Persuasive Words
Four men were together, and three of them were debating a particular matter. When the first man made his case, the fourth man said, "Good point." When the second man chimed in with his counterpoint, the fourth man said, "That's a good point, too." Finally, the third man offered his point, and like before, the fourth man said, "That's a good point as well." At this time, the second man, somewhat aggravated, looked at the fourth man and said emphatically, "We can't all have a good point." To which the fourth man replied, "Good point."
My reason for sharing this comical portrayal of someone changing their mind with each convincing point is to show how easily someone can change their mind when simply convinced by one argument after another.
This continual type of debate has gone on throughout church history and was no stranger to the early church. For this reason, as an apostle, Paul spoke to this very thing when writing to the Colossians.
Colossians 2:4 Now this I say lest anyone should deceive you with persuasive words. 5 For though I am absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ. 6 As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, 7 rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving. 8 Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; 10 and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.
According to the Scriptures, a double-minded man is unstable in all of his ways. Of course, this is especially true when it pertains to knowing Christ and understanding who He is, what He has done, and how that applies to our lives every day.
I have watched believers being tossed to and from when it comes to the completed work of Christ on their behalf. They scurry about, wearing themselves out, trying their best to qualify as men and women of God with an anointing. I've seen churches acting like prophets of Baal doing all sorts of things to try to get God to send fire. They carry on as if Jesus never went to the cross and that God is reluctant to respond. I hear others speak of what must be done to obtain an open heaven.
All of these points are not rooted in New Covenant Gospel understanding but are instead the byproducts and fruit of the confusion a mixture gospel is prone to produce, and are largely the reason there has been such a large defection from churches. People wear themselves out trying to jump through all the hoops, only to find it was not the promised solution after all. It seems as soon as they finish with one idea, a new one comes along because the mark of what it takes to get God to move is a moving target. All this is because a mixture gospel creates double-mindedness. I will end today's encouragement with Scripture.
Colossians 2:11 In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12 buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. 13 And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, 14 having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. 15 Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it. 16 So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, 17 which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ. 18 Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, 19 and not holding fast to the Head, from whom all the body, nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments, grows with the increase that is from God.
Stand firm in your assurance of being complete in Jesus, who is the head not just of the body of Christ, but of all principalities and powers too. Our steadfastness and all that we need are found in Him alone.
