It is important that we understand the truth if we are going to live in the truth. The church in the city of Colossae (which is in modern-day Turkey and no longer exists today) was dealing with dangerous confusion about who Jesus is and the life He calls us to live. It’s one of those cities that the apostle Paul had never been to. Epaphras heard Paul’s teaching of the gospel of Jesus and started sharing this message with people in cities off the beaten path, and that’s how a church began here. The apostle Paul was in prison for his testimony about Christ and heard about the many opinions circulating among the Colossians. He wrote to them so they might understand the actual truth about Jesus Christ.
False teachings in the church mixed Greek and Jewish ideas with the Christian perspective, creating a deceptive misunderstanding about who Jesus is. Paul countered this with a powerful argument that Jesus Christ is “the image of the invisible God” (Colossians 1:15). He is both the One who created all things and the head of the church. He is the King over all His kingdom.
Therefore, Paul called upon the Colossians to reject any so-called knowledge, whether secular or religious, that diminishes the uniqueness of Christ. And he called the Colossian believers to reflect Christ’s character in every area of their lives—to put the truth into practice. We are to exalt Christ and display His glory and truth by the way we live for His kingdom.
That’s what it means for us today when we are called to live in the Truth.