Tuesday, January 16, 2007

 

Col 2:6-10 When Walking, Don’t Be Taken Captive

Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, • walk in Him, 7 rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. 8 Be careful that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit based on human tradition, based on the elemental forces of the world, and not based on Christ. 9 For in Him the entire fullness of God’s nature dwells bodily, 10 and you have been filled by Him, who is the head over every ruler and authority.

A metaphor is an expression comparing one thought to another by using a verbal picture. mixed metaphors 1. You’re pulling my leg over my eyes.
2. You’ve hit the nail on the jackpot. 3. We’ll be there until the fat lady freezes over.4. Once the toothpaste is out of the tube, it’s too late to close the barn door. 5. He’s not the brightest bulb in the knife drawer. 6. It’s as easy as falling off a piece of cake. 7. Keep your ear to the grindstone. 8. You’ve buttered your bread, now lie in it.
9. It’s like looking for a needle in a hayride. 10. Don’t count your chickens until you see the whites of their eyes.”
A mixed metaphor is a verbal faux paux, but when the Apostle Paul wrote about the Christian life, he intentionally introduced a variety of powerful metaphors. See if you can pick up the different metaphors he employs.
A Walker:
Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, • walk in Him,
Walking the Christian life..Bunyn’s Pilgrim’s Progress.
These days in Christianity there are many by-paths that can lead you off the pilgrim road in Pilgrims Progress there was Bypath Meadow
A soldier in danger of being captured.
CH Spurgeon in a sermon "Christ Lifted Up." It is found in volume 3 (p. 260) of the New Park Street Pulpit.
“Again, the theme of a minister should be Christ Jesus in opposition to mere doctrine. Some of my good brethren are always preaching doctrine. Well, they are right in so doing, but I would not care myself to have as the characteristic of my preaching, doctrine only. I would rather have it said, "He dwelt much upon the person of Christ, and seemed best pleased when he began to tell about the atonement and the sacrifice. He was not ashamed of the doctrines, he was not afraid of threatening, but he seemed as if he preached the threatening with tears in his eyes, and the doctrine solemnly as God's own word; but when he preached of Jesus his tongue was loosed, and his heart was at liberty." Brethren, there are some men who preach the doctrine only, who are an injury, I believe, to God's church rather than a benefit. I know of men who have set themselves up as umpires over all spirits. They are the men. Wisdom will die with them. If they were once taken away the great standard of truth would be removed. We do not wonder that they hate the Pope, two of a trade never agree, for they are far more popish than he, they being themselves infallible. I am afraid that very much of the soundness of this age, is but a mere sound, and is not real; does not enter into the core of the heart, nor affect the being. Brethren, we should rather preach Christ than election. We love election, we love predestination, we love the great doctrines of God's word, but we had rather preach Christ than preach these. We desire to put Christ over the head of the doctrine, we make the doctrine the throne for Christ to sit on, but we dare not put Christ at the bottom, and then press him down, and overload him with the doctrines of his own word.
"The only means of unity we shall ever get will be all of us preaching Christ crucified; when that is done, when every minister’s heart is in the right place, full of anxiety for souls — when every minister feels that, be he called bishop, presbyter, or preacher— all he wants to do is to glorify God and win souls to Jesus, then, my dear friends, we can maintain our denominational distinctions, but the great bugbear of bigotry and division will have ceased and schism will no more be known.”
The traps of Mysticism Legalism and Asceticism still entrap many today.
The Perils of charismatism myticism! , and hard Calvinism … being more committed to doctrine than to Christ Himself. I would consider myself reformed, but woe be it that we make such a god of Calvinism as to take us away from Calvin’s God! Or even Baptism… some teach that you need to be baptized to be saved. They have so exalted baptism as to overshadow Christ!
We can become obsessive about some wonderful truths, and miss the One Who Is Truth.
Be careful that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit based on human tradition, based on the elemental forces of the world, and not based on Christ.
A SOLDIER: DON’T GET AMBUSHED BY THE LIE!
“See to it that no one takes you captive...” (Colossians 1:8) The word “captive” was a military term for a prisoner of war.
1 You can be CONTROLLED by the wrong thing or viewpoint "takes you captive" (to carry off as spoil - to lead captive -
2. You can be CONVINCED by means of wrong principles and teaching "philosophy and empty deception" "through" (dia - the channel or means)
a.. "the philosophy" love of wisdom (world's kind) used only here and in Acts 17:18 of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers.
b.. "and empty deception" (Granville Sharp's rule connects this with the word "philosophy" as being equal) – that which gives a false impression either by appearance, statement, or influence. It will look good but that does not reveal the whole truth! It is "empty" - nothing to it! cf. problems of modem psychology, etc.
3. You can be CONCERNED about the wrong things ".according to"
a. "the tradition of men" to give or deliver alongside of or over - to hand down from person to person it can refer to the Rabbinical traditions - Gal. 1:14 cf. Matthew 15:1-9; Mark 7:1-13 (Can be used in a good sense - I Cor. 11: 2)
b. "the elementary principles of the world" It is a spiritual battle –
Following Christ, walking means You Are Like:
A TREE: DIG DEEP TO GROW TALL! Being Founded upon Him.
rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
The Psalmist described this kind of person when he wrote, “He is like a tree planted by the rivers of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does shall prosper.” (Psalm 1:3) A
A BUILDING Built well to stand tall
rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
Matt 7:24 “Therefore, everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them will be like a sensible man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain fell, the rivers rose, and the winds blew and pounded that house. Yet it didn’t collapse, because its foundation was on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of Mine and doesn’t act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 The rain fell, the rivers rose, the winds blew and pounded that house, and it collapsed. And its collapse was great!”
For some of you, it may have been a long time since you picked up your Bible and really read it, asking the Holy Spirit to reveal God’s truth to you. It may be somewhere in the back of your car or on a shelf somewhere in your home. However, I can tell you right now from any seat in this room, you may be closer to the Word of God than you realize. God reminds us in Deuteronomy 30:14, “…the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it.” However, simply soaking in God’s Word once a week will not transform your life. We didn’t plant God’s word in the I-beams of this structure in hopes it would transfer to you by osmosis! It doesn’t work that way. God’s Word is near so you will obey it. The reason God wants you to be familiar with and learn about the Bible is so you will make the choice to obey it and put it to use in your daily life—at work, at home, and in your relationships.
A FOUNTAIN: LET HIS LIFE OVERFLOW!
One of the greatest Bible commentators of all time was a Puritan named Matthew Henry. Once while on the way home from church, Matthew Henry was accosted by burglars who robbed him. Afterwards, this he wrote about that experience. “I am thankful that: (1) I have never been robbed before. (2) Although they took all I had, it wasn’t much. (3) They took my money, and not my life. (4) It was I who was robbed, and not I who robbed!” That’s what I call overflowing with thankfulness! See if you can find something to be thankful for in every situation!

For in Him the entire fullness of God’s nature dwells bodily, 10 and you have been filled by Him, who is the head over every ruler and authority.

“Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord….”
Receive Christ Jesus!
As Lord!
Experience life change!

Walk in Him
Walk in the Light
but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.” 1 John 1:7

So you wont be taken captive
So you will experience overflowing joy…
Overflowing with joy


So you will be fulfilled! For in Him the entire fullness of God’s nature dwells bodily, 10 and you have been filled by Him, who is the head over every ruler and authority.





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