Beware that you be not spoiled of man
Colossians 2:6-10 “As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: 7 Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. 8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. 9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. 10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:”
This teaching is from one of our Tuesday night meetings. Here we are looking at Colossians 2. The Apostle Paul is declaring to the Colossians that all fullness is in Christ. As you have received Him, walk in Him. Rooted, built, abounding in Christ Jesus. In Him is the fullness of the Godhead bodily. In Him is your completion. This is such a beautiful set of scripture. In Him is the fullness and in His fullness we are complete.
I believe the vision of the Son of Man in the Book of Revelation Chapter 1 is a picture of the fullness of Christ Jesus in the Church. Here is where we are to abound. Here is where we are to grow, in the knowledge of Christ. In Him we have come to God’s fullness. In Him we have come to our perfection and completion. Let us abound in Him.
In the midst of Paul’s presentation to the Colossians of the believer being in Christ’s fullness he puts out a warning. “Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.” Here I am concerned is where many believer’s walk, after the traditions of man and not after Christ. I believe this is evident even in much of our speech, as we typically declare to one another I am a Pentecostal, or a Baptist, or a Kingdom preacher. We have, without meaning to, divided the Body of Christ. Paul told the Corinthians they were carnal and walked as men because of this very thing. (I Corinthians 3:3)
In Galatians 1, the Apostle Paul writes and tells the believers he is astonished with them. His astonishment is that they have moved away from Christ to finding perfection and completion in the law. This I am afraid is one of the strongest bonds that is upon Christians today. They come and receive Christ who frees us from the law, and then are immediately preached back up under its bonds.
Anything but Christ spoils us. The word spoil in Colossians 2 is defined as to carry off as booty or prey. I can see in my mind a pirate coming in and gaining booty from his conquest. We become the spoil anytime we are moved from the truth that is in Christ. We need to be vigilant in the Word of the Lord to understand the truth that He, Jesus Christ, is. Our hearts must always be turned to abound in Him. Set our minds to His Revelation. Set our thoughts to His course. Let Him be Master, Savior and King. Glory to God!
