Holding the head

And do not let anyone talk you out of that!!!

Col 2:19

And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God.

Eph 4:15

But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:

Eph 4:16

From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

We need to Hold on to Christ if we want to grow. If not we will die and wither. Only the branches that stay attached to the Vine can be filled with the life of His spirit.

Hold is the word krateo and here is what it means

It means to “hold fast and not let go” “to get possession of” “make Christ our own”

Col 1:23

If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel  (here “if” is the word “eige” which gives more assurance than the doubtful “if’ or “ei”

Since you continue! Is better. Since we stay in The Faith and there is only one.

Eph 4:5

One Lord, one faith, one baptism,

We can be built and established in Christ.  We only need to stay put in Him and not be tricked to look to dead works and mysteries.  But we must not allow our selves to moved away from our Hope.

And the true Mystery is where we have this

Col 1:27

To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

This is the secret and the treasure of wisdom

Col 2:3

In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

But men will beguile you from it. Talk you out of it and trick you by logically arguing you out of believing you are Complete in Christ and Christ is alive in You!

Col 2:7

Rooted and built up in him,

How do we stay rooted and built up in Him.  Walk in Love.

Men will try to steal you away from your treasure.. They will try to take you into slavery and bondage from the freedom you have with Christ in you and you in Christ. For in Christ you have it all! All the fulness and completeness of the Infinite God!

Col 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

Yes the systems of the world seem so logical. Philosophy by tradition is taught in all the schools, but is the Mystery of Christ explained?? What He has accomplished for you and me?  Circumcised all our sins and flesh off of us. Died and we died with Him. Risen and we rose with Him. Made alive with Him forever. Forever forgiven!

Let no one judge you because You have been judged at the cross as righteous as He is.

Let no one rule over you and say you are lost because they are more holier than thou.

Col 2:18

Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,

But instead hold on to the promise. Hold on to Christ.

Col 2:19

And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God.

You will then grow and grow infinitely bigger with God.   It is love and giving that makes you bigger not pride and taking.

Seek the things above. Meaning the spiritual reality that is accomplished, we believe in Him we have not seen with our eyes but the eyes of our heart

Col 3:1

If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.

We are complete and with Him in the heavenlies looking down.

Think of yourself like this. Be all about  you new birth from above. Keep your mind on the fact He is ascended to the right hand of God and so are you now!

Col 3:2

Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

Let go of the false man made religions. The ascetism. The belief that all physical creation and the flesh is just evil and all spiritual things are good. This was the teaching of the day in Gnosticism

For the only purpose of physical things, including your flesh is to serve the Creator and good Father God. Flesh is as good as it can be used by God. It is a tool and is not inherently evil. It depends how you use it… Sort of like a knife or a gun.  A knife can kill an person and so can a gun. But they also can save a person as in surgery or feed a person by hunting a meal

Col 3:3

For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.

If we try to use our flesh for our own purpose we will die. In fact no matter if we do good or evil our flesh will die, and in Gods Eternal view you already are dead, except for the new life He gave in Christ

Keep your eyes on the source of life and not the things that He gave us like sex, food, money and comforts.

Hold tight and own Christ because He owns you. He died for you and bought you from death.

The most dangerous thing for our Faith is religion

Not anger, not fornication or even murder. We cannot pull our selves out of sin by our won works which Christ already accompllished’

The Pharisees added more rules to the good rules of Moses that no one could keep

The taught you cannot do this or that on certain days and then you must do this and that on others. But they were without Christ and dead until the came to Him

Col 2:21

“Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!”

Col 2:22

(which all refer to things destined to perish [fn]with use)—in accordance with the commandments and teachings of man?

God knows that the food you bought will have an expiration date and turn to mold. But also God knows all things including the best fed man will also perish (without Christ)

And these are the very methods that these men will use to separate you from you Joy in Christ.

Condemnation and accusation, because you forgot to wash your hands? Or maybe forgot to put your Covid mask on?

But God is so much wiser and higher than all the molecules, viruses, and people He created.

Col 2:23

NAS2020

These are matters which do have the [fn]appearance of wisdom in [fn]self-made religion and humility and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence.

The legalists will take the place of the teachers of Christ and try to inhabit their temple. The will set up false temples and buildings to shame you when you are the only temple God created to live in!!

They will have such convincing and logical reasons that they are smarter than you.  You have just love for the Bible but they have seminary degrees and know Greek.  They never watched porno but you did. They never took any drugs except what the pharmacy and doctors legally prescribe. They seem to be so religious but their religion is false. It is determined and made by men not God. And they are proud to tell you and judge you if you heal people and feed widows on the wrong day of the week. They want to convince you that you are not spiritual or religious because you do not obey the church or government instead of your heart and God

These methods of the religious cannot stop your addictions, It is only the Love and acceptance of God that replaced our old habits with new ones. It is only grace that fills you not taking out all the dark parts. You cannot stop thinking about eating an ice cream cone if you repeat “I’m not going to eat ice cream over and over. No the law will make you think more about that nice ice cream cone. These methods have no value to overcome sin and failure.

But Being filled by the Love of Chirst is like filling the glass. That is effective and His words will purify you. His holy spirit will change you. Not trying to do it your way. Love never fails.

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. James 1:27