Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev20070715.htm

THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION
Colossians: Maturing Over False Beliefs By Christ's Supreme All-Sufficiency
Part IX: Applying Christ's Supreme All-Sufficiency To Godly Living
A. Using Christ's Supreme All-Sufficiency To Heed The Right Mental Orientation
(Colossians 3:1-4)
  1. Introduction
    1. To keep himself free of false beliefs and their destructive effects on his thinking, life and ministry, Paul repeatedly urged Timothy to pay attention (prosecho and epecho) to the right versus the wrong truths and activities, cf. 1 Timothy 1:4; 3:8; 4:1, 13, 16 NIV; U. B. S. Greek N. T. , 1966 ed., p. 720, 723-726.
    2. As this was a necessary focus for Timothy as a pastor, it is similarly necessary for the spiritual welfare of the man in the pew, a fact Paul implied in Colossians 3:1-4 in view of its broader context (as follows):
  2. Using Christ's Supreme All-Sufficiency To Heed The Right Mental Orientation, Colossians 3:1-4.
    1. From Colossians 2:8-32, we recall Paul had exposed the errant philosophy, legalism, mysticism and asceticism of the Gnostic heresy that his Colossian readers faced, Bible Know. Com., N. T. , p. 677-679.
    2. In doing so, he had repeatedly revealed that Christ's supremacy and all-sufficiency for believers exposed the errant views and destructive effects of Gnosticism, cf. Colossians 2:8-10, 11-15, 18-19, 20-22.
    3. Thus, Paul sought to strengthen his readers' walk by strengthening their MINDS through redirecting their ATTENTION to the right realities upon which to THINK as opposed to false Gnostic ideas (as follows):
      1. As Paul had repeatedly clarified that the solution to philosophical, legalistic, mystical and ascetic errors in Gnosticism is a proper focus and knowledge of Christ's positional supremacy and all-sufficiency, the Christian being thus positionally dead and risen with Christ (Col. 3:1a), he urged his readers to SHIFT their ATTENTION to this correct philosophical investigation source versus false Gnosticism :
        1. Paul urged his readers to "seek" those things which are above, where Christ sits enthroned at the right hand of God, Colossians 3:1b. This implies an added call for Paul's readers to shift from focusing on the false views offered by the Gnostic heretics to which they had been exposed.
        2. Now, the verb "seek" (dzayteo) in this context where Paul had countered vain Gnostic philosophy (Colossians 2:8-10) calls one to a right philosophical investigation source versus heeding false Gnosticism, for the term, dzayteo "in secular literature . . . is a technical term for philosophical investigation," cf. Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, vol. II, p. 893.
      2. To affirm this directive, in Colossians 3:2, Paul added that his readers should set their MINDS (froneo) on things above rather than on things on the earth; their life was hid with Christ in heaven in God, and since He is their very spiritual life, when He appears in glory at His coming, they would also appear with Him in glory, Colossians 3:3-4.
      3. Paul's directive at Colossians 3:1-4 was given in view of the Gnostic error he had critiqued, so this passage was meant to shift the attention of Paul's readers away from the false teaching to which they had been exposed that they might dwell on their position in their supreme, all-sufficient Savior:
        1. The believer's identification with Christ in His death and resurrection "is nothing less than a removal into a new sphere of being . . . Matter is to him no longer the great enemy; his position towards it is one of absolute neutrality. Ascetic rules, ritual ordinances, have ceased to have any absolute value, irrespective of their effects" opposite what Gnosticism suggested, J. B. Lightfoot, Colossians and Philemon, 1974, p. 209.
        2. Thus, the believer stands free in Christ from the rule of vain philosophies, legalism, mysticism and asceticism simply because he is positioned in the risen Christ; it only follows that he should keep his focus on his position in Christ versus giving attention to man's false, destructive views!
Lesson: We believers offset the debilitating effects of false philosophy, legalism, mysticism and asceticism by SHIFTING our ATTENTION from such false SOURCES of VIEWPOINT to FOCUS on our POSITION and its blessed future in our SUPREME, ALL-SUFFICIENT, exalted, coming LORD!

Application: We overcome error by SHIFTING our ATTENTION from ERRANT to TRUE sources of ideas: God wants us NOT to FOCUS on the CONTENT of vain philosophies, legalism, mysticism or asceticism, but on our TRUE position in our supreme, all-sufficient Savior and our great hope in Him!