Spiritual elitism, or legalism, attempts to exclude Christians based on religious performance. Paul names three specific forms of it here: majoring on the external, pretending to transcend the physical, and being known by your don'ts. The true Gospel opposes all of them, training us to distinguish shadows from substance, not to fight flesh with flesh, and above all to hold fast to the Head, Jesus himself. This inevitably means leaning in to the very place where spiritual elitism often thrives: the church.
Hold Fast to the Head
Colossians
May 14, 2023 • Walter Henegar • Colossians 2:16–23
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Colossians
Grace Be With You
June 25, 2023 • Walter Henegar • Colossians 4:7–18
Paul closes his letter to Colossae with personal greetings that illustrate what grace looks like in community. It includes humbling the exalted and exalting the humble; sharing ordinary life together; a deep desire to reconcile with people who hurt or disappoint us; gratitude for those who "get" us culturally and above all for those who "get" the Gospel; inconspicuous service and persistent prayer; holy agnosticism about what we don't know and holy curiosity about the storylines God hasn't finished writing.
Talk the Walk
June 11, 2023 • Walter Henegar • Colossians 4:2–6
Healthy faith involves talking to God about others—steadfastly, watchfully, and thankfully—and talking to others about God—wisely, graciously and saltily. All of these behaviors flow out of a firm grasp of the Gospel of Jesus, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Resources: - Molly Worthen on the Gospelbound podcast: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0cwaeizm4easjfnfjxikh5?si=-2dgxzqfq6s1ze7ij5ujmwhttp://spotify.com/episode/0cwaeizm4easjfnfjxikh5?si=-2dgxzqfq6s1ze7ij5ujmw - Lectio365 app on the Apple App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/lectio-365/id1483974820