Light Brings Salt
Volume 3, Issue 14 April 3, 2005
Dedicated to the Systematic Exposition of the Word of God
The Benefits of being Strengthened
by Faith
by P/T
What is one of the greatest dangers you will face as a
believer?? Specifically, that is, in our walk as a believer! There are many areas of concern that we all have, that might come to mind. Paul says in the context of
Col 2:4-8 that its related to being deluded, deceived
with persuasive arguments! Col. 2:4 The question is
this, do we have the provisions necessary to counter this threat? You bet!
Paul also details in this context the reality of the
provision and the source. In 2:7 we will find that it is related to
being receptive to the teaching of the word of truth. Let’s examine the context and be challenged
by the truth found here.
Admonition regarding the methodology of the false teachers (2:4-5).
The apostle has just expressed his anxious concern for the
Colossian believers (vv. 1-3) and he now enlarges upon the reason for his
concern. The treasures of genuine spiritual wisdom are in Christ and,
therefore, to allow oneself to be deceived about this can produce profound
disorder in the Christian’s life. One can quickly become a casualty in life. We
leave ourselves open for conquest by the persuasive speech of those who are
peddling the lasted human viewpoint philosophies that so engross people
today.
We as believers have the divine resources being in Christ
and having the Holy Spirit illuminating the Word giving us discernment so that
we’re able to deal with any and all viewpoints being thrown at us.
All spiritual wisdom is found in Christ, and its use will
keep us from being deluded, deceived by what's out there.
Look at Col. 2:4
The word for delude
is paralogizomai which means literally to reason
aside, hence to lead astray or deceive, delude by false reasoning. It
came to mean to deceive by false reasoning, by false logic, by a system that sounds
logical but is not based on sound reasoning. We need to remember that there are
plenty of people out there who want to distort the pure Word of God and its
message.
Jacob used the word when he reproached Laban
for refusing to live up to his bargain with him concerning Rachel, saying, “And he said to Laban,
"What is this you have done to me? Was it not for Rachel that I served
with you? Why then have you deceived me?"
(Gen. 29:25,
LXX).
Another important word here is persuasive piqanologia (AV, “enticing words”) occurs only here in the New
Testament. In other literature it is a word of the law court and refers to the
lawyer’s persuasive speech and its power to influence an audience even towards
an unjust verdict. In Classical Greek the word referred to the use of probable
arguments as opposed to demonstrable arguments. The terminology is practically
equivalent to our English expression, “to talk someone into something.”
Paul’s burden, then, is to the effect that the Colossians
must not surrender to the glib and sometimes convincing arguments of the false
teachers, but remember that, in Christ, they have all the treasures of wisdom
and knowledge. The false teaching of the present day seem
to be no less convincing to the ignorant and unwary. The ignorant and unwary in
our day still fall to specious arguments because they are ignorant of God's
Word.
False arguments that sound plausible can deceive.
Persuasion and truth are not necessarily the same
thing. False teachers can be very persuasive (Rom.
PRINCIPLE: The Christian should have such a
grip on truth that he or she will have the discernment not to fall for the
specious and seductive arguments that are out there. Things like you sin
because you’re a sinner!
APPLICATION: False teachers use smooth and
flattering speech. Therefore we must always be on guard. There are many religious tricksters on the
loose who will try to "con" Christians with their enticing words.
They give lip service to the Lord Jesus Christ. They say nice things about him.
That gives them credibility with many.
It is amazing how many Christians become sucked into
aberrant religious systems because they do not know enough of the Word of God
to discern the true from the false (2 Cor 11:13-15).
Satan's objective is to get your thinking, your viewpoint
on life separated from the Word and Christ.
If that happens you’re a casualty in your spiritual life.
It may not be religious false teachers at all, it may be
anyone out there with a philosophy of life, viewpoint of life that sounds good,
does so because it appeals to your sin nature and its desires.
People with little truth open themselves up to distorting
the truth of the Bible. They are susceptible to a "fifth column" to
come in and undermine truth. Are you vulnerable to being talked into buying
into false doctrine?
Paul in 2:5 commends
the Colossian
believers by using several military metaphors.
The words " good
discipline" and
" stability" are military metaphors. They were used to describe
an army set for battle. This is the attitude believers must adopt if they are
to stand against false doctrine and false teachers who are peddling their
persuasive arguments.
The word " good
discipline"
refers to solders in orderly rank. It means to form an army in battle array.
Soldiers are to line up in battle order. No soldier should break rank and run.
Panic will destroy any army. Paul sees the
situation of the Colossians as being like that of an army under attack and
affirms that their lines were unbroken, their discipline intact, and their
"faith in and reliance on Christ" is unshaken.
PRINCIPLE: Christians are to display
orderly rank and solid discipline as troops of Jesus Christ.
APPLICATION: How solidly do you adhere to the
allegiance of your faith in Jesus Christ? Does your love never waver from him?
No Christian is free from the authority of Jesus Christ. When we reject his
authority, we reject what is best for us. If we substitute
drugs and alcohol or the frantic search for happiness in an attempt to fill the
vacuum in our souls. If we substitute any other answers for Jesus
Christ, we break rank with him. Are you the kind of soldier who stays in rank
with the Word of God maintaining your relationship and walk with Him?
Exhortation to
progress in the life of faith (2:6-7)
The warning against defection through deception is
followed by exhortation to advance in the life of faith. The present tense of "walk" peripateo stresses the permanent character of this walk in the Lord.
The imperative mood of the verb stresses the reality of having to make
decisions to fulfill the command to walk.
Its literally you all Keep walking in Him.
The word for walk conveys the idea to live as a course of
life. We are to live the entire course of the Christian life by faith. Our
conduct must accord with the truths of the Word of God.
Paul exhorts us to
walk worthy of our calling in Christ! (Eph. 4:1; Col.
1:10) 2 Cor. 5:7 says, "For we walk by faith, not by sight."
The Christian life revolves around faith, believing the
Word and the truths, the precepts that are there for us. Faith, not feeling, is
the basis of living the Christian life. Some try to verify their walk with God
by their feelings and become very confused.
If you have believed in Christ you are a Christian whether
feel like a Christian or not. You are to live the Christian life by faith
whether you feel like it or not. Our feelings have nothing to do with it.
The Exodus generation in the Old Testament failed to mix
the word heard with faith (Heb. 4:2) and it cost them severely. We cannot live
the Christian life if we do not believe the promises and live them out. If we
do not know the promises, what the Word teaches, how can we claim them? The
Exodus generation had a great future, a land flowing with milk and honey.
For forty years they wandered in the desert and were
judged because they did not apply God's Word to realize the future God promised
them.
APPLICATION: Feelings are fickle. They can
lead us astray. Some people say, "I read the Bible and I do not feel
anything." When we read a letter from a loved one, some things we may feel
and others we may not. Some components of the letter may state simple fact.
Other aspects of the letter may involve emotion. That does not mean that the
parts of the letter that contain emotion are the only valid parts of the
letter. When we read the Bible, at times we may feel something and other times
we may not. Feelings are not the issue. When we read the Bible we read a
communication from God the Father to us. We should welcome what he wants us to
know.
How do we maintain
this walk? How do we have the necessary foundation of truth? Verse 7 helps us to understand just that.
Here we find some details associated with our walk as
believers as we advance in the Christian life.
Paul mixes his metaphors in this verse. He uses the
metaphor of a tree and a building. Both metaphors convey the idea of stability.
Paul
says they were "firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith." Being rooted speaks of having stability,
to be firmly established, to be strengthened.
There follows three present participles which set forth
the specific ways in which our life is to continually express how we
acquire greater stability amid
thanksgiving.
These present tense participles flesh out for us the areas
we need to be concerned with if we are to walk worthy in Christ.
They are being
built up; being established in
your faith; overflowing with gratitude
Being built up speaks of the building process
for the Christian, spiritually, building spiritual muscle and its an ongoing process.
The verb used means to build on a foundation already laid.
When we think of a foundation for salvation we know that there is only one
foundation and that is Christ, 1 Cor 3:11. Paul there
warns us that we need to be careful how we build on that foundation. The
foundation we are to build on here is related to building and strengthening our
faith, our
understanding of the Word, the frame of reference of truth that we have, the
convictions that we have so that we have the assets available to walk worthy.
Paul in Eph 2:20 gives us a clue as to what is in view
that leads to the strengthening of our faith, the teaching of the apostles and
prophets, that is the teaching of the Word of God.
Jude 20 says that we build strength into our lives by what
we believe, "But you, beloved,
building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit."
In Acts
The grace-message of the Word of God will build us into
God's design for us. By it we will become conformed to the image of Christ.
It’s a process over a period of time, many decisions along
the way.
When Paul says Established
in your faith the idea
is to confirm, verify, make unwavering and
since its passive it refers to an increase
in inward strength. Literally "strengthened
by the faith"
the Word of God in you that is forming the basis of your thinking
and viewpoint in life which will give you the strength, the spiritual moxie to
handle all that life might throw at you.
Then he adds right in the middle, the how, that is that we gain an understanding of the Word to be
built up, strengthened in the faith.
Just as you were
instructed;
as you were taught the Word systematically over a period of time. Faith comes
by hearing and hearing by the word of God.
With the result that we are "overflowing with gratitude" or thanksgiving
Are we thankful for all that God has done for us and
provided us in Christ? Or do we take Him
and His faithfulness for granted?