We are continuing in our discussion of the mandate found in Col 2:8;
This is a mandate for the believer to be able to identify the kosmic lie so that they are not deceived and taken captive by it.
The imperative is found in verse 8 where the word translated "see" in the NASB is the second person present active imperative of the Greek word "Blepo" that means to "see" to "watch out for" to "beware" or to "pay attention" or to "be on guard" This is followed by the negative conjunction of prohibition, "me"
At the time the Bible was written, "Blepo" was a command to be alert to a present danger that in this case was threatening the spiritual lives of believers at Colossae. It is a mandate to be alert to danger that if not complied with will result in the hearers continuing to fall victim to it.
What many of the Colossian believers had gotten themselves into was a philosophy in complete opposition to the "philosophy" of Christ, that is, the wisdom found in the Word that reveals Christ not as "elements of the world" but the Creator of all things, a fact that had already been established in Col 1:16-17;
This verse is helpful in establishing the foundation for human viewpoint, human good, and evil that is often exhibited as either anthropocentric speculation by the pseudo intellectuals or as religion in the superstitious.
Last time we identified some of the contradictions to the true spiritual life that are popular today that believers are to be aware of so that they do not succumb to the propaganda of false teachers and be deceived by them and be distracted from the spiritual life.
These contradictions look good and appear to be acceptable but they are not the spiritual life.
Last time we left off where Paul had instructed both Timothy and Titus regarding those who were teaching false doctrine because many of the communicators in Ephesus had deviated from these standards and having done so had engaged in what Paul describes as "fruitless discussion.”. 1Tim 1:3-6; Titus 1:10-14;
This is often the case today. Christ, Christianity, the Bible, the Church, Bible Doctrine, and the divine institutions are under assault, not only from the expected sources such as religion, progressive ideology, and a decadent culture but even from those who present themselves as pastors in the church.
In his Systematic Theology in Volume 2 Page 104-105, Dr. Lewis Sperry Chafer states the following regarding this:
"The real church has by no means lost her foes, for they are now even more numerous, subtle, and terrible than ever before. These present enemies, however, like the unclean birds in the mustard tree, have taken shelter under her branches. They are officiating at her most sacred altars and conducting her institutions.
These vultures are fed by a multitude, both in the church and out, who, in satanic blindness, are committed to the furtherance of any project or the acceptance of any theory that promises good to the world if it is apparently based upon Scripture, little realizing that they are often really supporting the enemy of God."
Blindness from Satanic deception has so confused the "religious community" that those who profess to be Christian have no idea how this translates into every-day life.
A great confusion exists in the church regarding what it means to be "spiritual" and what it means to be "sinful." or as many translations say "carnal"
It is not possible for the Christian to be partially spiritual and partially sinful. Spirituality and sinfulness or carnality are mutually exclusive absolutes.
Spirituality and Carnality are not conditions of degree but are determined by one's status or position.
The believer is either "filled with" or "by means of" the Holy Spirit and as a result is under the control of the Holy Spirit and considered "spiritual" or is controlled by the sinful nature and considered "sinful" or "carnal".
The control of the believer's soul is mutually exclusive, either the Holy Spirit is in total control of the believer’s soul life or the old sin nature is.
Today, just as in Timothy's day, too often the way people "feel" about God, spirituality, and religion is influence by false teachers.
This is reflected in their attitudes toward the church.
Having their souls filled with human viewpoint they allege to be spiritual and desire to instruct the uninformed in their midst.
1Tim 1:7; Net note 10; Desiring to be teachers of the Law, even though they do not understand either what they are teaching or the things they assert.
The context the false instruction that Paul was referring to was based on the oral tradition surrounding the Mosaic Law. The false teachers in this case didn't have the ability to discern the divine message in the Law that they alleged to respect.
The Law was designed to reveal the Messiah. Gal 3:24; and he is the end of the law for righteousness for everyone who believes. Rom 10:4
Once Messiah was revealed the Law was not only fulfilled it was replaced by His finished work on the cross. To insist on maintaining the rituals of the Law without recognizing their fulfillment in Christ is to distort their message regarding the Law into a system of legalism.
When the Law is viewed properly Christ is the reality that it illustrates and the Law can be used to identify Jesus as the Messiah.
1Tim 1:8; But we know that the Law is good, if one uses it lawfully (3d class condition: it may or may not be used properly)
Just because the Law has been retired from use does not mean that it was in error. It was meant primarily for client nation Israel but many of its principles are useful to the Church Age believer in his evaluation of the many circumstances typical to everyday life.
The Law was, among other things, designed to regulate, restrain, and correct the behavior of the individual. All men are identified as sinners and therefore require supervision. Gal 3:22-25;
God introduced to the Israelites a system of order that began with the Ten Commandments. From this basic order came spiritual order that is described in the first four commandments followed by establishment order described in the last six.
These are summarized by Paul in 1Tim 1:9; Knowing that to the righteous person the Law does not apply but it does apply to those who are lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, (a summary of the first four commandments) for those who kill their fathers or mothers (#5), for murderers (#6)
V.10 and immoral men and homosexuals (#7) and kidnappers (#8) and liars and perjurers (#9), and what ever else is contrary to sound doctrinal teaching (#10),
The righteous person is not the subject of this list of wrongdoings.
The righteous person goes beyond the imputation of God's righteousness at salvation and advances in the spiritual life by the application of Bible Doctrine under the mentorship of God the Holy Spirit.
As a result, the believer with doctrine does not need to be regulated by any law. Gal 5:23c;
The mentorship of God the Holy Spirit and the guidance of God's Word circulating in the stream of consciousness becomes an internal governor that regulates, restrains, and reproves the advancing believer's thoughts, decisions, and actions.
Those who have chosen to believe the lie deviate into a self-righteous never-never land of pseudo-spiritual delusion in which they create an imaginary righteousness that may be compared to a house of cards, its instability is compounded by the fact that the premises upon which it is based are the target of divine discipline.
For example, one cannot destroy the concept of sin, by simply removing deviant behavior from its list of prohibitions, and expect the newly created "standard of righteousness" to survive divine scrutiny.
One may be able to get some "church" to alter its "moral laws" that are perceived to be "unfavorable" but one then runs immediately right into the immutable word of God.
1Pet1: 24b quoting Isa 40:8; "The grass withers and the flower falls away,
v.25 - but the word of the Lord endures forever." And this is the word which was preached to you.
As the basis of Divine Establishment, the Ten Commandments bring order to a client nation and provide the basic principles for both blessings and prosperity among the people. Violations of these principles of Divine Establishment are not only sin but they destroy the nation.
The warning to the children of God under grace is against false teachers who are to be discerned by their doctrine concerning Christ 2 Pet 2:1; 2John 1:7-11;