Be ROOTED then BEWARE; Received by FAITH, then Walk by FAITH

Colossians 2:6-8 - As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.  Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

NOTE: "It ought to be obvious why the instruction to be ROOTED comes before the instruction to BEWARE." - VM

V. 6 - AS ye have received Christ, so walk.  That is, In the same WAY that ye received Christ, so walk.  You received Him by faith.  So now WALK by faith.  And so v. 7, "stablished in the faith."  Compare II Corinthians 5:7; Habakkuk 2:4; Romans 1:17; Galatians 3:11; Hebrews 10:38.

VM

Experience and Emotions versus Truth

Deuteronomy 13:1-4 - If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder,
And the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them;
Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the LORD your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
Ye shall walk after the LORD your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him.

NOTE: Summary: Even an actual experience does not trump the revealed truth.

John 8:32 - And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

NOTE: Not an experience or a feeling to know and be made free, but the truth.

John 16:13 - ...when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth...

NOTE: Not guide us in experience or feelings, but into truth.

Likewise II Peter 1:16-19 - the word is "more sure" than the observation.

If A Man Say, I Have Faith

James 2:14 - What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?

"For a man to have faith, and to say he has faith, are two different things; the apostle does not say, If a man have faith without works, for that is not a supposable case; the drift of this place of scripture is plainly to show that an opinion, or speculation, or assent, without works, is not faith; but the case is put thus, If a man say he hath faith, etc. Men may boast of that to others, and be conceited of that in themselves, of which they are really destitute." - Matthew Henry's Commentary

Rahab the Harlot; Curse on Jericho's Rebuilding

Joshua 6:25 - And Joshua saved Rahab the harlot alive, and her father's household, and all that she had; and she dwelleth in Israel even unto this day; because she hid the messengers, which Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.

Rahab became mother to Boaz, ancestor of King David and of Jesus: Matthew 1:5. Mentioned as an example of faith that works, Hebrews 11:31; James 2:25.

Joshua 6:26 - And Joshua adjured them at that time, saying, Cursed be the man before the LORD, that riseth up and buildeth this city Jericho: he shall lay the foundation thereof in his firstborn, and in his youngest son shall he set up the gates of it.

Prediction fulfilled in I Kings 16:34.

VM

Notes in Genesis Chapter Seventeen

Genesis 17:15-17 - And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be.  And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her.  Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?

Note: Abraham not completely doubting, for God renames Sarai to Sarah and Abraham immediately calls her Sarah: "shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?"  Then Abraham obedient in verse 23 ff.

VM

Throw Away Earthly Security

And as the shipmen were about to flee out of the ship, when they had let down the boat into the sea, under colour as though they would have cast anchors out of the foreship, Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved.  Then the soldiers cut off the ropes of the boat, and let her fall off. - Acts 27:30-32

God's deliverance comes when we are willing to rely solely on Him!  We must throw away any earthly security if we truly trust in God.

VM
From notes taken during a sermon delivered by Ignacio "Pancho" Rovirosa.

The Key to Joy Is Faith

Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me. - Acts 27:25

"Be of good cheer: for I believe God" - The key to joy is faith.

"I believe God" - actually the key to all Christian success.

VM

Three Bad Criteria for Decisions, Acts 27

DECISION BASED ON THE WISDOM OF MEN (Rather than the leading of God):

Now when much time was spent, and when sailing was now dangerous, because the fast was now already past, Paul admonished them, And said unto them, Sirs, I perceive that this voyage will be with hurt and much damage, not only of the lading and ship, but also of our lives.  Nevertheless the centurion believed the master and the owner of the ship, more than those things which were spoken by Paul.  - Acts 27:9-11

Compare: Proverbs 22:3; Exodus 9:20-21.

DECISION BASED ON COMFORT, CONVENIENCE:

And because the haven was not commodious to winter in, the more part advised to depart thence also, if by any means they might attain to Phenice, and there to winter; which is an haven of Crete, and lieth toward the south west and north west.  - Acts 27:12

Word study: "Not commodius" means not convenient, not suitable.

DECISION BASED ON OBSERVATION, RESULTS, PRAGMATISM:

And when the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, loosing thence, they sailed close by Crete. - Acts 27:13

Bible note: How often we make long-term decisions based on which way the wind is blowing at the moment of decision!

VM
Developed from some notes taken during a sermon delivered by Ignacio "Pancho" Rovirosa.

Hebrews 11:3

Hebrews 11:3 - Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

Understand: to perceive with the mind; to heed, consider, apprehend.*

We do not simply accept or passively receive the fact that God created everything from out of nothing by speaking it into existence.  We UNDERSTAND it.  Some will simply go along with it.  We APPREHEND it.  We take it gladly take it into our minds and hearts.  We EMBRACE it.

*(Strong's # 3539, Greek noeo.  Definitions from both Thayer's and Vine's.)

VM - expanded from a note taken during a sermon by Ignacio Rovirosa.

Philippians 4:6

Philippians 4:6 - Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

V. 6 - See illustration by B. H. Carroll, p. 297 of his Philippians commentary.

("Interpretation of the English Bible" by B. H. Carroll).