Gospel of John
Long Branch Covenant Church
Ideas Have Consequences #2: Complete in Christ
- 08/10/08
- Series: Ideas Have Consequeces
Circumcised with the circumcision of Christ, while we were dead in our transgressions, God made us alive together with Jesus, by canceling out the certificate of debt which consisted in decrees against us. Christ put the hostility to death by killing it, nailing it to the Cross.
Col. 2:8 ¶ See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.
9 For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form,
10 and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority;
11 and in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ;
12 having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.
13 When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions,
14 having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.
15 When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him.
Ideas Have Consequences
You Are Complete in Him
Last Week
Don’t be taken captive
By philosophy and empty deception
The philosophy of today is the philosophy of me
The religion and other empty deceptions are “me” focused
We said, that these philosophies and religions claim that man is basically good
If we just improve ourselves we’ll be better
Philosophy, psychology/education, and religion claims you’re not that bad -
It rejects original sin, it rejects the cross
We saw this is diametrically opposed to the biblical understanding of man
We finished with verses from Matthew saying if you try to save your live you will lose it
But if you lose your life for his sake you will find it
Man still searches for meaning
It’s what is behind every quest for meaning
Who am I?
The search for meaning, what’s my purpose?
What do I have to do to measure up? What’s my significance?
What do I have to do to feel good about myself?
Even before you were born again you bore the image of God
The world, the flesh and the devil did everything it could to erase that image.
What the world conveys
It is the image of man the creature, man the critter, man the animal, it is man without God, secular man
It has done everything to distort that image, to pervert that image
It is the funny mirrors at the carnival
Ads and commercials all attempt to sell you products that speak to this need
Buy this and you’ll be this
Wear this and you’ll feel this
Own this and you’ll become this
All those images have appearance without substance
They are image without character
In Christ not only is the image restored but then you are filled with Christ and your new identity is Christ in you the hope of glory
You are CHRIST IN YOU THE HOPE OF GLORY
But u must first identify with Adam
You are that bad -
All the fulness of deity dwells in bodily form
In Christ are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge
You have been made complete
Paul is saying your life’s mission is completed - you are filled with everything God ever intended for you.
You are now - Christ in you, the hope of glory
Don’t be taken captive -
It’s not about you/you are that bad
If you lose your life for his sake you’ll find it
If you keep chasing the “self-awareness” self actualization= self development trap” you’ll lose your life
Read these verses again
Col. 2:8 See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.
Col. 2:9 For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form,
Col. 2:10 and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority;
Col. 2:11 and in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ;
Col. 2:12 having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.
This is not new . . .
Deut. 10:16 “So circumcise your heart, and stiffen your neck no longer.
Jer. 4:4 “Circumcise yourselves to the LORD
And remove the foreskins of your heart,
Men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem,
Or else My wrath will go forth like fire
And burn with none to quench it,
Because of the evil of your deeds.”
Let me make this point - the words for circumcision and uncircumcision are two completely different words. In other words Paul didn’t just add a prefix to circumcision to make it a different word.
What is the meaning of circumcision -
In the natural - it is the sign of the covenant -the guarantee that the promises of God are yours
Circumcised with a circumcision without hands
Removal of the body of flesh
By the circumcision of Christ
You were made a spiritual Jew - you were brought into the people of God
Relates “buried with him in baptism”
Also, raised with him in the working of God, who raised him from the dead
13 When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions,
14 having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.
When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh
You were apart from God-
separated by sins and transgressions
He made you alive together with Him,
having forgiven us all our transgressions,
He forgave us our transgression by
having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us
This certificate of debt consisted in decrees against us
Each transgression, each sin was a life sentence of eternal punishment
which was hostile to us;
This hostility brings the wrath of God - it brings the anger of God
and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.
Col. 2:15 When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him.
Eph. 2:11 ¶ Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called “Uncircumcision” by the so-called “Circumcision,” which is performed in the flesh by human hands—
Eph. 2:12 remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.
Eph. 2:13 But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
Eph. 2:14 For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall,
Eph. 2:15 by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace,
Eph. 2:16 and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity.
Eph. 2:17 AND HE CAME AND PREACHED PEACE TO YOU WHO WERE FAR AWAY, AND PEACE TO THOSE WHO WERE NEAR;
Eph. 2:18 for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father.
Eph. 2:19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household,
Eph. 2:20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone,
Eph. 2:21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord,
Eph. 2:22 in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.
What do I have to do to measure up?
What do I have to do to feel good about myself?
Even before you were born again you bore the image of God
The world, the flesh and the devil did everything it could to erase that image.
In Christ not only is the image restored but then you are filled with Christ and your new identity is Christ in you the hope of glory
