Alive In Christ
Introduction:
Paul had just reminded the Christians in Colosse that
all blessings resided in Christ. He was sufficient to meet every
spiritual need. He now stressed that spiritual life can only be
found in Christ Jesus, but that there are essentials for one being
alive in Christ.
Text:
Colossians 2:11-15
Body:
I.
Christ Had to Die on the Cross
Colossians 2:14-15
“having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against
us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way
having nailed it to the cross. Having disarmed principalities and
powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in
it.” NKJV
“Handwriting of requirements” is a certificate of
debt or a bond. In our text, it refers primarily to the Law of
Moses, which caused men to be in debt spiritually because of their
sins. They were in debt without any method of paying it back.
Listen to Hebrews 10:1-4 “For the law, having a shadow of the good
things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with
these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year,
make those who approach perfect. For then would they not have
ceased to be offered? For the worshipers, once purified, would have
had no more consciousness of sins. But in those sacrifices there is
a reminder of sins every year. For it is not possible that the
blood of bulls and goats could take away sins.” NKJV Hebrews
9:15. “And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant,
by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under
the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the
promise of the eternal inheritance.” NKJV So God canceled this
note of debt by taking it and fixing it to the cross of Christ.
“Wiped out” – erased it, crossed out the I.O.U.
(Ephesians 2:14-16) “For He Himself is our peace, who has made both
one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having
abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments
contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from
the two thus making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to
God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the
enmity.” NKJV The Law of Moses served a limited purpose and
was inferior to the Law of Christ. It could never give us what the
gospel could, real freedom, freedom from guilt and condemnation.
(Galatians 5:1) “Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ
has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of
bondage.” NKJV (Romans 8:1-2) “There is therefore now no
condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk
according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of
the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of
sin and death.” NKJV
II.
One Must Realize They Are Dead in Their Sins If
Outside Christ
Colossians 2:13
“And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of
your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you
all trespasses,” NKJV Spiritually dead or lost was what was
said of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15 “My son was dead and is alive
again.” Paul uses an apt description of those dead in their
sins in Ephesians 2:11-12. “Therefore remember that you, once
Gentiles in the flesh – who are called Uncircumcision by what is
called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands – that at that
time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of
Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope
and without God in the world.” NKJV Those dead in their sin
are those who live as the world lives and as Satan directs.
(Ephesians 2:1-3) “And you He made alive, who were dead in
trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the
course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the
air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among
whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh,
fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by
nature children of wrath, just as the others.” NKJV We are
not born in sin, but we become that way by allowing sin to rule our
lives. Before one can be made alive in Christ, he must die to sin
or as Gus Nichols used to say, “Get out of the sinning business.”
(Romans 6:11-13) “Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead
indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Therefore
do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in
its lusts. And do not present your members as instruments of
unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive
from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to
God.” NKJV
III.
Must Have Faith in God
Colossians
2:12
“buried 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.”
NKJV Faith is absolutely essential for one to be made alive in
Christ. (Hebrews 11:6) “But without faith it is impossible to
please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and
that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” NKJV
This is the kind of faith described by Paul in Ephesians 1:15-21.
“Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and
your love fo all the saints, do not cease to give thanks for you,
making mention of you in my prayers: that the God of our Lord Jesus
Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom
and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your
understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope
of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance
in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power
toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power
which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and
seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all
principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that
is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.”
NKJV One must believe that God will forgive him of all
his past sins when he enters the waters of baptism. Otherwise he
will simply go into water dry and come out wet without any other
effect. Baptism is not a mere ritual; there is purpose and meaning
behind it.
IV.
Must Put Off the Body of Sins through Baptism
Colossians
2:11-12
“In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without
hands, by putting off the body of sins of the flesh, by the
circumcision of Christ, buried 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.” NKJV A figurative circumcision – a
spiritual one The original language informs us that the
circumcision and the burial occur at the same time. In baptism, God
operates on us and cuts away the body of sins, every single one, so
that none are left. That old man of sin is buried so the new
man can rise up. (Romans 6:3-7) “Or do you not know that as
many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His
death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into
death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of
the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if
we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly
we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this
that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might
be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For
he who has died has been freed from sin.” NKJV All of our
trespasses are forgiven and we are new creatures. (II
Corinthians 5:17) “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new
creation, old things have passed away; behold, all things have
become new.” NKJV Alive in Christ!
Invitation:
Don’t you want to be made alive in Christ? Why not
now?
Bobby Stafford January 15, 2017 [Evening]
Colossians: Lesson 7 Colossians 2:11-15
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