In the prior book of Philippians, Paul explained in four chapters how Christ was our heart (life & emotions), mind (head & intellect), soul (goal & spirit) and strength (actions & behavior) that parallels Christ’s Great Commandment to love God with all our heart, mind, soul and strength. Colossians explained how to love God with our whole being.
Pray to Know God’s Will
Paul thanked God when he heard about their faith in Christ and love that sprung from hope stored up for them in heaven. They heard about the gospel of God’s grace in the word of truth that produced fruit. They never stopped asking God for the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and understanding to live worthy and please the Lord in every way. They bore fruit in every good work, grew in God’s knowledge and strengthened according to His glorious might in great endurance and patience. They joyfully gave thanks to the Father who qualified them to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. God rescued them from the domain of darkness and brought into the kingdom of the Son where they had redemption, the forgiveness of sins (Col. 1:1-14). Pray to know God’s will so you can to bear fruit, grow spiritually and experience full redemption with sins forgiven.
Exalt Christ as Lord Over Every Authority
Jesus was the image of the invisible God by whom all things were created in heaven and earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones, powers, rulers or authorities. All things were created by Him and for Him. He was before all things and in Him all things held together. He was head of the body, the church, with supremacy in everything. God’s fullness dwelt in Christ. He reconciled to Himself all things on earth or heaven by making peace through His shed blood on the cross. Paul proclaimed the gospel to every creature and reconciled them through Christ’s death as holy, without blemish, free from accusation (Col. 1:15-23). Exalt Christ as Lord over every authority and reconcile them to God by proclaiming His death.
Admonish and Teach the Gospel
Paul took up Christ’s sufferings for the sake of His body, the church. God commissioned Paul to present the word of God in its fullness, the mystery now revealed to the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. They proclaimed Him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom in order to present everyone complete in Christ (Col. 1:24-29). Admonish and teach the gospel with all wisdom to present everyone complete in Christ.
Be Rooted and Built Up in Christ
Paul loved people so they could know Christ in whom was hidden all treasures of wisdom and knowledge. He taught them to be rooted and built up in Christ being strengthened in faith while overflowing with thanksgiving. They were not taken captive by hollow and deceptive philosophy that depended on human tradition and basic principles of this world instead of Christ (Col. 2:1-8). Be rooted and built up in Christ to discover wisdom and knowledge while rejecting deceptive human philosophy.
Consider Your Identification with Christ
The fullness of Deity lived in bodily form through Christ. God gave them the fullness of Christ who was head over every power and authority. After putting off the flesh by Christ’s death, they were buried and raised with Him by faith in God’s power who raised Jesus from the dead. He forgave sin and cancelled the regulations opposing them by nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the powers and authorities and made a public spectacle triumphing over them by the cross (Col. 2:9-15). Consider your identification with Christ’s death, burial and resurrection by trusting in His Spirit to disarm powers and authorities.
Find Reality in Christ
They refused peoples’ judgment concerning what they ate, drank or religious festival that were shadows of things to come. One found reality in Christ. They rejected false humility and worship of angels to prevent disqualification for the prize. This person went into great detail what he saw. His unspiritual mind was puffed him up with idle notions. He lost connection with the Head of the body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grew as God caused it to grow (Col. 2:16-19). Find reality in Christ and reject false humility that puffs you up with idle notions.
Die to Legalistic Commands
Believers died to basic principles and human commands of the world like “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!” They had appearance of wisdom with self-imposed worship. Their false humility and harsh treatment of the body lack value to restrain sensual indulgence (Col. 2:20-23). Die to legalistic commands toward harsh treatment of the body since they can’t restrain sensual indulgence.
Our priority is to be rooted and built up in Christ to discover wisdom and knowledge while rejecting deceptive human philosophies:
1. Pray to know God’s will to bear spiritual fruit and experience full redemption while rejecting powerless legalistic commands
2. Live out true reality of Christ by proclaiming His death to reconcile every authority to Him and reject false humility
3. Identify with Christ as you admonish and teach the gospel with all wisdom presenting everyone complete in Christ
