A Life Remade in Christ

CLICK TO EDIT MASTER TEXT STYLES 1 A PRISIONER HAD ESCAPED AND WAS RUNNING FOR HIS LIFE THEY PUT BLOODHOUNDS ON HIS TRAIL. WHEN THE BLOODHOUNDS GOT CLOSE, AND HE COULD HEAR THEIR BAYING. 2 HE THOUGHT TO HIMSELF, "I’M DONE FOR.” THEY ARE ON MY TRAIL, AND I WILL NEVER SHAKE THEM." THEN HE SAW A STREAM AHEAD OF HIM. FLOWING THROUGH THE WOODS. 3 HE PLUNGED IN AND WADED UPSTREAM A SHORT DISTANCE. WHEN HE CAME OUT ON THE OTHER BANK, HE WAS IN THE DEPTHS OF THE WOODS. WITHIN MINUTES, THE HOUNDS, TRACING HIS STEPS, CAME TO THE BANK. 4 THEY WENT NO FARTHER. THE MEN YELLED AT THE DOGS TO KEEP GOING, BUT THE TRAIL WAS BROKEN. THE STREAM HAD CARRIED THE SCENT AWAY. 5 THE MEMORY OF OUR SINS, PRODDED ON BY SATAN, CAN BE LIKE THOSE BAYING DOGS. WE CAN GET TO THINKING TO OURSELVES THAT WE WILL NEVER SHAKE OFF OUR SINS— BUT A STREAM FLOWS, RED WITH THE BLOOD OF GOD'S OWN SON. 6 BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH WE ENTER THIS STREAM AND COME OUT SAFE. NO SIN-HOUND CAN TOUCH US. THE TRAIL IS BROKEN BY THE PRECIOUS BLOOD OF CHRIST. 7 SOMEONE SAID, "THE PURPOSE OF THE CROSS, IS TO SHAKE OFF THE UNSHAKEABLE." THE DEBT HAS BEEN CANCELED UTTERLY AND TOTALLY. THERE IS NO SCENT OF SIN LEFT FOR THE DOGS OF HELL TO FOLLOW. 8 WE LIVE THIS LIFE KNOWING WE HAVE SINNED, AND WILL SIN AGAIN. IF WE ARE NOT CAREFUL THIS CAN BECOME OVERWHELMING. GUILT AND JUDGMENT CAN PILE ON AND KEEP US FROM THE PEACE OF GOD. 9 WE NEED TO LIVE IN THE PEACE OF GOD. KNOWING CHRIST TOTALLY AND COMPLETELY PAID FOR OUR SINS ON THE CROSS THAT WE ARE SECURE IN HIS WORK ALONE. WE DO NOT NEED TO ADD ANYTHING TO HIS WORK. 10 TODAY WE ARE GOING TO LOOK AT HOW PAUL COMMUNICATES THIS CONCEPT TO THE CHURCH AT COLOSSAE. TURN WITH ME IF YOU WILL IN YOUR BIBLES TO COLOSSIANS 2:13 11 PAUL HAD JUST TOLD THEM TO MAKE SURE THEY ARE NOT TAKEN CAPTIVE BY THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE FALSE TEACHERS. BECAUSE CHRIST IS ALL THEY NEED. 12 HE IS NOW GOING TO GIVE THEM MORE DETAIL OF HOW THEY ARE COMPLETE IN CHRIST AND INSTRUCT THEM TO NOT ADD ANYTHING TO CHRIST’S WORK ON THE CROSS. 13 COLOSSIANS 2:13–14 WHEN YOU WERE DEAD IN YOUR TRANSGRESSIONS AND THE UNCIRCUMCISION OF YOUR FLESH, HE MADE YOU ALIVE TOGETHER WITH HIM, 14 HAVING FORGIVEN US ALL OUR TRANSGRESSIONS, 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 SEPARATED FROM GOD “ DEAD IN YOUR TRANSGRESSIONS” THEY WERE PHYSICALLY ALIVE BUT WERE WALKING AROUND IN A STATE OF SPIRITUAL DEATH. THEY HAD NO RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD. 16 WITHOUT CHRIST’S DEATH AND THE WORK OF REGENERATION THE HEARTS OF MEN ARE SPIRITUALLY DEAD ‘IN … TRESPASSES’. ALL LOST PEOPLE, HOWEVER GOOD THEY SEEM TO THEMSELVES ARE, NEVERTHELESS, SPIRITUALLY DEAD. 17 HOW DOES A WORM GET INSIDE AN APPLE? I ALWAYS ASSUMED THE WORM BURROWED IN FROM THE OUTSIDE. I READ RECENTLY THAT THE WORM ACTUALLY COMES FROM INSIDE THE APPLE. 18 AN INSECT LAYS AN EGG IN THE APPLE BLOSSOM. SOMETIME LATER, THE WORM HATCHES IN THE HEART OF THE APPLE, THEN EATS HIS WAY OUT. SIN, LIKE THE WORM, BEGINS IN THE HEART. 19 WORKING IT’S WAY OUT THROUGH A PERSON'S THOUGHTS, WORDS, AND ACTIONS. BEFORE COMING TO CHRIST WE WERE AT THE MERCY OF THIS WORM WITH NO MEANS TO DEAL WITH OUR SIN. 20 EPHESIANS 2:1–2 AND YOU WERE DEAD IN YOUR TRESPASSES AND SINS, IN WHICH YOU FORMERLY WALKED ACCORDING TO THE COURSE OF THIS WORLD, ACCORDING TO THE PRINCE OF THE POWER OF THE AIR, OF THE SPIRIT THAT IS NOW WORKING IN THE SONS OF DISOBEDIENCE. 21 DEBT TO GOD “HAVING CANCELED OUT THE CERTIFICATE” THESE VERSES DESCRIBED IN GREAT DETAIL CHRIST’S WORK ON THE CROSS. IT IS NOT AS SIMPLE AS ‘GOD LOVES YOU AND CHRIST DIED FOR YOU’ (WHICH IS TRUE AND GLORIOUS). 22 A DEEPER TRUTH OF THE BEHIND-THE-SCENES THE PROCESS THAT JESUS CHRIST UNDERTOOK TO SAVE US. “CERTIFICATE OF DEBT” A HANDWRITTEN STATEMENT, OF FINANCIAL ACCOUNTS, A RECORD OF DEBTS. 23 THE GRAMMAR INDICATES THAT WE OURSELVES WROTE THIS CERTIFICATE. WE WROTE IT WITH OUR SINS. THIS CERTIFICATE DEBT IS THE LIST OF OFFENSES WE COMMITTED AGAINST GOD. 24 ANY TIME WE THOUGHT OR SAID OR DID SOMETHING THAT WAS AGAINST GOD’S WILL WE ADDED TO THAT LIST. BY THE TIME I WAS 42 THAT WAS A REALLY LONG LIST. 25 RESTORED BY GOD “ HE MADE YOU ALIVE TOGETHER WITH HIM” WHEN JESUS DIED HE TOOK THAT CERTIFICATE WITH HIM SO THAT HE COULD WRITE ACROSS IT WITH HIS OWN BLOOD, ‘CANCELLED, DEBT PAID’. 26 BY HIS SUBSTITUTIONARY ATONING DEATH AT CALVARY JESUS CHRIST COMPLETELY OBLITERATED THE “CERTIFICATE OF DEBT” AGAINST US. 27 ISAIAH 53:6  ALL OF US LIKE SHEEP HAVE GONE ASTRAY, EACH OF US HAS TURNED TO HIS OWN WAY; BUT THE LORD HAS CAUSED THE INIQUITY OF US ALL TO FALL ON HIM. 28 OUR DEBT WAS CANCELLED BECAUSE CHRIST FULFILLED THE ALL THE REQUIREMENTS AND REGULATIONS WHICH CONDEMNED US. REMEMBER THAT THIS “CERTIFICATE OF DEBT” CONTAINED ALL THE DEMANDS GOD MADE UPON US. 29 THE CANCELLATION WIPED OUT ALL OF THEM. HE DID THIS BY HIS DEATH ON THE CROSS, THIS IS WHY IT SAYS THE “CERTIFICATE OF DEBT” WAS NAILED TO THE CROSS. 30 JOHN 19:30 THEREFORE WHEN JESUS HAD RECEIVED THE SOUR WINE, HE SAID, “IT IS FINISHED!” AND HE BOWED HIS HEAD AND GAVE UP HIS SPIRIT . 31 THIS PHRASE “IT IS FINISHED” WERE THE WORDS WRITTEN ACROSS A CERTIFICATE OF DEBT WHEN THE BILL WAS PAID IN FULL. WE CAN KNOW IT IS FINISHED BECAUSE CHRIST DEFEATED EVIL ONCE AND FOR ALL AT THE CROSS. 32 COLOSSIANS 2:15 WHEN HE HAD DISARMED THE RULERS AND AUTHORITIES , HE MADE A PUBLIC DISPLAY OF THEM, HAVING TRIUMPHED OVER THEM THROUGH HIM. 33 EVIL DEFEATED BY GOD SATAN AND HIS FORCES WERE DEALT A BLOW OF DEFEAT AT CALVARY. THESE DARK POWERS GATHERED AGAINST HIM AS HE HUNG ON THE CROSS. 34 THEY THOUGHT VICTORY WAS THEIRS, BUT HE TURNED THE TABLES ON THEM AND STRIPPED THEM OF THEIR POWER TO ACCUSE AND TO CONTROL. THE WORD TRANSLATED DISARMED LITERALLY MEANS TO TAKE OFF OR STRIP OFF CLOTHING. 35 RANK AND POWER IN THE ANCIENT WORLD WAS DISPLAYED PUBLICLY BY THE WAY YOU DRESSED. CERTAIN ITEMS OF CLOTHING, CERTAIN COLORS INDICATED RANK AND POWER. 36 THE FIGURATIVE USAGE OF THIS PHRASE MEANS, THE STRIPPING AWAY OF WEAPONS AND THE REMOVAL OF AUTHORITY AND POWER. THESE ARE THE SAME “ RULERS AND AUTHORITIES” WE STILL STRUGGLE AGAINST. 37 EPHESIANS 6:12 FOR OUR STRUGGLE IS NOT AGAINST FLESH AND BLOOD, BUT AGAINST THE RULERS, AGAINST THE POWERS, 38 AGAINST THE WORLD FORCES OF THIS DARKNESS, AGAINST THE SPIRITUAL FORCES OF WICKEDNESS IN THE HEAVENLY PLACES. 39 IF WE HAVE TRUSTED IN CHRIST THEY NO LONGER HAVE ANY POWER OR AUTHORITY OVER US. HOWEVER, THEY STILL OPPOSE US. IN THIS STRUGGLE WE NEED TO KEEP IN MIND THEY WERE DEFEATED AT THE CROSS. 40 THEY ARE DISARMED. SO THAT THEY CANNOT BRING FORWARD ACCUSATION AGAINST US THE “CERTIFICATE OF DEBT” AS BEEN DESTROYED. 41 HUMBLED BY GOD “ HE MADE A PUBLIC DISPLAY OF THEM” PAUL IS USING THE IMAGERY OF A ROMAN VICTORY PARADE WITH THE PHRASE THIS WOULD HAPPEN WHEN THE IMPERIAL ARMY MARCHED INTO THE CITY. 42 THEIR CAPTIVES CHAINED BEHIND THEM AS TROPHIES BEFORE THE CITIZENS OF ROME. THIS VERSE SPEAKS OF THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST. 43 WHEN HE BROKE THE CHAINS OF DEATH AND BY HIS RESURRECTION DISPLAYING HIS DEFEAT OVER EVIL TO THE WHOLE OF CREATION. 44 VICTORY IN GOD “ THROUGH HIM” NOTICE WHO ACHIEVED THE VICTORY, JESUS NOT US. THE VICTORY WAS NOT BECAUSE WE FOLLOWED THE LAW. 45 NOT BECAUSE WE OFFERED SUCH GREAT SACRIFICES. THE FORCES OF EVIL WERE DEFEATED BY CHRIST’S WORK ON THE CROSS AND NOTHING ELSE. 46 OUR FREEDOM IS THE RESULT OF CHRIST ON THE CROSS SO, WHY WOULD WE ALLOW OTHERS TO BRING US BACK TO THE BONDAGE OF THE LAW? 47 THE FALSE TEACHERS WERE TELLING THEM THEY HAD TO OBSERVE CERTAIN PARTS OF THE LAW. THAT CHRIST ONLY PARTIALLY SAVED THEM AND IF THEY DID NOT DO THIS OR THAT. OBSERVE THIS FESTIVAL, EAT THIS, DON’T EAT THAT THEN THEY WERE NOT TOTALLY SAVED. 48 THERE WAS A MASSIVE OAK TREE GROWING IN A PARK. A VINE HAD GROWN UP ALONG ITS TRUNK. THE VINE STARTED SMALL--NOTHING TO BOTHER ABOUT. BUT OVER THE YEARS THE VINE HAD GOTTEN TALLER AND TALLER. 49 EVENTUALLY THE ENTIRE LOWER HALF OF THE TREE WAS COVERED BY THE VINE'S CREEPERS. BY THIS POINT THERE WAS MORE VINE THAN TREE. NOW THE TREE WAS IN DANGER. THIS HUGE, SOLID OAK WAS QUITE LITERALLY BEING TAKEN OVER; THE LIFE WAS BEING SQUEEZED FROM IT. 50 ONE OF THE GARDENERS IN THAT PARK HAD SAW THE DANGER. HE TOOK A SMALL SAW AND SEVERED THE SMALL TRUNK OF THE VINE--ONE NEAT LITTLE CUT. THE TANGLED MASS OF THE VINE'S BRANCHES STILL CLUNG TO THE OAK, THEY LOOKED LIKE THEY WERE STILL ALIVE, BUT THE VINE WAS NOW DEFEATED. 51 GRADUALLY THIS WOULD BECOME OBVIOUS AS WEEKS PASSED AND THE CREEPERS BEGAN TO DIE AND FALL AWAY FROM THE TREE. AT THE CROSS CHRIST’S DEATH SEVERED THE ROOT OF EVIL. STRIPPED BARE SATAN AND HIS DAEMONS. 52 THEIR POWER OVER THOSE WHO HAVE TRUSTED IN CHRIST HAS BEEN UTTERLY DESTROYED. THE FORCES OF EVIL CLING TO THIS WORLD. 53 BUT IN THE END ALL WILL SEE AS THEY BOW BEFORE CHRIST THAT THEY WILL HAVE NO POWER OVER THIS WORLD IN ITS FINAL STATE. 54 WE STILL SEE EVIL IN THIS WORLD AND SOMETIMES WE FORGET THAT IT IS DEFEATED AND DYING. WE NEED TO LIVE LIFE IN THE PEACE OF GOD 55 TRUSTING IN THE COMPLETE DEFEAT OF EVIL AT THE CROSS. WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE DON’T ADD ANYTHING TO CHRIST’S WORK ON THE CROSS. 56 COLOSSIANS 2:16 THEREFORE NO ONE IS TO ACT AS YOUR JUDGE IN REGARD TO FOOD OR DRINK OR IN RESPECT TO A FESTIVAL OR A NEW MOON OR A SABBATH DAY— 57 THINGS WHICH ARE A MERE SHADOW OF WHAT IS TO COME; BUT THE SUBSTANCE BELONGS TO CHRIST. 58 GOD’S GOSPEL ONLY THIS VERSE IS ONE OF THE STRONGEST CONDEMNATIONS OF LEGALISM IN PAUL’S WRITINGS. LEGALISM IS THE ACT OF PUTTING RULES ABOVE THE GOSPEL 59 SAYING OBEYING RULES IS A REQUIREMENT FOR SALVATION ULTIMATELY, IT SAYS GOD ONLY SAVES THOSE WHO HAVE PROVEN THEMSELVES WORTHY. 60 THE COLLOSIANS WERE BEING TOLD THEY HAD TO FOLLOW JEWISH CERMONIAL LAWS. THE FALSE TEACHERS INSISTED THESE LAWS WERE NECESSARY FOR SALVATION AND SANCTIFICATION. 61 PAUL TELLS THEM DON’T ALLOW ANYONE TO JUDGE HOW YOU OBSERVE RULES THAT CHRIST ABOLISHED BY HIS DEATH. 62 “ A FESTIVAL OR A NEW MOON OR A SABBATH DAY ” , THIS IS A PHRASE USED IN THE OLD TESTAMENT TO DESCRIBE THE CEREMONIAL DAYS ISRAEL OBSERVED. 63 SPECIAL DAYS OF WORSHIP ARE NOT BAD IT IS WHEN WE SEE THEM AS REQUIREMENTS THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM. 64 CHRIST, NOT HUMAN PERFORMANCE IS THE FOCUS OF THE GOSPEL. THE FALSE TEACHERS WERE SEEKING TO IMPOSE THESE CEREMONIES ON THE GENTILE CONVERTS. 65 HOWEVER, PAUL MAKES IT CLEAR THAT BELIEVERS ARE NOT REQUIRED TO KEEP OLD TESTAMENT CEREMONIAL LAW. THEY MUST LOOK ONLY TO CHRIST. 66 ALL THOSE WHO STILL URGE THE OBSERVANCE OF CEREMONIES, DETRACT FROM THE GRACE OF CHRIST. THEY DO NOT UNDERSTAND FORGIVENESS OF SIN WAS COMPLETE IN CHRIST. THEY TRY RESTORE THE “CERTIFICATE OF DEBT” , 67 TO TAKE IT DOWN FROM THE CROSS AND HOLD US UNDER OBLIGATION TO IT AGAIN. THE PRACTICES OF THE OLD TESTAMENT, INCLUDING THE SABBATH 68 WERE A SHADOW OF THE THINGS THAT WERE TO COME. THE REALITY OR “SUBSTANCE” IS TO BE FOUND IN CHRIST. 69 HEBREWS 10:1 FOR THE LAW, SINCE IT HAS ONLY A SHADOW OF THE GOOD THINGS TO COME AND NOT THE VERY FORM OF THINGS, CAN NEVER, BY THE SAME SACRIFICES WHICH THEY OFFER CONTINUALLY YEAR BY YEAR, MAKE PERFECT THOSE WHO DRAW NEAR. 70 WHAT THE OLD TESTAMENT ORDINANCES FORESHADOWED, CHRIST FULFILLED. A “SHADOW” IS ONLY AN IMAGE CAST BY AN OBJECT WHICH REPRESENTS ITS FORM. ONCE WE FIND CHRIST, WE NO LONGER NEED TO FOLLOW THE OLD SHADOW. 71 SUPPOSE, AS A CHILD YOU GOT SEPARATED FROM YOUR MOTHER IN THE GROCERY STORE. YOU START TO GET SCARED AND PANIC AND DON'T KNOW WHICH WAY TO GO. YOU RUN TO THE END OF AN AISLE, AND JUST BEFORE YOU BURST INTO TEARS 72 YOU SEE A SHADOW ON THE FLOOR AT THE END OF THE AISLE. THIS SHADOW LOOKS JUST LIKE YOUR MOM’S SHADOW. 73 IT MAKES YOU REALLY HAPPY AND YOU FEEL HOPE. BUT WHICH IS BETTER? THE HAPPINESS OF SEEING THE SHADOW. OR HAVING YOUR MOM STEP AROUND THE CORNER GIVE YOU A HUG? 74 SOMETIMES WE ARE COMFORTED BY RELIGIOUS TRADITIONS. CERTAIN SONG, PRAYER, SPECIAL DAYS. THESE THINGS ARE WONDERFUL, BUT THEY ARE JUST THE SHADOW. 75 THEY CAN’T HELP US WHEN WE ARE LOST, JUST LIKE REGULATIONS ABOUT FOOD AND DRINK OR FESTIVALS COULD NOT HELP THE COLOSSIANS. WE DON’T NEED SHADOWS OF CHRIST WE NEED CHRIST. 76 I REMEMBER BEING A PRISIONER TO SIN. WHEN I WAS WITHOUT GOD, DEAD IN MY SINS AND TRESPASSES, A SLAVE TO SIN. I LIVED LIFE CONSTANTLY HOUNDED BY THE POWERS OF EVIL PURSUING ME LIKE BAYING DOGS. TRYING TO BE “GOOD” WOULD NOT SHAKE THEM OFF. 77 OBSERVING RELIGIOUS REGULATIONS WOULD NOT SHAKE THEM OFF. TRYING TO LIVE UP TO WHAT OTHER PEOPLE’S JUDGMENT OF ME WOULD NOT SHAKE THEM OFF. FOLLOWING A SET OF RULES IS NOT GOING TO SHAKE THEM OFF. ONLY BY WADING INTO THE STREAM OF THE BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST. 78 ONLY BY TRUSTING IN HIS WORK ON THE CROSS. TRUSTING THAT IT WAS ENOUGH, THAT NOTHING ELSE WAS NEEDED. ONLY BY THIS CAN WE BE FREE FROM SLAVERY TO SIN AND ENTER INTO AN ETERNAL RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST. 79 NOW THAT WE ARE IN CHRIST WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE NEVER ADD ANYTHING TO HIS WORK ON THE CROSS. WE NEED TO NOT LET OTHERS TELL US WE HAVE TO DO MORE THAN HAVE FAITH IN CHRIST. WE NEED TO COMMUNICATE TO OTHERS THAT ALL THEY NEED TO DO IS TRUST CHRIST. 80 PRAY IF THERE IS ANYONE HERE WHO HAS NOT TRUSTED IN JESUS CHRIST I WANT YOU TO KNOW THIS IS ALL THAT HE REQUIRES. THAT YOU CAN BE FREE FROM THE POWER OF SIN BY TRUSTING IN HIS WORK ON THE CROSS. IN A MOMENT ARE GOING TO SING A SONG.. 81 82