Yesterday I wrote about the danger of deceptive philosophies that are empty of truth and find their foundation in man's attempt to return us to former faulty religious systems. Another danger of deceptive philosophies is that they deny the person and work of Jesus Christ. But in order to see how deceptive philosophies deny the person and work of Christ, we first need to know who Jesus Christ is and what He accomplished for us through His life, death, and resurrection.
A little later in the same letter that we looked at yesterday, Paul talks about the person and work of Jesus:
"For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority; and in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ; having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. hen you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him. Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day-- things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ."
Colossians 2:9-17
Paul reveals for us seven different aspects of the nature and work of Jesus Christ. First, Jesus Christ is "God in a bod": He is the unique, one and only Son of God who took on flesh and entered into humanity in order to reveal and explain God to us. Second, Jesus Christ makes us complete; believing, trusting, and following Jesus as Lord and Leader brings us into the relationship with God we were created for. Third, Jesus is large and in charge; He is in charge over all earthly powers and over all spiritual powers.
Fourth, Jesus Christ identifies us with Him. As His followers, Jesus Christ spiritually strips away our selfishness and sin and restores us to a relationship with God through His death and resurrection. Fifth, Jesus Christ makes us alive in Him. Through His gracious forgiveness the record of our selfishness and sin, that was hostile to us and that sentenced us to death, is obliterated.
Sixth, Jesus Christ stripped away the spiritual forces in the heavenlies. Jesus life, death, and resurrection exposed the spiritual enemies of God for who they were and provided triumph over those enemies. And seventh, Jesus Christ provides freedom from judgment. Jesus Christ provides us the freedom from judgment when it comes to our worship of God. Jesus also provides us the freedom to focus on the reality of who God really is instead of focusing on temporary religious activities that have no eternal value.
To recognize and remain unscathed from the dangers of deceptive philosophies, we must understand and embrace who Jesus Christ is and what He has done for us.
So how do you recognize the dangers that deceptive philosophies pose? How do you determine the difference between various philosophies?
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