Colossians 2:8-15 (Part Two)
Colossians 2:8-15 (Part Two)
“8 See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, 10 and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. 11 In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. 13 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. 15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.”
2:11-12
The sufficiency of Christ’s work for complete salvation
Romans 4:11-12, “He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the father of all who believe without being circumcised, so that righteousness would be counted to them as well, and to make him the father of the circumcised who are not merely circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.” In the OT God established a covenant with His people. The outward sign of their devotion to Him in their hearts was circumcision.
Deuteronomy 30:6, “And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.” God had established a people for himself. Israel was set apart to Him, to love Him with their heart, God through Christ has circumcised the hearts of those who are his. God has brought about a new covenant through the body and blood of Christ that is established through the work of Christ in the hearts of men.
This circumcision is spiritual, and it is complete. The work of Christ is one that has put to death sin in the flesh. The Christian is no longer driven and controlled by his flesh, but by Spirit of God. The baptism that is spoken of is the spiritual baptism of the Spirit through which we are transformed by the power of God. We are dead to sin and made alive to God in Christ! Romans 6:6 “We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.” This is only possible because of the powerful working of God that raised Christ from the dead. The idea behind the “powerful working of God” is that of God’s active power. Those who believe and trust that God raised Jesus from the dead will also be raised with himJust as Christ was buried, our sins are buried. Just as Christ was raised to life, we are given new life. All of this is the result, not of anything done by our hands, but by the work of Christ and through our faith.
2:13-14
The sufficiency of Christ’s work for the forgiveness of sin
We are sinners who stand separate from a holy God because of our sin. We have the need for forgiveness of our sins. We do not stand in place of neutrality before God. We stand condemned in our sin in need of rescue. But who would rescue us in our sin? Who would forgive those who don’t deserve it? Who would pardon those who deserve their punishment? Where is the justice in the pardon if there is no punishment? Where is the righteousness of undeserved forgiveness? Where is the holiness of God in communing with sinners? (Ephesians 2:1-10) God in His mercy has brought us to himself through Christ. He has rescued us from our sin. God has granted forgiveness to those are in Christ Jesus. He has pardoned our inquities through the blood of Christ. God has punished Christ for our sins so that we can receive the forgiveness of sins. By the work of Christ on the cross God has brought us into communion with Him.
The work of Christ is sufficient for the forgiveness of sin. Forgiveness of sin is offered to the sinner because we who are set apart from God in our sin cannot make a way for our sins to be forgiven or removed. But, God through Christ has made a way for sin to be forgiven. “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8 There is nothing that we can do to earn the right to be forgiven. The work of Christ for the forgiveness of sin is not dependent upon the works of any man. (Ephesians 2:8-10)
The forgiveness of sin is fully dependent upon the grace of God through faith in Christ. There is nothing else necessary for forgiveness of sin, the work of Christ alone is sufficient. The work of Christ is sufficient to pay the debt owed by sin. It was common for the debt that was owed to be displayed above the head on the cross of the dying criminal. God has set our debt aside and nailed it to the cross of Jesus Christ. Christ has died in our place for the forgiveness of our sins. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” Romans 3:23-26
2:15
The sufficiency of Christ’s work and freedom from sin
The sufficiency of Christ’s work results in freedom from sin. For the believer there is freedom in Christ! We are no longer under the dominion of evil and sin, even though we still live in the presence of sin. Paul writes of his personal struggle with the presence of sin in Romans 7:14-25.
What then do we do with the struggle of sin in our lives? We must focus on the truth of Christ. Paul celebrates the truth that is found in Christ in Romans 8:1-2 “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.” Some may ask then, “are we free to live in sin?” Romans 6 “by no means!”
How then do we live under grace and free from the dominion of sin? We live according to the expressed will and pleasure of God as revealed in scripture. “1I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Romans 12:1-2 We must focus our hearts and our minds on following Christ in obedience to the will of God. Our efforts are still to be done in the grace and mercy of God, lest we find ourselves focused more on our efforts than on the grace of God through Jesus Christ.
How do we guard against legalism and heresy in the church of today? We must make sure that as we teach a manner of life that is in accordance with Christ, that we always present the reason why and the hopeful result, which is Christ. If not, we will find ourselves with generations who know how to live a moral life but who don’t know the one who died to rescue them from their sins. We must teach Christ in all things so as to honor and exalt him and guard against the enemy as well.
We must preach the gospel to ourselves daily! Even today I have struggled with my own sin in publishing this as a blog, I have struggled with my own inadequacies and my desire to be respected and appreciated by you the reader. But, God in his mercy has reminded me of the sufficiency of Christ, that it is not my efforts that save me or anyone else, but the work of Christ on the cross. In light of our sin and his glory we must preach Christ to ourselves daily! If our goal is Christ, and He is the initiator and sustainer of our faith, then the life we live in Him we now live by faith in Christ. A life lived by faith in Christ is done holding Christ as our normal, seeking to be like Him, and where we fall short, we ask for forgiveness, repent of our sin, and pursue Him more!
