Series in Colossians - In Christ Alone

 

In Christ Alone

Col. 2:11-15

Christ's sufficiency and sovereignty can be expounded in detail by the works Christ has done in us: our spiritual circumcision of the heart, our baptism and forgiveness of our sins, and the victory over the forces of evil.

So let’s read the first portion of our text. “In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Your whole self ruled by the flesh was put off when you were circumcised by Christ.”

Paul understood the whole concept of circumcision as a jewish man, as a Pharisee, and as a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. For Paul he was circumcised in the flesh on the eighth day of his life, according to the mosaic law. It was a sign of covenant with God that he was a jew by Abrahamic covenant. Paul had honored the covenant sign in his life as does every Jewish male. Second, Paul understood the aspect of circumcision as a Pharisee. The law was confirmed through obedience to the letter of the law, and in this obedience the Pharisee’s saw salvation as in obedience to the law and as a son of Abraham, that they were heirs in the posterity of Abraham’s righteousness before God. “When his son Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him, as God commanded him.” “Any uncircumcised male, who has not been circumcised in the flesh, will be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.”(Gen. 17:14, 21:4 NIV)

Third, Paul knew the circumcision of the heart was supreme over the circumcision of the flesh. It was this circumcision that Paul exhorted the Colossians church as well as all the believers. Paul faced off with the jewish believers and leaders on the issue that the gentile believers didn’t need to adhere to the law pertaining to circumcision of the flesh. For there was no salvation through circumcision (Rom. 4; Gal. 5) for then the cross would mean nothing and that salvation would be by works and through keeping the whole law, which mankind couldn’t do or was meant to do. The emasculating of the flesh meant they were still under the curse of the law. (Gal. 3:6-13) and not under grace through faith in Christ alone. For circumcision of the heart meant putting off of the flesh (the sinful nature), the casting off or stripping away and discarding of the fleshly nature, not done by hands of men but by God. The circumcision by God is spiritual, freeing us of the sinful nature and the receiving of the newness of a heart transformed and cleaned, a heart that is pure and separated to Christ alone. “No, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a person’s praise is not from other people, but from God.” “For it is we who are the circumcision, we who serve God by his Spirit, who boast in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh.” (Rom.2:29; Phil. 3:3 NIV)

Application - There are still many who try through the working of physical means to earn our salvation or to be an heir to eternal glory through our piety and religiosity. God has made it clear, we are saved through His grace by faith in His Son, Jesus Christ. People will still point to Abraham as lineage. But the Word of God is clear, Abraham was a gentile when he believed, and it is his faith in God that accounts for his righteousness, not his circumcision as a physical sign of covenant with God. “We have been saying that Abraham’s faith was credited to him as righteousness. Under what circumstances was it credited? Was it after he was circumcised, or before? It was not after, but before! And he received circumcision as a sign, a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. So then, he is the father of all who believe but have not been circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them. And he is then also the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised but who also follow in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.” (Rom. 4:9-12)

We are saved by grace through our faith in Christ. “Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who have the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all.” (Rom. 4:16) For it is in Christ that the sufficiency of His atonement on the cross for the sins of mankind are paid and we are justified by our faith. There will be no need for any type of work to emancipate ourselves from sin. He died for all sins for all mankind, and if they will believe upon Him for this gift of salvation they will receive the hope of glory, eternal life with God. “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God…how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many!” “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom. 5:1-2,15; 6:23)

Next, Paul expounds on the symbolism of baptism in the faith of a believer. So let’s read the next portion of the text, “...having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were  also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead. When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.”

Paul brings the act of baptism into the light of the forgiveness of sin. In the Jewish culture, there was a symbolism and the actual ritual cleansing that took place before Sabbath and the feast times for males; for women it was before their wedding, their childbirth, and following menstruation. This ritual cleansing demonstrated their purity before God by cleansing in a Mikvah, a bath of clean natural water. Paul now brings the understanding of baptism to the church symbolizing the forgiveness of sin by the death and resurrection of Christ Jesus. 

Paul uses the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ to illustrate the essence of baptism in a believer's life. He first emphasized the death of sinful lives. Adam sinned in the garden of Eden, and because of his sin, the curse was apportioned on all mankind, but Jesus died on the cross in our place, he took upon himself the curse of sin of all mankind. “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” “For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was punished.”(Isa. 53:5-6,8b NIV) Paul knew that the sinful nature must die in order that the Spirit of God can live in us.

Next, it is the symbolism of burial, the immersion of underwater baptism that we are freed from sin because of the death of Christ. And it is the raising out of the water that symbolizes our being raised with Christ from death to a new life “through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.” Paul exhorted the believers in Colossians and everywhere he went that they were made alive with Christ through the forgiveness of our sins. For Jesus had paid our debt, canceled the charges against us because of sin’s curse upon us. “...God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness.” Now the church was freed from sin and death through their faith in Christ Jesus. 

Last, Paul brings back the symbolism of the cross. Our sins were nailed to the cross. For there is a tradition in the Bible of blotting out (names, crimes, sins), canceling the offense of the person(s) literally freeing them from judgment. And this is what God did for all who believed in Christ, their names are written in the Lamb’s book of Life never to be blotted out. “Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out.”  “...and nothing that defiles or profanes or is unwashed will ever enter it, nor anyone who practices abominations [detestable, morally repugnant things] and lying, but only those [will be admitted] whose names have been written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.” (Acts 3:19 ESV; Rev. 21:27 AMP) Just as Jesus was nailed to the cross for our sins, so our sins were nailed to the cross showing the indebtedness was paid.

Application -  Baptism is demonstrated in many ways, but I believe that the immersion of the whole body best describes the act of dying to sin (completely immerse) and the raising out of the water (the new life) and the new life in Christ begins at the regeneration by the Holy Spirit. “He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit.” (Titus 3:5 NIV) It is in this work of the Holy Spirit in us at conversion that makes us anew. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Cor. 5:17 NIV)

The beginning of the death of our sinful nature really comes through the first act of our faith, and it continues through the regeneration and sanctification work of the Holy Spirit who now abides in each believer. For our faith is secured in the work of Jesus Christ on the cross. It is as it said in the Psalms and Prophets. “For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. Once again you will have compassion on us.” “You will trample our sins under your feet and throw them into the depths of the ocean! You will show us your faithfulness and unfailing love as you promised…” (Psalms 103:11-12; Micah 7:19-20a)

This is the confidence we have as children of God, he has forgiven us and buried all our sins in a place it cannot be brought against us. We have been made new by the working of the Holy Spirit in us and God will see it through to the end. “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” (Phil. 1:6)

Last, Paul expounds on the defeat of the enemy of God by the cross of Jesus Christ. So let’s read the last portion of the text. “And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.”

For like Jesus, Paul knew that the enemy of God wasn’t flesh and blood. “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” (Eph.6:12 NIV) Jesus knew the real enemy was Satan and the fallen spiritual ones for they had taken possession and had influence over mankind because of the origin of sin in the garden and its curse upon mankind. It was this victory of Christ on the cross that canceled out sins, (nailed them to the cross) and disarmed the enemy by taking control of death and Hell and by bringing all who believe in Christ Jesus for salvation up alive in the Spirit. It was this triumphal celebration and promise Paul brings in the preaching of the gospel to all the churches, as did Peter in his letters to the churches, “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison…Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.” (1 Peter 3:18-19,21-22 ESV)

Paul as well knew that Jesus’ authority was eternal and His reign was over all authorities and powers. Every believer in Christ was freed from sin by the works of salvation by Christ on the cross, canceling our debt of sins as in baptism and raising the believers up by the Spirit of God into eternal life by grace through faith.

Application -  I know that Jesus said the last days would be days of great deception by the misleading by false teachers and prophets, by demonic doctrines, of violence worldwide, the love of most people would grow cold, and famines, plaques, and natural disasters. “Jesus answered, ‘Be careful that no one misleads you [deceiving you and leading you into error]. For many will come in My name [misusing it, and appropriating the strength of the name which belongs to Me], saying, ‘I am the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed),’ and they will mislead many. You will continually hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end [of the age]. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places… Many false prophets will appear and mislead many. Because lawlessness is increased, the love of most people will grow cold.’”  (Matt. 24:4-7,11-12 AMP) But He also told us not to be afraid. For He had overcome the World “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) And since He has overcome the enemy of God, so have we because of the Holy Spirit who lives in us. “Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” ( 1 Jn. 4:4)

Yes, Satan, his minions, and the evil spirits in the heavenly realm are still alive on this planet and trying to subvert the plan of God in Christ, but they are powerless against God. They know that their end is drawing near, and Jesus who is faithful will protect us from the enemy. “But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.” (2 Thes. 3:3) Jesus has disarmed the enemy, death, and the grave. He holds the keys to death and hell. “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. 18 I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.” (Rev. 1:17b-18)

So to conclude this lesson, our Lord and God, Jesus Christ is sufficient in all our needs and sovereign over all things and powers. We have nothing to be afraid of if we know Christ as Savior and Lord of our lives. If you haven’t asked him, now is the time and as it says in the scriptures, "For God says, “At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you.” Indeed, the “right time” is now. Today is the day of salvation" (2 Cor. 6:2 NLT)

I’m again including the ABC’s of salvation for all those who have not yet received Jesus Christ for salvation. For Jesus, God the Son, came to this world to save all who would believe and trust in him. He desires to reveal himself to you, He is the Light that overcomes the darkness of this lawless world. He hears your prayers, and all authority in heaven and earth have been given to him. He will answer you if you will truly believe. If you haven’t asked him to be your Lord and Savior, today could be that day.

 First, A - Admit that you are a sinner. This is where that godly sorrow leads to genuine repentance for sinning against a righteous God and there is a change of heart, we change our mind and God changes our hearts and regenerates us from the inside out. Romans 3:10 - As it is written: "There is none righteous, no, not one." Romans 3:23 - For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (We are all born sinners which is why we must be born spiritually in order to enter the Kingdom of Heaven). Romans 6:23 - For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. The bad news is that the wages of sin is death, in other words our sin means that we have been given a death sentence, we have the death penalty hanging over our heads, that's the bad news. But here's the good news: The good news is that the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Ephesians 2:8-9 - For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith —and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. Second,

 B - Believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and that God raised Jesus from the dead. This is trusting with all of your heart that Jesus Christ is who he said he was. Romans 10:9-10 - That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. Third, 

C - Call upon the name of the Lord. Every single person who ever lived since Adam will bend their knee and confess with their mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord, the Lord of lords and the King of kings. Romans 14:11 - For it is written: "As I live, says the Lord, Every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to God." Don't wait until later — do this now. Romans 10:13 - For "whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved." "O God, I am a sinner. I'm sorry for my sin. I want to turn from my sin. I believe Jesus Christ is Your Son; I believe that He died on the cross for my sin and that He was buried and You raised Him to life. I have decided to place my faith in Jesus Christ as my Savior, trusting only in His shed blood as sufficient to save my soul and to take me to heaven. Thank You, Lord Jesus, for saving me. Amen."

Please share this with someone this week, the Lord knows that we and they need it.

If you would like other lessons, please go to http://pmdinhisservice.blogspot.com 

Until next week, In His Service Mike Davis

I have revised my webpage on Spiritual warfare. Please give it a look. Thank you. http://uss-warfare3.webnode.com