Opposition to the claims of Christ is nothing new. In verse 4, Paul talks about people using persuasive arguments to delude believers into denying Christ. In verse 8, he points to deceptive human philosophies which focus on the principles of this world. This sort of thing is still very much with us, because we all want things to make sense. We naturally focus on the things of this world, on things that we can touch and taste and see. And the fact is that Jesus’ example of self-sacrificial, unconditional love just doesn’t fit with our understanding of how the world works.

But if we prefer to be guided by our reason or our experience, we will miss out on knowing Christ. For no matter how little sense it makes to us, verse 9 reminds us that all the fulness of God is in Him – so only by knowing Him can we ever hope to know what God is really like. And that necessarily means what verse 10 says – that all authority in Heaven and on earth lies in His hands.

And if we don’t know Christ, we will also miss out on all the benefits that flow out of a relationship with Him. If we cling to reason and experience to make sense out of the world, we won’t know the encouragement and the love that verse 2 says are found in the fellowship of believers. We won’t have access to the true wisdom and knowledge that only Jesus understands. We won’t be rooted in our faith as verse 7 says, having reason to overflow with gratitude for the salvation God provides to all who trust in Him. And as verse 10 says, we’ll never be truly complete until we abandon ourselves to Him.

So today, let’s not be deceived by what this world thinks is real. Let’s let Christ determine our reality, and let’s live in Him and for Him.

Colossians 2:1-10 (NASB)

For I want you to know how great a struggle I have on your behalf, and for those who are at Laodicea, and for all those who have not personally seen my face,
2 that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God’s mystery, that is, Christ Himself,
3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
4 I say this in order that no one may delude you with persuasive argument.
5 For even though I am absent in body, nevertheless I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good discipline and the stability of your faith in Christ.
6 As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him,
7 having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude.
8 See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.
9 For in Him all the fulness of Deity dwells in bodily form,
10 and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority