WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:07.360 athletics in his own day and the famous games that took place in that region and he uses that 00:00:07.360 --> 00:00:16.399 frequently in his epistles. Athletics, wrestling, boxing, all of these energetic activities he finds 00:00:16.399 --> 00:00:23.219 very useful in order to apply them as illustrations of different aspects of the Christian life. 00:00:23.780 --> 00:00:29.760 Philippians 3 verse 13, remember they're thinking about straining ahead to the things that lay ahead 00:00:29.760 --> 00:00:36.060 and the imagery there is of the athlete coming to the final finishing stretch, reaching forward to 00:00:36.060 --> 00:00:43.400 press himself through the tape in order to achieve the goal and you'll find the same thing here in 00:00:43.400 --> 00:00:51.859 verse 29 of the first chapter where you find him using the words struggling and then in the first 00:00:51.859 --> 00:00:58.740 verse of chapter 2 he uses the word struggle so the verb is there in verse 29 the noun struggle in 00:00:58.740 --> 00:01:07.620 chapter 2 verse 1 and that's all to do with the effort that he is putting into the work that he's 00:01:07.620 --> 00:01:15.219 doing as an apostle as a servant of Christ not just for these Christians in Colossae but also others for 00:01:15.219 --> 00:01:22.780 whom he has a burden and responsibility and so that is repeated you can find yourselves different passages 00:01:22.780 --> 00:01:31.120 that have similar sentiments 1 Timothy chapter 6 verse 12 where he talks there in 2 Timothy 4 verse 7 00:01:31.120 --> 00:01:38.159 speaking of himself there as somebody who's coming to the end of his course I have kept I fought the good 00:01:38.159 --> 00:01:46.900 fight I have kept the faith and so on you'll find the same in Luke chapter 13 where you find there an 00:01:46.900 --> 00:01:58.460 emphasis on on that same sort of imagery Luke 13 at verse 24 where you find words that are similar to 00:01:58.460 --> 00:02:07.260 the apostle just to show that they're not just confined to the apostle Luke 13 and verse 24 where you find 00:02:07.260 --> 00:02:16.159 the Lord saying someone said to him Lord will those who are saved be few and he said to them strive to enter 00:02:16.159 --> 00:02:23.139 through the narrow door so you find the same imagery there make every effort put all your energy into 00:02:23.139 --> 00:02:29.879 getting through the narrow door into the kingdom of God into salvation and then when you go to Colossians 00:02:29.879 --> 00:02:36.500 chapter 4 you find verse 12 there very similarly to what you have here in verse 2 in chapter 2 00:02:36.500 --> 00:02:44.579 chapter 4 verse 12 where we read that Epaphras who is one of you a servant of Christ Jesus greets you 00:02:44.580 --> 00:02:52.520 always struggling on your behalf in his prayers and he's not saying they're struggling in prayer in 00:02:52.520 --> 00:02:57.820 terms of not really being able to pray it's not struggle in that sense though some of us very much 00:02:57.820 --> 00:03:04.700 are aware of that struggle there just means exactly the same as chapter 2 verse 1 here this energetic 00:03:04.700 --> 00:03:09.880 effort putting his effort into this he's really struggling in prayer he's putting everything 00:03:09.879 --> 00:03:17.319 into his prayer the effort he puts into his prayers for them and it's not surprising you find all of 00:03:17.319 --> 00:03:23.960 these emphases especially in Colossians here because this is a letter written to a church that were 00:03:23.960 --> 00:03:31.539 really having problems with false teaching and false teachers who were facing the kind of false teaching 00:03:31.539 --> 00:03:38.180 about salvation that said to them look Christ is not enough you need something more than Jesus you need 00:03:38.180 --> 00:03:43.340 more than the righteousness that's in Christ you need something more than what the apostle Paul taught 00:03:43.340 --> 00:03:49.659 that we are justified through faith in Christ that everything we require is there in Christ as the 00:03:49.659 --> 00:03:55.740 provision of God and that's where you find all of these kinds of references throughout Colossians 00:03:55.740 --> 00:04:03.560 to false teaching using words probably borrowed from the false teachers themselves who had an idea that 00:04:03.560 --> 00:04:10.420 Christ was not enough and you needed to build up different layers of experience and initiation rights 00:04:10.420 --> 00:04:16.639 until you came to know God at last and of course that's how they themselves saw themselves they were the means 00:04:16.639 --> 00:04:23.620 by which people were led by them so they thought into a proper knowledge of God and Paul is saying 00:04:23.620 --> 00:04:29.120 don't listen to that put that away from you everything that you already need that you need has already 00:04:29.120 --> 00:04:37.840 been given to you it's all in Christ Jesus as we'll see he mentions here that deposited in him are all the 00:04:37.840 --> 00:04:46.340 treasures of wisdom and knowledge and of course that sort of teaching that sort of false teaching 00:04:46.340 --> 00:04:55.180 is very unsettling heresy is always unsettling false teaching is always discouraging to congregations 00:04:55.180 --> 00:05:02.540 discouraging unsettling to Christians which is why you find combined here not only the sufficiency of 00:05:02.540 --> 00:05:11.379 Christ but the unity of God's people in Christ and it's a unity first of all in love and in the truth and we'll 00:05:11.379 --> 00:05:17.980 see in these first few verses verses one to three how both of these aspects in relation to unity are so 00:05:17.980 --> 00:05:27.540 important it's unity in love and in truth not just in love or not just in truth it's unity in love and 00:05:27.540 --> 00:05:34.420 truth as these are inseparably connected together in the scheme of God in the Christians experience 00:05:34.420 --> 00:05:41.160 so let's look at that first of all unity in love and in the truth and you notice this word 00:05:41.160 --> 00:05:48.660 encouraged I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for 00:05:48.660 --> 00:05:55.220 those who have not seen me face to face and some take the view that Paul had never met the Colossians 00:05:55.220 --> 00:06:00.680 there's no record of him in the New Testament having been at Colossae or having established the 00:06:00.680 --> 00:06:07.620 the work in Colossae others take a different view but there's no record of him having been there in any 00:06:07.620 --> 00:06:13.899 case he's saying those have not seen me face to face I include them that their hearts may be encouraged 00:06:13.899 --> 00:06:21.620 the purpose and aim of the apostles struggle for them and I'm sure he means struggle in the sense of 00:06:21.620 --> 00:06:27.740 Epaphras's struggle in chapter four and in prayer as well all the effort that he's expending on their 00:06:27.740 --> 00:06:34.160 behalf and remembering them and praying for them and writing this to them that it's all directed to this 00:06:34.160 --> 00:06:40.840 that they might be encouraged that their hearts may be encouraged and the word encouraged there is 00:06:40.840 --> 00:06:47.520 a word that's very very similar indeed the same root as the words in the New Testament in John 00:06:47.520 --> 00:06:54.900 especially John's gospel for the Holy Spirit who is the encourager the comforter the person who comes 00:06:54.900 --> 00:07:02.120 alongside literally means to come alongside and speak to us to encourage us so encouragement really 00:07:02.120 --> 00:07:10.899 in the New Testament sense of it is something that has both comfort and fortification you get comfort 00:07:10.899 --> 00:07:16.459 through the ministry of the gospel but you get fortification you are fortified through it as well 00:07:16.459 --> 00:07:22.319 you're strengthened and all of that's built into what Paul is saying this is why I have this great 00:07:22.319 --> 00:07:30.959 struggle for you so that their hearts may be encouraged you cannot look at any or read anything from 00:07:30.959 --> 00:07:37.319 the apostle in terms such as these and fallen with those who thought that Paul was a very distant 00:07:37.319 --> 00:07:44.060 character that he was a very harsh character the modern representations of Paul would see him as 00:07:44.060 --> 00:07:49.740 somebody who was really pretty much a formalist kind of character he was just interested in theology 00:07:49.740 --> 00:07:55.219 giving out these great schemes of theology and all these letters that have all this theology in them 00:07:55.220 --> 00:08:00.780 but really was he somebody who could get close to was it somebody who was genuinely interested in 00:08:00.780 --> 00:08:08.800 people's well-being yes he was this is no cold distant formalist this is a man who wants to get alongside 00:08:08.800 --> 00:08:14.660 people this is a man who really seeks to understand where they're at what they're suffering why they're 00:08:14.660 --> 00:08:21.900 suffering what they need in terms of teaching advice guidance support now of course a great 00:08:21.899 --> 00:08:27.419 challenge to ourselves because from this passage itself you can actually just 00:08:27.419 --> 00:08:34.579 detect the warmth and the heart of the apostle for these Christians at Colossae and it reminds 00:08:34.579 --> 00:08:42.059 ourselves that whatever we place we give to theology and we give theology or should be giving to theology 00:08:42.059 --> 00:08:45.199 a very important foundational place in our thinking 00:08:45.200 --> 00:08:55.300 we have to have along with that this genuine warmth of affection and concern and prayerfulness and 00:08:55.300 --> 00:09:02.340 struggle for people to develop in their faith to grow in their faith to have their lives built up 00:09:02.340 --> 00:09:09.220 in God's truth so he's first of all saying it's to encourage them that they may be encouraged 00:09:09.220 --> 00:09:19.860 but then he says being knit together in love so it's for encouragement but also connected with that 00:09:19.860 --> 00:09:24.480 is that they are knit together in love in other words this is the unity that he's now introducing 00:09:24.480 --> 00:09:31.080 the unity of God's people the unity of these Christians and Colossae and in that unity they must face the 00:09:31.080 --> 00:09:36.980 heretics in that unity they must see to it that as they grow in grace and as they grow in knowledge 00:09:36.980 --> 00:09:42.120 as they grow in understanding so they're growing also in closeness and in regard to each other 00:09:42.120 --> 00:09:48.899 because that's how they must face the heretics that they must face the false teaching that wants to 00:09:48.899 --> 00:09:53.399 just take them away from everything being already for them in Christ 00:09:53.399 --> 00:09:57.899 knit together in love 00:09:57.899 --> 00:10:06.519 this is no mere outward organized religion 00:10:06.519 --> 00:10:13.439 all is certainly organized and wants people to be organized he's commending them as we see 00:10:13.439 --> 00:10:20.480 in the later part here rejoicing to see your your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ 00:10:20.480 --> 00:10:26.799 Paul is not about everything just being done loosely or casually or just come what may and people just 00:10:26.799 --> 00:10:32.419 following their own inclinations no he has to have an order to his theology and an order to his 00:10:32.419 --> 00:10:38.539 Christian life and an order to the congregation is writing to and that's an important facet of being 00:10:38.539 --> 00:10:45.939 Christians together in this world our unity is not a disordered organization it is an ordered unity it's 00:10:45.939 --> 00:10:52.379 having things in the right place as God himself specified or leads and you could follow that point 00:10:52.379 --> 00:10:59.580 out yourselves but it's crucial that we see here this unity that he's speaking of being knit together 00:10:59.580 --> 00:11:04.179 is being knit together in love in love 00:11:04.179 --> 00:11:13.539 there is in fact no proper unity without love without Christian love 00:11:13.539 --> 00:11:21.199 because without Christian love unity breaks down or isn't really there at all in any meaningful sense 00:11:21.199 --> 00:11:28.839 but being knit together closely bound together in love love is is crucial 00:11:28.839 --> 00:11:36.259 to our unity see what he's saying in chapter 3 and verse 14 if you uh just cast your mind forward to that 00:11:36.259 --> 00:11:43.179 he's saying put on in verse 12 as chosen ones God's chosen one put on he's talking here the language of 00:11:43.179 --> 00:11:50.600 clothing yourselves put on holy put on kindness put on humility put on meekness put on patience 00:11:50.600 --> 00:11:56.720 bearing with one another and if anyone has a complaint against another forgiving each other as the Lord has forgiven 00:11:56.720 --> 00:12:04.259 you and above all these put on love in other words he's saying these are the spiritual garments you put on as 00:12:04.259 --> 00:12:09.620 Christians and there's a garment over and above all of them that really keeps them all together 00:12:09.620 --> 00:12:13.179 that keeps them from being dissipated or losing their effectiveness 00:12:13.179 --> 00:12:18.960 what is that garment that binds everything together in perfect harmony it is love 00:12:18.960 --> 00:12:26.240 the love that's patterned on the love of God the love of Christ himself 00:12:26.240 --> 00:12:31.879 so being knit together in love so you see the way the the argument is proceeding 00:12:31.879 --> 00:12:39.439 I'm struggling for you I have this great energetic struggle for you and it's so that your hearts may be encouraged 00:12:39.439 --> 00:12:46.720 and so that they'll be encouraged being knit together in love and then what what is the objective 00:12:46.720 --> 00:12:54.620 what is he then saying all of this unity and of this uh of of of this um struggle that he has for them 00:12:54.620 --> 00:13:01.019 that they be encouraged it's so that they will reach all the riches of fuller of full assurance 00:13:01.019 --> 00:13:07.699 of understanding of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery which is in Christ 00:13:07.699 --> 00:13:14.819 what a packed phrase I mean you'd need more than remaining 10-15 minutes to even 00:13:14.819 --> 00:13:23.559 unpack um the main parts of that he's talking here about God's mystery which is in Christ and when Paul 00:13:23.559 --> 00:13:28.600 speaks about mystery in this sense he always speaks about things which were hidden 00:13:28.600 --> 00:13:34.960 in the old testament days or all the way through or partly or mostly hidden but now have been revealed 00:13:34.960 --> 00:13:41.680 the mystery of salvation the wonderful truth of salvation which in part was revealed in the old 00:13:41.680 --> 00:13:46.899 testament but waited until the coming of Christ the fullness of God's revelation in him 00:13:46.899 --> 00:13:53.800 has now been revealed and he says this is what my struggle is for you and for those in Laodicea 00:13:53.799 --> 00:14:00.839 that being knitted together in love to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding 00:14:00.839 --> 00:14:09.259 and the knowledge of God's mystery which is in Christ God's revealed truth in Christ and you see 00:14:09.259 --> 00:14:17.240 he's saying here they are deposited in Christ um in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and 00:14:17.240 --> 00:14:23.840 knowledge doesn't mean here hidden in the sense of not not not seen at all or absolutely hidden out of 00:14:23.840 --> 00:14:31.440 view what he means I think he's borrowing again the language of of um of these mystics of these false 00:14:31.440 --> 00:14:36.340 teachers who themselves were saying well we can show you the mysteries we can show you the hidden 00:14:36.340 --> 00:14:41.940 mysteries you need to follow our directions before you can come into knowing about God and knowing about 00:14:41.940 --> 00:14:47.600 salvation and Paul is saying that's all deposited in Christ already and they are hidden in the sense of 00:14:47.600 --> 00:14:51.400 deposited already in him it's all there in him 00:14:51.400 --> 00:15:03.000 it's been essentially revealed by God now that's an important point in itself because there are no 00:15:03.000 --> 00:15:14.440 essential truths from God out with Christ there are no essential truths from God that are to do with 00:15:14.440 --> 00:15:23.860 God's salvation out with Christ Christ has himself he is himself the place where the wisdom where the 00:15:23.860 --> 00:15:29.480 mystery where the treasure of wisdom or knowledge and knowledge are already deposited God's salvation 00:15:29.480 --> 00:15:34.700 salvation in Christ he's saying to them this is what you need this is all you need this is really 00:15:34.700 --> 00:15:43.080 the complete Christ and you are complete in him remember that remember that when other groups in today's 00:15:43.080 --> 00:15:48.180 world will tell you you know you you people are very backward you should really add this or add that 00:15:48.180 --> 00:15:54.060 add speaking in tongues add this that and the other to what you already experienced you've got something 00:15:54.060 --> 00:15:58.379 already yes that's good but you need to add other things before you can go further in your 00:15:58.379 --> 00:16:03.379 spiritual experience no the apostle is saying the bible is saying you already have everything in 00:16:03.379 --> 00:16:08.720 Christ you already have the holy spirit in you if you're a believer and when you have the holy spirit 00:16:08.720 --> 00:16:14.919 in you and you have the these treasures of wisdom and knowledge in Christ there is no essential truth 00:16:14.919 --> 00:16:23.080 out with that it's all there for you already that's why the struggle that he has in prayer for them 00:16:23.080 --> 00:16:31.080 is that they'll come to the full assurance and understanding of all of these things of the gospel and of the salvation 00:16:31.080 --> 00:16:42.020 that is in Christ now you see how love and unity in the truth are combined together unity involves both love 00:16:42.020 --> 00:16:49.480 and truth love for God and love for each other and truth that is to say the truth that God has revealed 00:16:49.480 --> 00:16:52.480 in the gospel and we need to keep these together 00:16:52.480 --> 00:16:53.200 in the gospel and we need to keep these together 00:16:53.200 --> 00:17:01.420 because love needs to be given structure for it to be love in the biblical sense 00:17:01.420 --> 00:17:05.680 and what is it that gives love structure it is the truth of God 00:17:05.680 --> 00:17:12.799 if you detach love or the idea of love from the from the Bible from the truth of God 00:17:12.799 --> 00:17:20.779 you've no longer got a structure to your love and love needs a structure and has a structure to it 00:17:20.779 --> 00:17:28.019 because it's come it is it is the love that God is revealing to us that that Christians are to have 00:17:28.019 --> 00:17:34.940 for him and for one another it's love that's embedded in the truth of God the truth is foundational truth to it 00:17:34.940 --> 00:17:47.680 and that structure and purpose is given by the truth of God in other words if you go by Paul's by by Paul's teaching here 00:17:47.680 --> 00:17:57.640 if you go by the whole of the Bible essentially it actually demolishes this daft idea that you have in the world today that love is love 00:17:57.640 --> 00:18:04.160 what is that saying it's not really saying very much because love then is up to yourself how you define it 00:18:04.160 --> 00:18:09.380 the structure that you give it is really nothing more than your own idea of what love is 00:18:09.380 --> 00:18:14.440 and even if it's the most debauched thing in the teaching of the Bible and you call it love 00:18:14.440 --> 00:18:18.220 love is love is what we're told well that of course is nonsense 00:18:18.220 --> 00:18:23.220 there is no structure to that there is no basis to that 00:18:23.220 --> 00:18:31.019 nothing living to that except people's own wishful thinking and all people's own prejudices or predilections 00:18:31.019 --> 00:18:43.160 love is love only when it is love in the truth and love of the truth and love structured by the truth 00:18:43.160 --> 00:18:50.279 and sadly our world and I'm not excluding aspects of the church in our world 00:18:50.279 --> 00:19:01.480 no longer hold to this wonderful wonderful teaching of the Bible that love is as God himself defines it 00:19:01.480 --> 00:19:05.180 or else it ceases to be love in that true sense 00:19:05.180 --> 00:19:19.460 the ideology love is love is really love based on my truth my idea of truth what I make truth to be for myself 00:19:19.460 --> 00:19:30.279 and that's just hopeless it leads to despair it leads to lifestyles that are simply completely out of control at times 00:19:30.279 --> 00:19:33.600 and certainly out of sync with the Bible's teaching 00:19:33.600 --> 00:19:45.160 so friends there is love and truth together and unity in love and in truth which is what we ourselves prize 00:19:45.160 --> 00:19:53.000 not just unity for its own sake but unity in love a unity which begins in the heart 00:19:53.000 --> 00:20:01.340 or which issues from the heart in love and a love which is structured by the truth of God 00:20:01.340 --> 00:20:05.060 and has substance to it because of that 00:20:05.060 --> 00:20:09.759 but secondly verse 4 briefly look at what he says here 00:20:09.759 --> 00:20:17.160 this I say in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments 00:20:17.160 --> 00:20:20.960 now he's been speaking of a unity in love and in the truth 00:20:20.960 --> 00:20:26.839 and now he's moving to something connected to that unity threatened by plausible arguments 00:20:26.839 --> 00:20:31.240 I am writing this to you in order that no one may delude you 00:20:31.240 --> 00:20:36.980 and that really means to be deceived to be deluded or even to be self-deceived 00:20:36.980 --> 00:20:44.920 because very often false teaching is very persuasive 00:20:44.920 --> 00:20:50.640 and that's why he's calling here the misleading of the mind 00:20:50.640 --> 00:20:56.980 the mind being actually led away from what it should be focused on 00:20:56.980 --> 00:21:02.980 me saying being deluded with plausible arguments 00:21:02.980 --> 00:21:05.380 heresy can be very very plausible 00:21:05.380 --> 00:21:13.200 and those who present heresy to us can have very very plausible ways of doing it 00:21:13.200 --> 00:21:23.120 they can sometimes sadly be much more friendly than genuine Christians trying to represent the truth as it is in Christ 00:21:23.120 --> 00:21:26.200 but plausible arguments 00:21:26.200 --> 00:21:29.740 are no substitute for knowing the truth 00:21:29.740 --> 00:21:39.740 not that the truth need to be seen as an implausible or impossible to set it forth as a plausible argument 00:21:39.740 --> 00:21:43.840 what he's saying is there is such a thing in heresy 00:21:43.840 --> 00:21:49.160 such a thing in untruth such a thing in false teaching as plausible arguments 00:21:49.160 --> 00:21:51.960 because error is so often appealing 00:21:51.960 --> 00:21:55.340 and it's designed to catch the mind 00:21:55.340 --> 00:21:58.279 that's why verse 7 there is so crucial 00:21:58.279 --> 00:22:00.560 you see what he's saying there in verse 7 00:22:00.560 --> 00:22:04.360 as you received Christ Jesus so walk in him 00:22:04.360 --> 00:22:07.240 rooted and built up in him 00:22:07.240 --> 00:22:09.880 and established in the faith 00:22:09.880 --> 00:22:11.940 just as you were taught 00:22:11.940 --> 00:22:14.620 he's saying there there's there's the faith 00:22:14.620 --> 00:22:15.779 there's the truth of God 00:22:15.779 --> 00:22:17.059 you are established 00:22:17.059 --> 00:22:18.920 you're built up in the faith 00:22:18.920 --> 00:22:20.019 that's your foundation 00:22:20.019 --> 00:22:22.000 the truth of God 00:22:22.000 --> 00:22:23.819 and so on the basis of that 00:22:23.819 --> 00:22:24.660 you walk 00:22:24.660 --> 00:22:25.920 you live out your life 00:22:25.920 --> 00:22:27.879 you conduct yourself 00:22:27.879 --> 00:22:33.740 and it's important for us all tonight 00:22:33.740 --> 00:22:37.480 that we see to it that we are not weak 00:22:37.480 --> 00:22:41.879 in our understanding of God's vital truth 00:22:41.879 --> 00:22:44.399 because if we don't make the effort 00:22:44.400 --> 00:22:49.280 if we don't try and keep filling our minds with God's truth 00:22:49.280 --> 00:22:51.220 that's partly why we're here tonight 00:22:51.220 --> 00:22:52.300 it's part of our worship 00:22:52.300 --> 00:22:54.200 to actually receive 00:22:54.200 --> 00:22:57.700 we trust a greater understanding of what the word of God is saying to us 00:22:57.700 --> 00:23:00.100 the spiritual food for our souls 00:23:00.100 --> 00:23:02.420 because if we're weak in that sense 00:23:02.420 --> 00:23:06.340 if we just neglect feeding our souls spiritually and God's truth 00:23:06.340 --> 00:23:09.340 then we're going to be open 00:23:09.339 --> 00:23:12.339 to the plausible arguments 00:23:12.339 --> 00:23:13.559 of heresy 00:23:13.559 --> 00:23:14.759 or of the world 00:23:14.759 --> 00:23:17.639 and that's why it's so important 00:23:17.639 --> 00:23:21.819 to have a greater grasp of truth today than I had yesterday 00:23:21.819 --> 00:23:24.099 because the more you have 00:23:24.099 --> 00:23:26.659 strength and the more you have 00:23:26.659 --> 00:23:29.379 this grasp of God's truth increasingly 00:23:29.379 --> 00:23:31.639 the less likely it is 00:23:31.639 --> 00:23:34.480 that plausible arguments will lead you away 00:23:34.480 --> 00:23:36.759 from the truth as it is in Christ 00:23:36.759 --> 00:23:37.799 I'm writing this 00:23:37.799 --> 00:23:39.360 I'm saying this he says to you 00:23:39.360 --> 00:23:41.819 in order that no one may delude you 00:23:41.819 --> 00:23:43.900 with plausible arguments 00:23:43.900 --> 00:23:47.039 whenever you find something 00:23:47.039 --> 00:23:49.480 that just doesn't feel right to you 00:23:49.480 --> 00:23:53.500 doesn't that doesn't seem to be just quite in accordance with it 00:23:53.500 --> 00:23:54.360 where do you take it 00:23:54.360 --> 00:23:55.860 you take it to the truth of God 00:23:55.860 --> 00:23:56.940 you take it to the Bible 00:23:56.940 --> 00:23:58.720 you measure it against the truth 00:23:58.720 --> 00:24:00.000 as God has revealed it 00:24:00.000 --> 00:24:02.519 and not just in in the Bible itself 00:24:02.519 --> 00:24:06.880 but as countless generations of faithful Christians 00:24:06.880 --> 00:24:09.339 and theologians through to Christ 00:24:09.339 --> 00:24:13.220 have given the church the distilled wisdom that you find 00:24:13.220 --> 00:24:16.279 in the church's creeds and confessions 00:24:16.279 --> 00:24:17.900 and commentaries and so on 00:24:17.900 --> 00:24:19.839 fill your mind with that 00:24:19.839 --> 00:24:22.099 let that be the structure 00:24:22.099 --> 00:24:25.980 that really brings stability to your hearts 00:24:25.980 --> 00:24:27.140 to your lives 00:24:27.140 --> 00:24:30.300 and then you'll be buttressed 00:24:30.300 --> 00:24:31.660 you'll then be defended 00:24:31.660 --> 00:24:32.880 you'll be built up against 00:24:32.880 --> 00:24:35.540 the plausible arguments of heresy 00:24:35.540 --> 00:24:37.860 that are designed to lead you away 00:24:37.860 --> 00:24:40.640 remember heresy is always designed 00:24:40.640 --> 00:24:42.600 to lead you away from the truth 00:24:42.600 --> 00:24:45.820 doesn't matter what kind of heresy it is 00:24:45.820 --> 00:24:47.920 that's what's at the heart of it 00:24:47.920 --> 00:24:49.880 that's what the purpose of it is 00:24:49.880 --> 00:24:52.780 heresy is ultimately from the enemy of the church 00:24:52.779 --> 00:24:56.500 and even if there are many truths 00:24:56.500 --> 00:25:00.200 along with the main untruth that's being presented 00:25:00.200 --> 00:25:01.839 it's still hugely damaging 00:25:01.839 --> 00:25:07.099 so unity threatened by plausible arguments 00:25:07.099 --> 00:25:07.559 and he's saying 00:25:07.559 --> 00:25:10.339 I'm saying this in order that no one may delude you 00:25:10.339 --> 00:25:12.799 so that you will have this encouragement 00:25:12.799 --> 00:25:14.859 so that you will be knitted together in love 00:25:14.859 --> 00:25:16.579 or being knitted together in love 00:25:16.579 --> 00:25:18.799 that you will reach full understanding 00:25:18.799 --> 00:25:20.899 and assurance of the knowledge 00:25:20.899 --> 00:25:22.119 of God's mystery 00:25:22.119 --> 00:25:23.079 which is Christ 00:25:23.079 --> 00:25:24.619 study Christ 00:25:24.619 --> 00:25:25.680 study the gospel 00:25:25.680 --> 00:25:26.700 study 00:25:26.700 --> 00:25:29.579 everything that you see revealed 00:25:29.579 --> 00:25:31.879 to do with your salvation in Christ 00:25:31.879 --> 00:25:33.399 but then finally this 00:25:33.399 --> 00:25:34.359 unity 00:25:34.359 --> 00:25:36.559 is not just in love and in truth 00:25:36.559 --> 00:25:39.000 unity threatened by plausible arguments 00:25:39.000 --> 00:25:39.980 unity 00:25:39.980 --> 00:25:42.099 is a cause of rejoicing 00:25:42.099 --> 00:25:43.500 see what he's saying 00:25:43.500 --> 00:25:44.659 finally in verse 5 00:25:44.659 --> 00:25:46.259 though I'm absent in body 00:25:46.259 --> 00:25:47.680 yet I'm with you in spirit 00:25:47.680 --> 00:25:50.019 rejoicing to see 00:25:50.019 --> 00:25:51.299 your good order 00:25:51.299 --> 00:25:53.079 and the firmness of your faith 00:25:53.079 --> 00:25:54.500 in Christ 00:25:54.500 --> 00:25:56.859 Paul is not with them 00:25:56.859 --> 00:25:58.099 in person 00:25:58.099 --> 00:26:00.619 but he's very much with them 00:26:00.619 --> 00:26:01.879 in mind and spirit 00:26:01.879 --> 00:26:04.039 and as he's with them in spirit 00:26:04.039 --> 00:26:04.599 in mind 00:26:04.599 --> 00:26:05.859 that's why he's saying 00:26:05.859 --> 00:26:07.660 this is my great struggle for you 00:26:07.660 --> 00:26:09.019 I'm with you 00:26:09.019 --> 00:26:10.680 I'm in support of you 00:26:10.680 --> 00:26:11.960 I'm there to encourage you 00:26:11.960 --> 00:26:13.500 I'm there to 00:26:13.500 --> 00:26:15.980 give you the comfort 00:26:15.980 --> 00:26:17.660 and the stability 00:26:17.660 --> 00:26:18.880 that you need to go on 00:26:18.880 --> 00:26:19.599 as you've begun 00:26:19.599 --> 00:26:20.940 walk in Christ 00:26:20.940 --> 00:26:21.779 as you began 00:26:21.779 --> 00:26:22.920 in Christ 00:26:22.920 --> 00:26:25.000 now he's using here 00:26:25.000 --> 00:26:26.579 military terms 00:26:26.579 --> 00:26:27.559 another favourite 00:26:27.559 --> 00:26:29.180 metaphor of the apostle 00:26:29.180 --> 00:26:31.019 along with athletic terms 00:26:31.019 --> 00:26:32.220 was military terms 00:26:32.220 --> 00:26:33.819 and when he's talking here 00:26:33.819 --> 00:26:34.799 about good order 00:26:34.799 --> 00:26:36.200 and firmness 00:26:36.200 --> 00:26:37.819 he's borrowing that 00:26:37.819 --> 00:26:39.640 from the military world 00:26:39.640 --> 00:26:40.920 where you find 00:26:40.920 --> 00:26:42.759 what you might call 00:26:42.759 --> 00:26:44.839 closed ranks 00:26:44.839 --> 00:26:45.740 against the enemy 00:26:45.740 --> 00:26:47.579 an efficient army 00:26:47.579 --> 00:26:48.619 under attack 00:26:48.619 --> 00:26:49.680 will close ranks 00:26:49.680 --> 00:26:50.700 they won't leave gaps 00:26:50.700 --> 00:26:51.799 that's where the unity 00:26:51.799 --> 00:26:52.279 comes in 00:26:52.279 --> 00:26:53.519 but here he's saying 00:26:53.519 --> 00:26:55.720 I rejoice to see 00:26:55.720 --> 00:26:56.559 your good order 00:26:56.559 --> 00:26:57.400 and the firmness 00:26:57.400 --> 00:26:58.420 of your faith 00:26:58.420 --> 00:26:58.799 in Christ 00:26:58.799 --> 00:26:59.759 that you're maintaining 00:26:59.759 --> 00:27:02.279 that you're maintaining 00:27:02.279 --> 00:27:03.000 this unity 00:27:03.000 --> 00:27:04.319 in love 00:27:04.319 --> 00:27:06.019 and in truth 00:27:06.019 --> 00:27:08.460 and the terms 00:27:08.460 --> 00:27:09.039 that he uses 00:27:09.039 --> 00:27:09.339 there 00:27:09.339 --> 00:27:10.599 remind us 00:27:10.599 --> 00:27:10.859 that 00:27:10.859 --> 00:27:12.079 the greatest 00:27:12.079 --> 00:27:13.559 threat 00:27:13.559 --> 00:27:14.359 to the gospel 00:27:14.359 --> 00:27:16.019 and to our own 00:27:16.019 --> 00:27:17.220 spiritual progress 00:27:17.220 --> 00:27:18.920 and to the well-being 00:27:18.920 --> 00:27:19.940 of any congregation 00:27:19.940 --> 00:27:20.559 of people 00:27:20.559 --> 00:27:21.740 is always 00:27:21.740 --> 00:27:22.539 from inside 00:27:22.539 --> 00:27:25.259 the greatest threat 00:27:25.259 --> 00:27:26.339 is always 00:27:26.339 --> 00:27:27.940 from inside 00:27:27.940 --> 00:27:30.019 that's where it begins 00:27:30.019 --> 00:27:31.359 that's where disunity 00:27:31.359 --> 00:27:31.960 begins 00:27:31.960 --> 00:27:33.240 that's where heresy 00:27:33.240 --> 00:27:33.880 begins 00:27:33.880 --> 00:27:36.480 and so he's saying 00:27:36.480 --> 00:27:37.599 be sure 00:27:37.599 --> 00:27:38.500 that what you're doing 00:27:38.500 --> 00:27:39.920 is like me 00:27:39.920 --> 00:27:40.680 struggling 00:27:40.680 --> 00:27:42.240 in prayer 00:27:42.240 --> 00:27:43.519 putting all the effort 00:27:43.519 --> 00:27:44.079 that you need 00:27:44.079 --> 00:27:45.579 and have opportunity 00:27:45.579 --> 00:27:46.079 for 00:27:46.079 --> 00:27:47.519 so that you may be 00:27:47.519 --> 00:27:48.140 encouraged 00:27:48.140 --> 00:27:49.880 knit together in love 00:27:49.880 --> 00:27:50.539 that you reach 00:27:50.539 --> 00:27:51.299 all the riches 00:27:51.299 --> 00:27:52.440 of full assurance 00:27:52.440 --> 00:27:53.759 of understanding 00:27:53.759 --> 00:27:54.420 and the knowledge 00:27:54.420 --> 00:27:55.339 of God's mystery 00:27:55.339 --> 00:27:56.680 which is Christ 00:27:56.680 --> 00:27:57.960 this Christ 00:27:57.960 --> 00:27:59.299 not any Christ 00:27:59.299 --> 00:28:00.299 of human imagining 00:28:00.299 --> 00:28:01.220 not the Christ 00:28:01.220 --> 00:28:01.960 of the heretics 00:28:01.960 --> 00:28:03.740 but this Christ 00:28:03.740 --> 00:28:04.319 the Christ 00:28:04.319 --> 00:28:05.900 in which God 00:28:05.900 --> 00:28:06.420 has revealed 00:28:06.420 --> 00:28:07.259 all the treasure 00:28:07.259 --> 00:28:08.460 and deposited them 00:28:08.460 --> 00:28:08.860 in him 00:28:08.860 --> 00:28:09.900 of wisdom 00:28:09.900 --> 00:28:11.120 and knowledge 00:28:11.120 --> 00:28:12.640 and rejoicing 00:28:12.640 --> 00:28:13.100 friends 00:28:13.100 --> 00:28:15.360 we're blessed 00:28:15.360 --> 00:28:16.019 with unity 00:28:16.019 --> 00:28:18.279 nothing's perfect 00:28:18.279 --> 00:28:20.600 no church 00:28:20.600 --> 00:28:21.019 in the world 00:28:21.019 --> 00:28:22.299 has a perfect unity 00:28:22.299 --> 00:28:24.180 but we're blessed 00:28:24.180 --> 00:28:24.960 with unity 00:28:24.960 --> 00:28:26.380 we're together 00:28:26.380 --> 00:28:27.799 we serve the Lord 00:28:27.799 --> 00:28:28.640 we're together 00:28:28.640 --> 00:28:29.819 we seek each of us 00:28:29.819 --> 00:28:30.500 to contribute 00:28:30.500 --> 00:28:31.359 to the overall 00:28:31.359 --> 00:28:32.019 well-being 00:28:32.019 --> 00:28:32.759 of the congregation 00:28:32.759 --> 00:28:33.720 and indeed 00:28:33.720 --> 00:28:34.220 of the wider 00:28:34.220 --> 00:28:35.400 cause of Christ 00:28:35.400 --> 00:28:37.619 and that is 00:28:37.619 --> 00:28:39.599 cause for rejoicing 00:28:39.599 --> 00:28:42.299 cause for thankfulness 00:28:42.299 --> 00:28:43.119 yes we 00:28:43.119 --> 00:28:45.119 we seek certainly 00:28:45.119 --> 00:28:45.920 to be 00:28:45.920 --> 00:28:47.500 defended 00:28:47.500 --> 00:28:48.700 or defend ourselves 00:28:48.700 --> 00:28:49.319 against 00:28:49.319 --> 00:28:51.160 plausible arguments 00:28:51.160 --> 00:28:54.700 that are heretical 00:28:54.700 --> 00:28:55.920 that will lead us 00:28:55.920 --> 00:28:56.779 away from the truth 00:28:56.779 --> 00:28:58.240 but we rejoice 00:28:58.240 --> 00:29:00.460 when God has blessed us 00:29:00.460 --> 00:29:02.299 with good order 00:29:02.299 --> 00:29:03.139 and firmness 00:29:03.139 --> 00:29:04.599 with unity 00:29:04.599 --> 00:29:06.099 in the things 00:29:06.099 --> 00:29:07.899 of his salvation 00:29:07.899 --> 00:29:09.019 and his praise 00:29:09.019 --> 00:29:10.440 so may God 00:29:10.440 --> 00:29:11.799 bless these thoughts 00:29:11.799 --> 00:29:17.839 and Fstand 00:29:17.839 --> 00:29:18.159 say 00:29:18.159 --> 00:29:18.440 I'll stop 00:29:18.440 --> 00:29:18.700 letting Him 00:29:18.700 --> 00:29:19.899 tell 00:29:19.899 --> 00:29:20.379 people 00:29:20.379 --> 00:29:20.940 are 00:29:20.940 --> 00:29:29.440 can't 00:29:29.440 --> 00:29:29.700 in the 00:29:29.700 --> 00:29:30.899 verse