Incomparable Christ (#8)

Colossians 3:1-4

I was driving on I-64 a few years ago about 30 or 40 yards behind the car that was directly in front of me. I had not observed anything unusual about the car/driver that would indicate that something was wrong. I noticed that the car began drifting toward the outer edge of the road toward the solid white line along the outside lane. I really didn’t think too much about it at first because I have seen others do that only to correct their position fairly quickly. However, this time the driver didn’t seem to be making any effort to bring his car back into his lane. A couple of more seconds passed and the car was now well into the emergency lane of the interstate and I began slowing down thinking that something might happen that could cause a chain reaction. It was only a second or two later that the car struck the guardrail with a glancing blow and careened back into the lane from which it had drifted. I thought surely the driver would stop in order to check the damage to his car, but he continued on as if nothing had ever happened. I can only assume that the driver must have gotten distracted for a few brief moments either by what he was doing in the car or by looking away at something outside of his car. Either way, I’m sure he was thankful for the guardrails that potentially saved his life and probably the adrenaline rush that enabled him to focus more closely on the road ahead.

This experience serves well to teach us an important lesson about the Christian life.

In the opening verses of this new section of Paul’s letter (3:1-4), he begins by encouraging believers to stay focused on the path they have been called to travel. Why? Because If you get distracted and begin to “drift” from Him/truth the potential exists for you to wreck your life in a matter of seconds. The two commands he gives in these four verses (“seek those things which are above” & “set your minds on things above”) act as spiritual “guardrails” or “lane markers” to help us stay on track and avoid the dangers of spiritually drifting into trouble. We live in a world where we can easily be distracted, as well as being intentionally drawn away from Christ. We need the daily challenge of this text to stay focused on the right path!

The process he describes is...

1. Intentional (“seek” & “set your mind” - 3:1)

Staying on course and avoiding spiritual drift requires that we focus and think about what we are doing. It doesn’t just happen without the effort we expend to see that it happens. Spiritual maturity comes as we determine to pursue it through Christ (cf. Romans 12:1-2).

• The first command (“seek”) reflects the idea of striving after something, while the second (“set your mind”) concerns thinking or concentrating on it.
• The first command concerns the pursuit itself, while the second focuses on the endurance and commitment required for the pursuit.
• The first command deals more with our feelings, while the second deals specifically with our minds.

Just as cars don’t steer themselves, neither will spiritual maturity happen without genuine effort and concentrated focus.

As never before there are a myriad of things vying for our attention. Sunday used to be a day for worship, family and rest, but today it’s just another day like the other six days of the week. It’s filled with all kinds of events that create a smorgasbord of opportunities from which Christians have to choose. And, too often believers choose the wrong things!

Life is about the choices we make. Those choices have outcomes and the outcomes have consequences. And, how are our choices made? They are made according to our beliefs! If you don’t intentionally set your heart/mind on “things above,” your choices may have outcomes you ultimately regret.

We must intentionally utilize the opportunities (such as worship, Bible study, prayer, etc.) God has given us to center our lives on Him and His purposes.

• That is the reason (at least one of them) God gave the fourth commandment to the Jews about keeping the Sabbath day holy. (While it is true that we are no longer under the OT Law as our rule of life, that does not mean we don’t need a day to focus ourselves on God and His worship corporately.)
• That is what all the OT monuments were intended to accomplish...center the nation’s life on God and His goodness to them.
• That is what David was doing throughout the Psalms as he repeatedly cried out to God in prayer for help.
• That is what Daniel was doing when he prayed three times a day toward Jerusalem, even though his life was in extreme peril for doing so.
• That is what Jesus meant when He said, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33)
• That is what the early church practiced, “46So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, 47praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.” (Acts 2:46-47)

If we are going to align our whole being with our “spiritual identity,” then we have to apply ourselves to the matter. God wants us to totally orient our lives around Him, not just give an occasional nod in His direction.

William Barclay summarizes the intent of these commands well: “Sometimes we say of people: ‘Music is her life—Sport is his life—They live for their work.’ Such people find life and all that it means in music, in sport, in work, as the case may be. For Christians, Christ is their life [emphasis mine].

And here we come back to where this passage started—that is precisely why Christians set their minds and hearts on the things which are above and not on the things of this world. They judge everything in the light of the cross and in the light of the love which gave itself for them. In the light of that cross, the world’s wealth and ambitions and activities are seen at their true value—and Christians are enabled to set their hearts on the things which are above.”

The process he describes is...

2. Perpetual (3:1-2)

Not only are these verbs (ζητέω & φρονέω) imperatives, they are also in the present tense. The present tense indicates an action that is ongoing without indicating when it will be completed. Here it shows that this matter of “seek(ing) those things which are above” and “set(ting) your mind on things above” are actions that require perpetual attention.

By “above,” he means Heaven, which is where all believers truly belong by virtue of our identification with Christ (cf. Philippians 3:20).

Examples of things above:

• We are to seek to accumulate the possessions of Heaven.

“...but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.” (Matthew 6:20)

• We are to value popularity in Heaven.

“...for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.” (John 12:43)

• We are to long for the pleasures of Heaven.

“...In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” (Psalm 16:11)

• We are to rejoice in our position in Heaven.

“Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.” (Luke 10:20)

• We are to look forward to the prize of Heaven.

“13Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13-14)

• We are to desire the power of Heaven.

“Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.” (Luke 24:49)

Utilizing again the illustration of a car: if you have driven very long or very much you know that there are always adjustments that have to be made when steering a car. It may be due to the unevenness of the road, the alignment of the tires, the wind that is blowing, the car’s aerodynamics, distractions inside and outside the car, and/or any number of other similar things. But, the fact is that you have to regularly correct your course to not drift out of your lane.

Spiritual life is very much the same...you are regularly looking to recalibrate your life according to God’s heavenly truths.

A lot of young people don’t remember when you actually had to adjust your watches and clocks so that they’d give the correct time. Those older timepieces could sometimes run fast or slow and they’d have to be reset in order to keep them right. You never guessed at the actual time or followed other people’s clocks to reset your own. You had to get the official time and align your clock/watch to that SPECIAL/OFFICIAL timepiece. That’s an illustration of what Paul is saying here! He wants us to set our lives according to the heavenly timepiece. And, we have to do so regularly! It is unwise to measure ourselves by ourselves lest we get life wrong. The true measure of whether our lives are right or not is Christ and His Word alone.

“Believers ‘seek the things above’ by deliberately and daily committing ourselves to the values of the heavenly kingdom and living out of those values.” -- Pillar Commentary

We should be mindful that there is no one whose spiritual “timepiece” is perfect in its operation! We all need God’s grace to continue making adjustments to our lives. But, it is unacceptable for someone that has experienced the spiritual benefits Christ has to offer, not to evaluate what they do and how they live in light of eternity and Christ’s glory!

Paul wants our heavenly status in Christ to be the standard for all of our thinking and acting. And, this is a lifelong pursuit in the Christian life.

The process he describes is...

3. Functional (3:3)

The adjustments in our spiritual lives are not theoretical, but actual and practical. And, it is God that enables us to change our lives and reorient them to Kingdom values. The following passage (3:5-11) demonstrates some of the changes that take place because of our position in Christ as believers. These are to be worked out daily through our lives as His children. (to be studied next week).

And, where does the power come from to change? It comes from God, in Whom we have been “hidden with Christ.” This phrase primarily refers to our source of strength in living the Christian life.

But, it also illustrates some other important aspects of the Christian life:

• We are hidden as a treasure is hidden in a vault for safety. (cf. John 10:28-29)
• We are hidden as Christ is hidden till He “appears” and all acknowledge Him. (Revelation 1:7) Christ was misunderstood, hated, persecuted and ultimately crucified. Someday that will all change because He will return and everyone will acknowledge Him as Lord. (Philippians 2:9-11) Then unbelievers will understand us and our commitment to Him.
• We are hidden as a seed is hidden in fertile soil to bring forth fruit. (cf. Matthew 13:38)

We must give attention to the “hidden” life, if we are to successfully navigate our spiritual lives.

The process he describes is...

4. Spiritual

Reorienting our lives requires that we acknowledge we have “died” with Christ and are “raised with Christ” to live a new life.

One of the greatest phrases in scripture is found in 3:4 where Paul says, “Christ...our life.” The words “who is” are in italics because they are not in the original Greek text, but were added for clarity in the translation process. We are to live the exchanged life and allow Him to live His life through us.

Everything about the new life is spiritual and wrapped up in Jesus...we died in Him, we were buried with Him, we have been raised with Him, we are ascended with Him, we are seated with Him, and when He returns...we will “appear with Him” (3:4).

Listen to what he said earlier in this Epistle: “11In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. 13And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses…” (Colossians 2:11-13)

Sinful habits and patterns don’t have to control the believer. Listen to Paul’s admonition about the spiritual life you have in Christ. “1Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? 2Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it? 3Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death? 4For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives. 5Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was. 6We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. 7For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. 8And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with him. 9We are sure of this because Christ was raised from the dead, and he will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him. 10When he died, he died once to break the power of sin. But now that he lives, he lives for the glory of God. 11So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus. 12Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires. 13Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. 14Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace.” (Romans 6:1-14 NLT)

The process he describes is...

5. Beneficial

On the day of Christ’s return our transformation will be complete. At that time we will “appear” in glory with Him, share in His glory, and contribute to His glory.

“Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.” (1 John 3:2; cf. 1 Corinthians 15:43; Romans 8:18; Philippians 3:20-21)

Why wait until we see Christ and are ashamed that we didn’t let Him work out His life through us sooner? Why wait until the Judgment Seat of Christ to realize the rewards we forfeited by resisting His work in us?

Yield yourself to Him and let Him work His transformation now!

Incomparable Christ (#7)

Colossians 2:8-23

Wouldn’t it be nice if we could sit in any church or listen to any preacher/teacher and know that what is being taught is the truth? I think all of us would relish that type of “unity of the faith” among all the people that profess to be followers of scripture as their final authority for faith and practice. Occasionally, I’ll hear someone blame the “disunity of the faith” as his/her primary reason for walking away from the church and/or the Christian faith. Others use the differences among professing Christians as their excuse for rejecting Christ and Christianity altogether. Any conclusion of these types is tragic and potentially has eternal consequences.

Some of the things that differentiate us as Christians/churches are of a secondary nature, as it concerns orthodox Christianity. There are areas of honest, but good-natured disagreement among fellow believers that involve the interpretation and application of particular texts and traditions. However, these areas of disagreement don’t affect the core tenants of what it means to be Christian. Throughout history people have taken some of these unique interpretations/traditions and organized around them to form denominations and/or Christian associations. However, these distinctions alone don’t mean they aren’t Christians and/or not part of the one body of Christ. Unfortunately, in holding to our positions on some secondary issues, those of us within the body of Christ have at times been quick to use our differences as an excuse for treating other believers with less than the respect and love they deserve. God forgive us when/where we have been guilty of these errors.

The real problem arises whenever preachers/teachers and/or churches take doctrinally aberrant views of the core tenants of the Christian faith, compromise the clear truths of the Bible by altering their obvious meaning, and/or add to the scripture something that is not clearly defined within it’s pages. Doctrines such as the inspiration of scripture, the virgin birth, the deity of Christ, the Trinity, the vicarious death of Christ, Christ’s bodily resurrection and ascension back to Heaven, salvation by grace through faith alone, Christ’s second coming, as well as other core teachings, cannot be compromised or altered without ceasing to represent the Christian faith accurately.

My point is that there will always be some diversity within the body of Christ that is centered around differences of understanding in secondary matters. This doesn’t necessarily make one right and the other wrong; they are simply distinctions that fall acceptably within the Christian tradition we all hold dear. No one in this world possesses all of the mind of Christ perfectly and not until we reach Heaven will we know fully all that we think we know now.

The thing we have to take into consideration is that while there are some things about which we may differ and still be within the evangelical Christian tradition, there are doctrines/teachings that are patently false and must be rejected by all Christians, at all times, and at all cost.

Jesus was clear (cf. Matthew 24:24), as was Paul (cf. Acts 20:28-32), that there will always be false prophets and false teaching in our present world. These aberrant forms of doctrine must be forcefully confronted and repudiated by everyone that seeks to be true to scripture and the Christ they love. No one should ever blindly follow another person’s teaching. We must be like the Bereans who were commended for searching the scriptures daily to see if they were being taught the truth of God (cf. Acts 17:11).

False doctrine is rarely overt, but rather it is most often insidiously covert. The well-known preacher and author of the 20th century, A.W. Tozer said, "So skilled is error at imitating truth, that the two are constantly being mistaken for each other. It takes a sharp eye these days to know which brother is Cain and which is Abel."

Listen to the words of scripture about the presence of false teaching and teachers in every age.

29 For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. 30 Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. (Acts 20:29-30)

13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. (2 Corinthians 11:13-14)

1 But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. (2 Peter 2:1)

19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us. (1 John 2:19)

3 Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. 4 For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ. (Jude vs. 3-4)

In Colossians 2:8-23, the Apostle Paul defines for us the core issues related to the error that threatened the Christians in that region. These points of heresy can be summarized in four specific words: intellectualism (of a particular sort: “philosophy” - 2:8), legalism (2:16-17), mysticism (2:18), and asceticism (2:20-23).

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The Greek word for “philosophy” (2:8) literally means “the love of wisdom.” However, Paul was not denouncing all forms of philosophy, but rather a specific kind of philosophy that sought wisdom apart from Christ and tried to pass itself off as intellectualism.

William MacDonald writes, “It [philosophy] is not evil in itself...Here the word is used to describe man’s attempt to find out by his own intellect and research those things which can only be known by divine revelation (1 Cor. 2:14). It is evil because it exalts human reason above God and worships the creature more than the Creator. It is characteristic of the liberals of our day, with their boasted intellectualism and rationalism.”

When philosophical thought comes unhinged from the truth concerning Christ, it becomes a loose impediment blown about by the tornadic winds of false prophets and is deadly, if it strikes an unsuspecting person’s mind. Unless you properly grasp the biblical teaching about the person and work of Christ, your philosophy of life will always miss the mark!

J.B. Phillips’ translation of 2:8 makes this point powerfully: “Be careful that nobody spoils your faith through intellectualism or high sounding nonsense. Such stuff is at best founded on men’s ideas of the nature of the world, and disregards Christ!”

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“Legalism” (2:16-17) has two aspects, both of which are dangerous. The first concerns salvation: if someone teaches that faith alone in Christ alone is insufficient alone to save a person from eternal hell and adds any kind of works (man-made or OT Law) to faith...that is a legalism that cancels out God’s saving grace. The second concerns sanctification: if someone teaches that faith alone in Christ alone is sufficient to save a person from eternal hell, but adds a list of rules as the means to being spiritual, that is also a heretical form of legalism.

Everything about the Christian life is by the grace of God. We are saved by grace! We are kept by grace! We live daily by grace! We give grace away to others!

The “checklist mentality” (I did this...check. I don’t do that...check) of what it means to be spiritual is the surest way to Phariseeism simply because it deals with a person’s actions and not his heart.

Living for Christ and following His Word should be properly motivated by the grace of God. The grace attitude says, “I want to please my Father because He has given me what I did not deserve and I could not earn (salvation)!” Spirituality isn’t conformity to a list of rules and regulation. True spirituality is transformation by the grace of God in the inner man so that he becomes like Christ from the inside out.

11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, 12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age… (Titus 2:11-12)

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“Mysticism” (2:18) refers to a kind of esoteric (i.e., understood by only a small number of people with a specialized knowledge), ethereal knowledge or understanding that can only be reached as we get in touch with ourselves and/or those to whom the “secrets” have been revealed.

Dr. John MacArthur’s definition of Mysticism is helpful, “Mysticism...is the belief that spiritual reality is perceived apart from the human intellect and natural senses… This...approach is the antithesis of Christian theology. (John MacArthur, Colossians & Philemon, p. 120)

The false teachers at Colossae claimed to have contact with a higher knowledge through angelic intermediaries and visions. And, you could only know these “hidden” secrets through them and their special rites and rituals.

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Finally, asceticism (2:20-23) deals with living a life of stringent self-denial for the purpose of meriting God’s favor and increasing in righteousness. Because the ascetic understands the body as being evil he has to deny it of all its desires and refuse its appetites. He sees his body as something to be punished and treated as his enemy. That’s why the errorists in Colossae embraced rules like, “Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle.” (2:21)

Examples of this kind of asceticism are found throughout church history. “According to the church Father Athanasius, Anthony, the founder of Christian monasticism, never changed his vest or washed his feet (Life of Anthony, para. 47).” (John MacArthur, Colossians & Philemon, p. 123)

Another early ascetic spent the last thirty-six years of his life atop a fifty-foot pole so he could withdraw from the world and buffet his body with the elements. Roman Catholics are not supposed to eat meat on Friday and many churches require abstinence from certain types of food during Lent. And, Mormons teach that their members should not drink coffee or tea.

There is nothing inherently wrong with denying yourself certain things (Christian missionaries deny themselves things to follow God’s call), unless you believe that doing so will gain you some measure of righteousness or spirituality with God. And, that’s what the errorists in Colossae were teaching.

So egregious were the teachings of these heretics that Paul spoke of them in the strongest of terms to denounce them. Listen to these different descriptions of the forms of heresy that were encroaching upon the Christians in the city. He called them, “the tradition of men” (2:8), “the basic principles of the world” (2:8, 20), “the worship of angels” (2:18), “regulations” (2:20), “the commandments and doctrines of men” (2:22), and “self-imposed religion” (2:23).

And, in addition to these statements there are other indicators of the insidious nature of these errors. He calls them “empty deceit” (2:8), “false humility” (2:18, 23), “intruding into those things which he has not seen” (2:18), “vainly puffed up” (2:18), “neglect of the body” (2:23), and having “no value” (2:23).

In light of these doctrinal heresies (and others like them today...secularism, humanism, atheism, ceremonialism, spiritism, etc.), Paul gave four strong admonitions.

A. Don’t let anyone capture you! (2:8)

The Greek word for “cheat” (συλαγωγέω) literally means “to gain control of by carrying off..., make captive of, rob someone.” (Louw Nida 37.10)

It is the image of someone that has been captured and carried away from the truth into the bondage of error.

False teachers are often charismatic personalities that can craft persuasive arguments built on unbiblical reasoning. They can make the irrational and unbelievable sound rational and intellectual. But, if it denies or compromises the truth of Christ and His Word, it is nothing more than shifting/sinking sand.

Remember the words of Paul earlier, “4Now this I say lest anyone should deceive you with persuasive words.” (2:4) Don’t let yourself be caught off guard so that you are captured by thinking that has come unhinged from the incomparable Christ!

B. Don’t let anyone condemn you! (2:16)

“Judge” means to “pass an unfavorable judgment upon, criticize, find fault with, condemn.” (BDAG)

It is impossible to stop people from “judging” you, if they chose to do so. But, you don’t have to yield to their guilt by association and/or accusation. Legatists are masters at making people feel unworthy through the shame they continually heap on them...not unlike the Pharisees of Jesus’ day.

As followers of Christ, we should always desire that the conviction of the Holy Spirit would correct us when we are living in a manner that can harm us or our Lord’s testimony. But, we should never allow others to pile on guilt by enslaving us to their legalistic systems and standards that are devoid of the grace of God. People who are constantly defining your every action through regulations and intimidation are seeking to conform you to their image...not Christ’s. Just remember...man-made rules don’t make Christlike Christians: God’s grace makes us Christlike!

It is not only important that we reject guilt that is directed at us by others, it is also important that we don’t place guilt on others, either. Our natural tendency is to condemn anyone that is different to us while failing to extend grace to them in the fashion God extended grace to us. If people around you feel like you are always “sizing them up” as to whether they are acceptable or not, you are acting like a Pharisee, not Christ. Don’t forget that some of Jesus’ harshest words were directed to the Pharisees of His day. If your attitude stinks towards others...ask God to fix it before you go any deeper in your OWN heresy!

C. Don’t let anyone cheat you! (2:18)

Here the word “cheat” is a different Greek word than the one used in 2:8. The word here (καταβραβεύω) means “to judge as a referee that someone is not worthy to receive a prize—‘to disqualify...to deprive of a reward.’ (Louw-Nida 30.121)

The picture is that of the heretics standing as judges and disqualifying people that failed to follow their specific rules. Every time we surrender to false teaching we surrender something God intended for us to enjoy (“reward”). The only person the false teacher is concerned about is himself. He isn’t concerned about your best interest or what you are losing in the process of adopting his heresy. It’s all about him and his self-absorbed ego.

Staying true to Christ and His Word is where we find the freedom He has purchased and the rewards He desires to give us. Don’t let anyone tell you that you are disqualified because you didn’t follow their made-up rules. They have no right to deprive you of all that God has done for you and given to you!

D. Don’t let anyone control you! (2:20)

Sadly, some of the Colossian believers were subjecting themselves to the demands of the heretics and following their rules...at least some were leaning in that direction. Paul wants them to “resist” and not yield to their unbiblical requirements. Sometimes the fights we have to wage are with religious people that want to enslave us to their own form of heresy (cf. Jude vs. 3-4).

Conclusion:

The reason we should never allow ourselves to become captives or voluntarily surrender to any of these erroneous belief systems is because Jesus came to set us free and to give us liberty in Him. Liberty is not a license to sin, it’s freedom to serve out of the joy of knowing Him as your Savior!

To drive home the benefits of Christ to us, Paul points out five things that we enjoy by way of His sacrificial death and resurrection.

1. We are complete in Him. (2:10)

Not only does all the fullness of God dwell in Christ, all believers are filled with the fullness of Christ. In other words...there is nothing lacking in our relationship with God. We need no extra blessings or additional experiences to be right with Him. We have HIM and that’s all we need!

2. We are free in Him. (2:11) -- circumcision...an OT illustration

When we put our faith in Christ, He cuts away (renders inoperative) our sinful nature so that we might live according to our new nature (cf. Romans 6:6).

3. We are alive in Him. (2:12-13) -- baptism...a NT illustration

Baptism vividly portrays the death and burial of the believer’s sinful way of life. When Christ died, our old nature died, too (was rendered inoperative).

The Greek words in 2:12 are very expressive and indicate that we are co-buried, co-raised, and co-made alive with Christ. We died with Him, we are raised with Him, and we have new life because of Him.

4. We are forgiven in Him. (2:13-14)

Paul uses two illustrations concerning the forgiveness of our sins. The first comes from antiquity where a handwritten ledger (referring to our sins) was kept on parchment that could be washed off so the writing was removed. The second refers to an ancient practice of nailing the written evidence of a canceled debt in a public place so as to notify everyone that the creditor had no more claim on the debtor.

Jesus took not only our sins to the cross, He also took the OT Law and nailed it there, as well. The Law was against us and was opposed to us because all it could do was point out our sinfulness (cf. Romans 7:7).  

5. We are victors in Him. (2:15)

After the Roman army won a victory against an enemy, they would bind their foes together and march them single file back to Rome where thousands of Romans would line the streets to watch this “public spectacle.” At the front of the parade would be the conquering General. Following him were the soldiers who had acted heroically in battle, with the rest of the army following them. At the rear of this procession were all of those who had been conquered in battle.

This is the image of Jesus turning all of our captors into captives so that He might transform us from victims into victors!

Application:

1. Be a student of the scripture and become grounded in your faith.

2. Don’t be enslave by self-conceived religious systems using shame/guilt to control you.

3. Enjoy the grace of God that has set you free and share it freely with others.

--Jesus told His disciples, “...Freely you have received, freely give.” (Matthew 10:8)