Hear the word of God as you find it in Paul's letter to the Colossians chapter 2 beginning at verse 6 Reading through verse 15 As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord so walk in him Rooted and built up in him and established in the faith as you have been taught Abounding in it with thanksgiving Beware Lest anyone cheat you Through philosophy and empty deceit according to the tradition of men According to the basic principles of the world and not according to Christ For in him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily And you are complete in him who is the head of all principality and power In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands By putting off the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ Buried with him in baptism in which you also were raised with him Through faith in the working of God who raised him from the dead And you being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh He has made alive together with him Having forgiven you all trespasses Having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us which was contrary to us And he has taken it out of the way having nailed it to the cross Having disarmed principalities and powers He made a public spectacle of them triumphant over them in it The word of the Lord Thanks be to God, let us pray together We do thank you Father for this your word. We thank you That we may trust it. We thank you that it tells us the truth We thank you that that truth is unalterable and inviolable And we thank you that this truth points us yet again to the person of Jesus and to his work in our behalf O Lord encourage the hearts of your people As we consider your word grant us your spirit That this word might live for us That it might rest in our hearts That there it might germinate Send out roots And bring forth much fruit in our lives To the glory of your name We ask in Jesus name Amen You may be seated Someone said to me recently just in the last few days that Believing the gospel And really believing it you know the difference between Believing and believing there is a believing where you just sent to something in your mind you acknowledge That it's there you recognize maybe even that it's true There's that kind of believing but then there's the believing That has to do with the heart and the affections and the whole of ones being and it has to do with trust and resting in something and counting upon something Someone said to me recently That believing the gospel really believing the gospel Is a lot like nailing jello to a tree It keeps slipping off the nail
The gospel is something that slips through our fingers it slips out of our grasp We know it with our heads but resting in it and trusting it And having the gospel be our true confidence our true assurance The true ground of all of our hope and the true basis for all of our living That's a hard thing That's a hard thing The more I read this letter the more it it seems Clear to me. It seems evident to me that the Apostle Paul as he writes to these Colossian believers these new Christians These folks who haven't even seen his face before who don't know him by face who know him by name who they've never seen these Colossian believers keep getting one thing from the Apostle Paul They keep getting the gospel Over and over and over and over again. I remember years ago in our church in Indiana this one big Burleigh football player type guy Said to me in a bit of frustration because he had heard me three or four weeks in a row saying the same thing over and over and over again He said you know you only need to tell me once You only need to tell me once I kept my mouth shut I didn't respond Watched how easily the gospel slipped out of his hands slipped out of his heart slid off the nail It's true for all of us that what we need Repeatedly and continually is to be reminded reminded of things reminded Of the constituent parts of the gospel. We need to hear them over and over and over again. We need to see them over and over and over and over again You know you go out from this place out into the world and the world has you for most of the week I only get you for 30 minutes So please bear with me If in emulating Paul we come back to the same things over and over and over again Because as Paul says to the Philippians it is no burden for me To remind you of these things. It is not tedious for me and it is a safe guard for you It's a safe guard for you Paul and writing to the Colossians keeps coming back to these things over and over and over and over again We've looked at verses six and seven in detail a couple of weeks ago But there's one more thing to be said about these particular verses and it is the first Reminder that Paul offers to these Colossian believers remember what you have received He says as therefore you receive Christ Jesus the Lord so walk in him and another way saying that Another way of rendering that in a sense a way of paraphrasing it is Remember what you received and keep receiving it Remember what you received and keep receiving The term received is a kind of a technical term where it takes on a sort of a technical definition And it describes a tradition being passed from one person to another It describes a tradition being passed from one generation to another Paul uses it in first Corinthians chapter 15 Same term more over brethren I declared to you the gospel which I preached to you which you also received and in which you now stand For I delivered to you as a first importance that which I received Same word used both places and he goes on to talk about what it is that he had received and now passes on to the Corinthians The Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures that he was buried that he was raised on the third day And that he was seen by people that is the essence that is the hurt that is the nugget that is the core of the Christian tradition And what you've received Paul is saying you need to keep on receiving the point is again that there is a content To this faith There is a content to this faith There is a truth that is out there That is to be received and then is to be passed on But that tradition that truth that is received is something that we need to keep receiving And remember again what the Apostle says in these 6th and 7th verses that that truth which you have received has rooted you Rooted is in the past tense. It has rooted you the gospel has rooted you you didn't root yourself But the gospel has rooted you and it is the same gospel that now is to build you up and is to strengthen you So that you might be overflowing with thanksgiving and particularly to God
Keep on receiving what you've already received. Don't get too far away from
So that there's a reminder first of all a reminder of what you received
Then secondly verses 8 and 9
There is a reminder Not only about what Jesus received as an objective truth But remember that you received the person with whom that truth has to do Remember that you received a person with whom that truth has to do These collotions We're being subtly enticed To turn away from simple faith and trust in the person and the work of Jesus Christ And Paul warns them Beware he says don't let anybody cheat you Don't let anybody cheat you out of all that is yours in Christ
Earlier he says in first four Don't let anybody deceive you with smooth sounding speech Don't listen to snake oil salesman
Who want to give you something other than the person and the work of Jesus And repeatedly throughout these first two chapters Paul uses this word Fulness he uses it in verse 9 in him in Jesus Dwells all of the fullness of the Godhead bodily verse 19 of chapter 1 It pleased the father that in him all the fullness should dwell the fullness isn't to be found any place out
No, listen to the snake oil salesman Who would try to suggest to you that it is Jesus plus something else
But the fullness is in Jesus you remember What the Westminster confession of faith says in response to the question what is God
God is a spirit Infinite eternal Unchangeable In his being wisdom power holiness justice goodness and truth and the apostle says that all of that fullness dwells in Jesus bodily it is incarnate in him Let me ask you these questions again
Do you need justice Do you need goodness? Do you need mercy? Do you need compassion? Do you need kindness? Do you need tenderness in the midst of this hard and cruel world
All of those things are to be found in Jesus You don't need anything other than Jesus
A couple of weeks ago somebody said to me well What do you mean then? Do I do I not need to go to a counselor if I've got a spiritual difficulty? Do I not need to go to a pastor if I'm in trouble and try to get some counsel and encouragement from a pastor? Do I not need a small group where I can be encouraged by the saints? Yes, you need those things But you need to distinguish Christ and his fullness from the means which he employs for the imparting of the fullness which he is
and any counselor any pastor any Bible study leader any small group Which would be an end in itself is robbing Christ of his glory and you of your fullness
We distinguish between Christ who is the fullness and the means which he has appointed for imparting that fullness Don't be fooled Beware and remember that the fullness is in Christ And then there's a third reminder And this is a striking and profoundly graphic reminder Remember what you've received remember that the fullness is in Christ and remember What Christ has done for you all says in verse 11 in Kim you Were also circumcised You were also circumcised that's language that is foreign to us. We don't we don't know what that means. We know something About circumcision we know about circumcision from a medical vantage point From a surgical vantage point It's not polite conversation for dinner parties and that sort of thing, but we know what it's about But do we know the theological significance of circumcision?
You go back to Genesis chapter 17 And the theological significance of circumcision is there described God has called Abram to himself God has set Abram apart for himself and God has promised to Abram that he will be God to him He has brought him into a covenant relationship with himself
and a covenant Is a relationship involving two or more parties Parties who agree together about certain things It's what happens in a marriage when two people come together they establish a covenant and they make promises to each other And they seal those promises with a sign with a ring When I walk around with this ring on everybody acknowledges that a covenant has been made
And this is the sign of that covenant and of the promises that have been made And when God brought Abram into relationship with himself he gave him a sign of that relationship a sign of that covenant And that sign is the sign of circumcision Genesis 17 verse 10 This is my covenant which you shall keep between me and you and your descendants after you every male child among you Shall be circumcised and you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins And it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised every male child in your generations He who is born in your house or bought with money from any foreigner who is not your descendant Anybody who is associated with you Abram is to have this sign applied to him
He who is born in your house He who is bought with your money and this shall be my covenant in your flesh for an everlasting covenant And the uncircumcised male child who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin That person shall be cut off from his people. He has broken my covenant It is a sign of the covenant relationship What is the covenant signify the covenant sign signifies the cutting away at the removal of impurity and sin It has that signification first And so for every male child who grows up in Israel And here's the gospel in Israel and responds in faith to that gospel Looking ahead to the promised Messiah the coming one who would deliver his people that child that child spiritually has sin removed cut off taken away But the person who is not circumcised in his heart That person is cut off from God and from God's people There is a dual signification to the sign of the covenant for the one who is faithful It is the removal of sin for the one who is faith less It is the removal of the sinner and the one who is not circumcised Is the one who is cut off there is always this dual signification to the sign of the covenant And it's true of the baptismal waters as well. We will have a baptism in the second service And the waters of baptism will be administered to two covenant children And those waters have that dual signification as well Those children are to grow up and hear and embrace the gospel And as they embrace the gospel the waters of baptism become waters of deliverance for them Just as they were for Noah just as they were for Israel as Israel escaped the threat of Pharaoh in his army But if those children do not grow up to embrace the gospel Do not respond to the gospel Then those waters are no longer waters of blessing But they are waters of judgment and curse And they are the judgment waters which will swallow up the unbeliever and the sinner Dual signification for the faithful it is the removal of sin for the faith less It is the removal that cutting away the judging of the sinner Paul says to these Colossians that they were circumcised That their sin was cut off violently removed Through the shedding of blood Through the anguish and pain of ripped and torn flesh
How were they circumcised? Paul says Here in Colossians 2 that they were circumcised by means of the circumcision of Christ Most of the translations the new King James the new international version Suggest in verse 11 that this circumcision is a circumcision which Christ performs
Rather than understanding this circumcision is a circumcision which Christ performs on the heart It is much better Much more consistent much more in keeping with the sense of this passage To understand this circumcision is not one that Christ performs But it is a circumcision which Christ experiences It is a cutting off and a removal and a ripping and a tearing and literally A stripping away of the body of flesh Which Christ experienced on the cross
In him verse 11 you also were circumcised with a not-hand-made circumcision Not the old testimony circumcision not the humanly administered circumcision But by the stripping off of the body of the flesh that is a reference to Christ As he is impaled upon the cross And experiences the judgment of God in being removed and cut off from the presence of God in his body Suffering the wrath of God Upon him for the sins of his people
In him you also were circumcised By the putting off of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ
What is Isaiah right? It's language It's consistent with these ideas. What is Isaiah right? Isaiah 53 Surely he has borne our griefs he has carried our sorrows We esteemed him stricken, smitten by God and afflicted He was wounded for our transgressions bruised for our iniquities The chest tiesment for our peace was upon him by his stripes we are healed Verse 7 he was oppressed he was afflicted yet he opened not his mouth He was as a lamb led to the slaughter He was as a sheep before it sheers he opened not his mouth He was taken from prison and judgment he was cut off From the land of the living
You see what the cross is the cross Is a circumcision The cross is a violent ripping and tearing of flesh it is the bleeding Of the incarnate son of God in behalf of his people circumcision is not hand-wrought It is a stripping away of the body of the flesh of Christ It is not a circumcision which Christ performs but it is a circumcision which Christ Experiences and the benefits of that circumcision Are passed on to those who are in him by faith connected to him united to him And it can be said of you that everything which Christ has experienced you have experienced by virtue of your union with him Because he was cut off You have been cut off because he was buried you have been buried because he was raised you have been raised Because he reigns in glory you will reign in glory
In the circumcision the apostle tells us That all of these charges verse 14 All of these charges that can be brought against us
The picture in that language is the picture of an IOU
A debt that has to be paid And it is an IOU which the better himself writes out and then signs Acknowledging that it is his debt and that he does owe that debt
All of those things that are written all of that writing Paul says in this circumcision of Christ Have been nailed to the cross Inpaled they are not ripped up and tossed into a waste basket Only to be reassembled again so that the charges can be brought again against you know Not ripped up and torn away but nailed to the cross Where in the cross every one of those violations of the law
Receives its just payment
Remember the apostle says Remember what you received The tradition you received remember the person Remember that the fullness is in Christ and remember what Christ has done for you The Christ has been cut off for you Removed from the very presence of God for you
So interesting as you read the gospel narratives As you read the account of Jesus appearances to the disciples after his death Is so interesting that it is when Jesus shows his wounds The wounds in his flesh That he is recognized by his disciples
Jesus isn't recognized alone For his glory But he is recognized Because he has borne the sins of his people upon the cross His flesh Being ripped and torn that his people makes spirit As you come to this table this morning come Remembering the substitutionary work of Christ and come remembering that this bread and this Cut these things are signs themselves that point back to that broken body and the blood that was shed And because that body has been broken and because that blood has been shed
You people Are forgiven and you are free and there is no condemnation
Let us pray and give thanks to the Lord
Father. Thank you For this great great mercy
Thank you for this work of Jesus in our behalf And I pray for your people I pray that as they consider this and reconsider it I pray for a soul That it would cause us To be amazed To wonder And to be extraordinarily grateful
Father seal to our hearts This truth That because Jesus has come and has died We are forgiven and we are free And as we come to this table May these elements and our gathering here The source of great encouragement to us And Father here our prayers As together we confess our sins and prepare our hearts To come to this your table