|
Home
Archive
June
May
April
Comments
and/or Questions
|
Wednesday, June
25, 2008
Crossing
Over
Colossians 2:11-15 In whom
also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in
putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of
Christ: (12) Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him
through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the
dead. (13) And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your
flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all
trespasses; (14) Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was
against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing
it to his cross; (15) And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made
a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. (KJV)
Williams New Testament
translation for Colossians 2:11-15
11. And through your union
with Him you once received, not a hand-performed circumcision but one
performed by Christ, in stripping you of your lower nature, 12. for you
were buried with Him in baptism and raised to life with Him through your
faith in the power of God who raised Him from the dead. 13. Yes, although
you were dead through your shortcomings and were physically uncircumcised,
God made you live again through fellowship with Christ. He graciously forgave us all our
shortcomings, 14. canceled the note that stood against us, with its
requirements, and has put it out of our way by nailing it to the cross. 15.
He thus stripped the principalities and dominions of power and made a
public display of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
Again as we notice in the
above illustrations, that rituals of the old law were symbolic of what is
taking place in the spiritual realm. As we ended yesterday’s study we
concluded with the fact that circumcision means nothing to our Lord anymore
because He is more concerned with the new man, a new creation in Christ
that is forming within the believer. Baptism is illustrated again for us as
one of spiritual in nature, a life changing event that should be taking
place within the believer and not some outward show or ritual. Once one is
able to die to self and their own desires of the flesh then the Spirit is
able to take over so that your desires are more of those things which are
above and not below, or below our Lord’s standards and intent for His
people. The Lord removed the curse of the old law and nailed it to His
cross symbolizing that the debt is paid and we are now free to walk in the
liberty which is only found in Christ. When we see people still holding to
laws and rituals, we are seeing people that profess to know God but by dead
works deny Him and the completed work He accomplished for us. Simply put,
they are calling God a liar and claiming He didn’t do a complete work and
that more was needed; not a good place to be in people.
1 Corinthians 1:14-18 I thank
God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius; (15) Lest any
should say that I had baptized in mine own name. (16) And I baptized also
the household of Stephanas: besides, I know not whether I baptized any
other. (17) For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel:
not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none
effect. (18) For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish
foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. (KJV)
I don’t know if there was a
more die hard staunch believer as well as indoctrinated in the old law as a
man named Paul, formerly known as Saul. As we see illustrated in the above
verses, Paul himself came to the conclusion of what his calling truly was
and how he himself was crossing over from the old into the new. Many people
today enjoy hearing the word of God especially when it deals with
blessings, but start teaching about dieing to self, crucifying the flesh
and its lusts, and that same many will head for the exits. Paul clearly
states and points out that Christ did not send him to baptize, but rather
teach the doctrine of Christ that deals with the new inward creation not
the old fallen one. While many still consider the preaching and teaching of
the cross and what it truly takes to be baptized into Christ foolishness,
few realize that is where their salvation and power is. Take notice of
verse 17 as well, because for those that still hold to these outward
rituals and ignore the true spiritual meaning or implication of them, they
are in essence leaning back to their own understanding and their teaching
and preaching is of none effect.
Hebrews 6:1-6 Therefore
leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto
perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works,
and of faith toward God, (2) Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on
of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. (3) And
this will we do, if God permit. (4) For it is impossible for those who were
once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made
partakers of the Holy Ghost, (5) And have tasted the good word of God, and
the powers of the world to come, (6) If they shall fall away, to renew them
again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God
afresh, and put him to an open shame. (KJV)
Remember watching the movie
The Passion of the Christ and how painful it was to watch them nail our
Lord to the cross? How one would watch this take place and think ‘how could
they ever do that to our Lord’? Did you ever stop and think that is what is
still taking place when people misinterpret the true spiritual meaning of
the word of God they are in essence crucifying the Lord and His doctrine
again? One way or the other, you have a choice to either take up your own
cross and follow our Lord or drive another nail into our Lord and His
people by teaching doctrine contrary to what our Lord intended. Remember
when you sin and wound the conscience of the believers you are sinning
personally against Christ and crucifying Him all over again. As we see in
the first few verses of Hebrews, that these basic principles and doctrines
that were in place before are things we should be leaving behind not still
trying to implement. Once a believer gets a true taste of the truth and
what these things symbolized it is time to move forward and walk in the Spirit,
not trying to fulfill an old law that our Lord already did for us.
Galatians 3:23-28 But before
faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should
afterwards be revealed. (24) Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to
bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. (25) But after that
faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. (26) For ye are all
the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. (27) For as many of you as
have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.(28) There is neither Jew
nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor
female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. (KJV)
Schools out people, and has
been for over two thousand years. God’s people have graduated and are now
walking in a new realm, one of faith in what Christ Jesus has done on our
behalf and wishes to continue in each and every believer. When you enter
the realm of the Spirit and seek to be seated with Christ then you need to
leave your old nature at the door and put on a new man in order to enter into
this realm. While some people claim that a certain sect or group of people
were responsible for the crucifixion of our Lord, the word clearly states
that God knows no one after the flesh but after the Spirit. Bottom line, we
are either for Him or against Him, and spiritually many are still
crucifying and butchering the true spiritual meaning of the word of God by
hanging onto dead rituals that were nailed to the cross of our Lord Jesus
Christ. Are you crossing over into the realm of the Spirit or are you still
hanging onto dead things which only bring dead results? He that has ears to
hear let them hear what the Spirit is truly speaking today. God’s best and
continue to walk in the Spirit.
|
