Religious Rituals or a Growing Relationship?
Colossians: It's All About Jesus • Sermon • Submitted
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Introduction
Introduction
Soren Kierkegaard, a 19th century Danish philosopher, told a story about a man who dies and goes to hell. He doesn’t think he should be there, so he makes an appeal to the Apostle Peter, who is standing on the edge of hell.
Peter asks him, “Why do you think you don’t belong here?”
The man replied, “Because I did so many good deeds in my life! In fact, one time I gave a carrot to a poor, hungry man!”
“Okay,” Peter said. “Let’s see if that is good enough to get you out of there,” and he lowered a carrot into hell by a fishing line.
The man took hold of the carrot. Lots of other people in hell noticed what was happening and grabbed onto the line as well. The man was afraid the line was going to break, so he started kicking and punching the other people, screaming at them, “That’s my carrot!”
This, Kierkegaard said, is a picture of religion.
When you do religious deeds and try to save yourself or exalt yourself, those religious deeds are done from self-interest. When religion is done to distinguish ourselves from others or to set ourselves apart, we will become victims of our own demise.
In our study of Colossians, the Apostle Paul reminds his readers that it is not rituals that cleanse us from our sins but it is knowing and having a relationship with Jesus. As we examine , three questions come to mind: Religion or relationship?, Dead or alive?, and tyranny or triumph?
Religion or Relationship
Religion or Relationship
Some men came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the brothers: “Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved.”
Too often
Evidently, this teaching had made its way to Colosse. In essence, the people were saying that you have to do this or that in order to be saved. Our modern approach might even be saying if you don’t read this type of Bible or attend this type of church, you cannot be saved. There are some that say you have to wear certain clothes or comb your hair a certain way in order to be saved.
Paul uses this letter to warn Colossians and to show the ritual of circumcision in a symbolic way. I love the way this is portrayed in The Message:
Entering into this fullness is not something you figure out or achieve. It’s not a matter of being circumcised or keeping a long list of laws. No, you’re already in—insiders—not through some secretive initiation rite but rather through what Christ has already gone through for you, destroying the power of sin. If it’s an initiation ritual you’re after, you’ve already been through it by submitting to baptism. Going under the water was a burial of your old life; coming up out of it was a resurrection, God raising you from the dead as he did Christ. When you were stuck in your old sin-dead life, you were incapable of responding to God. God brought you alive—right along with Christ! Think of it! All sins forgiven, the slate wiped clean, that old arrest warrant canceled and nailed to Christ’s cross. He stripped all the spiritual tyrants in the universe of their sham authority at the Cross and marched them naked through the streets.
Colossians 2:11=
It is hard in a society that rewards you by what you do to accept the fact that we cannot do anything to earn our way into heaven. It does not seem natural that we are told that we enter by faith in Christ.
You have heard many times that reminds us that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. However, have you heard Romans 3:24?
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
We are justified freely! We do not have to participate in any rituals to score enough points to make the cut.
not by works, so that no one can boast.
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.
Paul is saying in that through baptism, we symbolically are buried with Christ as He was buried in the tomb, and we rise with Him as He rose out of the grave. The greatest display of God’s power was in His raising Christ from the dead. That same power raises us to new life in Christ. We must trust God to use His power to save us. You might ask, why does God save us? Salvation is a gift of God that comes from His power and because of His love.
We are dead in our sin because it takes us away from a Holy God. In His love and mercy, God wants you and I not only to live but to live abundantly. So the question becomes, are you dead or are you alive?
Dead or Alive?
Dead or Alive?
Paul says in
When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross.
The best understanding of these verses can be found elsewhere in scripture.
remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world.
Paul offers the appropriate remedy. Just like what Jesus talked about in the story of the Prodigal Son.
For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.
But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ ”
Paul says here that “God made you alive with Christ.” This means that because of what happened in the resurrection with Christ, when God looks at those who are “in Christ,” He sees them as Christians that have died and are risen “with Christ.”
The great theologian John Stott says, “We live and die; Christ died and lived!” When we are in Christ, God sees us risen and alive in Christ. That is exactly what He wants for you and I.
Paul says in that
having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross.
You might ask, “What was the written code, with its regulations, that was against us?” Again, we can see the best commentary in scripture itself:
by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace,
The “written code” refers to the Mosaic Law that the Jews were bound to in their lives and actions. Paul says that God not only cancelled this written code, He took it away by nailing it to the cross. Remember in the Gospels that Jesus was sent to the Romans after being deemed worthy of death by a Jewish court, saying Jesus had been guilty according the law. Pilate gave that verdict a new twist and according to ,
Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read: jesus of nazareth, the king of the jews.
Paul recognizes that this label on the cross expressed the charge against all of the people who belong to God.
Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.”
Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.”
God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
2 Corinthians
As the representative
In other words, Christ became our representative on the cross, bearing our sin and dying our death. Martin Luther called this the “great exchange.” Christ takes our sin so we can be the righteousness of God. God dealt with sin this way so that His people may have new life.
Tyranny or Triumph
Tyranny or Triumph
And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
Paul then in verse 15 states that because of what Jesus did on the cross, the powers and authorities have been disarmed and defeated. He uses the idea which the Roman generals would march triumphantly through the cities displaying the treasures taken from the conquered people. If you look at the story of the crucifixion, that is exactly what the Romans did with Jesus. They paraded Him, made a mockery of Him, and killed Him in a triumphant manner.
Paul then in verse 15 states that because of what Jesus did on the cross, the
powers and authorities have been disarmed and defeated. He uses the idea which the Roman generals would march triumphantly through the cities displaying the treasures taken from the conquered people.
When these powers had done their absolute worst, crucifying Jesus on charges of blasphemy and rebellion, they misused their authority and power.
These authorities cause fear and held the ways of Christ captive under their rule. But because of the cross and what Jesus did willingly for you and me, our captivity has been released and the chains that held us in bondage have been broken as we are now free. By Jesus dying on our behalf, we are welcomed and celebrated triumphantly. Because of the cross we have a great victory over death, over sin, and over the ways of this world.
So what does all this mean for you and me go from religion to a relationship. from dead to alive, and from tyranny to triumph?
First and foremost, we gain a greater understanding that Christ’s death means you and I can have life. We also die to sin and are released from its power. God made us alive in Christ.
Secondly, through Christ, we have the remission of sin. In other words just like it says in The Message translation, “the slate is wiped clean, that old arrest warrant canceled and nailed to Christ’s cross.” Christ died for our sins and rose from the dead for our justification.
He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.
Thirdly, whatever was in force against us is taken out of the way! We are free from the written regulations that declared the steps needed to declare our righteousness.
Hebrews 8:
By calling this covenant “new,” he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and aging will soon disappear.
Lastly, we can be assured that our Lord not going to win, He already has. Because of the cross, Jesus was able to disarm the powers and authorities. He made a public spectacle of the enemy exposing the the deceit and wickedness. In His death, resurrection and ascension, Christ proved the love of God and defeated the devil. As a result, we have victory and you and I can triumphantly live our lives knowing that in Jesus we are free and saved from the darkness in this world!
2 Corinthians
But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him.
Amazing Grace—366 Inspiring Hymn Stories for Daily Devotions 10. What a Friend We Have in Jesus
Joseph Scriven had wealth, education, a devoted family, and a pleasant life in his native Ireland. Then unexpected tragedy entered. On the night before Scriven’s scheduled wedding, his fiancée drowned. In his deep sorrow, Joseph realized that he could find the solace and support he needed only in his dearest friend, Jesus.
Soon after this tragedy, Scriven dramatically changed his lifestyle. He left Ireland for Port Hope, Canada, determined to devote all of his extra time in being a friend and helper to others. He often gave away his clothing and possessions to those in need, and he worked—without pay—for anyone who needed him. Scriven became known as “the Good Samaritan of Port Hope.”
When Scriven’s mother became ill in Ireland, he wrote a comforting letter to her, enclosing the words of his newly written poem with the prayer that these brief lines would remind her of a never-failing heavenly Friend. Sometime later, when Joseph Scriven himself was ill, a friend who came to call on him happened to see a copy of these words scribbled on scratch paper near his bed. The friend read the lines with interest and asked, “Who wrote those beautiful words?”
“The Lord and I did it between us,” was Scriven’s reply.
What a Friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear! What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer! O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear, all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.
You can practice rituals and hold on to those strict rules and regulations. Or you can develop a relationship with the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Sounds like a no-brainer to me, which will you choose?