Forgiveness, Triumph, Freedom
Colossians 2:13-23
13 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14 having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. 15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. 16 Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. 17 These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. 18 Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize. Such a person goes into great detail about what he has seen, and his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions. 19 He has lost connection with the Head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow. 20 Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: 21 "Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!"? 22 These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. 23 Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence. Colossians 2:13-23 (NIV)
Verses 13-14:
Can dead people do anything but be dead? Do they have the ability to rise up and live in and of themselves? I’m thinking of Ezekiel here – who was sent by God to a rebellious nation (sound familiar??) - and the Valley of Dry Bones:
1 The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. 2 He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. 3 He asked me, "Son of man, can these bones live?" I said, "O Sovereign Lord, you alone know." 4 Then he said to me, "Prophesy to these bones and say to them, 'Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! 5 This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. 6 I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.'" 7 So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. 8 I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them. 9 Then he said to me, "Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, 'This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe into these slain, that they may live.'" 10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet--a vast army. Ezekiel 37:1-10 (NIV)
It is only God who brings life out of death. Only God.
Read “I AM” (1).
Death is separation not annihilation – the Spirit lives on – to those who are the “walking living dead” they still bear the image of God. (As Tim said in his sermon on Sunday, b/c of this they are deserving of respect - all human life is deserving of this respect as we are all made in God’s image). Yet, they are separated from God - cut off from the spiritual life of union with Him presently an eternal life with Him hereafter. Paul tells us in Ephesians:
11 Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called "uncircumcised" by those who call themselves "the circumcision" (that done in the body by the hands of men) -- 12 remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. Ephesians 2:11-12 (NIV)
1 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. 4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions--it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2:1-6 (NIV)
The same power that raised Christ from the dead resurrects believing sinners to spiritual life. He has saved us from the dominion of sin which is darkness. The conversion of a sinner is the transference of a soul into the kingdom of Christ out of the kingdom of the devil – out of darkness into His marvelous light. It is the kingdom of the Son He loves.
Those who are not saints on earth will never be saints in heaven. The state of sin is a state of spiritual death yet Christ’s death is our life. Those who are in sin are dead in sin. As the death of the body is the corruption of it (indeed it is in a state of entropy), so sin is the corruption of the soul (a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough). As a man who is dead is unable to help himself by any power of his own, so a habitual sinner is morally impotent. We should never expect regenerate behavior from an unregenerate – they have no power to live so consistently. This is everyone’s state prior to Jesus btw. Now through Christ we, who were once dead in sins are made alive. As believers, new life began when by faith in Christ God forgave us all our sins for He canceled the written code. God’s written Law – condemned us and stood opposed to us. It worked against us yet it showed us our desperate need for a Savior:
19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. 20 Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin. Romans 3:19-20 (NIV)
Christ’s death was the death of our sins; Christ’s resurrection is the life of our souls. Through Him we have the remission of sin. Therefore, the pardon the crime is the life of the criminal. (I am not my own, I have been bought with a high price:
19 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NIV)
What was against us is taken out of the way. Christ has obtained for us a legal discharge from the Law. In Christ, the Law is fulfilled perfectly – having fulfilled its demands in His life and by His death. The Law was like a certificate of debt since one cannot keep it perfectly but Jesus took away this criminal charge, this certificate of indebtedness, by His death and we have been set free from its penalties. Christ wiped the slate clean for those would believe:
23 Before this faith came, we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be revealed. 24 So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. 25 Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law. Galatians 3:23-25 (NIV)
1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. Romans 8:1-2 (NIV)
“Jesus for thee a body takes, thy guilt assumes, they fetter breaks, discharging all thy dreadful debt, and canst thou then such love forget?” Krishna Ral
Read Barabbas preferred to Jesus (2).
Verses 15-18:
By fulfilling the demands of the Law, thankfully Christ also disarmed the demonic powers and authorities triumphing over them by the cross:
14 But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. 2 Corinthians 2:14 (NIV)
He obtained a glorious victory for us over the powers of darkness. As the curse of the law was against us, so the power of Satan was against us. Out of the hands of Satan, the executioner, He redeemed us by the power of His mighty hand. The devil and all the powers of hell were conquered and disarmed by the dying redeemer. The Redeemer conquered by dying (as we are to do as well) (plus the deny self take up cross verses):
23 Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. 25 The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.” John 12:23-25 (NIV)
His crown of thorns turning to a crown of laurels. Never had the devil’s kingdom received such a mortal blow as was given by the Lord Jesus As a result, believers are delivered from these evil powers which inspire legalistic rules about food and festivals. We are free from the Law’s legalistic requirements. The teaching that forbids these is taught by demons whom we are told in here in verse 15 Christ has disarmed. They bring men into slavery by their mystical meditations. These legalistic mystics dwell on what they have seen which Paul calls idle notions “vain”. Far from being humble, such a person’s unspiritual mind (mind of the flesh) is puffed with pride in his visions. Believers do not have to give them an inch! Paul writes Timothy:
1 The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. 2 Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. 3 They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. 4 For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, 5 because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer. 1 Timothy 4:1-5 (NIV)
Hebrews tells us the Law was given as a “shadow” of things to come – the substance is Jesus – always Jesus. What the Old Testament foreshadowed, Christ fulfilled:
1 The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming--not the realities themselves. Hebrews 10:1 (NIV)
We are not to let man impose upon us things that God has not imposed. The reality is Christ and to be like Him.
Those who turn believers from the reality in Christ to the shadow of the Law disqualify them for the prize. They rob believers of their spiritual rewards. As a judge disqualifies those who turn the wrong was in a race, so too believers who turn from faithfully following Christ will be “robbed” of their rewards from Him:
10 By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. 11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 13 his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. 14 If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. 15 If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames. 1 Corinthians 3:10-15 (NIV)
Some heretics who turn believers away from faithful service have a false humility which is only “a form of godliness but denying its power” (2 Timothy 3:5) that is in Christ:
3 For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, 4 in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit. Romans 8:3-4 (NIV)
This artificial godliness of legalist was connected with the worship of angels which Scripture forbids (Exodus 20:3-4 – no other gods, no idols and Revelation 22:8-9 – John worshiping an angel and he said do not do that, I am a fellow servant, worship God). We are never to worship the created rather the Creator – the notions of this practice was grounded merely on the inventions of men – the proud conceits of human reason. Though there was a show of humility in the practice, there was a real pride in the principle. Pride is at the bottom of a great many errors and corruptions and many evil practices which are demonstrated as humility but are anything but. Check motives!!!!!
Verse 19:
The legal mystic has lost connection with the Head (Christ) who alone supplies life for it to grow as God causes it to grow:
1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. 5 "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:1-5 (NIV)
True spirituality does not come by compliance with the Law (which are only the shadow) but by connection with the Life (Who is the reality). Without a vital connection to its Head, the body of Christ cannot grow. When we turn from Christ to the imaginations of men we are setting ourselves up for a fall.
Read Worthy (4).
Verses 20-23:
Lastly, Paul take the occasion to warn them against things that are destined to perish having no other authority than the traditions and injunctions of mere men. While these things may have an appearance of wisdom there is nothing of true devotion in them. Worldliness is living by the world’s rules, including those that have a show of humility and some alleged “angelic” source. Spirituality is living by the power of the Spirit in union with Christ by whom the believer has died to sin:
5 If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin-- 7 because anyone who has died has been freed from sin. Romans 6:5-7 (NIV)
For the Gospel teaches us to worship God in Spirit and Truth and not by rote ritual observances and through the mediation of Christ alone and not of any angels. Such things only have a show of wisdom but are in truth folly; they have no value in restraining “sensual indulgence” which is literally “the flesh”. Therefore, it is true wisdom to keep close to the appointments of the gospel and be entirely subject to Christ Who is the only Head of the Church and Who empowers His people to walk in a manner worthy of the Gospel. Our need highlights Who He is. All else is seeking to simply deny the body its desires in our own strength which often merely arouses those very desires we seek to deny.
These are Beth’s personal notes, due to this fact sources are not often stated.
