Peel Grace Baptist Church Colossians 2:1-2. 7 September 2025
What a blessing it is to be a Christian; we have so much to be thankful to our Heavenly Father for. Who hath, as the apostle Paul says in Col 1:13, “delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear son, in whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins." That is a truly amazing act of grace. However, there is a problem. There are false teachers about who will try to, Col 2:4, "beguile you with enticing words." You need to, v8, "beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ." When you know trouble is coming, you can take the time to prepare yourself and be ready to face the difficulty. In the opening words of Colossians 2 we find the apostle’s instructions on how to prepare themselves to face these clever but deceptive false teachers. We find in these words three essentials.
1. An Apostolic Example of active, Caring leadership.
In 1:28 Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, explains that he preached Christ, seeking to present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. Then he says verse 29, "whereunto I labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily. 2:1 for I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for you." The margin alternative translation reads What great care I have for you. Some have translated this how I strive for you. Paul was passionate about the people he was ministering to. He really had a heart that was filled with love for them as he desired that they would be made perfect in Christ, and as he saw the danger of false teachers. One of the saddest and most destructive things we have seen in churches in recent decades is that people have been appointed to ministry who do not have this passionate desire to see people made perfect in Christ as the Scripture sets out. At least from their preaching and teaching, that is how it appears to me. Where is the proclamation of law and gospel? Preaching is not to be a motivational feel good talk, nor just an intellectual exercise. I am here to do my utmost to help you be certain of your hope of glory, that you would, 2 Pet 3:18 “grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.” Paul had so much else to deal with in his life. As he wrote these words, he was a prisoner in Rome, on trial for his life. He didn't know which way the verdict would go. But, he took time to listen to Epaphrus, 1:7 and his report of the church in Colossae. His love for the Lord and for the Lord's people led him to write this letter. He acted upon what he had learnt and applied God's truth to the problems they faced. Most of you are not called upon to preach to the gathered church, but all of you have opportunities and responsibilities in daily life. You can pray for the pastor and all who have responsibility for preaching in this church. Pray that our hearts will be filled anew with a fervent love for the Lord, his truth, and for his people. If you are a parent, you need this passionate care for your children as you seek to Eph 6:4 “bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.” A wonderful opportunity, but also a great responsibility.
Paul's care extended to saints he had not met; they had not seen his face in the flesh. That didn't matter to him. His love for them was just the same. His letter was for them all. So it is to be in the local church, we are to have that care for all who assemble together. There is to be no favouritism.
2. United In Encouragement and love in the church. v2 “That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love.” We are to be a community, a local expression of the body of Christ, Rm 12:5 “we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.” The enemy came to Eve in the garden when she was on her own and asked his subtle question, "hath God said?" Going our own way makes us vulnerable.
This word comfort originally meant to give strength. We need this this strengthening, this encouragement. How was Paul giving strength to them? Quite simply he was bringing the great truths of Christ to them. The local church should be a place where our hearts are not only given courage but also where we are "being knit together in love." Jesus said, Jn 13:34 “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another." Love here is not just some fuzzy feelings of warmth. Biblical love is practical. 1 Cor 13:4-7 “Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, 5Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; 6Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; 7Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.” Love is about giving of yourself. The greatest example of love in action is our saviour. Rm 5:8 “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” We are to be known for the mutual love in action amongst the saints. One vital aspect of this is encouraging each other in the faith. Care is needed that we never merely think of the church meetings as being what I can get out of it. As we assemble ourselves together take time to think of how you can bless others. Heb 10:25 “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” We spend so much time living our lives in the world. What a blessing it should be to regularly spend time with brothers and sisters in Christ. Each of us has a vital role in the life of the body of Christ. When eldership and all members of the local church are truly united in love and truth, it is a great blessing and a strengthening.
3. Full assurance of Christ. This vital area of preparation is now laid out before us. In the face of false teachers, we need to be united together not only with a mutual love, but also v2 “unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ; 3In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." It is not sufficient just to give people a simple gospel, to point them to Jesus as saviour. There is so much more in Scripture which will strengthen us and give us full assurance. We all start off as babies, we need our mother's milk. However, we grow, and then we must move on to solid food. This is highlighted by the writer to the Hebrews, Heb 5:11-14 “Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing. 12For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. 13For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. 14But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.”
It is the duty of those who preach and teach the church to bring the whole counsel of God before you. You need it if you are to grow and become filled with assurance. It is through the study of Scripture that we learn about God, about ourselves, and about Christ his divinity and humanity and how he died to save his people from their sins. Look at what Paul has said in the lead-up to his warning about false teachers, from 1:14 onwards, he gives a detailed account of who Christ is and what he has done.
The key to being prepared for those who come with beguiling words and clever philosophy is to increase your understanding of who Christ is in his deity and of the sufficiency of his finished work on the cross. False teachers come and downplay either or both. At Colossae, there were teachers who had beguiling words, philosophy after the tradition of men. At Galatia, there with those who added to the gospel the outward works of the law, teaching that it was not sufficient to have repentance and faith in Christ, it was also necessary to become a Jew. Don’t believe people just because they clam to have the Holy Spirit. The Apostle John warned of those who would deny Christ had come in the flesh. 1 Jn 4:1-3 "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. 2Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: 3And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist”. Today liberalism, seeker sensitive, health and wealth, signs and wonders, Mariology, there are so many errors about. Jesus was challenged by religious leaders. Mk 7:5-9 “the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands?” 6He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. 7Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. 8For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do. 9And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.” On the road to Damascus after his resurrection, we see him open up the Scripture to two downhearted disciples. They said, "we had hoped," however, Jesus gave them new encouragement by explaining in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. In scripture we find 1:27, "the riches of the glory of this mystery." These wonderful truths are not known and understood by mankind in general because, 1 Cor 2:14, "the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." What a blessing it is to have these great truths made known to us, 1 Cor 2:1, "God hath revealed them unto us by his spirit." We are to be 2:7, "rooted and built up in him, and established in the faith, as ye have been taught." It is as you know more about Christ, as you trust completely in his person and finished work on the cross, that you are enabled to stand with firm assurance even in the face of beguiling deceivers. May you be encouraged and kept strong on the foundation of Christ, his deity and sufficiency.
What about you, Do you know that in Christ your sins have been forgiven, that you have been redeemed by his blood? That your sins have been forgiven? Come to him today, don't delay, come and see the wonder of Christ Jesus. Cast yourself upon him in repentance and faith. Whosoever calls us on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
