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How to Grow in Christ and Avoid Being Misled | Colossians 2:1-7 Colossians Bible Study – Pt5 | Mike Prah

    Aug 7, 2024 | by Mike Prah

    How to Grow in Christ and Avoid Being Misled | Colossians 2:1-7 Colossians Bible Study – Pt5 | Mike Prah

     

    • Paul longed to see the saints united in Christ, enjoying the riches of blessing in Him. The false teachers had fascinating philosophies, but “Christ is the key that opens all the hidden treasures of God’s wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:3, GN). 

    • Any man-made philosophy that has no place for Christ is unworthy of our consideration. We are rich in Him; why lower ourselves to follow man-made doctrines? 

    • Man’s philosophies are attractive. They give a show of wisdom and intelligence, and too often, Christians are “deceived by these fine-sounding arguments” (Colossians 2:4). How tragic it is for believers to fall prey to man-made, secular philosophies that deny Jesus Christ and the Bible.

     Paul cautions: “Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ” (Colossians 2:8, NLT)

     How can the believer overcome the empty, man-made philosophies to avoid being misled?

     

    Christ is The Repository of Wisdom and Knowledge (Colossians 2:3)  

    • At the outset of the Colossians letter, Paul prays that believers be filled with wisdom (Colossians 1:9) 

    • And near the conclusion of Colossians, Paul exhorts believers to walk in wisdom (Colossians 4:5). 

    • In 2:3, Christ is the repository of all wisdom (cf. 1 Co 1:24, 30). 

    “Christ is the key that opens all the hidden treasures of God’s wisdom and knowledge”  Colossians 2:3 (GN) 

     

    • In Colossians 1:15–20, Christ is likened to wisdom.

    “Christ is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 He created all things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible. Whether they are kings or lords, rulers or powers—everything has been created through Him and for Him. 17 He existed before everything and holds everything together. 18 He is also the head of the church, which is his body. He is the beginning, the first to come back to life so that He would have first place in everything. 19 God was pleased to have all of Himself live in Christ. 20 God was also pleased to bring everything on earth and in heaven back to Himself through Christ. He did this by making peace through Christ’s blood sacrificed on the cross.” Colossians 1:15-20 (GW) 

    • In 1:28, Paul states that his instruction is characterized by wisdom.

    “Christ is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ.” Colossians 1:28 (NIV) 

    • Not only is Christ the treasure trove of wisdom, but He is also the one in whom all knowledge is found. If it is true that “all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” are hidden in Christ, as Paul contends, then believers need not search for supplements or substitutes. 

    • Like the Colossian believers, Christians today are prone to look elsewhere to bolster their spirituality (Colossians 2:4, 8, 18). Paul insists that the wealth of Christ’s person renders any spiritual experimentation and exploration apart from Christ unnecessary, ineffectual, and potentially deceptive (Colossians 2:4, 8, 17, 20–23).[1]

     How Can Believers Overcome the Empty, Man-made Philosophies to Avoid Being Misled?

    “And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. 7 Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness." Colossians 2:6-7 (NIV) 

     1. We Must Continue to Follow Christ (Colossians 2:6)

     “Just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow Him” Colossians 2:6 (NLT) 

    • As you were saved by faith, so walk by faith. As you were saved by the Word, so walk according to the Word. As you were saved through the work of the Spirit, so walk in the Spirit. The Christian life continues as it began, by faith in God. 

    • The instruction passed on to Colossian believers and subsequently received by them centered on the person Jesus, who is depicted here as both “Christ” and “Lord.” The Colossians’ life in faith began with their reception and confession of Jesus Christ as Lord (cf. Ro 10:9; 1 Co 12:3; Php 2:11) and their baptism in Him (Col 2:12; cf. Ro 6:3–5; Gal 3:27).

    •  It is “in Christ,” the One in whom the gospel is grounded and on whom their faith is founded, that the Colossians are commanded to walk (NKJV) (“live, NIV; cf. Col. 1:10). They are not to walk and live in Him continuously, not periodically.[2]

     

     2. We Must Grow up in Christ (Colossians 2:7)

     “Let your roots grow down into Christ, and let your lives be built on Him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness” Colossians 2:7 (NLT) 

    Paul describes four characteristics of the Christian growth process. 

    A. To Grow in Christ You Must Be “Rooted” in Him (Col. 2:7a)

     “Let your roots grow down into Christ …” Col. 2:7a (NLT) 

    • Paul gives an agricultural illustration. Believers begin the spiritual journey by being planted in the faith, and like the seed sown on fertile soil, we need to develop roots in order to bear spiritual fruit. 

    • Have roots that dig down into the richness of the Word. Have foundations that are strong, laid upon Jesus Christ. How important it is to be taught the Word of God! Believers fall prey to religious philosophies unless they are rooted in Christ, grounded in the Word, and built up in Bible truth.

     B. To Grow in Christ You Must Let Your Lives Be Built On Him (Col. 2:7b) 

    “… let your lives be built on Him … (Col 2:7b) 

    • Paul shifts from an agricultural to an architectural metaphor. Having been firmly rooted, believers are “now to be built upon Christ.” 

    • On the one hand, believers are already “God’s building” (1 Co 3:9; cf. Eph 2:20). On the other hand, construction needs to continue so that the believer becomes fashioned more and more by God into a temple suitable for God (cf. 1 Co 3:16–17). 

    “… You are God’s field, God’s building” 1 Corinthians 3:9 (NIV) 

    “Together, we are God’s house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus Himself.” Ephesians 5:20 (NLT) 

    “Surely you know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you! God will destroy anyone who destroys God’s temple. For God’s temple is holy, and you yourselves are His temple.” 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 (GN)

     

    C. To Grow In Christ You Must Cooperate With and Conform to God’s Strengthening Work Through His Word and Spirit

    “Let your roots grow down into Christ, and let your lives be built on Him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth …” Colossians 2:7c (NLT) 

    • In the third metaphor, Paul uses the marketplace as a model to describe how believers grow in Christ. God’s strengthening and confirming of the believer’s faith is likened to the execution of a legal document (e.g., a will). 

    • Believers you must cooperate with and conform to God’s strengthening work through His Word and Spirit.

    • “Your faith will grow strong in the truth” implies greater firmness of character (1 Co. 1:8).[3]

    •  Spiritual growth takes place within the context of truth education. Isaiah envisioned, and Paul exclaimed that people could be God-taught (Isa 54:13; 1 Th 4:9; cf. Jn 6:45).

     

    D. To Grow in Christ You Must “Overflow with thankfulness”

     “Let your roots grow down into Christ, and let your lives be built on Him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness” Colossians 2:7 (NLT) 

    • "Overflowing with thankfulness” is the final metaphor utilized in Colossians 2:7 to illustrate what walking in Christ requires.

    • “Overflowing” is a present active verb. “Thankfulness” should not trickle from the believer as water does from a leaky faucet; rather, it should be full to overflowing as with an overfilled container. 

    • From the beginning of the Colossians letter, the assembly had ample reason to be grateful to God (Col. 1:12-14). In fact, the community of the saved should be thankful when they sing (Col. 3:16), pray (Col. 4:2), and, most importantly, live (Col. 2:7 and 1:10–12).[4]

     

    RECAP 

    • Just like faith saved you, faith is what you need to walk by. 

    • As the Word saved you, so walk in line with the Word. 

    • Just as the Spirit saved you, so walk in the Spirit. 

    • Faith in God is still at the heart of the Christian life.

    [1] Todd D. Still, “Colossians,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Ephesians–Philemon (Revised Edition), ed. Tremper Longman III and David E. Garland, vol. 12 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2006), 305–306.

    [2] Todd D. Still, “Colossians,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Ephesians–Philemon (Revised Edition), ed. Tremper Longman III and David E. Garland, vol. 12 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2006), 309.

    [3] James Swanson, Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains: Greek (New Testament) (Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997).

    [4] Todd D. Still, “Colossians,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Ephesians–Philemon (Revised Edition), ed. Tremper Longman III and David E. Garland, vol. 12 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2006), 310.

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