An Apostle's assumption

An Apostle’s assumption – ‘You are in Christ’

Colossians 2 verses 6 to 23

Background
Paul may not have met these people but he knew their pastor, Epaphras and some of their members – they had come to Ephesus. Paul wrote two letters at this time to Ephesus and Colosse. Colossians is more about being a Christian than about becoming one. The nature of the Gospel that they heard is Truth and the knowledge of God’s will. In the introduction he sets out what Christianity is. The Gospel is the truth, all preacher of the Gospel must believe that. It is not just my truth but THE truth, it is God’s word, what he has given, it was the truth in Paul’s time and it still is now. It comes by hearing the word of truth. It is knowledge as well, a particular type of knowledge. When we study we gain knowledge. We never really forget the, they come back easily when they are spiritual wisdom; we see what we have never seen before. We begin to know God’s will for us. From verse 21 he tells us his desires for the Colossians and for us by telling us about himself and what he is doing for the.
Pastors are concerned for God’s flock – they suffer for it; they speak to it and they strive to make it what it should be. Could Paul make this assumption about you? What does it mean to receive Christ and to be in Christ?


Who is Christ Jesus the Lord? (verse 9).

a) He is pre-eminent in creation and the cosmos (verses 15 to 20), that is everything in the created order, its harmony and its structure. Jesus Christ is the creator and sustainer.
b) He is pre-eminent in Salvation. He is the one who saves his people, no one else can do that. Who is he to us? Is he our Lord and Saviour? Do we believe in this Jesus? We can’t pick and choose what we believe about him.

What does it mean if Christ is not your Lord? (Chapter 1 verse 21)

a) You are alienated from God. Paul thinks people need to know this and he makes no concessions to their feelings or sensibilities. This is a positional statement and unbelievers do not have rights of citizenship of Heaven, they are not in God’s kingdom, it is a terrible position to be in. Some among us are not believers, they are not ‘attached to the head’ they are not in THE church.
b) You are an enemy of God. You are predisposed to this if you do not believe in Jesus Christ, you are an enemy of God. If the world hates believers it is because they first hated him.

THERE IS NO NEUTRALITY

What shows that we have received Jesus as our Lord?
a) We must repent for past actions. We must turn away from our sins, we were under the power of sin and we must turn away from it, turn away from the things of darkness and towards the things of light.
b) We must have faith in Him. We must receive him as a free give. Proper faith is trust. We do not hold onto our old life.
c) Receive Him as our Sovereign – our king.
d) Receive Him as our Saviour.
e) Receive Him as our loving master.
Have we received him this way? We can receive him like this today. We can move from the dominion of sin to the dominion of God.