Pastor Hill: Never alone

Colossians 2:5, “For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ.”

Speaking the Truth in Love by Pastor Tommy Hill

Speaking the Truth in Love
by Pastor Tommy Hill

Paul is about to open his assault on the false cult that has invaded the Colossian church. He begins by identifying where his allegiance lies and where we should stand. When our colors are hoisted, there should be no doubt, which side we are on. The Colossian Christians would have to choose and the best method to aid in choosing is to follow the truth. We cannot choose rightly if we do not recognize the truth.

This is similar to the passage in Exodus 32 where Moses confronted the Israelites and challenged the people, “Who is on the Lord’s side, let him come unto me” and he symbolically drew a line in the sand. Elijah said, “Why halt ye between two opinions” when battling the prophets of Baal on the top of Mt. Carmel. The church has always been in a battle, the truth has always been the answer, and we have never fought alone.

We know that many people today, when confronted about religion, prefer a journey that does not include any confrontation. We choose not to fight or defend our faith. This choice is made because when faced with a trial, we often feel we are in the fight alone. Paul gives us some great insight and wisdom in regards to the battles Christians face on a daily basis.

WE FIGHT A COMMON BATTLE: Our greatest obstacle as believers is the need to EXPOSE the lie. The specific lie in this case is the requirement to perform specific works or actions to be in a right relationship with God. The greatest method ever employed against a lie is the presentation of that which is true. The battle was raging at Colosse and the enemy of truth must be stopped at all costs. Any losses would affect all of Christianity.

False teaching is not a local matter that we can decide that, since it’s not in our church, we should not get involved. Once it gets its roots down it has the ability to grow rapidly. A falsehood in Christianity becomes so desirous because it:

  • Appeals to the flesh (1 John 2:15-16). Our tendency is to be self-centered, we want what we want and generally will do what is necessary to meet the needs of the flesh. But the passage in 1 John tells us that these lusts are of the world and not of God so this battle must be fought and must be won.
  • Tickles the ears, 2 Tim. 4:3, “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;”
  • Makes salvation earnable, Rom. 9:32, “Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone;”

False teaching is not a local matter because its chief leader is Satan, the prince of the power of the air. He has infiltrated many churches in our land and around the world much like in the church of Colosse. He is a great foe that can only be fought through the power of our Lord. He disguises himself as an angel of light to help spread his deception. Paul said to fight with the truth for the truth will always win in the end, to contend for the faith once delivered (Jude 1:3).

WE SHARE A COMMON BOND: This is a common conflict that brings us together against a common foe, while defending our common faith. This is a truth all Christians the world over understand. We know whom we are fighting against. We realize we only have one enemy. What we sometimes forget is that we are not alone. When Elijah ran from Jezebel he was informed that God still had 7000 than had not bowed the knee to Baal, he was not alone. We fight for this common cause by sharing the truth.

John 8:32, And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

Our common bond is the truth we have in the Lord Jesus Christ. Though the battle rages, the victory is won.

1Co 15:57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

We are not in it alone. Paul told them, “yet am I with you in the spirit”

Our greatest threat in the fight is lack of knowledge, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” (Hos. 4:6). We have brethren, NOW, face-to-face with the enemy, but we fight together. NEVER ALONE!

Pastor Tommy Hill is the pastor of First Free Will Baptist Church in Hamlet. He is a Richmond County native. He can be reached at firstfwbchurchhamlet@gmail.com. His column will appear each Friday in The Pee Dee Post.

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