8. See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.
9. For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form,
10. and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority.
11. In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ,
12. having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.
13. When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins,
14. having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross.
15. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
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Reflection |
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Slaves unto Themselves (2:8)
In the movie The Truman Show, Jim Carrey plays a man who is living a life that is completely based on a lie. He is totally unaware that his life is in fact a constructed reality show. All that he knows to be true is a lie, and he is a captive to this counterfeit world. This is actually very similar to our reality. People are deceived by the philosophies and values of this world. Though they believe they are completely free, they are slaves to their own sins. Because God has saved us from our sins, He has also given us the ability to see the world, its philosophies, and its values for what they are: a lie.
Fullness of Life (2:9–15)
It is a shame when Christians start to think that the world is where life and excitement are to be found. As sinners saved by grace, we should realize that we are the ones who have true life! Paul makes this clear when he states that all of the fullness of God resides in Christ (v. 9). He uses the same word to describe how in Christ, we have been brought to fullness of life (v. 10). Paul wants to make it absolutely clear that just as the fullness of all that is God is in Christ, you and I have been brought to the fullness of spiritual life. May we not live like we are half-dead, thinking that the world completes us, but live instead in the abundant fullness of life that is found in Christ.
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Application |
- Consider the differences between the philosophies and values of the world and those found in Scripture. Are there any areas of your life that have been shaped by the lies of the world rather than by Jesus?
- Are there any ways in which you have left your heart in the world? Seek and find your heart in Christ. There, you will find true fullness of life.
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A Letter to
God |
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Jesus, You are my everything. In You, I find forgiveness. In You, I find my purpose. In You, I find my value and worth. In You, I find true life. Thank you for saving me. Thank you for loving me. In Your name. Amen.
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