“Be careful not to allow anyone to captivate you through an empty, deceitful philosophy that is according to human traditions and the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. For in him all the fullness of deity lives in bodily form, and you have been filled in him, who is the head over every ruler and authority. In him you also were circumcised—not, however, with a circumcision performed by human hands, but by the removal of the fleshly body, that is, through the circumcision done by Christ. Having been buried with him in baptism, you also have been raised with him through your faith in the power of God who raised him from the dead. And even though you were dead in your transgressions and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, he nevertheless made you alive with him, having forgiven all your transgressions. He has destroyed what was against us, a certificate of indebtedness expressed in decrees opposed to us. He has taken it away by nailing it to the cross. Disarming the rulers and authorities, he has made a public disgrace of them, triumphing over them by the cross.”
(Colossians 2.8-15)
The primary problem in Colossae seems to be the presentation of a different Jesus. Simply, the Colossian heresy diminished the person and the work of Christ in salvation. Paul writes that his readers should not be captivated through an empty, deceitful philosophy that is according to human traditions and the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.
If we remove either the Deity or the humanity from Christ we no longer have a supremely sufficient and sinless sacrifice with which to atone for our sins as our kinsman redeemer (and not only ours, but all who call on His name in faith) (vv.9-10).
If we remove His removal of all religious rules and legalistic principles we all too quickly fall back into a works-based approach to God (v.11), we forget that His resurrection is the proof that all prerequisites are complete for us to return to God (vv.12-13), and we take up again the certificate of indebtedness…opposed to us (vv.14-15).
Friends, if we diminish Jesus’ person or work in any way we take a huge step backwards soteriologically.
Tweet
Our salvation is then no longer secure. We step back into a time when it rested on us to close the gap between God and man that our sin creates and we hear the words of Isaiah ringing in our ears that our best effort is nothing but a filthy rag in God’s sight (Isaiah 64.6). Today, and every day, hold fast to the truths of who Jesus is and what He has done: without them we’re lost.
James Travis 