jesus’ sacrifice as the only acceptable payment for your sin. Genuine love is impossible to experience outside of Jesus Christ! 

And then, are you growing in the treasure of complete knowledge, the knowledge of experience? Are you seeking wisdom for hidden treasures like those Klondike gold-seekers I mentioned earlier? Are you meditating regularly on the Word of God? Are you daily living out what you learn so that others may see your good works and glorify your Father in Heaven?  

Finally, does your life give evidence of a growing stability? By the grace of God and the wisdom of the Holy Spirit, can you detect and reject the false teachings so prevalent in our world today – and, sadly, in the church, too? Can you continue building up your faith and the faith of those around you one stone at a time?  

To experience all that and do it with the overflow of a thankful heart is a measure of how deeply you and I have dug into the richness of “God’s Treasure Chest.”  

Thanks, J Mark, for sharing these thoughts from Colossians 2. I had to think about the things I value. What are my treasures? As J Mark explained these things from God’s treasure chest, I see I have some work to do. So quickly, my heart is drawn away by temporal things, and then I value those way more than I should. Since you are human, I am guessing you also are familiar with this struggle. May we ask God to give us a heart like His, so we value the things he values.  

If you have any questions about today’s teaching or want to contact us, here are a few ways to reach us. An easy way is email; our email is [email protected]. You can also message us online; our website is heraldsofhope.org. Once there, click on “Contact Us,” which is on the top right. And of course, there is always a pen and paper. Our address is Hope for Today, Box 3 Breezewood, PA 15533. We look forward to hearing from you soon.  

Lord willing, we can be together next time as we study the rest of Colossians 2 and learn how we can be complete in Christ. Let’s love the things God loves and allow our hearts to be broken by those that break His. Paul said it well in Ephesians 5: “Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ has also loved us and given Himself for us.” 

*This episode is an exposition by J. Otis Yoder, re-recorded by J. Mark Horst, with an opening and closing by Arlin Horst.

Thank you for joining us as we study God’s Word together. No matter where you come from or what has happened to you, the Holy Spirit can speak to you through God’s Word and show you the next step to being more like Jesus. We pray this program will disciple you in your walk with Christ and help you be like Him.  

For our study today, we will look at the first seven verses of Colossians 2. The title is “God’s Treasure Chest,” and we will look at a few treasures that can be ours when we live for Jesus. These treasures are not gold, silver, or money, which is usually the first thing that comes to mind when we think about treasures. However, they are every bit as valuable.  

Please give your attention to Bible teacher J Mark as we consider God’s treasure together.   

Many years ago, an old man searched for gold in a riverbed in South Africa. He’d been at it for many years. Now and then, he found a little bit of gold, not enough to make him rich – but just enough to keep him alive and maintain his interest. 

The part of the river in which he was prospecting was relatively new to him – and there were more signs than usual of the presence of gold. He was pretty excited – gripped by the gold fever, but he didn’t find much gold again. 

As his dig neared its end, he found himself exhausted and discouraged. He was just about to go home one evening when he saw some unusual pebbles. He liked the look of them, so he slipped about a dozen of them into his pocket.  

At home, he got out a tin and put the pebbles into it. This tin was unique and filled with personal items: letters from his son, a photo of his wife, who had died some years before, the collar from his old dog, who had died 18 months earlier, and more. Dropping the pebbles into the tin, he slowly closed it, put it back into the cupboard, and forgot about the pebbles. 

Another ten years passed, and he still hadn’t made that gold strike he longed for. By now, he was ancient and ill, too. With no ready money to pay for a doctor, he died. 

A few days later, the police came to his house. They looked through his belongings to see if there was anything they could sell to pay for his funeral, but they found nothing of value. Even his house was just an old wooden shack falling to pieces. 

And then they found THE TIN. As one of the officers looked through it, he gasped with surprise. “Look at this,” he said to his partner, pointing to the pebbles the old man had placed in that tin 10 years earlier. “They`re uncut diamonds!” he said. “They’re worth a fortune!” 

The old man had, INDEED, been very rich but had died thinking that he was penniless – because he hadn’t looked closely enough at what he thought were just pretty pebbles. He’d spent the whole of his life searching for riches but had missed the FACT that those pebbles were the answer to his longings. 1 

He had access to extravagant riches, but because he didn’t know what he had and failed to ask anyone else, those riches didn’t do him any good. That old tin of largely sentimental items was indeed a treasure chest!  

Too often, you and I are like the old prospector; we have treasure at our fingertips, yet we fail to recognize what we have. And so, today, I want to talk with you about “God’s Treasure Chest.” We’ll be studying Colossians 2:1 to 7.  

1For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face,  

2 that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ, 

  3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.  

4 I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments.  

5 For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ. 

6 Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him,  

7 rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. 

Our text reveals several priceless TREASURES found in God’s Treasure Chest.” 

The First Priceless TREASURE (found in God’s Treasure Chest) is, 

Genuine Love 

Paul begins chapter two by speaking of his great love for the Believers. How do we know of his great love for them? Look at the action words: labor, striving, conflict. They all indicate the apostle’s deep and abiding love for the saints. You don’t expend that kind of effort without love, even if it’s love for yourself.  

The word, striving ” in verse 29 of chapter one is connected to the word, conflict, in verse one of our text. It’s a word that comes to us from the arena of Paul’s day, with its grueling physical competition and mortal combat. It’s also the root of our English word agonize. In Second Corinthians chapter 11, after listing a series of trials and suffering he endured as part of his ministry, Paul says, “Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my deep concern for all the churches.” Paul loved people deeply.  

Sacrificial love was a defining characteristic of Paul’s ministry, even when he had hard things to say or had to administer discipline. And yes, sacrificial love is the defining characteristic of all true Believers, according to John 13:35, First John 3:14, and other Scriptures.  

Colossae was one of the churches beginning to experience the harmful effects of Gnosticism. Paul wanted them to know that his deep concern for them flowed from his passion for Christ and his love for them. He then further expanded the circle of his audience by adding, “and all who haven’t seen me face to face.” 

So, here are people Paul has never personally met, yet he has this deep, committed, self-sacrificing love for them. How can that be? Because he had heard from Epaphras about their faith in Christ and their love for all the saints, in chapter one, verse four. That fact made them Paul’s brothers and sisters in the Lord, and he gladly accepted them into his heart and life. That, my friend, is what the love of Jesus does. Genuine love is a priceless treasure in God’s treasure chest. It is a love that flows out of His very being. We love because He first loved us. 

This genuine love is agape. It motivated Jesus to tell those who crucified Him, “Father, forgive them because they don’t know what they’re doing.” Recently, a friend who grew up in another country told a story about his father demonstrating this kind of love.  

A neighbor who owned property that adjoined his dad’s land was replacing the fence. As he rebuilt the fence, he intentionally moved it several feet onto my friend’s dad’s property. Instead of getting angry and calling the authorities, my friend’s dad helped the neighbor build the fence! As a Christ-follower, he was more concerned with the man’s spiritual condition than he was about the loss of his land.  

I confess that I fall far short of the example of Jesus, Paul, and my friend’s dad in embracing this treasure of genuine love. 

Paul wants the Colossian Believers to experience this same kind of love. Several of our English translations of Scripture use the words “being knit together” to describe this relationship of love. Think of that analogy: Separate strands of thread or yarn are integrated to create a functional object or an article of clothing. Not only does this weaving together produce something useful, but it can also be lovely. 

While studying this concept of being knit together in love, one writer used the word “coalesce.” One definition of coalesce is “to grow together,” like the edges of a wound. That’s something we can all understand. We’ve accidentally cut ourselves and observe how the layers of skin and tissue grow together and become one again. Paul says that’s the kind of love he wants to see for those who follow Christ. The body of Christ cares for itself and others.   

For more than 15 years, my wife has been on a cancer journey. We have experienced an incredible outpouring of genuine love from the people of God. People we have little contact with or don’t even know are praying for her and us. And they showed their love in various tangible ways: volunteering to drive her to treatments, giving meals, sharing financial gifts to help cover increased expenses, and more. Those expressions of love bring us joy and encouragement, as Paul mentions in this text.  

The only way to experience this genuine love Paul is talking about is to have a personal relationship with God the Father through Jesus Christ. “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (verse 27, chapter 1) is the only source of this kind of love. Most love that people experience is conditional; it is based on feelings. If you treat me well, I’ll do the same for you. However, as the apostle Paul discusses in our text, genuine love is sacrificial. It is willing to love the unlovely and even those who offend us.  

Genuine love for Christ results in genuine love for our brothers and sisters in the Lord. And that love is, at least in part, a result of discovering… 

The Next Priceless TREASURE (found in God’s Treasure Chest) is, 

Full Knowledge 

The apostle Paul wants his readers to “[attain] to all the riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and Christ.” The message just before this one explained Christ’s mystery in you. Notice the adjectives here: “all riches” and “the full assurance.” We’ll talk more about these in a few moments. And notice, too, this full knowledge isn’t for a select few, as the Gnostics taught, it’s for all Believers. 

The kind of knowledge and understanding Paul talks about here is not simply the knowledge of intellect. According to First Corinthians 8:1, the type of knowledge and understanding the Gnostics had made people proud, and they looked down on those who didn’t share their supposedly enlightened positions. We see that in the academic world today. You’re seen as ignorant if you have less than a college education. But I know many people who’ve never been to college and are significantly contributing to society. They are often more settled and happier than those with a series of letters behind their name.  

The Gnostics derived their name from the Greek word gnosis, which refers to knowledge yet is present and fragmentary. Paul calls Believers to have full knowledge, or epignosis, the knowledge of experience informed by the intellect but fleshed out in the practical decisions of daily living.  

Here are the first two treasures: genuine love and full knowledge. Yes, these are not things you normally think of as treasures, but they are God’s treasures, not ours. We need His help to value the things He values. Thanks, J Mark, for sharing these with us. This was part one of the lesson. Please join us next week to hear about the rest of God’s treasure chest if you can.     

If you miss next week, no worries. Here are a few other ways you can get our teaching. You could email us and ask for it; our email is [email protected]. Or go to our website, which is heraldsofhope.org. You can contact us or go straight to the listen tab and hear just the teaching you want to hear. And of course you can write to us. Our address is Hope for Today, Box 3 Breezewood, PA 15533. Use any method you choose. We would love to hear from you and help you with your request.  

Thanks again for being with us today for the first part of this teaching. Discussing God’s treasure reminded me of what Jesus taught us about our treasures. He said, “Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” God help us treasure the things He treasures.   

I am so glad to be with you for part two of “The Mystery of Christ in You.” Take some time to put yourself back to when Colossians was written. How would you share this unusual message of Jesus who died, was resurrected, and ascended into heaven? Would the people of Colosse think you were crazy for talking about God who will live in you? This teaching was new and unusual, and as Paul mentions, it was hidden for a long time. This was a significant change from the Old Testament way of living; this was a considerable shift in thinking, and Paul is doing his best to explain it clearly.  

Please turn to Colossians 1 if you can, and J Mark will help us understand the processes by which we can understand the mystery of Christ in us.  

Last week, we began exploring Paul’s teaching in Colossians 1:15 to 20, “The Mystery of Christ In You.” As we resume our study, here is the Scripture text. 

21And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, 

22 he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, 

23 if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister. 

24Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, 

25 of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, 

 26 the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. 

 27 To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 

28 Him, we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. 

 29 For this, I toil, struggling with all his energy, which he powerfully works within me.  

The Second PROCESS (in understanding the mystery of Christ in us) is, 

Sanctification 

As I said earlier, reconciliation (through the blood of Jesus) makes us holy and unblameable in God’s sight. That is positional holiness. It gives us standing before the Father. In His eyes, we are sinless.  

At the same time, our practical holiness and daily choices are a journey. Our desires and choices hinder our attempts to let Christ live His life through us. Christ is on the throne of my heart and life, but I still allow myself to become irritated with my children. I still get frustrated by people who are habitually late for meetings or appointments. But those incidents will enable me to grow in sanctification and practical holiness.  

We are indeed new creatures in Christ (II Corinthians 5:17), and our lives’ trajectory is different than before reconciliation. But the sinful nature with which we were born is not automatically eradicated at conversion. Later, in chapter 3 of this same letter, Paul tells us as followers of Christ to put those evil desires to death.   

Let’s look more closely at verses 23 to 25 in exploring this process of sanctification. In several translations of the Scripture, verse 23 begins with the word if. In our minds, the word if conveys something conditional. “If it rains, the picnic tomorrow will be cancelled.” But Paul doesn’t use the word like that; he uses it as an assumption. We could read it like this: “…assuming that you continue in the faith…” Paul is focusing on their possession of genuine reconciliation. “Since you are continuing in the faith…” 

He’s talking about persisting in or abiding in the initial faith mentioned in verse 4. He had heard of their faith and urged them to remain grounded and settled. Continuing, grounded, settled, and not moving away reinforce this emphasis on staying put. And what were they not to move away from? The hope given to them by the Gospel and by the Gospel alone. You and I are called to the same kind of steadfast faith. 

And then Paul engages in a bit of hyperbole. He says that this Gospel has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven. Really?  

One of the most common temptations Satan uses to discourage followers of Jesus is the feeling of being alone: alone in my struggle against my flesh, alone in my suffering for the sake of Jesus, alone in my _______, you fill in the blank. But Paul says, no, the Gospel has spread more widely over the Roman Empire than you can imagine. There are lots of people standing with you and sharing your experience.  

The next part of the process of sanctification is one most of us want to avoid – suffering. Paul has his sufferings in view as he writes to these Believers. He rejoices in what his sufferings have accomplished for them. Suffering provides us with many opportunities to progress in sanctification and to grow in Christlikeness.  

Some may wonder what Paul means by his statement, “I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church…” One thing it cannot mean is that Christ’s suffering was not sufficient. That would fly in the face of many other portions of Scripture.  

The word Paul uses here is never used of Christ’s vicarious sufferings, the things He suffered on our behalf to secure our reconciliation. It refers to the trials Jesus underwent during His earthly life and the same kinds of trials that all His faithful followers will experience.  

Paul understood that his sufferings were for his sanctification and the sake of the Church. We should cultivate that same understanding. Without suffering, there will be little sanctification. Suffering is the fire that refines the gold and removes the dross. 

The Final PROCESS is, 

Glorification 

 Here, in verse 26, is Paul’s use of the word mystery. The original word implies something obscure or hidden in the past. But now it’s being revealed. In light of this meaning, it’s often used with words that denote revelation or knowledge.  

And what was the reason for the unveiling of this mystery? So that His saints, including you and me, would know God’s personal, indwelling presence through the Holy Spirit! “Christ in you; the hope of glory.” 

Under the Old Covenant, God lived among His people in the Most Holy Place, the Tabernacle or Temple. But the purpose of the New Covenant was to make our bodies a Most Holy Place where God’s presence could live within us! If we could fully grasp the magnitude of this reality, there would be no more half-hearted religion.   

This indwelling presence of God through Jesus is our hope of glory for the present. Second Corinthians 3:18 states, “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.” That’s happening right now as we allow the Holy Spirit to continue the process of sanctification in our lives. This is something in which we can rejoice!  

The indwelling presence of Christ is also our hope for the future. Paul writes in Romans 8:18, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” In the current limitations of an earthbound body and a world dominated by evil, we cannot fully fathom what that future glory will be like. But we can get a glimpse of what it will be like.  

One more Scripture yet before we move on; I John 3:2. “Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.” WE SHALL BE LIKE HIM! In our future state, we will be able to gaze upon the full glory of God and Christ with unveiled faces. Imagine! 

Even as Paul spoke to the Colossian believers about this mystery of Christ in them, he warned them about proper doctrine and practice. His teaching was filled with God’s wisdom as he refuted the heresies of both the Gnostics and the Judaizers. Much like the elite of our day, these people had their own vocabulary and projected an attitude of intellectual and religious superiority. But they were lost, and without repentance, there would be no glory for them! 

Paul’s greatest desire in his teaching and preaching was to “present every person perfect (mature, complete) in Christ Jesus.” He exerted all his efforts, using the energy given him by the Holy Spirit, to ensure that those to whom he preached would fully experience the mystery of Christ in them.  

He put it like this in Ephesians 4:14 to 16. “That we should no longer be children, tossed back and forth and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.” 

Have you experienced the mystery of Christ in you? Have you experienced the process of reconciliation? Have you accepted by faith the sacrifice of Jesus as the only acceptable payment for your sin so that your estrangement from God is ended? Do you still marvel that the all holy, all powerful Creator God would offer you His forgiveness, even when you were still in your sins?  

Are you experiencing the daily process of sanctification as God, through His Holy Spirit and your obedience, brings your practice into line with your position in Christ? Are you becoming, in the words of the apostle, “complete in Christ Jesus?”  

Are you being changed into His image from glory to glory, “Christ in you, the hope of glory?” Are you rejoicing in the present glory of Christ working in your life each day? And are you anticipating the future glory when you and I will enter His presence fully redeemed, wholly sanctified, and able with unveiled faces to gaze on His glorious majesty and holiness? What a day that will be! And I want you to be there with me. But that is your choice.  

So, I urge you today to begin the journey to understanding the mystery of Christ in you! 

Thanks, J Mark, for this explanation of Christ in you. He brought this teaching to an end with a lot of good questions to think about. You know our journey with Christ is a relationship. In this relationship, Christ has done His part, and our response is on us. This is a sobering reality, and we encourage you to consider your choice carefully.  

If you have any questions or if you want to contact us for any reason, here are a few ways you can reach us. An easy way is email; our email is [email protected]. Or you can message us online; our website is heraldsofhope.org. Once there, click “Contact Us” at the top right. And of course, you can write to us. Our address is Hope for Today, Box 3 Breezewood, PA 15533. We look forward to hearing from you soon.  

Thanks again for being with us today. Till next time, we hope you will grow in your understanding of the mystery of Christ in you. I leave you with this encouraging thought from I Peter 1, “Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 9 receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls.” God Bless.  

*This episode is an exposition by J. Otis Yoder, re-recorded by J. Mark Horst, with an opening and closing by Arlin Horst.

Thank you for joining us. It is good to have you here for another look at the Preeminent Christ. Last time was the first part of the lesson, and today we will finish looking at the three relationships that prove His preeminence. Paul packs a lot in a very short space, and this powerful paragraph is crucial to the rest of the book of Colossians. Your life cannot stay the same after understanding Christ for who He is, like Paul describes Him. Paul goes on to show how our understanding of Christ will impact many practical areas of life.  

However, before we go on to those areas, let’s spend some more time thinking about Christ and building our doctrine on Him. Last time, we looked at two proofs of His preeminence, His relationship to Deity and His relationship to creation. Today, we finish His relationship to creation and look at the last one, His relationship to the church. Let’s go now with Pastor J Mark to Colossians 1:15-19. 

Last week, we began exploring Paul’s teaching in Colossians 1:15 to 20, “The Preeminent Christ.” As we resume our study, here is the Scripture text.  

15 He [Jesus]is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.  

16 For by Him all things were created in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones, dominions, principalities, or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.  

17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.  

18  He is the head of the body, the church, the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that He may have the preeminence in all things. 

19 For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell,  

20 and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross. 

In this text, the apostle Paul produces several PROOFS confirming Christ’s preeminence.  

In verse 16, Paul ascribes the creation of ALL THINGS to Christ. In Him resides both the creative will (authority) and the creative energy (power). He is the initial creative force that brings the worlds into existence and the sustaining force that balances the whole universe.  

What keeps our earth in its proper orbit? What keeps Earth at the appropriate distance from the sun to sustain life? These and many other things are impossible by chance. Jesus created everything and sustains everything, including earthly rulers and heavenly powers. 

In the New World Translation of the Bible of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, you will find added words in verses 16 and 17. Their translation reads like this. “For by Him all other things were created that are in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All other things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all other things, and in Him, all other things consist.” They add the word, other, (in 4 different places) because they claim Jesus is a created being. That robs Him of His deity and preeminence. The addition is entirely unwarranted; it appears nowhere in our many manuscripts.    

Paul proclaims Jesus as Lord over the invisible spirit world and the visible created world. He rejects the idea of separating the spiritual and the material. Too many professing Christ-followers fall into this trap. For the genuine Believer, all of life is sacred. 

As a Christ-follower, your employment isn’t the same as your vocation. Your vocation, or calling, as the Scriptures explain it, is to know Christ and make Him known. Your job is simply a tool to live out that calling. But so often, we separate them. That’s why many people attend weekly worship services but neglect God and His commands the rest of the week.  

“Paul’s point is that such dichotomies between the visible and invisible, public and private, external and internal are false. His confession of Christ’s lordship over all things shows his confidence that Christ’s death establishes God’s grace in every [part] of God’s creation.”1 A dichotomy says that two things are contradictory or mutually exclusive. Christ’s lordship eliminates those, and our relationship with Him impacts every facet of life.  

Verse 17 continues with this theme. The opening words, “He is,” are emphatic. They emphasize Jesus’ personality. He is not some mystical force or some nameless energy field. He is a person! Even secular history acknowledges the fact of His human existence.  

The word “is” emphasizes His preexistence. He preceded all things in time and infused them with His presence. He provides continuous stability and productivity for His creation. By Him, and NO other, all things hold together. One example of this is gravity. It keeps stationary stuff in its place and also regulates moving things. It does this consistently. It functions just as well in the workplace as in a Sunday morning worship service!  

If Jesus is the exact image of God, and He is, and if He is the Creator and Sustainer of all things, which He is, then the only logical thing you and I can do with these proofs is to line up under His lordship and enter into His salvation, which leads us to our final proof.  

The Final PROOF (of the preeminence of Christ) is, 

His Relationship to the Church 

Again, notice the emphasis at the beginning of verse 18. “He Himself is the head of the body, the church…” Jesus is proclaimed the Head of the spiritual realm, the realm of grace, just as He is the head of the natural realm of creation. He is this because He existed before the world’s creation and the church. He holds the first place among all things, both spiritual and material.  

Here, Paul highlights God’s ultimate goal for fallen creation: the restoration of all things. Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross has already brought this about. The effects of sin are still evident in our world and our relationships, but Paul claims the Creator’s goal has already been realized through Christ. That goal is being demonstrated in the life of a new creation, the church.  

The church is the Ekklesia, the called-out ones. The focus here is Christ as the head of the realm of spirit and grace, not so much the local congregation. As the firstborn from the dead, Jesus is the beginning or foundation of the Church. The church is Christ’s new creation, the people of God whom He has redeemed. He is the source of the Church’s power and spiritual life. He became the head of the church through His incarnation and His passion, just as He is the head of the universe by His absolute and eternal existence.  

Paul is fond of the head-and-body metaphor when speaking about the relationship between Christ and the church. Christ is the Lord of the Church, just as the head governs the human body. The head supplies both authority and direction. This illustration also shows the organic unity between Christ and His Church. Each is necessary for the other; a head without a body and a body without a head are equally useless.  

 How is Christ identified as the Head of the Church? Verses 13 and 14 give us the answer. He became the Head of this called-out group of people by purchasing our redemption at the price of His lifeblood. Through that atoning sacrifice, He provided for our forgiveness of sin. But that sacrifice in itself didn’t give the power to live in victory over sin, the flesh, and Satan. 

No, that power for victorious living came because Jesus rose from the grave. As Paul says here, “He is the firstborn from the dead.” Jesus wasn’t the first person ever raised from the dead. We have records of resurrections in both the Old and the New Testaments. But He was the first and only one to rise from the dead, never to die again, and the first to rise by His power!  

According to Hebrews 2:15, Jesus’ resurrection broke death’s stranglehold of fear on the human race. That sets His resurrection apart from all other resurrections. It makes Him preeminent over all things. No one else has the power to do that! 

In verse 19, Paul writes that the Father was pleased that all the fullness should dwell in Jesus. The death and resurrection of Jesus ushered in the beginning of Jesus’ cosmic lordship. It inaugurated a new age of salvation history, something the Old Testament prophets and even the angels desired to understand but could not, according to 1 Peter 1:10 to 12.  

The new era initiated by Christ’s death and resurrection constitutes nothing less than a new order of human life in Christ, the essential ingredient of which is victory over death in its various expressions. Eventually, every creature, every kingdom, all creation, and even death will bow in submission before Jesus. When He has brought all things under His authority, He will give that authority to His Father. That will be the final consummation of all things!  

Paul speaks of the fullness of God dwelling in Christ. That fullness enables Christ to reconcile all things to God the Father, whether those things are on earth or in heaven. Paul’s use of the word “reconcile” has the force of looking back. In other words, it hints at restoring the original unity that Adam and Eve enjoyed with God before sin entered the human family. He secured our peace through the blood of His cross. Our reconciliation and peace were provided simultaneously by His sacrificial death. 

Ultimately, “The whole universe of things, material and spiritual, will be restored to harmony with God.”2 What a wonderful reality to anticipate!  

So why is Christ’s preeminence so important? If He is not deity, we have no mediator between God and man. If He is not deity, He cannot represent God the Father. If He is not deity, He cannot reveal the Father to us and has no power to forgive sins.  

If He is a created being, He certainly is not part of the deity. If He’s not who the Scriptures assert, our faith is in vain. If He is not Lord over all creation, then you, I, and all other parts of creation are random accidents of chance, as Darwinian evolution falsely proclaims. Therefore, our actions, whether good or bad, are ultimately meaningless.  

If He is not the Head of the Church, then there is no church. There might be religion, but there’s no true church of Jesus Christ. And if there’s no church, then there are no people of God to display His love and power to a desperately needy world. And if there is no church, there is no anticipated future restoration of all things.  

I believe Paul lays out convincing proofs for the preeminence of Christ. You can accept those proofs and participate in eternal blessing. Or you can reject them and suffer the eternal consequences. The choice is yours. 

Thanks, J Mark, for ending this lesson by stressing Christ’s deity. Think about those last few paragraphs. Can you see now why a proper understanding of these verses is so important to the rest of Colossians? J Mark taught on Christ’s preeminence, and Paul clearly presented Christ with authority and majesty. Now, it is up to us to exalt Him and honor Him wherever we go.  

If you have any questions or if you want to contact us for any reason, here are a few ways you can do so. An easy way is email; our email is [email protected]. Or you can message us online; our website is heraldsofhope.org. Once there, click “Contact Us,” at the top right. And of course, you can write to us. Our address is Hope for Today, Box 3 Breezewood, PA 15533. 

Thanks again for joining. Lord willing, we can be together next time as we move into the rest of Colossians and see how we can serve our risen preeminent Savior. Till then, may Peter’s description of Jesus be ours: “You have the words of eternal life. We believe and are sure you are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” God Bless 

*This episode is an exposition by J. Otis Yoder, re-recorded by J. Mark Horst, with an opening and closing by Arlin Horst.