Alive in Christ Part 2
Notes
Transcript
Kid Chat
6 Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him,
7 rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.
8 See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.
9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily,
10 and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.
11 In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ,
12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead.
13 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses,
14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.
15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.
Rooted -What our roots sink into we draw up into our being. We are told here to sink them into Christ Himself so that we draw up all the truth of His gospel as our nourishment. Water and Air. Word and Holy Spirit.
What our foundation determines our ability to stand.
Established - Having a foundation that is set (cured). Our foundation determines our ability to stand. We are told here to build on the foundation of faith. Faith in Christ and in no other.
God assumed from the beginning that the wise of the world would view Christians as fools… and He has not been disappointed…If I have brought any message today, it is this: Have the courage to have your wisdom regarded as stupidity. Be fools for Christ and have the courage to suffer the contempt of the sophisticated world. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia
When we put these two word pictures together, rooted and established, they make a strong point! Built up bridges them. If we consider ‘rooted’ the tree is built up according to its root system. If we consider ‘established’ the building is built up according to its foundation. And this church was being praised for having strength because of its acceptance of Christ’s truth.
There is a third statement in verse 7 that becomes the stamp OFFICIAL on this church. It’s how we know they are the real deal!
7 rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.
“…abounding in thanksgiving,” That is overflowing, spilling over, sloshing out,
WITH THANKSGIVING - not with wisdom or knowledge. Not with works or busyness. Thanksgiving is the litmus test of Christian health. Remember litmus test? Acid or base? even reminds us when thankfulness goes away, it is a sign we have become separated from the Lord.
21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.
We find great reason to be thankful here, both before and after the command to be so:
We find great reason to be thankful here, both before and after the command to be so:
You have received Christ - Glory Hallelujah He is mine and I am His. Thankful!
Now pick up in v.11
In Him, this old broken, sinful wretched self is being done away with, day after day
As was testified to when I was baptised; buried with Christ in baptism, but just like that grave couldn’t hold Him and He didnt stay in that grave, I was raised with Him because of the power of the Living God through Him and in me.
He took me in the deadness of my sin and made me alive WITH CHRIST. He cancelled the record of the debt of my sin. He didnt just close the book and set it aside so He could look over it later. He said the word and that record, recording all my sin, ceased to exist. All of a sudden it was no longer! Except for the scars on Jesus Himself, it is as if I had never sinned.
There is no red in my ledger.
1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
Romas
If there is no condemnation, what good are accusations? What effect does the roaring of the enemy have on me? None! Removing the record of my ledger, cancelling not only my debt, but the very record of it, He disarmed those who would accuse, those who would breathe threats against me. Do you see v15?
When I was a teenager, mom chocolate cake. Icing.
V.15 is icing.