Think Like a Christian

⁸See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. ⁹For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, ¹⁰and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority. ¹¹In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ, ¹²having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead. ¹³When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, ¹⁴having cancelled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. ¹⁵And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. ¹⁶Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day.

Colossians 2:8-16

Introduction

• There is nothing “new” about New Age philosophy, or any other humanist philosophy currently on the market.
  • Spinoffs of a hedonistic society which wants to remain blameless
  • Can be seen in some self-help books, movies, modern music, TV shows, etc.
• Humanist philosophies teach that you only need yourself to achieve personal salvation; the Bible teaches that you cannot do it without Christ.
• We have all sinned and fallen short of the mark (Romans 3:23); and though sin is not without consequences, God has provided a way of dealing with sin that destroys its stronghold on our lives once and for all.
• Read: Colossians 2:8

There are three things we should remember on how we should think about our relationship with Christ:

1. In Christ we have the fullness of God

• There has always been a muddled confusion of humanism’s “god”
  • An example is a religion called Wicca, teaching primarily that earth and creation is sacred and to be worship, and that by finding the god within us we become like gods ourselves
• Paul described our relationship with God in simpler and more straightforward terms.
• Read: Colossians 2:9-10
• All you have to do—all that you can do—to experience the fullness of God in your life is connect with him through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, because Christ is the fullness of God.
  • There is no need to chant, dance, shave your head, wear a funny robe, or join a club
  • All you have to do is to connect with Him through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ
• When you have a relationship with Christ, you have all that God has to offer.
  • You have access to Him day or night
  • You can pray to Him, sing to Him, cry to Him, talk to Him, or just rest in His presence
  • You have the assurance that He will keep you safe and protect you through the storms of life

2. In Christ we have forgiveness of sins

• “To believe in forgiveness, we must first believe in sin.” – Jewel
• Tell the story about the couple fighting, and the husband being pompous
• Everyone has sinned at one point or another, and the fact that God offers forgiveness means that there is something to be forgiven.
  • None of us is perfect
  • We have (at one point) sinned by doing the wrong thing, or knowing the right thing to do and not doing anything at all
• Read: Romans 3:23
• Read: Colossians 2:13
• Admitting that we have a problem with sin is admitting that we need a saviour.
• When we fall short of the mark, we can rest assured that God, in his mercy, will forgive us completely, through Christ.
• Crucial distinction: God’s promise of forgiveness does not give us an excuse to sin, but it does give us a reason to feel secure.
  • Just because you ‘can’ doesn’t mean that you ‘should’ (i.e. just because there’s a knife on the table doesn’t mean you should cut yourself…)
  • There are still consequences to deal with

3. In Christ we have freedom from the law

• Read: Colossians 2:14
• ‘Law’ here refers to the laws, or the list of do’s and don’ts of the Old Testament
• Through Christ God has done with away the “written code” that only served to condemn us, and he has given us a new law to live by: the law of love.
  • You are now no longer judged by your ability to keep the law, but rather by the righteousness of Christ
• The law is no longer a threat; it is now a goal.
• When we fall short of the mark we are forgiven, but the idea is that we get back up and try again.
• Read: 1 Corinthians 6:12

Conclusion

• In Christ we have everything we need.
  • God’s fullness
  • unconditional forgiveness
  • total freedom
• All the things that “worldly philosophies” try to promise, God has delivered.
• You no longer have to pretend that sin does not exist, or that you should not feel guilty when you sin
• We are given total freedom, not for sinning, but for striving to become like Jesus

Reflection Questions

1. Among the three, which point spoke to you the most? Why?
2. How do you see yourself applying this in your daily life?
3. How do you see yourself sharing what you have learned to others in the coming week?