By David Phillips
Mid-Week Reminder and then some.
In Sunday morning’s sermon, we looked at the danger of being kidnapped – spiritually. In Colossians 2:8 Paul said, See to it that no one TAKES YOU CAPTIVE through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ. In that verse, Paul gives us a very strong warning: See to it… It is a very simple warning: Don’t be led astray. It is a very universal warning, even though many people obviously think that nothing like this would every happen to them, the warning needs to be heeded by everyone.
We also noted of the fact that if this happens, we can’t blame God, or anyone else, because we are the sheep who are sometimes prone to wander. Thus the necessity of this strong warning.
In the text, Paul mentions two prime avenues through which we may be deceived and led astray:
- Philosophy– this has reference to the ideas and teachings that are a mixture of God’s word and the wisdom of this world. Often this is the result of the desire to mold and shape God’s Word into something a little more fascinating, something we like more, or something more mysterious. Like rejecting the fact stated in Genesis 1:1 – In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth, and taking up something more modern and progressive, like the Big Bang Theory. And then there is
- Empty Deception– Nobody likes to be deceived, especially when the deception turns out to be totally empty with no substance to it at all. Some might even believe that surely no one would perpetrate such a trick in the name of religion. But Paul puts that false notion to rest in Titus 1:10 – For there are many rebellious men, empty talkers and deceivers… It is also pointed out in 1 John 1:7 – For many deceivers have gone out into the world… There are plenty of other contributing factors, that result in people being led astray in the name of religion, but these are the specific ones Paul mentions here.
We also noted that there are some things that we can do to avoid being kidnapped.
- Be aware, but don’t be afraid. Paralyzing fear has gripped much of our nation these days, in the face of the COVID Virus threat. In some ways, it has been difficult to learn that life must go on while at the same time we have to take extreme precautionary measures. We’ve had to change the way we do many things, in the interest of self-protection. We must always be willing to make adjustments to our lives in order to keep ourselves out of spiritual danger. But we mustn’t be paralyzed into inaction.
- Be educated, but don’t be easily persuaded. It will never be productive to bury our heads in the sand like the proverbial ostrich, and pretend that danger doesn’t exist. Whether it is secular education or daily experience, we must always be on our guard against the dangers of deception.
- Honor the premium that God has placed on TRUTH, and be wary of those who want to offer their own personal version of it. Jesus identified truth and God’s Word as being synonymous – one and the same. Let’s don’t get kidnapped by those who want to change, modernize or dress it up.
A final observation, that we didn’t get to in the sermon Sunday, has to do with Paul’s use of the word, captive. We find it coming from his pen in at least three other places in his writings. In 2 Timothy 2:26, he makes reference to those who have been kidnapped, expressing the desire that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, having been TAKEN CAPTIVE by him unto his will. In 2 Timothy 3:6 he warns Timothy about those who creep into houses, and TAKE CAPTIVE weak women laden with sins, led astray by various passions. This is not a slam against women, but merely a warning that those who deceive will seek out and prey on those who may be the weakest. Then in 2 Corinthians 10:5, Paul uses the word in a positive way: We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought CAPTIVE to the obedience of Christ.
Watch out for kidnappers! Surrender your heart to Jesus!