Friends in Christ Weekly Message
July 24, 2004

     My counsel for you is simple and straightforward: Just go ahead with what you've been given. You received Christ Jesus, the Master; now live him. You're deeply rooted in him. You're well constructed upon him. You know your way around the faith. Now do what you've been taught. School's out; quit studying the subject and start living it! And let your living spill over into thanksgiving.
     Watch out for people who try to dazzle you with big words and intellectual double-talk. They want to drag you off into endless arguments that never amount to anything. They spread their ideas through the empty traditions of human beings and the empty superstitions of spirit beings. But that's not the way of Christ. Everything of God gets expressed in him, so you can see and hear him clearly. You don't need a telescope, a microscope, or a horoscope to realize the fullness of Christ, and the emptiness of the universe without him. When you come to him, that fullness comes together for you, too. His power extends over everything.
Colossians 2:6-10 (Message*)

Seeking is a part of life, but when we've found what is most important we need to concentrate on living the Truth we've found. Once we've become firmly rooted in Christ, we need to live that out. There's always more to learn, but our priority must be the living out of our faith.

We will get endless intellectual arguments from people seeking to shake our foundation in Christ. This is nothing new! This was apparently true in Paul's day as well. And as in his day, we can get all caught up in those arguments and in false spiritualities. It's a very real temptation. We need to stop ourselves when we begin to get caught up in that, and rest firmly in Christ, who is our true foundation.

Dear friends, take this message from Paul to your hearts. Consider prayerfully how you may be falling into the trap Paul describes, or be tempted to do so. Flee from this temptation, and live Christ boldly and without equivocation.

Bill Samuel

* The Message version ©2002 by Eugene H. Peterson.

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