Jan 10, 2026
Identity in Christ and Warnings Against Deception • Dec 28th 1996
Colossians Part 3
In this part, Gene Edwards continues to build on the identity of believers in Christ, emphasizing reconciliation and holiness through Him. He highlights Christ as the head of the body, the church, and warns against deceptive philosophies, human traditions, and empty deceit not aligned with Christ. The segment reveals the mystery of Christ as “Christ in you, the hope of glory” and explores practical Christian living that stems from being rooted and built up in Christ. It also touches on Paul’s suffering for the sake of the church.
The members of your earthly body, that would be an individual reference. But it is illustrative, isn’t it? It’s an illustration. But we’ll count it, we’re looking for all we can get.
Audience Member: And then lay aside the old self, put on the new self.
That’s plural, right? Well, that’s plural.
Audience Member: I had 113 for the church.
You counted them this afternoon; there were 113 that were plural. What did y’all come up with? 123. I looked for them, but I couldn’t find them. You couldn’t find those? Well, you see, that’s just the difference between sisters and brothers. Okay, I want you to add this. I had asked you to do it. I’m going to put this down here that there are five references to individuals. Let’s do it. Okay, y’all. We’re coming up with something like 123 references to the church, 68, Father, 28, and Son, 83. Paul makes 16 references to himself. 13 individuals by name. You weren’t counting my little translation, were you? Because my little translation cheats all over the place. Okay.
Alright. Fine. Well, saints, turn to page four. Before I start, does anybody want to say anything? I’d love for you to talk to me. You just sit there and listen. I’d love to hear from you. I’ll stand here and listen.
Audience Member: I have a question. It was told to me that you had said that you said Christ is first in Christ. I had left the meeting earlier. Says Christ is first in Christ.
Okay, I do things like that sometimes just to make you think. There is Christ the great cosmological Christ. There is Christ the head, there’s Christ the body. What I’m basically saying to you is Christ is first place in the body, but I’m also wanting to emphasize the point that the body is part of Christ. And that’s why I said Christ is head, is first place in this part of Christ. You got it? It takes the head and the body to make Christ. Christ is first place even in the body of Christ. Okay? But I’m not fair when I say things like that; it’s confusing. It’s like I once heard a preacher say we must even crucify the cross. And I thought, what a strange word, but he was right. We must never make the cross central over Christ. And there are men and women, not many of them, who become so obsessed with the cross that they need to take their ideas of the cross to the cross and let it go. I hope I didn’t confuse you.
Now then, y’all got that thing turned on yet? I tell you what, anybody else got anything they want to say? Would you like to say something? I want to thank the brothers who said to Alex on the phone today, “You shouldn’t be in Switzerland. You ought to have been here for the meeting today.” We like that. Yes, brother. Question.
Audience Member: Talking about the spirit of a church.
The question is, does a church really have a spirit? We’re not talking here about an atmosphere. We’re talking literally about a spirit. We got to come, we got to, we got to do something that’s very difficult for us to do, and that’s to understand oneness. There really is a oneness with Christ; it’s more than union. It’s one: that you and Christ are one. I need a couple of people to help illustrate this. Brother, will you come here? And brother, will you come here? You’re about as close as.