Colossians 2:6-15
GET THIS: You can’t have the Kingdom without the King. We’ll walk more in step with this reality as we live in the beautiful and real presence of our Savior and King: Jesus.
1: Warning #1: Godless Compromise [v8]
See Colossians 2:8
DO NOT be kidnapped or held hostage by the ways of thinking (philosophies) and/or the promises (hollow deceit) of this world
Three questions to ask of the philosophies/promises you lay hold of in this life:
Is it merely human tradition?
Is it according to the spirits of this world? Three primary ways of thinking about the phrase “spirits of this world.”
- The Fundamental Components of the World: Are you living in light of what is seen (temporal) or what is unseen (eternal)?
- The Fundamental Thinking of the World: Consumerism (get the next thing), Comparison-ism (social media trap), Performance-ism (curation of our lives), Connected-ism (texting/scrolling/etc), Etc.
- The Spiritual Forces of this World: pride / desiring control / coveting pleasure & stuff. These are all whispers of the Serpant as old as the Garden of Eden.
Is it according to the person and way of Jesus?
2. The Cure to Compromise: The Real Jesus! [v6-7, 9-15]
See Colossians 2:6-7: Run your ways of thinking and the promises you’re clinging to through this rubric! Are they reflective of having received Jesus and walking with Him. Do they reflect being rooted deeply and built up and establish in Jesus! Do they make you thankful?
See Colossians 2:9-10: All that is God in IN JESUS. Because HE is God! And you have been filled in Him (and by Him!) The Source of all good things is IN YOU! AND YOU IN HIM!
See Colossians 2:11: In the Old Testament: physical circumcision identified the people of God. For us: spiritual circumcision (NOT with hands) of the soul! You’re a spiritual being! Made new in Christ! The work of Jesus is not tidying up… it is wholistic and full transformation!
See Colossians 2:12: This means of grace is telling a story! We’ve entered INTO Jesus’ death (destroying our bend towards the ways of thinking and empty promises of the world) and into His resurrection! Faith and power and victory are now in-born qualities of who you are! In Jesus!
If you’re not a Christian: *See Colossians 2:13-14* THIS is the gospel story! This can be your story! Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.
If you are a Christian than this is your story:
1. See Colossians 2:15 This is reality… this is the cure to compromise! Beholding the real Jesus and knowing that He has won and will win! That His philosophy and promises are infinitely higher! And better! There is only one road home. Don’t compromise! You can’t have the kingdom without the King… Don’t settle for anything less! See Exodus 33:14-15
2. We sing sometimes “Give me Jesus. You can have all this world. Give me Jesus!”
Can you really sing those words with all of your heart?
What ways of thinking and/or promises are you clinging to (or tempted to) that keep you from this?
Homework: This week: (1) every-morning: before you reach for your phone, read your Bible and pray (2) MAKE the time to stop being busy and distracted and just be present with Jesus (just a Bible and prayer). Experience the presence of Jesus and ask Him to speak to you about what is keeping you from giving your life completely over to him.
Take Time To Reflect
(1) Are you moving through this life on anyone or anything else’s terms but Jesus’? If so, who or what is driving you?
(2) What will it look like today and this week to give your life over to the kingship of Jesus? For you to desire the presence of Jesus over everything else?
GET THIS: You can’t have the Kingdom without the King. We’ll walk more in step with this reality as we live in the beautiful and real presence of our Savior and King: Jesus.