Well, good morning, everyone.
Again, it's a wonderful privilege to be here
and to open the Word of God to you this morning.
I'd like to, if you have your Bibles still in hand,
I would like to invite you to turn to Colossians 2, 13-15.
We just read it.
I'd like us just to refresh and read it again.
Colossians 2, 13-15.
And you who are dead in your trespasses
and the uncircumcision of your flesh,
God made to live together with him,
having forgiven us all our trespasses
by counseling the record of debt that stood against us,
that stood against us with its legal demands.
This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.
He disarmed the rulers and authorities
and put them to open shame
by triumphing over them in him.
Let's pray.
Our dear, gracious and heavenly Father,
we gather together this morning
in your presence with hearts of thanksgiving
and gratitude for what you have done
for us on the cross.
We pray, Lord, that you would soften our hearts,
that you would open our ears,
enable us by your Spirit to receive your Word this morning.
We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ,
our Savior.
Amen.
Well, preparing this message,
I was reminded of how nothing compares
to the thrill and joy
of having a personal relationship
with God through Jesus.
I was reminded of how nothing is more important
than cultivating that relationship with Him.
And to fully appreciate
that nothing in this life is more important
than knowing Christ
and building that relationship with Him,
as forgetful people,
we need to be reminded
of how this relationship was made possible
in the first place.
We need to be constantly reminded
about what the cross of Christ has accomplished
and how it applies to our daily living.
In this sermon series,
we've been looking at what the cross of Christ
has accomplished
and what it means for you and I.
And this morning,
we're going to look to God's Word
and see how the cross of Christ
is a victory
and how this applies,
what are the implications
of this victory in our life.
This brings us to our text
in Colossians 2, 13 to 15,
where Paul speaks,
and here's the main idea,
the big idea,
of how the cross of Christ
opens the way to forgiveness
and defeats demonic powers.
How the cross of Christ
opened the way to forgiveness
and defeats demonic powers.
Before we get into our text,
let me provide you
with a brief background
to Colossians 2, 13 to 15.
Imprisoned in Rome,
Paul writes his letter
primarily in response
to a report of false teaching
that had crept into the Colossian church.
One commentator notes
how this likely revolved
around a false teacher
who claimed to have
some special revelation
into the spiritual realm,
who insisted on the worship of angels,
among other things.
Paul gives us a little insight
into this in verse,
if you look at verse 18,
he writes,
let no one disqualify you,
insisting on asceticism,
which is rigorous self-denial,
and worship of angels,
going on in detail about visions,
puffed up without reason
by his sensuous mind.
Now, ultimately,
this false teaching
served to diminish,
to devalue
the sufficiency of Christ
and the new identity
we have
when we put our trust in him.
Now, Paul wastes no time
reminding the Colossians
that Jesus is enough.
We are complete in him,
and only in him
can we experience
life in its fullness.
As Lord of all creation,
Lord of redemption,
and triumphant victor
over sin and Satan,
Christ alone
is to be the highest object
of our faith.
Christ alone
is to be the highest object
of our affection.
As the image of the invisible God,
Jesus is sufficient
in all things.
And with Christ being sufficient
in all things,
we come to Colossians 2.13,
where Paul speaks of
how the cross of Christ
opens the way to forgiveness.
How the cross of Christ
opens the way to forgiveness.
He writes,
Paul says,
And you who are dead
in your trespasses
and the uncircumcision
of your flesh,
God made alive
together with him,
having forgiven us
all our trespasses.
Paul says
that we were dead
in our trespasses
and the uncircumcision
of our flesh.
In the Old Testament,
circumcision
was a Jewish sign
of God's covenant
with his people.
By saying
that we were uncircumcised
in the flesh,
Paul means
that we were outside
of God's covenant care.
We were spiritually dead
in our trespasses,
echoed
in Ephesians 2.
And when a person dies,
they're physically
unreceptive.
When we were living
and studying
in Massachusetts
and members
of a local church,
I was once asked
by the lead pastor
to visit him,
to visit a Christian man
who was dying of cancer.
And in that hospital room
in Mass General,
downtown Boston,
I remember speaking with him
and praying with him.
He was talkative
and receptive,
though in considerable pain.
And just like that,
a few days later,
he went to be
with the Lord.
At the funeral,
after the funeral,
at the wake,
I remember looking
into that casket
and seeing the same person
completely unresponsive
and unreceptive.
It just didn't seem right.
It felt wrong.
It seemed wrong.
The difference
from life
to death
was like night
and day.
And I think
it's a terrible thing
to see,
especially
for grieving family
and loved ones.
Now,
Paul is saying
that prior
to conversion,
we were spiritually
unreceptive
to God.
So just like
we were unreceptive
physically,
prior to conversion,
we were spiritually
unreceptive
to God.
We had no realization
that we needed
God's forgiveness.
No desire
or responsiveness
to know him,
to follow him,
and to walk with him.
Being dead
in our trespasses,
we violated
God's commands
as evidenced
in our sin
and trespasses.
We offended him
in thought
and word
and deed.
We were spiritually
dead.
We were dead,
sorry,
19th century
Anglican missionary
to Japan,
Barclay Buxton,
once said
that apart from God,
we were like
the dead log
floating downstream
with the flow
of this world,
our flesh,
and the devil.
We were dead
in our trespasses
and the uncircumcision
of our flesh
until,
until a miracle
happens
in our life.
Until a miracle
happens
when God
makes us alive
together
with him.
only the triune
God
can bring us
from death
to life.
And when God
makes us alive
together with him,
we become
spiritually alive
and sensitive.
We can enjoy
fellowship with God
and relationship
with him
who is creator
and sustainer
of everything
and everyone.
Shortly after
I received Christ,
I remember
going for long
walks
and marveling
that I had
access to God,
that I could
pray to him,
that I can be
in relationship
with him.
It was truly
like being born
again
with a newness
of life,
a new awareness
of his presence
and sensitivity
to the things
of God.
When God
makes us alive
together with Christ,
we truly love him.
and walk
with him
and seek him.
Our hearts
are set
on knowing him
and making him
known
by pointing
others to Jesus.
When God
makes us alive
together with him,
our worldview
begins to change.
We begin to see
things differently.
We begin to see
things as God
sees them,
as revealed
in his word.
When God
makes us alive
together with him,
we become
conscious
of our daily
need
of God.
We can't bear
the thought
of life
without him.
We recognize
that apart
from Christ,
we can do
nothing
when it comes
to bearing fruit.
We become
aware of his
sovereignty
and how our
days are in
his hands.
We become
aware of God's
greatness
and our
smallness.
Jesus becomes
our only hope,
our everything.
God
made us alive
together
with him.
How did he do
this?
How did he do
this, you ask?
He did this
by graciously
forgiving us
of all our
sins
at the cross.
Again,
verse 13
and 14
read,
and you
who are
dead
in your
trespasses
and the
uncircumcision
of your
flesh,
God
made alive
together
with him,
having
forgiven
us all
our
trespasses
by
cancelling
the record
of debt
that stood
against us
with its
legal demands.
This
he set
aside,
nailing it
to the
cross.
New
Testament
scholar
Clinton
Arnold
notes
how in
the
ancient
world
the record
of debt
was a
written
note
of
indebtedness.
Roman
authorities
would take
this note
and fasten
it to the
cross,
declaring the
crime for
which the
criminal was
being executed
for.
Here in
verse 13,
Paul illustrates
our
indebtedness
to God
because of
our sin.
A debt
so enormous
it could
never be
paid off.
But God,
who is
rich in
mercy and
love,
graciously
forgives us
by taking
our note
of indebtedness,
our debt
of sin
that we
could never
pay off
and nails
it to the
cross.
At the
cross,
Jesus took
our punishment,
our sin,
and he
paid our
debt,
literally
taking it
out of
the way.
This is
why we
sing those
wonderful
words,
Jesus
paid it
all,
all to
him I
owe.
Sin
had left
the crimson
stain,
he washed
it white
as snow.
Alive
together with
him,
forgiven
of all
our
trespasses,
we are
no longer
like that
dead
log
floating
downstream.
In
Christ,
we are
more like
the fish
swimming
upstream
against
the world,
our flesh,
and the
demonic
forces that
work against
us.
Dear
friends,
do you
know
the freedom
of having
all your
sins forgiven?
It is
like a
freedom
like no
other.
To be
forgiven by
God is
like being
released from
a lifelong
prison sentence
where the
chains of
sin are
broken.
The cross
of Christ
is God's
emancipation
proclamation
to you
and to
I.
And even
after being
liberated from
sin,
as you all
know,
we still
have a
sin nature.
In
Christ,
however,
we are
no longer
ruled
by sin.
If you
can imagine
sin like
handcuffs,
those handcuffs
are broken.
At the
cross,
Jesus put
to death
sin's grip
on our
life.
In other
words,
we don't
have to
go down
that road
that we
know we
shouldn't
go down.
We don't
have to
open that
door that
we know
we shouldn't
open.
By virtue
of our
union with
Christ and
the power
of the
Holy Spirit,
we can
turn in the
opposite
direction and
keep that
door closed.
In Christ,
we don't
have to
yield to
temptation.
We don't
have to
succumb to
sin's
seduction.
And if
we do
sin,
we have
an advocate
with the
Father,
Jesus
Christ.
When we
confess our
sins,
God is
what?
He's
faithful and
just to
forgive us
our sins
and cleanse
us from
all unrighteousness.
Charles
Wesley
described the
freedom of
God's
forgiveness in
one of the
great hymns
where he
wrote,
Long my
imprisoned
spirit lay,
fast bound
in sin and
nature's
night,
thine eye
diffused a
quickening
ray.
I woke
the dungeon
flamed with
light.
My chains
fell off,
my heart
was free,
I rose,
went forth
and followed
thee.
Who is
like the
Lord our
God?
If you
don't know
Jesus,
then come
to him
as you
are.
consider
him who
came from
heaven to
earth to
suffer and
to die
for you,
the God
of the
universe,
the God
of our
salvation.
He came
to purchase
salvation for
you.
Come to
him who
stands ready
to receive
you with
open arms
if you
don't know
him and
forgive you
when you
turn to
him in
true repentance
and faith.
only Jesus
can satisfy
the deep
spiritual
longings
of our
heart.
If you
know Jesus,
which many
of you here
know him,
one way to
respond to
God's
forgiveness
is with a
heart of
thankfulness
and praise.
As our
prayer book
reads,
thank God
for the
great
benefits
you have
received
at his
hands.
forgiveness
if you
need to
write it
in your
smartphone
or on a
sticky note
where you
can see
it until
you no
longer need
those
reminders.
Thank
God for
what he
has done.
And as
you thank
God,
as you
thank him,
never lose
sight of
what forgiveness
of sins
cost Jesus.
forgiveness.
Another way
to respond
to God's
forgiveness
is to
forgive
as you
have been
forgiven.
If you
look over
to Colossians
3.13,
Paul tells
us,
as the
Lord has
forgiven
you,
so you
also must
forgive.
And as
we bear
with one
another's
many faults,
God has
called us
to forgiveness,
to forgive
others as
we have
been
forgiven.
Perhaps
there's
someone that
you know
that you
need to
forgive.
The cross
of Christ
opens the
way to
forgiveness.
I was
recently
reminded by
my former
New Testament
professor that
the victory
of the cross
was not
restricted to
our personal
individual sins
as important
as that
is.
The
victory
of the
cross
looked to
undo and
remake the
world in
its entirety.
And this
brings me to
my second
point where
the cross
of Christ
defeats
demonic
powers.
The cross
of Christ
defeats
demonic
powers.
Verse 15
says,
he,
speaking of
Jesus,
disarmed
the rulers
and authorities
and put
them to
open shame
by triumphing
over them
in him.
Many
scholars agree
that the
rulers and
authorities
likely refers
to demonic
rulers and
authorities.
The cross
of Christ
is a
decisive
defeat
of demonic
powers
whereby
Jesus put
them to
open shame
by triumphing
over them.
Paul's
imagery of
Jesus'
defeat of
demonic
powers was
written in
the context
of ancient
Rome.
Now at
some point
in Paul's
travels in
Rome, he
would have
likely witnessed
a Roman
military
procession
where there
was a lavish
parade to
celebrate great
victories.
In this
procession,
the defeated
king, with
all his
leaders and
spoils of
war, were
paraded through
the streets
of Rome, a
public spectacle
for all to
see.
In a much
greater and
more powerful
image, this
is what we
see at the
cross of
Christ.
On the
cross, Jesus
defeated demonic
powers and
put them to
open shame.
Jesus defeated
or stripped the
demonic forces,
of their
power to
accuse us
before God.
In 1
Corinthians 2
68, we
learn Satan's
plot to
thwart God's
plan of
salvation was
turned on
its head.
And though
the demonic
forces were
defeated, they
were not
totally destroyed.
Their time of
destruction will
come.
will be
done.
And until
that appointed
time, demons
continue to
exist and to
deceive and
incite evil.
And until, dear
friends, we go
home to Jesus, we
are all engaged in
a spiritual battle.
So we need to
be sober-minded and
watchful because
our adversary, the
devil, prowls around
like a roaring
lion, seeking whom
or someone to
devour.
Though not totally
destroyed, the
devil is a
defeated enemy.
Christians don't
need to be
fearful of the
devil.
Jesus has not
left us as
orphans to
fend on our
own, but has
given us the
power to
stand against
the schemes of
the devil.
And we stand
against demonic
forces by
submitting ourselves
to God daily.
We stand
against demonic
forces by
standing firm
in the faith
that was once
for all delivered
to the saints.
We stand
firm in our
faith by
leaning on
God's word.
The accuser
can accuse you
no longer.
He can accuse
you no longer
in Christ.
Romans 8
verses 1
says,
therefore,
there is no
condemnation
for those
who are in
Christ.
And if he
does accuse
you with
lying
whispers,
believers,
then, dear
friends,
lean on
God's word.
Say with
Paul,
who shall
bring a
charge against
God's
elect?
It is God
who justifies.
If he
accuses you
again,
lean on
God's word
and say
with Paul,
who is to
condemn?
Christ Jesus
is the one
who died,
more than
that,
who was
raised,
who is at
the right
hand of
God,
who indeed
is interceding
for us.
And should
the devil
accuse you
again,
hold fast
to God's
word and
say with
confidence,
who shall
separate us
from the
love of
Christ?
Shall
tribulation
or distress
or persecution
or famine
or nakedness
or danger
or sword?
No,
says Paul.
No,
says Paul
in Romans
8,
33 to
39,
for in
all these
things we
are more
than conquerors
through him
who loved
us.
For I
am sure,
I am
certain,
that neither
death nor
life,
nor angels,
nor rulers,
nor things
present,
nor things
to come,
nor powers,
nor height,
nor depth,
nor anything
else in
all creation
will be able
to separate
us from
the love
of God
in Christ
Jesus our
Lord.
Swiss
theologian
Karl
Barth once
was asked,
what was
the deepest
truth he
had learned
in all his
study of
theology?
To which
he replied,
Jesus
loves me,
this I
know,
for the
Bible,
tells me
so.
We need
to stand
against the
demonic
forces by
leaning on
God's
sustaining
word.
And we
can't engage
in these
spiritual battles
alone.
We need
one another
in the
body of
Christ.
And as
a church,
we can
pray for
those who
may be
going through
some intense
spiritual
battle.
And one
of the
best places
to do
this is
in a
small
group.
If you're
not part
of a
small
group,
I want
to
encourage
you to
joining
one as
they resume
in the
coming
weeks.
But my
point,
dear friends,
is this,
that we
pray for
one another
knowing and
believing that
our victory
is assured
in Christ.
We pray for
one another
knowing and
believing that
our victory
is assured
in Christ,
who is our
triumphant
victor over
sin and
the devil.
The cross
of Christ
is a
victory,
for it
opens the
way to
forgiveness
and defeats
demonic
powers.
Let's
pray.
Dear
Father,
we thank
you for
this great
victory on
the cross.
We thank
you for
your gift
of salvation.
We
pray that
you would
enable us,
Lord,
as long as
we have
breath on
this side
of heaven,
to never
cease and
never fail
to give
thanks and
praise for
what you
have done.
I pray
that you
would write
your word
as we
lean on
your word
on the
tablet of
our hearts
that we
may live
to glorify
you,
having been
gripped by
the gospel,
and honor
you in all
that we
do.
We ask
this in
the name
of your
son,
Jesus.
Amen.