From Death to Life

We’re alive in Christ. Why go back? Colossians 2.11-15

Walking in Christ: Colossians 2 (4)

Opening Prayer: Psalm 31.23, 24
Oh, love the LORD, all you His saints!
For the LORD preserves the faithful,
And fully repays the proud person.
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart,
All you who hope in the LORD.

Sing Psalm 31.23, 24
(Brother James’ Air: The Lord’s My Shepherd, I’ll not Want)
O love the Lord, all you, His saints!  He keeps us faithfully.
But all who act in sinful pride His wrath shall surely see.
Be strong and let your heart not fret; wait on Him constantly!

Preparation
1. How were we “dead” before coming to faith in Jesus?

2. How did Jesus deal with that “dead” condition?

Meditation
The “circumcision” to which Paul refers here is the work of the Holy Spirit in opening our soul to faith in Jesus (cf. Deut. 30.1-10; Ezek. 36.26, 27; Gal. 4.6, 7). The Spirit applies the work of Jesus to forgive our sins, cleanse us of all guilt, and begin the work of clothing us with Jesus Himself (2 Cor. 3.12-18). We submit to baptism as the outward sign of an inward reality, that Jesus has cleansed and forgiven and made us new creations in Him (2 Cor. 5.17).

All this dramatically emphasizes our having been set apart for the Lord as saints. Jesus has taken our old lives upon Himself, and condemned them in His death on the cross (v. 13). He has given His new resurrection life to us and conveyed us into His Kingdom, so that, as we increase in faithfulness, we might no longer be captive to the things of this world.

And just for good measure, Jesus has “disarmed principalities and powers” so that they have no authority over us. The only way they ever disrupt our walk with the Lord is when we give ourselves to them by falling through temptation into sin. And this, we don’t have to do, but choose to do, when we hanker after the things of this world and blatantly deny our new life in Christ.

We don’t have to go there. Once we were dead in trespasses and sins; now we are live in Jesus. Live it up!

Treasure Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162
“Being dead” denotes a rather dour situation; whereas, “alive together with Him” has a happier and more active connotation!

Being dead we are alone.
Alive we are together with Him.

But this condition of life was hard-earned by Jesus for us.
He took everything that makes us dead and nailed it to the cross.
And there it hung with Him.
We must leave it all there with Him.

And we must strive to stop intentionally putting more things up there – a virtual piñata of transgressions that we keep expecting God to swat away.

No, we are not perfect; but yes, we are together with Christ and have the potential to be pleasing to God rather than chronically sinful. We are dusty humans, no doubt, but being filled with the Holy Spirit should make us less so. Jesus tells us to “Strive to enter through the narrow gate…” (Lk. 13.24). “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it” (Matt. 7.13,14).

Jesus saved Paul and us, and then sends us out to “open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me” (Acts 26.18).

Instead of running down the wide path alone, let’s live it up on the narrow path together with Him!

Reflection
1.What does it mean for someone to be “dead” in their trespasses and sins?

2. How does the Holy Spirit overcome that dead condition? How do you experience His work in you?

3. How can believers help one another be more consistent in walking the path of life?

This is the whole scheme of our salvation, by which the one who as God had made man himself became man, for the sake of finding lost man. This is the whole matter of Christ shedding for the forgiveness of our sins true, not false, blood, and with his blood, “obliterating the bond of our sins.” Augustine (354-430), Sermons 237.1

Closing Prayer: Psalm 31.14-22
Thank the Lord for His great salvation. Entrust yourself to Him for the day ahead. Call on Him to make you bold as His witness and to encourage others in His goodness.

Psalm 31.14-22
(Brother James’ Air: The Lord’s My Shepherd, I’ll not Want)
But I will trust in You, O Lord; You are my God and King!
My times are in Your hand; from those who hate me rescue me!
Shine down Your face on me with grace; let Your love on me be!

Let me not come to shame, O Lord, for on Your Name I call.
Let wicked men to hell be cast, let shame upon them fall.
Their lies and plots shall come to naught; to silence send them all!

How great the goodness You reserve for those who fear You, Lord,
who rest in You and boldly stand before men in Your Word.
You cover them from plots of men; You shelter them, O Lord!

Blessed be the Lord, for He has shown His steadfast love to me!
In my alarm I cried to Him; He heard my fervent plea!
In fear and dread with You I pled; You heard and rescued me!

T. M. and Susie Moore

You can listen to last week’s summary of our study in Colossians by clicking here.

Restoring All Things
For a more thorough study of Christ’s work of restoration, download the five installments in our ReVision series, “Restoring the Reconciled World,” by clicking here.

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Except as indicated, all Scripture are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. For sources of all quotations, see the weekly PDF of this study. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter (Williston: Waxed Tablet Publications, 2006), available by clicking here.