A Church Firmly Grounded in Faith in Christ (2)
[Colossians 2:1-7]
Second, a church firmly grounded in faith in Christ is a church that comprehends and understands the mystery of Christ, which is a divine secret.
Look at Colossians 2:2-3: "... to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." When I returned from Korea to serve Victory Presbyterian Church in the United States, following the promise in Matthew 16:18, since December 21, 2003, I have been praying earnestly to the Lord with a specific prayer title. The prayer title, in accordance with the promise, is, 'Lord, as You promised, may You build Your church.' Alongside this, I have four more specific prayer requests: (1) Lord, enable us all to confess in faith like Apostle Peter, saying, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God" (Mt. 16:16), (2) Lord, allow us all to live according to our confession of faith in You, (3) Lord, establish our church firmly on the rock (v. 18), (4) Lord, make our church a victorious church that fights against myself, sin, the world, Satan, and death, as mentioned in Matthew 16:18.
Regarding the first prayer request, I remember Matthew 16:17 when praying, "Jesus replied, 'Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.'" I pray to God, keeping in mind this statement of Jesus when praying for the first prayer request. I believe that without the revelation from God the Father, we cannot know who Jesus is. Therefore, it is crucial that God the Father reveals this to us. So, when I pray, I ask God to grant us the revelation from God the Father so that we may know who Jesus is and, like Apostle Peter, make a confession of faith.
In today's passage from Colossians 2:2b-3: "… that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." We can understand from this passage that the Apostle Paul, in a letter to the saints in Colossae, Laodicea, and those who had not seen his face, emphasized the importance of unity and love among believers. He desired that they would be encouraged and find full assurance of understanding in the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ. Paul's mission as a worker for the church was to proclaim Christ, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, aiming to present everyone mature in Christ (1:28-29). In fulfilling this responsibility, Paul worked tirelessly with the power of the Holy Spirit within him. Likewise, my significant responsibility is to diligently work with the power of the Holy Spirit within me, just as Paul did. The purpose is to proclaim Christ to each person, admonish and teach them with all wisdom, with the ultimate goal of establishing each person as a mature believer in Christ. The characteristics of a mature Christian in Christ involve a deep understanding of the complete gospel of Jesus Christ, leading to the assurance of salvation (MacArthur).
A few weeks ago, during an online prayer meeting with two university juniors, I asked one of them, "What do you need most right now?" The response was "assurance." In light of this, I shared with them the importance of having the assurance of God's love as a foundation for obtaining assurance. I emphasized the unwavering love of the triune God for us, based on Romans 8:38-39: "For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." Then, I explained that having the assurance of God's love allows us to have the assurance of salvation, with Romans 8:24 supporting this concept: "For in this hope we were saved." I concluded by stating that with the assurance of God's love and salvation, we naturally have the assurance of God's victory, as stated in Romans 8:37: "No, in all these things, we are more than conquerors through him who loved us."
Mature Christians not only have these three assurances but also experience them. This is possible because mature Christians have a deep understanding of the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul refers to this understanding as "the full assurance of understanding" in today's passage, Colossians 2:2. In other words, mature Christians possess a sure understanding of the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. How do they attain this sure understanding? It is through the gospel of Jesus Christ being conveyed to them not only in words but also "with power and the Holy Spirit and with full conviction." As stated in 1 Thessalonians 1:5a: "because our gospel came to you not only in word but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction." May we all receive the same grace and blessing. I pray that the gospel of Jesus Christ comes to each of us with power, the Holy Spirit, and full conviction. As we listen to the gospel proclaimed by Pastor Chang Seh Kim during the Wednesday worhip, may the Holy Spirit's power enable us to have great conviction in our hearts regarding the gospel of Jesus Christ. I pray that each of us gains a deeper understanding of who Jesus Christ is. This is because in Jesus Christ, "all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden" (Col. 2:3). The reason the Apostle Paul exerted such effort to proclaim Christ to the saints in Colossae, Laodicea, and those who had not seen his face was to ensure they had a sure understanding of the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ, to know the mystery of God, which is Christ (v. 2). This was to prevent them from falling into the cunning deceit of false teachings and to establish them in the faith, living orderly lives. As stated in Colossians 2:4-5: "I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments. For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith."
We must not fall into the cunning deceit of false teachings; rather, we should stand firm in the faith, living orderly lives. As stated in 1 Corinthians 14:33, 40 (Modern Korean Bible): "For God is not a God of confusion but of peace. … But all things should be done decently and in order." To achieve this, we must consistently listen to the gospel of Jesus Christ and earnestly seek a sure understanding of it. The Holy Spirit, dwelling within us, will work with power, providing us with a sure understanding of the gospel and great conviction. With this great conviction, we must stand firm in our faith in Jesus Christ. We need to abide in what we have learned and become convinced of (2 Tim. 3:14).