11-17-2024 - The Well of Wisdom
Text: Colossians 2:8-15
No one can argue that we’re living in a world that is confused about a lot of things we once believed were written in stone. There were absolute standards for right and wrong but now those lines are blurred or even taken away. For example, we were told stealing is wrong but today, it’s ok to seal if it is less than a certain dollar amount. People, even minor children, can now decide for themselves if they want to be a male or female. And they can change their minds daily if it suits them! Crimes aren’t really crimes because they’re blamed on unfair circumstances that the criminals may find themselves in. As a result, we feel unsafe in our own communities and the rights of parents of minor children are called into question. All this confusion has come about because too many people have chosen to listen to the philosophies of deceived or mistaken humans. The only way out is to go to the Well of Wisdom so that we can know what is true and what is false.
Paul teaches about this in Colossians 2:8-15 where Paul wrote: “ (8) Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men and after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. (9) For in Him [meaning Jesus] dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. (10) And you are complete in Him, which is the Head of all principality and power. (11) In Whom also you are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sin of the flesh by the Circumcision of Christ; (12) buried with Him in baptism, wherein also you are risen with Him through the faith of the operation of God, Who has raised Him from the deal. (13) And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, has He quickened together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses; (14) blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to His Cross; (15) And having spoiled principalities and powers made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.”
Paul warns in verse 8 about any philosophy of life that’s based only on human ideas and experiences. He himself was a gifted philosopher, so he isn’t condemning philosophy or education. What he does condemn are teachings that only credit human wisdom and ignore or discount the wisdom of God and Jesus Christ that gives answer to life’s problems. Any approach without God is nothing but a false religion. Sadly, there are too many human-developed approaches to life’s problems that do disregard God. In order to resist them, we must keep our eyes on Christ and always study God’s Word.
In verse 9 Paul stresses the deity of Jesus when he wrote ‘in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead.’ Jesus is God in bodily form who isn’t another god or less than the one true God. Paul is confirming that when we have Jesus, we have everything we need to live a God-centered life and have eternal salvation.
So many people are searching for something that will give their lives meaning, purpose, and direction. Very few people seem content within themselves. They seem to be filled with an uneasy sense of incompleteness. Only Jesus can remove that uneasiness for them. Everyone can find complete personal fulfillment in life by letting Him into their heart and allowing His presence to fill them.
When you know Jesus you don’t need to try to connect with God through other religions, cults, or unbiblical philosophies which is what the Colossians were doing when Paul wrote this letter. He is telling them and people today that Christ alone holds the answers to the true meaning of life because He is life. And He is the unique source of all the knowledge and power needed for a fulfilling Christian life and eternal salvation.
We all will have days where we struggle. When we do, Jesus is always there to give us His full power and presence to see us through it. In Him we are new people, equipped for life and sanctified by God. We can give more generously because God will supply what we need. We can love more easily because God will energize us. And we can say “I can do it” because God will always amaze us with what we are capable of.
In verses 11 and 12 Paul is relating the Old Testament sign of circumcision with baptism. Circumcision was a sign that Jewish males were part of the covenant with God. This causes some see the rite of baptism as the New Testament sign of the covenant that identifies the believer with the Christian community. With the death of Christ, the rite of circumcision was no longer necessary because now our commitment to God is written on our hearts, not our bodies when we accept Him as our Savior. Jesus sets us free from our evil desires by performing a spiritual operation that replaces our old nature with a new one.
The rite of baptism parallels the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ and also describes the death and burial of our old sinful life followed by our resurrection into a new life in Jesus. Knowing that our old sinful life is dead and buried with Jesus gives us a powerful motive to resist sin every day and frees us to enjoy our new life with Christ.
Verse 13 reminds us that before we believed in Jesus we disobeyed, rebelled, and ignored God. Even at our best, we didn’t love Him with all our heart, soul, and mind. But as Christians we now have a new nature. Our old rebellious nature is replaced with a new loving nature and the penalty of death for sin is now gone when Jesus died on the cross. Verse 14 tells us, the written code that was canceled was the legal requirement of the Old Testament law. That demanded death as payment for our sin. No one can be saved by merely keeping that old law. Only the acceptance of Jesus as Savior can do that. But the moral truths and principles found in the Old Testament are still important because they teach and guide us today.
The principalities and powers spoken of in verse 15 include Satan’s demonic powers, other gods worshiped, as well as nations and individuals who do not believe in the one true God. Jesus’ death on the Cross has defeated all forms of disbelief and rebellion in the world whether that be Satan and his demons, the false idols of pagan religions, or evil world governments. The death of Christ can be compared to stripping a soldier on the battlefield of his armor. Evil is now disarmed for the Christian because the death of Christ on the Cross.
Jesus is the Well of Wisdom for Christians. Only He can show us how we can live a full, complete, and satisfying life. He has given us our freedom from sin through the Cross with the ability to be victorious over Satan and his evil powers. Paul uses the word ‘triumph’ in verse 15 because a triumphal entry or great parade into the city was often given to generals who were victorious in battle. Jesus Christ has won the victory over all the powers that could defeat the Christian. Paul reminds us in Colossians 1:13 that all believers have been rescued from the dominion of darkness and brought into the kingdom of the God because of the Son He loves.
Don’t ever let the crazy things that are happening in the world today bring your faith into question. Use your faith to determine what is right and wrong. No matter what crazy twist of nature or rejection of appropriate behavior the world may try to force on us, always trust in the Well of Wisdom that we have in Jesus Christ and God’s Word to show us what is right. As long as we keep our faith in Jesus at the forefront of all we think and do, we will never be taken in the by absurd or removed from the loving arms of God that protect us from those that want us to question our faith and pull us away from Him.
Until we meet again, may God bless and keep you, may He shine His light on you, show you grace, and give you peace in all the days ahead.