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Don’t Get Taken

Don’t Get Taken

Words of Faith 10-24-19

Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2019

Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com

Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL

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Colossians 2

      [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.

 

      Paul made it clear that believers are to walk in a continuing relationship with Christ, rooted and established in Christ, built up in sound teaching, and overflowing with thanksgiving.  That should take care of everything, right?  Still, there was grave concern over heresy, the wrong teaching that was diverting the Colossian believers from Christ.

      Paul was concerned that they not be taken captive by the high-sounding arguments of false teachers.  The marking points of this heresy were teachings that were hollow (empty), deceptive, and based in human tradition rather than on Christ and His teaching.  A true philosophy, love of wisdom, takes captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ (2 Cor. 10:5), who is the sum of all wisdom (2:3).

       In a culture that loved its philosophies, Paul knew the difference.  Paul knew that empty philosophies came around all the time!  They were “always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth” (2 Tim. 3:7).  Empty philosophy may start out in a search for truth and reality but then limit the quest to the universe and neglect the revealed truth found in Jesus Christ.

      Others were known to pursue novel or even faddish ideas about truth and reality.  Even if these ideas began in some sincere effort to seek the truth, they would succumb to the market mentality of the day.  They became more focused on their position than the truth. They need others to accept their positions, or else their ideas would die.  Sadly, such “truth” ends up for sale in a market that is forever hungry for the latest fad or the most novel idea.  The fad-makers end up trying to persuade people of their ideas and philosophies, whether they are sound or not.

       Believers must, therefore, beware and guard against worldly philosophies and ideas lest they become ensnared and enslaved.  Worldly philosophies use only human knowledge and worldly tradition to search for the reality and truth of the world and life.

       Okay, so how do we apply this?  You probably are not currently in a philosophy class, but there are examples all around us.  

        It is not that difficult to be ensnared by the reasoning of the world.  Whether it is the wonder of embryonic stem cell research, the logic of funding of abortions, or the wisdom of distributing birth control supplies to junior high students, it is easy to fall into the hollow deception of worldly philosophies and reasoning. 

        We can succumb to economic theories that sound reasonable and fair, but fail to consider the basic sinful nature of humans.  The problem is that human sin and selfishness are never factored into humanistic scenarios—nor are the supernatural possibilities that can result from prayer and obedience to God’s law.

         Coming to a truthful conclusion, while depending on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ, is not just unlikely; it is absolutely impossible.

        So, where are we with this?  We need to focus on the Word of God.  We need to seek after the wisdom of God.  We need to pursue the holiness of God. And we need to see to it that no one takes us captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. 

 

      Father God, give me Your wisdom as I seek Your holiness in my life.  Cause me to pursue You and only You.  Let no one take me captive.  In Jesus’ Name.

 

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The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail, and our website, and our church app, excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2010 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.  

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