Colossians 2:6-17

Colossians 2:6. As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:

Do not go away from him. You have received him; keep to him. Whatever he was to you at first, let him be that to you to the very last. Do not begin with Christ, and then go back to self; let it be all Christ from first to last.

Colossians 2:7. Rooted and built up in him,

Growing in him. Have your very life, like a tree, rooted in Christ; and like a temple, built up in Christ.

Colossians 2:7. And stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein, with thanksgiving.

Do not forget what you have been taught; do not reject it; keep to it. He who should learn one system of philosophy, and then unlearn it, and begin another, and then unlearn that, and begin another, would be more likely to turn out a fool than a philosopher; and he who begins to learn the faith in one way, and then tries to learn it in another way, and then attempts to learn it in yet another way, is more likely to be a skeptic than to be a saint.

Colossians 2:8. 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.

Plenty of people would spoil you in this way, by teaching you their profound thoughts, their grand inventions, their bright ideas. Beware of all of them.

Colossians 2:9. For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.

Everything, then, must be in Christ if all the fullness of the Godhead dwells in him. Why do you want to go anywhere else for wisdom? What can you find by going elsewhere? «For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.»

Colossians 2:10. And ye are complete in him,

You are like vessels filled up to the brim. You are like warriors thoroughly furnished, fully armed for the fight: «Ye are complete in him.»

Colossians 2:10. Which is the head of all principality and power: in whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:

All that the Jew ever had you have in Christ, only you have the real purification of which his rite was but a symbol.

Colossians 2:12. 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.

It is only as you are one with Christ that baptism will be to you what he intended; but «buried with him in baptism,» you are dead to all beside, and all your life lies in him.

Colossians 2:13. And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision, of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him,

All your life is in Christ; you are «quickened together with him.»

Colossians 2:13. Having forgiven you all trespasses;

Your pardon is given to you in Christ. Oh, how full and how free is that forgiveness that comes to you through Christ Jesus!

Colossians 2:14. 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; and having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

His cross was his triumph. Then he led captivity captive. What more do you want? Your enemy is vanquished, your sins blotted out, your death changed to life, your necessities all supplied. Will you not stay at home with Christ? «Why gaddest thou about so much to change thy way?» Canst thou have a better lover than thy Lord, a dearer husband than the heavenly Bridegroom? Oh, love the Lord, ye his saints; cling to him, and make much of him; let him be all in all to you!

Colossians 2:16. 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:

Do not let anybody come in, and tell you that it is necessary for your salvation that you should abstain from this meat or that drink, that there is a merit in fasting for forty days in Lent, or that you cannot be saved without observing such and such a holy day. Your salvation is in Christ. Keep you to that, and add nothing to this one foundation which is once for all laid in him.

Colossians 2:17. Which are a shadow of things to come;

That is all that they are: «a shadow of things to come.»

Colossians 2:17. But the body is of Christ.

Christ is the real one thing needful. Mind that you have the substance, for then you can let the shadows go. May God bless to us all this brief reading of his Word!