3/8/25 The Divine Foundation

Paul is addressing the church of Colossae & is not there to teach them directly. He does not want them to fall to deception as Eve did in the Garden with a fine sounding argument. The problem is the church of Colossae may not know Jesus. They know of him, but do not know him. This is the threat for all of us today! Without knowing him you have nothing. Jesus warned on the day of judgement people would know of him but would not know him. They would not have a relationship with him. They will be rejected by him and say, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ ²³ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!” (Matthew 7:21-23) Here is how Paul says this is a problem with the church of Colossae. It is a problem now. PRAY Here is how Paul says we combat this.

⁶ So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, ⁷ rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

Lots to teach through here. Just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord –by Grace, in faith that he is who he says he is, will do what he says he will and embodies the hope that the world is incapable of giving. This receiving we are to continue to live life in him. As in your life is a part of his. You are joined, you walk through life together. Which means that that the strongest leads. Guess what? That is not you. The verse embodies the image of vegetation rooted, built up in Jesus not rooted (which is foundational, what you base your life, your values on) and built up in Christ in faith that he is stronger. Now then we see the contingency, as you were taught. Do not think you can assume much of anything at all regarding proper understanding of the word, of the Lord himself. Common knowledge is false and is being taught in the pulpits. Jesus never said, “if it feels good do it. Never said God helps those who help themselves. He never said Believe in yourself, follow your heart, be true to yourself, or as long as you are happy, that is what matters.” Like vegetation you are to be in him as your soil and be nourished by the fresh air that is his words and teaching and watered by the Spirit. Then we are called to be overflowing with thankfulness and this means gratitude, this means recognition for what he has done for you, in you, and through you. Give thanks with a grateful heart. Then in V8

⁸ See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.

This is the warning. It reflects to last week in V4. The lure of deception is all around us. Notice the foundation that deception is built on, human tradition. Like Christmas and Easter. These are not Chrisian holidays. Jesus was not born on December 25^th. He has nothing to do with painted eggs and bunnies that infiltrate your home. Historically speaking we are Judeo Christians and that means we are tied to Jewish time frames because our Savior, who we are speaking of, was Jewish and regarded Passover in the Spring when he was hung as the Passover Lamb of God on the cross. The second teaching is elemental spiritual forces of this world. Paul also uses this phrase in Gal 4:3. Some Xlations say the rudiments of the world. Seems awkward in wording, in GR we see that elemental spiritual is translated from one word Stoicheion which means the heavenly bodies because times, seasons, sacred seasons, regulated by sun and moon meaning how time is measured going back to the beginning of the earth. Drawing this out, this hollow deceptive philosophy depends on human tradition AND seasonal ritualistic traditions rather than the Messiah.

When you build your life upon the Messiah when you are in the Messiah when you nourish yourself with the words and the Spirit of the Messiah. You are eating the Scriptures, you are drinking from the Living Water, that is the Holy Spirit, then you get in him and he in you, the Messiah moves through you, the Messiah moves you. You begin the separation, the division and the process of seeing through the lies of the world. He leads you into trailways where you will discover truths. Some of which will shake your world and make you realize that value that trust was in the world and not in Messiah, but he is showing you to save you, showing you to lead you above the sting of what deception brings. Because he has plans to prosper you not to crush you. He has plans to operate through you since you belong to him you are in Messiah.

Now loved ones let him out. Let him operate from within. Once you have the Divine Foundation you can build.