Paul's Burden for the Church B

Paul's got a simple prayer irreversible burden with the believer would have in his brain revealed truth that he would see it manifest in his conduct lovingly and would have as a result of settled solids position, confident assurance of the truth in lending would be able to enjoy the sequences then to believe your Christian really not. Sadly, that is, no doubt, the case for countless people.

So how can you make sure that you're not one of them. How can you have complete confidence that you're going to heaven. John MacArthur helps answer that question today which can help you enjoy the blessings that come from being complete in Christ that is the title of John's current study complete in Christ and it's a look at why Christ's power and grace are totally sufficient to meet all of your needs now to help you be confident that your salvation is real. Here's John for our study, we come again to our second chapter of Colossians. Let's look at the phrase on verse two unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, that's kind of a tangled up thing in the in English. Let me see if I go a little further onto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, literally say it this way, the fall riches of settled understanding.

In other words, he says I want you to experience all of the riches that are available to you when you're solid and you assured of what you have that you can't claim these things and really enjoy the richness of the militia really assured that they're yours right and as your life becomes lovely and your behavior manifest what's inside you get a settled understanding of what yours and you can enjoy our rich you are. Now he says I want you to have a settled understanding the word understanding summations just means facts connected to conduct facts connected to conduct true understanding doesn't belong to anybody but Christians natural man under stand what not to understand not Ephesians verse simple statement for 18 says the pagans have their understanding darkened, they don't understand understanding is darkened.

Romans one, verse 31 without understanding Romans three verse 11 there is none that understand the unregenerate man does not have truth connected to conduct his mind is a blank while sewing of settled understanding what are you understand why you say what what you want me to understand what you do understand the will of God and all that's involved.

Ephesians 517 listener quoted and be not unwise, but understanding was the rest what the will of the Lord is what is God want you to understand revelation of God's will.

And I'll say the more you study the more your mind is filled, the more it begins to flow through you in terms of operation in terms of behavior the more you understand how really rich you are and you can enjoy the Christian life and the things of the world mean less and less and less, and you find the things you initially couldn't let go of you finally can let go because you know where the true riches are and you can begin to do what Jesus said with confidence, lay up for yourselves what treasure in heaven because you know now that's where your confidence is because where your heart is. That's where your treasure is going to be in until you have a heart that is settled and assured and confident in God. When I hang on to some things in the world but when your mind is confident and your behavior roots that confidence you go. I have the kind of insurance that lets you let go and trust the true riches see how you get that assurance how you get that confidence. Well, you need to pray for. I think Craig just keeps you acknowledging the source of Colossians 19 we study so we prayed for you since the day we heard, don't cease to pray for you, from now on design you might be filled with knowledge and wisdom and spiritual understanding. So we pray for. We seek that God would show us clearly his will in second Timothy 27 consider what I say in the Lord give the understanding we have to recognize that our understanding are settled. Assurance comes from God comes from him through prayer, through the word through behavior. We get this count so Paul's got a simple prayer here simple burden with the believer would have in his brain revealed truth that he would see it manifest in his conduct lovingly and that it would have as a result of settled solid position of confident assurance, and the truth and then he would be able to enjoy the riches that were his.

He says will all of this stuff comes from one source so you got have a settled conviction about one thing.

Verse two he says the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgment number read just the way it is in the Greek, to the acknowledgment of the mystery of God, Christ, to the acknowledgment of the mystery of God. Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Ellison pauses, I want you to have a basic settled assured conviction, and the place that that thing has to start is that you have to be convinced that the mystery of God is Christ was what you mean, Paul. You have to be convinced of the deity and all sufficiency of Christ is what is that the hidden God has manifested himself in the revealed Christ. You see what he saying I want you to have absolute unwavering assurance and acknowledge that the mystery of God that is the hidden God is revealed as Christ. What is that saying that Christ is deity and that in him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge that is sufficiency why does he say this because those are the two things. The false teachers in Colossae were attacking the deity of Christ, that is sufficiency to say. He says you have to start there.

You have done a settled conviction about the deity of Christ in his sufficiency these people coming to Colossae attacking the deity of Jesus Christ. They were saying that Jesus was just one of those emanations just the sort of an angelic being down the line. A good emanation a good spirit, like many other and they were saying that it is not enough to come to Christ for salvation. He's just one step on the ladder you got have super wisdom and you gotta go for some mysterious knowledge and etc. etc. and Paula saying look I don't want you to fuss with that.

I want you to have an absolute settled assurance about the riches that you have and the first thing you have to be sure of is that this Christ is none other than the hidden God revealed he is deity. Number two in verse three that in him is all sufficiency at this point settled conviction about Christ. Folks if your your wavering area. Trouble first Timothy 316 discussing the term, the mystery of God. Christ explains it. What is the mystery of God and without controversy. In other words you can't argue with this don't even discuss this no argument here no debate left without controversy great is the mystery of God is what is the mystery of godliness. What is the mystery of God in Colossae that we just saw here is God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the spirit, seen of angels, preached under the nations, believed on in the world and received up into glory.

So what is the mystery of God, Jesus Christ. Everyone of those describes him God manifest in the flesh, justified in the spirit that is his ministry ordained and given justification by the Holy Spirit, the baptism seen by the Angels who attended and watched him preach to the nations, believed on in the world and ascending into glory though is that none other than Christ that is the mystery of godliness. The hidden God now revealed. Incidentally, first Timothy 316 may have been an early church him they may have sung that verse.

If they did I know why just keep driving home the truth of who God was revealed in the world and Christ. Now out of that settled confidence that Jesus is God that he is deity and that in him are all sufficiency the treasury of wisdom and knowledge out of that settled confidence comes every other confidence because if he's truly sad to listen to me that his word is what it says right I can believe it all when you have a solid and settled conviction about who he is and about his sufficiency, then you can believe his legacy right when he says to me have injured MacArthur.

The Angels are all yours or take care you and nothing will ever come upon you that I don't plan what he says he will supply all your needs according to my riches. What he says to me I you not to fear anything because your life is in my hands and everything is going to be taken care of, take no thought for this and that near the thing I got all her control and I say you know some I believe that I have confidence in that all except those riches because I know you well enough to know that that is true. So when you have that settled conviction about who he is, then you can you can ask, you can spend your riches, you can enjoy that's what he say if you're hung up on who Jesus is. You got some problems on believe in what is going to get none of us. Verse three, talk about this for just a second, but he says in him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge say what is it mean there hidden and me are going to poke around. Try to find know it means there hidden.

Listen to this from everybody but the Christian all you gotta do is going to pick him up north like like a diamond mine.

Somebody blasted the lid off of you just walking a pickup done are all there, while yet to do a study to show yourself approved to God, all you have to do is let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, all you have to do is apply yourself a little bit you go in and pick them all up in a course the heretics.

They believe that all wisdom and knowledge was hidden in their massive elevated material treasures hidden were hidden is an interesting word in the Greek Parker foster what you get apocryphal hidden the heretics and the false teachers believe there was a great mass of divine knowledge necessary for salvation and was hidden secret books in the secret books are called Apocrypha us, and only those super intellects could open and Paul says baloney the only Apocrypha us were all of this stuff is hidden is Jesus Christ the day you open your heart to Christ.

God took the lid off the diamond mine just to go ahead take what you need. It's all there. You don't need the special books of the secret intellect. You don't need the Bible class somebody out because in him are hidden some of the treasures that would set all you just need the Bible revelation of the one and there's enough is enough wealth there. Paul just says boys you can only understand it, or blow your mind off in Ephesians 117. I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the father of glory would give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him that the eyes of your understanding being enlightened, that you may know what is the hope of his calling, and the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints. Jesus I pray for you that you might just get a grip on what's there for you stagger all their pulses. I want you to be settle on this one thing Jesus is God.

Verse two. Second thing, he is all sufficient and in him is everything that man needs.

Simple why so hot about why you so concerned because of verse four and I'm saying this, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words.

Lightfoot translates it.

I wish to warn you against anyone would lead you astray by specious arguments and persuasive rhetoric. He said no I don't want you to exchange proven riches for speculation when it's salmon with Chris would come to the place where listen to some of that garbage about Christ.

Well, I don't want to always believe the other way. See Paul is saying look at the settled conviction. I'm telling you this, lest anybody is going to beguile you with enticing words, clever phrases and their clever and their arguments are good is a basic attack of all false systems. They'll deny two things will deny the deity of Christ on marketing your mind they'll all do it, they'll deny the deity of Christ, and they'll deny sufficiency to same one or the other or both the common sale yes yeah Christ saves plus works right or oh yes, Christ is in God, but these are the two things around which all fall stuff from all it is a denial of the deity of Christ and/or his sufficiency to save alone cults are all brought to the bar of God right here and condemn folks all anything that reduces Christ to less than deity or anything. It adds anything to his saving sufficiency belongs in the beguiling activity of Satan, so Paul desires a Colossians, and all Christians to resist the seductive teaching of Satan and I can only be done by having settled conviction deep down confidence that he says in verse five for though I am absent in the flesh, and this is kind of a confidence saying I am absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in spirit, enjoying and beholding your order and steadfastness of your faith in Christ. He says now I just warn you I just told you what I feel but I'm just saying thanks even know I'm not there in my spirit, my inner man. I'm thankful that you haven't collapsed yet.

I'm thankful you're still hanging in there tough as I'm glad that you're hanging in there. I can't be physically present.

I am slightly detained for three years or more as a prisoner in Rome. I see no immediate hope of release, but I certainly am supportive of you in my spirit and I'm so thrilled to know that you're hanging in there. I have a happy confidence because of gnosis, a beautiful thought your order and steadfastness. Both of those words are military terms, the word order talk us is an interesting word. It means rank and it means a single file line of soldiers you're still holding rank and he saying you may be being attacked, but nobody has broken rank everybody's in single file, you're holding the line nobody been shot down yet and that's good and I'm happy similar what you so excited about. Listen folks, an ounce of prevention right now use another term steadfast stereo, this again speaks of a solid front of soldiers ready to stand the shock of attack and it speaks more of the not the unbroken rank, but the solidarity not only are you unbroken in your rank, but man, you are standing firm and when the shock battle hits to stop and I rejoice you're obedient you're disciplined you're holding rank and you're going to stand the to the attack and that makes me so was he say strong in heart, united in love settle in understanding give your fourth walking in Christ walking in Christ.

Verse six as you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord. So walking now since all those other things are true.

Therefore, you're now settled in Christ you're confident about Christ your firm in Christ. If that's the truth. Then keep on walking in Christ, don't waver don't change as you have received the true therapist would speaks of a decisive point in time past you received Christ you received him as Lord. You declared him as Lord, you have that settled confident assurance.

Therefore keep walking in him. Don't waver what is walking the lifestyle daily conduct. Keep walking in him. The primary impetus of the of this point is don't change in your view of Christ your Christology flounder. Keep walking in Christ, but the upshot of it is walking in Christ means more than just walking along believing something. It means walking in union with Christ following Jesus doing what he would do everywhere as a little kid, my dad was sitting you think that's what Jesus would have the no same thing my kids know that was always the standard in our house. What would Jesus not only to maintain continuing faith in him a continuing settled conviction but to maintain a continuing pattern of life patterned after him pulses.

This is what I pray for you, you receive them.

Don't forsake him, but walk as he walked to first John 26 that we says he that says he abides in him ought himself also. So to walk even as what he walked you say you abide in Christ and walked away. Christ walked out. He walked walked in love walked in wisdom you walked in truth he walked in the spirit walk in holiness. All those things that describe the walk of the Christian Ephesians chapter 4 chapter 5 are characteristic Christ so your Christian pattern your life after him. I learned in my head I limit out of my life I get a settled conviction that Jesus is who he claimed and that I set my life goal to be like him walk as he walked to make my lifestyle like his lifestyle. Then he adds four participles in verse seven, the kind of sum it up rooted and incidentally the tenses of the verbs are critically important, is a perfect participle having been rooted since you have already been rooted in him, go to walk in him. You've already been rooted like a tree with deep roots in rich soil, drawing its nourishment. So the Christian is deep rooted in Christ. The source of life and nourishment and growth fruit, then being built up that's present you have been rooted and you are being built up as you walk in him.

Listen now say it is only when you do what Christ would do that you grow you get that you are being built up as you walk in in whatever you do the deeds of the flesh are not building yourself up. Are you what are you doing turning yourself there so you are build up when you walk in here and when you obey him source of that course of the word of God.

Acts 2032 I command you to the word of his grace, which is able to what bill you up. The word bills us up June 20 he says, beloved, build yourselves up on your most holy faith, how you build yourself up by knowing the word the will of God and obeying in your build up what will be the result. You will be established in the faith.

That's a present passive you walking him because you rooted with him and as you walk with in him you are being billed edified only in terms of the positive. When you walking him not edified in the other.

And when you're walking in him and being built up. God will establish you solidly in the things that you have been taught and all of a sudden you find that information takes roots in your life well God wants established Christian silent deep rooted strong we don't get pushed around by false information, and here's how the word in your mind and come full circle, incidentally, gets all the way back to being established in the faith you been taught only back to hear again start out by feeding on the word let it produce activity. That activity will give you settled conviction, the conviction will be that Christ as we claim and then you can claim all of his promises and begin to walk step-by-step like he walked and that's where your life will come from it as you walk in him you'll be billed and you'll even be more established in the faith, and as a final last strong in heart, united in love settle in understanding walking in Christ, and last response to all of it abounding in thanksgiving universe and the fourth of those participles and we just separated out because the only one in the active voice is a response to the others abounding with thanks what should be the life attitude of the Christian bank. Thank thank the rich but I'm enjoying the life that I'm living for the walk but I'm walk. This is grace to you with John MacArthur, Chancellor of the Masters University in seminary. He calls his current study from the book of Colossians complete in Christ John this is revolutionary truth that Christ is everything the believer needs for life and godliness you been preaching on this for years. He wrote a book on it. Our sufficiency in Christ saying that it's not Christ. Plus other things.

It's Christ, and he is sufficient and wondering as you consider the church today what it what are some of the typical things that get added and how do we reform our thinking. Well first of all, Christ is everything Christ is all and in all Ephesians 38. Paul preached to the Gentiles the unfathomable or unsearchable or inexhaustible riches of Christ, everything is in Christ. When I wrote that book, I was realizing that there was a very, very powerful movement in terms of psychology. Remember that yes and people were actually saying that you can't even start the sanctification process unless you get some psychological help psych psychology is sort of the doorway or the vestibule or the lobby into the deeper things but you gotta start with psychology and I didn't believe that I didn't believe that psychology which by definition is a human way to understand human problems offered anything at all that that could transform life that's only possible by the power of God and through divine truth so I wrote the book to demonstrate that Christ is not waiting for some psychologist to help you get to him or get to his power get to his wisdom, it was so dominant in the church. I remember when I wrote that book that I got flack from all kinds of people and even the publisher said you know we don't think you should publish this book because your questioning psychology psychology was like the sacred cow while psychology has faded out of the picture.

You never hear anybody talk about Christian psychology rarely ever.

I mean there are psychologists out there, but they're not Christians and our sufficiency Christ has remained and been sustained so our sufficiency in Christ just says this that everything you need everything you need is found in him, you have to believe that no matter how dire or how difficult, how challenging life is. The answers are found in Christ you would do well to get a copy of our sufficiency in Christ. It will make a difference in your life it will enable you to find those resources in Christ, and it's available from grace to you with free shipping in the US. That's right, our sufficiency in Christ shows you why you can trust God to provide for your every need and can help you identify areas in your life where you might not be trusting him to order a copy get in touch today.

Call us at 855 grace or go to our website TTY.org our sufficiency in Christ can help you find the balance between trusting yourself to God's resources and fulfilling your responsibilities in the Christian life to order a copy for yourself or to give away.

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