Christ's Expectations

Colossians 2:6-15   by Samuel E. Ward   January 1, 2012   Just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, {7} rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. {8} See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. {9} For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, {10} and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority. {11} In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ, {12} having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead. {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. (Colossians 2:6-15 NIV)   I. He Expects Us to Continue to Live in Him, Col 2:6-7.   (Col 2:6 NIV)  So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him,   How do we continue to live in Him?  Col 2:7   (Col 2:6b, 7 NIV)  Continue to live in him rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.   A. We Are to be Permanently Rooted in Christ, Col 2:7 B. We Are to be Constantly Built Up in Him, Col 2:7. C. We Are to Constantly Seek to be Strengthened in the Faith from the Teaching We Receive, Col 2:7. D. We Are to Continually Express Our Gratitude with Over-Flowing Thankfulness to God   II. He Expects Us Not to Fall Prey to Hollow and Deceptive Philosophy, Col 2:8-9.   Two common elements of hollow and deceptive philosophy are their basis in man-centered ideas and their  distortion of teachings concerning Christ's person and ministry. Consider the first of these elements.   A. They Are Based on Two Man-Centered ideas.   1. Human traditions (concepts about God and Christ that are invented by man) 2. Basic principles of this world (superstitious and unsupported concepts about the connection between physical and spiritual worlds.   A modern-day expression of this supposed relationship might be astrology or the worship of certain spirits believed to have control over human behavior, etc.). It would seem that all false religions have elements of these two ideas somewhere in their system of beliefs.   (Col 2:8 NIV)  See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.   Note the second element in regard to hollow and deceptive philosophy.   B. They Distort the Teachings Concerning Christ's Person and Ministry, Col 2:9   (Col 2:9-10 NIV)  For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, {10} and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority. Here are four undeniable truths that cannot be compromised:   1. Christ is fully God in bodily form. 2. Christ is fully human in his bodily form. 3. In Christ, man possesses all that he needs to become what God desires him to be. 4. Christ has supreme authority over every power and authority. There are no other options.   (Acts 4:12 NIV)  Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.   III. He Expects Us to Experience the Full Benefits of His Triumph Over All Authorities and Powers, Col 2:11-15.   How does Christ insure our benefits in this triumph?   A. By  Putting Off Our Sinful Nature, Col 2:11-12. There is victory to be had over our sinful nature   (Col 2:11-12 NIV)  In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ, {12} having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.   1. Physical circumcision was the sign of belonging to God's covenant people Israel in the Old Testament. 2. Spiritual circumcision in the form of baptism is the sign of belonging to the new covenant people of God which is the Church. 3. Neither circumcision nor baptism should be regarded as a magical rite that brings one into fellowship with God, but a sign declaring that one has been brought into fellowship. Faith is what raises one from death to life in Christ.   (Col 2:12 NIV)  [We have been] buried with him in baptism and raised with him through [our] faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.   B. By Cancelling the Written Code that Condemned Us.   (Col 2:13-14 NIV)  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.   1. The effect of that cancellation:   a. God made us alive with Christ—our resurrection assured. b. God forgave our sin—our guilt removed.   2. The means of that cancellation:  "He took it away (the law that condemned us), nailing it to the cross. "   Roman crucifixion usually called for the posting of the crimes of the condemned person upon his cross. From God's viewpoint, all our sins against Him were posted on Christ's cross and Christ paid the penalty for us.   C. By Stripping Off All the Evil Powers and Forces Determined to Defeat Him in His Mission to Put and End to Them All Forever, Col 2:15.   (Col 2:15 NIV)  And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.   Colossians 2:15 teaches us that the victory was won by Christ's death on the cross. The assurance of that victory was the resurrection of Christ. The entire universe was witness on that day that the only thing that was put to death on the cross of Christ was not Christ, but evil itself and its greatest weapon of fear—death!   Application   As solemn as the Lord's Table is that memorializes Jesus' death on the cross for our sin, it should also be a reminder of the victory over sin and death that His death acquired. We are at the same time sorrowful over the fact that it was for our sins he suffered and died but also joyful in that through that same suffering and death we find eternal life with Him. So, let us confess our sins before we partake of the bread and cup so that we do not dishonor His death. Let us also commit ourselves to living for Christ so that His honor will prevail through us and bring many to faith in Him.