Jesus Lord of All #5: Lord of My Life - Colossians 2:16 -3:11

 

Jesus Lord of All #5: Lord of My Life - Colossians 2:16 -3:11

Paul has told the Colossians and us what we have in our Lord. We lack nothing and we need nothing.

The subject of that hymn was also the subject of Paul’s letter to the church at Colosse, Christ is All in All, He is preeminent. 

Paul’s Prayer for the Believers In Christ

 Colossians 1:9-13 For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness; Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:

He prayers for these 5 characteristics of a Christian, a life lived in the power, influence and dedicated to honoring and obeying Jesus.  

Be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.

Walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him

Be strengthened with all power, from the supply of God’s glorious might.

That in that strength you would find endurance and patience with joy.

Live in thankfulness to the Father, who has made us worthy to share in the inheritance of the saints, has delivered us from the kingdom of darkness and transported us to the kingdom of Jesus, His Son.

Paul’s Picture of the Preeminence of Christ

Colossians 1:15-20 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.

Christ Is

The exact image of the invisible God

The firstborn of every creator because… 

He is the creator

He is before all things and by Him all things are held together

He is the head, the leader, the founder, the sustainer of the church

He is all these things and in all these things He is preeminent.

Paul’s Preaching, Christ Is All

 We are complete in Him - Colossians 2:9-10 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:

We are alive in Him Colossians 2:12-13 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;

We are Free In Him, Our sins are canceled in Him Colossians 2:13-14 having forgiven you all trespasses; 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;

We are victorious in Him Colossians 2:15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

Paul’s Purpose In Pointing To Christ As Lord of All

Because Jesus is lord and because we need no one nor anything else, Paul then comes to this vss. 16-20 the concluding statement for chapter 2. This was the reason that Epaphras the pastor of the church had come seeking the great apostles help.

Someone or some group was teaching that Jesus was good. Sure He was okay. Nothing wrong with Jesus, but there was something better. The church just needed to add something or change something or elevate something else and they would find even greater power and truths than good ol’ Jesus. But Paul points to Jesus and proclaims Christ is All and in Him is all we need therefore, don’t let anyone deceive you.

 Lord Over Legalism – Colossians 2:16-23

Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ. Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,

Christ Must Rule My Life

If Jesus is Lord of All and Lord of my life, then He should rule in my life and we should not be ruled by rules and regulations. Paul points out that if the Colossian are not mindful of the place of Christ in their life and as their life, then they may be ruled not by His love or guidance but by the legalism of men. A legalism will then rob them of their best relationship with Jesus.

Legalism Robs Me Twice he says, “Let no man.” Let no man judge you in vs 16 and Let no many beguile you, defraud or trick you. In the first case they were making themselves subject to a men instead of to the Lord and in the second they were being tricked into thinking they were serving the Lord when in truth you have been robbed of your reward. These were spiritual confidence men, Satan’s salesmen, godless grifters. And they did not stop after the 1st century.

Paul spoke of this to the Galatians in one of the first epistle he wrote.

Galatians 4:9-11 But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain.

To Timothy he wrote in warning to stand against teachers of these things

1 Timothy 4:3 Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.

Legalism, Alive and Well

We could go into each specific instance that Paul mentions, meat, drink, holydays, new moons, sabbath day or the worship of angels or any other belief, or more importantly practice, that would supplant the proper place of the Lord, but it really doesn’t matter what the particular brand of legalism is. There will always be legalists, con men and women, telling us that we should do this or not do this in order to have more of Christ or be more of a Christian.

There is a fine line between serving and loving the Lord in the things I do and serving  and loving the things instead of the Lord. Taken to its extreme legalism is works for salvation, but to a believer legalism is losing sight of Jesus because we have stopped looking to Him and instead look to the things about Him. Instead loving and living in the Lord, I begin to love and live in rules and regulations that I think make me a better believer but instead that cause me to keep my eyes on a checklist of do's and don’ts rather than on the Lord.

I love being an independent Baptist. I love the heritage, I love the hymns, I love the simple directness of just doing what the Bible says I’m supposed to do. But being an independent Baptist is only good as far as it brings me to more clearly see and love my Lord. When I begin to define the quality of my relationship with Jesus by what I do then I diminish that relationship.

Legalism not only robs me, but

Legalism Dethrones Jesus as Lord of My Life. As Paul said in Colossians 2:19 When this happens then I am, “not holding (fast to) the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God.” I am not honoring the Lord and the head of the church or the Lord of my life.

Legalism Resurrects Sin In My Life -  

 If I am saved then I am dead with Christ, a spiritual death that includes dying to the regulations of this world.  Colossians 2:20-22 Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, (Touch not; taste not; handle not; Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men?

These things are not eternal, they will pass like all commandments and teaching of men.

Legalism is a show, a pretense and nothing else. Colossians 2:23 Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh.

So how does legalism work? How does it creep into our lives and dethrone the Lord of All? Let me give you a…

Funny Example: A man has moved to a new town and was looking for a church to join. He went to the Episcopal church and said he was interested in joining. The vicar there told him that would be fine but first he had to answer a question to make sure he was worthy of the Episcopal church. The man said okay and the vicar asked him. “Where was Jesus born?” The man thought for a moment and then said, “Was it Tyler?” The vicar looked at him strangely and then said, “No, it wasn’t Tyler!” The man left. The same test was given in every church the man visited.

At the Methodist church, they asked him the same question, Where was Jesus born. He said, Jacksonville. They told him to come back later. At the Presbyterian church, the lady preacher asked and he guessed, “Longview.” She turned her back and walked away. Finally, he wandered into the Baptist church and asked about joining

The Pastor said they would be glad if he joined them as long as he was saved and scripturally baptized. The man said to I have to answer a question about Bible geometry or history? No, the preacher said, but if you have any question I can help you with just let me know. The man said, “Well yeah, Can you please just tell me where Jesus was born?” The pastor said, sure he was born in Palestine. The man slapped his head and said, “Oh, man I knew is was somewhere in East Texas!”

We can smile at that king of legalism, but in the church real legalism isn’t funny, its dangerous in its constrictions and consequences.

I once heard a man preach that if you don’t go soul winning every Thursday and Saturday then you probably weren’t even saved. That’s legalism.

I have heard people say things like no child of God would come to church dressed like that or if you really loved the Lord, you’d cut your hair and shave your beard. That’s legalism.

Or maybe just things like you can’t get saved unless you heard the Gospel out of the King James Version of the Bible. Or unless you speak in tongues or get baptized or keep the 10 commandments. Those are very much legalism. They set the parameters of the Lord loving you through rules, through legalism.

When that happens, you have been robbed and have been beguiled as Paul is warning the Colossians about here. Legalism has become your lord and the love of Jesus, the Lordship of Christ, is lost in the fog of regulation, rules and tradition.

Legalism is Not Personal Convictions I’m not talking about standards or personal convictions and there is a difference between these and legalism.

Romans 14:17-18 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men.

In the things that are not clearly set out in scripture as right and wrong, sin against God or obedience to God, and you are trying to honor God in your dress, your food, your grooming then you have the Bible’s blessing. Now I happen to know that my convictions in these areas are better than your convictions if they disagree with mine, but I’m not going to say that, except in the pulpit as a joke.

You feel only dresses should be worn by women, that’s your conviction. Then do that as a way of showing your love of the Lord. You feel men shouldn’t wear beards, then don’t grow a beard if you are doing it to please the Lord and not to appease the peer pressure of certain religious group. Cover your head, don’t cover your head, eat pork, don’t eat pork, wear a suit and tie to church, wear Wranglers to church. Just make sure you wear something and it is enough for modesty and do it in your heart to please the Lord, not show off your fancy clothes or your humility then you are not just okay, but you are a-okay.

It all comes back to what Paul has been saying throughout this letter. Our life must be all about Christ, or we diminish the Lord in our life. Look at chapter 3:1-4 which acts as a conclusion to the doctrinal part of Paul’s letter and a bridge to the practical that we will continue later.

Conclusion: Lord Of My Life – Colossians 3:1-4

If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.

Christ Is My Life

The old man, we once were, is gone and now Christ is our life. (In the Greek there is no italicized words in vs. 4. It simply says, “Christ our life!”)  Now because we are no longer who we once were, now because our life is hid with Christ, now because Christ is our life, let us live life, not under the bondage of rule and regulation but in the power of glory of Jesus, Lord of Lord, in the sure knowledge of Christ, our All in All, in the unfailing hope of Jesus, King of Kings, in the glory of Jesus, Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end.

What a pale life to live by man-made rules when I should be ruled by Christ alone.

Keith Getty and Stuart Townsend wrote a song that in many ways began a return back to classic hymn writing in church music. Instead of just praising or worshipping the Lord in song, it presents theological truth and the Gospel. That song was “In Christ Alone.” That song could have been inspired by the truths of Colossian.

In Christ alone my hope is found.
He is my light, my strength, my song.
This Cornerstone, this solid Ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love. What depths of peace,
When fears are stilled when strivings cease
My Comforter, my All in All
Here in the love of Christ I stand!

This is where we all must take our stand in Christ Alone.