Our Sufficiency In Christ - Lesson 1
Introduction:
Is Christ and the Scriptures sufficient for every need. Or do I need to turn to other helps in order to get through my situation. While we certainly do not endorse Christian Science, we do affirm that Christ and the Scriptures are sufficient to meet our every need.
* As believers we must come to the point where we realize that we have everything we need in Christ.
The moment we are saved we are in Christ and Christ is in us!
2 Corinthians 5:17; Colossians 1:27
The Holy Spirit of God dwells within us the moment we are saved. Romans 8:9.
It is clear that as believers, we are the temple of the very living God. 1 Corinthians 6:19
Every believer is divinely possessed to carry out the work that God has called us to do!
2 Peter 1:3
Satan has tried to beguile Christians away from the simplicity of an all sufficient Christ.
He has always found those who are willing to exchange truth for anything that is new and unusual.
One of the earliest attacks on the sufficiency of Christ seen in the Scriptures comes from Gnosticism. Gnostics believed that matter was evil and spirit is good. That man is born with a divine spark that he must mature through knowledge. (Intellectualism)
They taught that Christ alone was not sufficient for life and something more must be sought after.
I. Paul’s response to Gnosticism.
Paul deals with Gnosticism in the book of Colossians.
Colossians 2:2-3;8-10.
His emphasis is that in Christ we are complete.
II. Gnosticism today.
Did Gnosticism ever truly die! No, we see it today through different means. However there are three main area’s where Gnosticism attacks the sufficiency of the Scriptures today.
a) Psychology- The integration of modern behavioral theory into the church has created an environment in which traditional counseling from the Bible is widely viewed as unsophisticated, naïve and even fatuous.
Psychology- literally means “the study of the soul.” However psychology cannot study the soul it can only study human behavior. Only God knows the soul and only God can change it.
b) Pragmatism- The basic tenant is the end justifies the means. If you want an example of this, look at why the early church met and compare that with the agenda of churches today.
Some have reduced church meetings into entertaining the unbeliever for the purpose of creating a good experience that will make Christ more palatable to them.
Those who are experts (who possess secret knowledge) will tell us that biblical preaching itself cannot possibly be relevant.
c) Mysticism- is the belief that spiritual reality is perceived apart from the human intellect and natural senses. It looks for intuition and internal feelings rather than objective truth. It is the foundation for Hinduism and the New Age movement.
The question “What does the Bible mean to me?” has become more important than “What does the Bible mean?”
How can we attack Gnosticism is the church today as well as in our personal lives?
Exalt the sufficiency of Christ. Colossians 2:10