KC JONES | GUEST
[4] I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments. [5] For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ. [6] Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, [7] rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. [8] See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. [9] For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, [10] and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. (Colossians 2:4-10)
It should not surprise us on this side of the Garden that the forbidden tree from which Adam and Eve took and ate the fruit was known as “the tree of the knowledge of good and evil” (Gen. 2:17). Knowledge has always been prized and coveted by mankind because of the inherent belief in all of us that it contains power. And, like Adam and Eve, we crave such power because we believe we can and should be in control of our own lives and perhaps over everything else in the universe.
A People Deceived
Paul warns the church at Colossae of this temptation. He writes, “See that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to Christ. For in Him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in Him, who is the head of all rule and authority” (Col. 2:8-10). This deception is of the same nature as that which the serpent used to lure and entice both the first man and woman to twist the words of their master and disobey His command. First, the serpent planted a seed of doubt by simply asking a question, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” (Gen. 3:1). The woman replies by correcting the serpent, yet she adds her own variation as well, “’We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die’” (vs. 2b-3) Eve’s alteration suggests that even before the rest of the story unfolds, she believes God’s rule is up for personal interpretation. She inserts herself as a figure of authority, adapting and using language to meet her own desires.
Eve’s decision, which emerges from her understanding, is a significant one. By changing the wording God has given them for their own protection, she rejects God Himself; the living Word (John 1:1-3). Since then, this rejection of divine authority has continued, taking on various forms throughout the ages, but largely remaining in the same spirit of deception. And what do we know of deception? The reason it works so well is that it so closely resembles the real thing—the true thing, the right thing—that it confuses and persuades people easily. It has been said that Secret Service officers best learn how to detect counterfeit currency by studying legitimate legal tender. They familiarize themselves with what is true in order to detect what is not. So too, Paul exhorts the Colossians to do the same, “I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments. For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ” (vs. 4-5). We are called to remain steadfast in our faith, seeking the Lord and submitting to His authority in all things, knowing that it is ultimately for His glory and our good. The moment we begin to doubt Him and seek our own desires; the instant we take our eyes off of His wonderful face and consider another way; the second that we begin to wonder that He really loves us and wants what’s best for us which is ultimate contentment in Him, we must remember to “walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him, established in the faith, just as [we were taught], abounding in thanksgiving” (vs. 6). We endeavor to walk accordingly, root ourselves in truth, and build upon the cornerstone that is Christ (Eph. 2:20), all the while thanking Him for creating and reigning over us.
Christ’s Supremacy
It is tempting to put our trust in knowledge itself. We often convince ourselves that if we take in all the necessary information and make the right decisions, we can affect all the desired outcomes. In essence, we think we will have ultimate control over our lives. As Eve believed the lie that by rejecting God’s authority and eating of the tree she could be “like God, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:5b), so we operate in the same way, ignoring the laws of God and seeking truth apart from Him. Yet, we too will find it to be quite literally, a “dead end.” Like Paul, James reminds us that, “each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death” (James 1:14-15).
Our charge as Christians is to resist temptation by reminding ourselves moment by moment of the supremacy of Christ. We were made alive in Him and are now equipped to follow Him by taking heed according to His Word and submitting to His will. This is true freedom: laying ourselves bare on the altar of the Lord, the head of all rule and authority who gave His life that we might live.
KC Jones
KC is servant to God, wife to Baskin, and homeschool mother to four children. She is passionate about speaking, writing, and teaching, and zealous in her desire to encourage women to use their gifts for the glory of God. She is a member of Redeemer Church in Jackson, MS. where she is privileged to serve on the Women’s Ministry Team and lead Bible studies and Sunday School classes for women with a focus on Biblical literacy. In an effort to combine two of her favorite hobbies, KC is often spotted running to her favorite local bookstore. When not directly serving in the life of the Church, KC and her husband tend to their community garden, read-aloud to one another, and laugh at the many shenanigans their children get up to each day.