Beware of Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing

“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.  For in Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.  And ye are complete in Him, 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: 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.”  Colossians 2:8-12

Paul, in writing to the church at Colossae, raised an issue that was prevalent in thought among men and women of his day and is still prevalent among us today–philosophy, a system created by man as to how people should conduct their lives without accounting for God, His word, and eternity.  Is that not where we are today?  Paul also mentioned “vain deceit”, a system of lies which only bring emptiness to a life.  Much of “religion” today is based on traditions which are man-made practices handed down over the years and thus treated by some as equal with God’s word.  Rudiments of the world are those ideas that form the basis of philosophy and traditions.  Evolution would be rudimentary to the teaching that man came from some primordial ooze, developed into an animal, and then became man over millions of years.  This is basic to atheism, the belief that there is no God.  All of these beliefs, traditions, and philosophies are antithetical to the truth of God’s word and the gospel of Jesus Christ.

When Israel journeyed to the promised land, God went with them in a pillar of a cloud by day and a pillar of fire at night (Exodus 13:21).  His special presence with them was called the Shechinah, the glory, which was in the cloud above the mercy seat, the top of the Ark of the Covenant and between the two cherubim.  No one was allowed to make the blood sacrifice in the presence of God in the tabernacle and later the temple except the high priest.  No one has ever seen God the Father for He has not a physical body, but Jesus does, yet is fully God.  All that God the Father is, Jesus is.  To possess Christ as Lord and Savior makes one complete, perfect, and acceptable to the Father.  Since Jesus is the head of all principalities, that is, all jurisdiction and territory of the entire universe, and since He is all powerful, His sacrifice on the cross is SUFFICIENT to cover the sins of all people, past, present, and future.  One who has repented and placed his or her faith in Jesus Christ has been forgiven of all sin and will not suffer in eternity for his or her sin regardless of what some teach.

In making His covenant with Abraham, God required physical circumcision, a command which caused considerable pain as a reminder to Abraham and all of God’s chosen nation of the significance of His covenant with them.  However, after the death and resurrection of Christ, physical circumcision was no longer required because man was not under the law any longer, but under a new covenant of grace.  God then instituted a spiritual circumcision, the cutting away of the sin within a person’s heart, a circumcision not made with men’s hands, but by the sacrifice of Christ to cover sin.  Water baptism is an act of obedience to Christ on the part of the believer.  It is symbolic of and signifies the believer as being buried with Christ as we bury our sins in the watery grave and then being raised up to a new life lived for Christ, leaving our sins behind.  Baptism by immersion is the most accurate picture of the death and burial to the old life and then rising to the new life in Christ.

The above statements are the basis of the gospel.  No amount of traditions, rules, regulations, or rituals are to be added to what God has instituted as the plan of salvation.  However, what we are facing today is not so much about different interpretations of scripture, traditions, good works, and other manifestations of man’s ideas about God and scripture, but a full-frontal assault on God, Christ, God’s word, and Christ followers by people who desire to eliminate God and anything that involves Christ, scripture, and those who are born again believers.  I recently read an article online written by Scott Lively who wrote that “wokeness” is a religious cult with its basis formed from Marxism, a government which eliminates God and institutes itself as god.  He called “woke” “the Satanic equivalent of ‘Born Again’, and ‘wokeness’ the demonic equivalent of evangelical fervor.”  And it seems as those involved in this false religion are quickly gaining more followers that believers are leading people to Christ.

The problem is that many folks, including believers, are not paying attention, think this is a passing fad, think that it won’t affect them, or just don’t care that our once Christian nation is quickly becoming a nation of godlessness, which includes crime without punishment, a devaluing of life, hate, anarchy, and perversions of all sorts.  Believers must get on their knees and pray that 1. God will send a revival among His own people, 2. that He will give His people boldness to stand for truth and righteousness regardless of who is “offended”, and 3. stop believing that the right politician can bring peace and security.  Yes, we need honest God-fearing men and women leading our nation, but our sin is so great that there is no human who can do what only Christ can do, that is, change the hearts and minds of those who need to turn to Him.