Col 2:11-15: "Made Alive With Him"

Intro:

In today’s passage, Paul is going to address a “human tradition” that was an issue in Colossea among the church

Paul starts and ends this section with “in Him”. He declares that in Him the believer has a Powerful working and a Disarming Triumph that has taken place over sin. God has made them alive through the powerful working of Jesus death, burrial, and resurrection.

Outline:

Powerful Working: “With Him” (vs. 11-12)

Disarming Triumph: “God Made Alive” (vs. 13-15)

Summary: In Christ we have the powerful working of disarming triumph over sin

Prayer: Col. 1:11-15 “being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.”

Powerful Working: “With Him” (vs. 11-12)

Putting off (v. 11)

In Him also- Paul starts this section with the same two words that he will end it with “in HIm”. Everything he is going to speak about inbetween speaks to what we have in Him.

You were circumcised- “to be or become in the state of having one’s foreskin cut off for ritual purposes”. a physical sign, given to Abraham, of belonging to God’s covenant people in the OT. Usually it was done on the 8th day after a baby boy had been born. it was seen as the “fundamental badge for membership in God’s family” (NIVAC, 147)

made without hands- not man made, made by God

by putting off the body of flesh- removal, stripping off, this happens at salvation.

by the circumcision of Christ- not the circumcision of Jewish ritual. That is, we have died with christ to sin. They had put off the body of flesh. The “circumcision of Christ” is a picture of separation from and a dying to the power of sin in this life .

Powerful working of God (v. 12)

Having been burried- “suntaphentes” verb, aor, pass, part, nom, mas, pl to be buried together- to be or become placed in a grave with another or others.

With Him- not just burried on our own

in baptism

in which you were also raised- “sunergerthete” verb, aor, pass, ind, 2nd, pl- to resurrection together, conceived of as waking up and arising (out of bed) along with another or others.

with him- no just raised on my own, we are raised to a newness of life

through faith in the powerful working of God- there it is again, like in 1:29

Who raised him from the dead

Application/Implications:

If you are here or listening this morning and you have never putt of the debt of sin in your life, what is holding you back from being free today? It is only through Jesus that sin’s power can be cut off from our lives.

We had a baptism service last week. Dear believer, have you been baptised? Do you see that being burried and raised with Christ means that you are no longer a slave to sin?

What in our lives has more power over us than the powerful working of God?

I believe that if God could raise Jesus from then dead then He can do the same for you. If God is able to do that, what else could His powerful working accomplish in your life today and this week?

Well, I don’t believe that God is that powerful. Thank you for your honesty, “what is preventing us from believing this today?”

I am a Christian, yet I continue to struggle with sin, I feel like God is not very powerful because I still struggle. Fair point. What will it look like for us to trust this week that greater is christ in me more than the crisis around me?

Transitional phrase: Paul reminds the Colossian church that they belong in the family of God because of Jesus, they have died, been burried, and raised with him! This is what places them in the family, not physical circumcision. Circumcision could not accomplish what Christ did on the cross. Which brings us to declaration #2

Disarming Triumph: “God Made Alive” (vs. 13-15)

“You”- me (vs. 13a)

And you- pl

who were dead-”ontas” verb, pres, act, part, acc, mas, pl

in your trespasses and- “parapromasin” transgression

the uncircumcision of your flesh- take your pick, legal or moral trespass or religious falling short.

God (vs. 13b-15)

God made alive- “synezoopoiesen” verb, aor, act, ind, 3rd, sg, to make alive together (supernaturally)- to make someone alive supernaturally along with another or others.

together with Him

having forgiven us all our trepasses- “charisamenos” verb, aor, midd, part, nom, mas sg, to give graciously- to give something as a sign of one’s benefienct goodwill toward someone. Being made a live is directly connected to having all your sins forgiven. If you have not had your sins forgiven, are you really living life?

by canceling the record of debt- “exaleipsas” verb, aor, act, part, nom, mas, sg, to erase- to remove by or as if by rubbing or wipping off the certificate of indebtedness, the written promise to repay a dept.

that stood against us- “en” verb, imp, act, ind, 3rd, sg, to be, has the nuance of continually being or standing against us in hostile opposition

with its legal demands- edict, commands

This He set aside- “erken” verb, perf, act, ind, 3rd, sg take away; take up; pick up, to eliminate, to terminate, end, take out, or even kill or murder; conceived of as taking up and away, and so out of sight (forever).

nailing it to the cross- “proselosas” verb, aor, act, part, nom, masc, sg, to nail to attach something somewhere by means of nails

He disarmed- “apekdysamenos” verb, aor, midd, part, nom, mas, sg, to disarm to take away the weapons from; render harmless

the rulers- supernatural, any supernatural being (besides God) acting in a ruling or commanding capacity, good or evil

and authorities- ruler, a person who exercises (administrative) control over others. They have no power over the believer! You may be tempted by the devil but He does not have the power to “make you do it”.

and put them to open shame- “edeigmatisen” verb, aor, act, ind, 3rd, sg to disgrace publically- to damage someone’s reputation by exposing an illicit action to public

by triumphing over them in him- “thriambeusas”

Application/Implications:

What is it that continually stands against you when you look at yourself? Is is “You don’t belong because you are not...” “You don’t belong because of all that you have done...”

What record of debt in your life do you find the hardest to cancel? Which one(s) keeps being “re-posted” in your life?

Jesus took that record of debt, that public declaration of our sin and covered it by being nailed to the cross. His blood smeared and covered our debt. What other philosophy of wisdom or human tradition has done this? Did Darwin, Sigmun freud, B. F. Skinner, Rogers, Muhammed, confusious, Joseph Smith,

The picture

What do you find is the hardest part in this section to believe? Which aspect is the easiest? Why?

Now that is triumph! I no longer need to live in open shame! The rulers and authorities of this world have no power, they have been rendered harmless because of Jesus’ work on the cross! Don’t move on from this Colossians, don’t forget about this Central. Are you struggling under a tremdous amount of “debt” this morning? Bring it to the one that can lay it aside, today you too can be alive

Transitional phrase:

Summary: In Christ we have the powerful working of disarming triumph over sin

Song: Your Great Name

Discussion questions

Worship- Renew the Mind (Scripture)

1. What passage of Scripture did we look at? Summarize it in your own words.

2. According to verses 11-12 what happened “In Him” and “with Him”?

3. What is the state of all humanity eith by legal or trespass or religious shortcoming in verse 13? What has God done? By doing what (v. 14)?

4. How is triumph described in verse 15?

Grow- Engage the Heart (Conversation)

1. “In Him” and “with Him” are such important phrases in this text. What makes these phrases so important? What do they describe?

2. What record of debt in your life do you find the hardest to cancel? Which one keeps being “re-posted” by other rulers or authorities in your life?

3. What do you find is the hardest part in this section to believe? Which aspect is the easiest? Why?

Serve- Enlist the Body (Action)

Write out your own “record of debt” this week. Post it somewhere and then take a red pen/marker/paint and write “CANCELLED” in large letters?

What will it look/sound like for you to live in triumph this week?

What is one sone that will help remind you that your record of debt has been cancelled?