Today the church is in danger of absorbing the ideas and values of the world, rather than the ideas and values of God as taught in the bible. We would do well to take note of the book of Colossians, which is written to a church in danger. The Colossian church was in danger from deception and false teaching, Colossian 2:8 and from criticism, Colossians 2:16-18.
These Colossian Christians were people who wanted to know God but, having heard and responded to the message about Jesus as given them by Epaphras, they still felt that something was missing from their Christian experience. There are people who think like that today, who are not content to read God’s Word and follow biblical truth but feel they must have something else – signs or wonders, or tongues or some other unique experience of the Spirit.
Basically the Colossian church was being challenged ‘How do you know you really know God?’ We might ask ourselves the same question. These Colossians had all that was needed. It was obvious to Paul because their lives were bearing fruit. What about our lives? Are we bearing fruit?
2 Timothy 3:16-17 assures us that through the Scriptures we have all that we need. We don’t need added extras. In other words it’s not in the bible you don’t need to know it to live a life pleasing to God, Colossians 1:9-10.
Yet, many people back then and in today’s world feel they need some extra experience of God to prove their connection with God. The only proof we need is as we read God’s Word, He changes us and we see the fruit of the Spirit in our lives.
We may sometimes long for signs and wonders, we many even see them in our lives as we read the Bible and pray, but we don’t need them to prove where we stand with God. They certainly don’t make us more spiritual or a better class of Christian. In my next blog I’ll explain why that is.
Please visit these related blogs
Time and Wind and Work of the Holy Spirit
The Bible: The Word of God, not Men.