Don’t Trade Christ for a Counterfeit
Have you ever given up something valuable because you believed a promise that turned out to be empty?
Perhaps you invested money in something that failed, moved for a job that never materialised, or bought something online only to discover that you had been deceived. It hurts to lose something precious because you trusted a promise that was not true.
This is the concern behind Paul’s words in Colossians 2.
The Colossian Christians possessed something of infinite value: Christ Himself. Yet Paul knew that persuasive voices would come offering them something that sounded like more—more wisdom, more spirituality, more knowledge, more fulfilment.
His warning is simple: Don’t be deceived. Don’t be taken captive. Cling to Christ.
Paul tells the Colossians to continue walking in Christ, “rooted and built up in him and established in the faith” (Colossians 2:6–7). The Christian life does not begin with Christ and then move on to something greater. We receive Christ, and then we continue in Christ. We grow deeper into the Christ we have already received.
This matters because we live in a world filled with competing voices.
Psychology may tell us that our deepest problem is our past, our unmet needs, or our self-esteem. Philosophy may tell us that life has no objective meaning and that we must create our own purpose.
None of these can do what Christ does.
They cannot forgive our sins. They cannot reconcile us to God. They cannot give us eternal life. They cannot raise us from the dead. They cannot help us live a God-glorifying life.
Paul gives us the reason we should not be captivated by such alternatives: Christ is enough.
In Christ, the fullness of God dwells bodily. In Christ, we have been filled. Through Christ, we have died and been raised to new life. In Christ, our sins are forgiven, our debt is cancelled, and the powers that stood against us have been defeated.
Why would we trade such a treasure for a counterfeit?
The world will always offer alternatives to Christ. Some will be obviously false. Others will sound sophisticated, compassionate or persuasive. But the question is not simply, “Does this idea sound convincing?” The question is, “Is it according to Christ?”
There is no person, cause or idea that can be compared with Jesus Christ.
So don’t be deceived.
Don’t be taken captive.
Don’t trade the treasure for a counterfeit.
Cling to Christ.