CHRIST ALONE...

Colossians 2:1-10
My! How reporting the News has changed in my lifetime. I remember, as many of you do, when the news reporters did just that, they reported the news and left us with enough information to make up our own minds as to the potential outcomes thereof. Today, we do not have to tax our understanding because the reporters not only report what they want us to know, they comment on how we should think! Many have become Peddlers of Opinions rather than Reporters of the Facts. If we really want to know the truth of a matter, we must sort through the verbiage.
 
It may surprise you, but this is really nothing new to our age. The same games were played in Bible times, we just have more technology! Misinformation gets around a lot more quickly these days. For instance, the news of the Resurrection of Christ was first contrived by the priests, then controlled before it was widely distributed (read Matthew 28:11-15). Note that this text reads that this fake news was “commonly reported…until this day.” Doubts concerning the factual evidence of Christ’s resurrection are still in circulation!
 
Additionally, there were those who followed along after the Apostle Paul who sought to alter the message of Redemption by faith in Christ by teaching that faith alone was not enough to be saved, but that it was necessary to follow the Law of Moses as well.
 
In our text, which you should read in order to understand my point, the Apostle Paul warns concerning the false teachings that had arisen around the Gospel. He expresses his concern (vs 1-3) and cautions them against these false teachers who taught “philosophy and vain deceit” (vs 8).  These are always those who seek to add to the simple Gospel message the ideas of man; to mix faith with the fantasies and falsehoods of man’s religions.
 
Since Truth was first introduced in the Garden of Eden, there have been attempts to discredit it as being insufficient. Satan challenged Eve with, “Has God said…?”(Gen.3) and sought to place doubt into the mind of Christ with “If you are the Son of God…” (Matt.4).  His strategy remains unchanged! The vain philosophies of men exist today and are carefully concealed in what the Apostle Peter called “feigned words” in 2Peter 2:3. The word “feigned” comes from the Greek word “plastos”, which means “molded” or “artificial”. We get the word “plastic” from it. This describes words that are easily molded to fit whatever message the teacher intends. They may sound logical to the uninformed mind, but should be recognizable to those who know the Truth (vs 7).
 
Paul emphasizes in verse 9-10 that “in Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him…” KJV. When something is complete, it does not need to be added to!
Christ alone is our sufficiency, we need no more and no other. The great mistake Aaron made (Exodus 32) was his attempt to combine the worship of the gods of Egypt with that of the True God.
It is never Christ AND, but Christ ALONE!