Wayne Roberson
ESTABLISHED IN THE FAITH
Are you “Established in the Faith”?
WE DO WELL TO PURSUE BEING ESTABLISHED IN THE FAITH BECAUSE; WHEN WE ARE ESTABLISHED IN THE FAITH WE ARE STEADFAST AND NOT EASILY DECEIVED.
The message today will emphasize the value and characteristics of being “Established in the Faith”.
Each of us will have the opportunity to examine ourselves and consider whether or not we are “Established in the Faith”.
Open your Bibles to the Second Chapter of the Book of Colossians.
In verses six and seven of Chapter 2 of the book of Colossians we read:
As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, 7rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.
Notice: Walk, Rooted, Established, Taught, ABOUNDING
In order to place this passage in context, follow along with me as we conduct an expository examination of the second chapter of the Book of Colossians.
For I want you to know what a great conflict I have for you and those in Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh,
Paul, addressing the church at Colossi bares his soul as he says “I want you to know what a great conflict I have for you and those in Laodicea
He obviously has a great love for the church.
Do you see the passion in Paul’s heart? I don’t know about you but I think of the love between a parent and a child when I think of this love. It could just as easily be between any two people who are separated for an extended period of time, for various reasons such as Military Service or Job Relocation.
Continuing with verse 2,
2that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ,
I would like to draw your attention to the phrase “being knit together in love” in verse two. We will see this same expression used again in verse 19. If you have ever examined a knitted garment you will noticed its strength and durability is based on how tight the knitting is.
Some of us remember a material that was marketed in the 70's that was called "Double-Knit". We thought it was the greatest thing since sliced bread. It was tough, durable and light weight. I remember a leisure suit made of it. I was really "cool" in it with my multi colored silk shirt. ….. (IN TODAY’S VONACULAR) …. LOL or "Laugh out loud".
In this same verse:
Consider with me the meaning of “full assurance of understanding” and “knowledge of the mystery of God”.
Personally, I key in on the word Assurance. Assurance is an anchor of the soul. Just like the anchor of a ship, an anchor keeps us from drifting here and there. It gives us stability. It establishes us. It is like a foundational pier.
“Knowledge of the mystery of God” is to receive the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is to understand that not only that there is a God but, that He sent His only Son the second member of the Trinity and THE WORD ( John 1:1 , 14Calvary for your sins. That is a mystery to man, beloved.
3in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
Hidden from the natural man, Man who does not have ears to hear or eyes to see can not know the things of God.
4Now this I say lest anyone should deceive you with persuasive words.
O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified? [2] This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? [3] Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh? [4] Have you suffered so many things in vain--if indeed it was in vain?
Ephes. 2:8-10
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, [9] not of works, lest anyone should boast. [10] For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
5For though I am absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ.
Paul commended the church at Colossi for their STEADFASTNESS. Steadfastness is something we are seeing less and less of in these last days. Undoughtedly, the only way we can become established in the faith is to be steadfast.
What does it mean to be steadfast?
Holman
STEADFASTNESS A word meaning to endure patiently. A steadfast person is one who is reliable, faithful, and true to the end. Paul said Jesus was a person of steadfastness (Romans 15:3-4). The NAS translates steadfastness with “perseverance” (2 Thes. 1:4). James said that trials that test our faith produce steadfastness (James 1:3 KJV “patience”; NAS “endurance”; NIV “perseverance”).
FOCAL PASSAGE
6As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him,
7rooted and built up in Him and “established in the faith”, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.
8Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.
Paul repeats himself from verse 4 as he warns against "False Teachers" here in verse eight.
Simply put, a False Teacher is one that teaches anything other than Salvation by grace through faith in the work of Christ on the cross of Calvary . (Ephesians 2:8,9,10)
9For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily;
Christ's work on the Cross was sufficient because of who He is,
NOTICE I SAID, "WHO HE IS AND NOT WHO HE WAS."
You see, our Lord and Savior has always been and always will be.
Jesus is the "only begotten son of God."
As the second member of the Trinity, He always has been and always will be:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
10and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.
Ephes. 1:22
And He (God) put all things under His (Jesus) feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church,
You have put all things in subjection under his feet."
For in that He put all in subjection under him, He left nothing that is not put under him. But now we do not yet see all things put under him.
All Things? Those who do not believe? The World?
11In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ,
The circumcision of Christ transforms the individual by "putting off the body of the sins of the flesh." This is a "spiritual circumcision". Subsequently, Paul immediately recalls "spiritual baptism".
In verse 12 we read that "spiritual circumcision and baptism" are a result of the WORKING OF GOD.
Notice verse 12,
12buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.
Re: Ephesians 5 ?
I would like to emphasize again that we are speaking of spiritual matters here.
How do I know? Look again at verse 12.
Is the believer literally buried?
Is the believer literally raised?
No, of course not.
In fact, there has been no mention of man DOING anything, yet.
The emphasis is “The Working of God”.
May I insert: Physical Baptism is a spiritual experience with symbolism that has significance. But, it is the spiritual baptism of the Holy Spirit that is referred to here. This is the indwelling of God Himself. It is THE WORKING OF GOD. V12
13And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses,
Notice, “He has made” Here we see the emphasis is on what God has done.
In 1 John 1:9 we find how to access forgiveness.
At this point, we have seen that the faith we are to be established in is THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST.
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
If we confess our sins, we acknowledge our utter dependence on God Himself. This is why salvation is “by grace through faith” in the work of Jesus on the Cross of Calvary.
14having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.
When we answer the Call of God, (that is the Call to Faith in Jesus Christ) there is only one way to come that is, by Grace, Through Faith in the work of Christ on the Cross.
The Psalmist paints us a beautiful picture of what God does with our transgressions, our sins.
As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
Stop here for just a moment……
How far is the east from the west?
If you try to measure this distance, you will be like a dog chasing his tail.
In Micah we read another metaphor.
He will again have compassion on us,
And will subdue our iniquities.
You will cast all our sins
Into the depths of the sea.
Again, we can not measure what God does.
Until we are confronted with our hopelessness and helplessness without Christ, we can not understand that we are not only unable to save ourselves, we are helpless and hopeless to even make a contribution.
Beloved, God does not call us to PARTNER with Him.
A PARTNERSHIP would imply that we have something He needs.
God is sufficient, He does not need man.
Man is insufficient, hopeless, helpless and undone without Him.
For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh,
15Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.
Jesus triumphed over principalities and powers by His resurrection. Better yet, while His body laid in the borrowed tomb, He preached to:
16So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths,
Just like the church at Colassi may we not be guilty of embracing legalism.
I heard David Dykes, pastor of Green Acres Baptist Church Tyler , Texas
You see, if man was capable of doing or not doing in order to better standing with God, then the sacrifice of Christ on the Cross would be unnecessary.
God invites us to Rest in Him.
Only when we come to Him By Grace Through Faith can we know God’s Rest.
Only when we come to Him By Grace Through Faith can we know Assurance of Salvation.
You see, it is not about who we are.
It is about whose we are.
17which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.
Man’s righteousness (before Christ) by keeping the law was a shadow of things to come, that is Jesus Christ.
As seen in Romans
(For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law.
18Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,
Simply DO NOT embrace every fad that comes along.
19and not holding fast to the Head, from whom all the body, nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments, grows with the increase that is from God.
Knit together, as was mentioned in verse 2 gives us a mental picture of stability and strength.
If we hold fast to the Head, which is Jesus Christ and Him crucified fro our sins.
We will be nourished and kit together.
I believe this “knitting together” speaks of the Kindred spirit, the love of God in us.
We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death.
I have discerned this Kindred Spirit among total strangers. It is the same as when our spirit bares witness with His Spirit that we are the sons of God.
The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,
20Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations—
Consistent with our circumcision and our baptism the identification of dying with Christ is used to communicate the WORKING OF GOD in us. (v.12)
buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.
21"Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle,"
Paul uses a reference to old testament cleansing here and in Ephesians 5:26 another metaphor of cleansing is used.
Ephes. 5:26
that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word,
Beloved, the Word is powerful is it not?
For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
The significance of the two edged sword was that it cuts both ways….when it passes by and when it comes back.
22which all concern things which perish with the using--according to the commandments and doctrines of men?
Having been circumcised, baptized and having shared in His death (all of which are the WORKING OF GOD) for the church to submit to rules for the purpose of improving our standing with God is to embrace legalism.
23These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.
Notice the word, Religion
Christianity is NOT a Religion.
Christianity is a Relationship
A Relationship established at the Cross.
CONCLUSION
If we are “Established in the Faith” we will be steadfast and not easily deceived.
We have gathered in this place “In the name of Jesus”.
He has promised to be here in our midst.
I believe He is here.
We have heard The Word of God read and preached.
APPLICATION
WE DO WELL TO PURSUE BEING ESTABLISHED IN THE FAITH BECAUSE; WHEN WE ARE ESTABLISHED IN THE FAITH WE ARE STEADFAST AND NOT EASILY DECEIVED.
Today, we are challenged to consider whether or not we are “Established In The Faith”.
To be established we must have a beginning.
A beginning in our relationship with God.
We are born a creation of God.
When we come to Christ by grace through faith we BECOME a child of God. (John 1:12)
This is the RELATIONSHIP I speak of.
It is a Relationship that is established at the Cross, by faith.
You may compare it to the relationship we have with our earthly Father.
Nothing can change who your Father is.
Similarly, when we are Born Again, we become a child of God and Nothing can change who our Heavenly Father is.
It helps me to understand the difference between Relationship and Fellowship.
My Relationship with God was established at the Cross.
My Fellowship with God is determined by my obedience.
We should stand in awe that the God of Creation desires a Relationship with us.
God is personal and you can Know intimate fellowship with Him.
INVI TATION
There are two types of people here today.
Those who have come to Christ by grace through Faith and
Those who have not.
Perhaps you are here and you have received knowledge of the Gospel of Jesus Christ for the first time.
YOU NEED TO BEGIN THE PURSUIT OF BEING ESTABLISHED IN THE FAITH.
This pursuit begins first by receiving knowledge of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
The next step is to come to Christ by grace through faith, as we have read.
You need to know, you are not alone:
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
It is your nature to sin.
You are hopeless and undone.
You need to know that God has a remedy.
But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith which we preach): 9that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
If you have been made aware of you need for a Savior today,
You need to know it is not the craftiness of this preacher or any other preacher that has revealed this to you.
It is the Holy Spirit of God, who is calling you to Himself.
Won’t you come?
As is our tradition, the alter is open for you to do business with God as a witness before men remembering Matthew
But whoever denies Me (Jesus) before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.
Perhaps you are here this morning and you realize that you are NOT “Established In The Faith”.
Today is your day.
Today is the day appointed by God for your salvation.
For He says:
"In an acceptable time I have heard you,
And in the day of salvation I have helped you."
Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.
The Alter is open for you.
Won’t you come?
Come, kneel before God and these witnesses asking Him and them to hold you accountable to grow and become “Established In The Faith”.
We are Called by God to Salvation.
Perhaps, you are here today and you have Confessed your sins and believed in your heart that God has raised Jesus from the dead but, for whatever reason you have not grown and become ESTABLISHED IN THE FAITH. You are like a tree whose roots have not grown deep into the earth to become established.
Your need to know:
We are Called by God to Santification, that is to be conformed to the image of His Son, Jesus Christ.
It is a life long process that will produce the characteristic of steadfastness.
We are NOT Called to simply be religious.
If all we do here today is to be religious, we have gathered in vain.
We have been confronted by the Word of God as recorded in Colossians Chapter 2.
We can not leave here unchanged.
Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.
Hear the words of God, Himself
I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot.
MAY NONE OF US LEAVE THIS PLACE WITHOUT BEING ESTABLISHED IN THE FAITH BECAUSE; WHEN WE ARE ESTABLISHED IN THE FAITH WE ARE STEADFAST AND NOT EASILY DECEIVED.
We will not Tarry, Won’t You Come?
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