Don’t be cheated! – Wednesday, 30 August

“Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, 19 and not holding fast to the Head, from whom all the body, nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments, grows with the increase that is from God.”
Colossians 2:18-19 (NKJV)

“Let no one defraud you of your prize [your freedom in Christ and your salvation] by insisting on mock humility and the worship of angels, going into detail about visions [he claims] he has seen [to justify his authority], puffed up [in conceit] by his unspiritual mind, 19 and not holding fast to the head [of the body, Jesus Christ], from whom the entire body, supplied and knit together by its joints and ligaments, grows with the growth [that can come only] from God.”
Colossians 2:18-19 (AMP)

The Apostle Paul is writing to the church at Colosse to present them with a full revelation of the finished work of Jesus – to help them see and focus on everything that Jesus did for them through His suffering, death, and resurrection. He was also writing to expose false teaching.

Up until this point in the book of Colossians, Paul has mostly written of the wonderful riches of God’s grace and the finished work of Jesus. Now he says, don’t let anyone cheat you of your freedom in Christ, and he goes on to list a whole lot of things which would cheat or defraud you of your prize of freedom and salvation (enjoying everything that Jesus accomplished for you). Anything that takes your focus off Jesus and what He has done for you is defrauding you of the abundant life that’s yours in Christ.

The abundant Christ-life (John 10:10) can only come from The Head – Jesus Christ – and so when we focus on things like worship of angels or visions which do not glorify Jesus and His finished work, they will only cut off the flow of the supernatural life and power of God  in our lives. Angels exist, but throughout Scripture, we see that they continuously stop men from worshipping them. And there is nothing wrong with having visions, but if it takes our focus away from Jesus and what He’s done for us, it is wrong. A vision from God will never contradict His written Word.

Like Paul said, even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed (Galatians 1:8 ESV). The gospel is the message of God’s amazing grace (Acts 20:24), and so any vision or “special revelation” which pulls the focus off Jesus and what He has done for us (grace) is wrong. It’s only a distraction sent to prevent you from experiencing the abundant Christ-life.

In order to be spiritually healthy (which is primary to all other health) we need to hold fast to the Head who is Jesus.  Holding fast to Jesus by focusing on Him and what He has done for us is the key to enjoying the abundant Christ-life.

Much love,