2017-02-24
Good Morning Dear Ones,
As promised last week, I will obey the Holy Spirit’s directive to further elaborate on what it means to have Christ in us, as the fulfillment of God’s mystery. COL 2: 11-14, “In Him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ, having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, Who raised Him from the dead. 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 regulation, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; He took it away, nailing it to the cross.” This passage gives us plenty about which to think.
People think of circumcision as only the outward sign that a person is living in a covenant relationship with God, only in terms of the physical ritual. However, as it used here, it is a spiritual act not accomplished by human hands. It is God keeping the promise He made in EZK 36: 26-27. Being alive with Christ means wanting to live according to God’s teaching, and knowing the joy and inner peace that it brings. One is no longer totally self-absorbed, but achieves a balance between taking care of oneself and serving the needs of others. Being alive in Christ means that we have made loving obedience to God a major priority in our lives. We have been eternally forgiven [1 JN 1: 9], had eternal life opened to us [JN 3: 16], and have been deemed acceptable in God’s sight [RO 4: 3].
As for the written code, it included a lot of man-made regulations that traditionally Jewish people were expected to obey. Of course, we are expected to obey the Ten Commandments [EX 20: 1-17], but a lot of the rituals are no longer required. The problem was that traditionally Jewish people were forced into a lot of rituals, e.g. keeping the Kosher food laws, that are no longer necessary [AC 10: 9-16]. There are certain long, often confusing writings, which are commentaries on the law, e.g. the Talmud, which make it difficult for them to be in total compliance. While those writings are crafted by humans, the Ten Commandments and the basics were divinely written. RO 7: 6, “But now by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the laws so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not to the old way of the written code.” JN 8: 32, “…You will know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.” Because we have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, He is there to let us know what is true and what isn’t, what is necessary and what isn’t. Can we imagine the picture of Christ having, by His life sacrificed on the cross, disarmed and defeated the evil one and all his powers and authorities? He leads them in the public spectacle of a parade before us all, having triumphed over all their efforts to work evil. That’s what we learn in COL 2: 15!
We must come to understand that real connection between the major festivals of the Jewish calendar and what is written in the NT are not accidental. What was set down in the OT is a foreshadowing of what we learn from the NT. Our very wise God knows that civilizing mankind would involve revealing His secrets gradually, as they are ready for it. My own conversion to accepting Christ was like that too, as it would be for any person who does this. God alone knows the exact time and way to make Himself known to each person to maximize the process of learning. Our task is to learn to trust Him in every way. Christ really is our reality; the Holy Spirit is with us to lead the way, inching us ever closer and closer to knowing the Father and the Son. False humility and angel worship are not God’s works, but are those of the evil one. It is the Holy Spirit Who guides us away from these things.
PRAYER: O Lord, You have generously and lovingly given us the gift of “Christ in us,” so that we might learn through the Holy Spirit to please You with the way we live. He guides us to rightful decisions, teaches us what deserves our attention and what doesn’t, and leads us to the principles expressed in MICAH 6: 8, “He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” You let us know that raising godly children, living by civil laws for safety, and being industrious in supporting our families is of paramount importance. By means of the Ten Commandments, You let us know what is sinful and what is not. Only Your Son’s blood shed on the cross has made possible justification, eternal life, and salvation to us. We are forever grateful to You. There is no longer any excuse for us to live differently than the Holy Spirit teaches us. He is our conscience and our support. We live in a world that is difficult and is full of temptation, but Christ in us alone gives us the power to choose not to be swallowed up by it. We offer You thanks and praise for all You are and all You do, in the holy/mighty name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
NEXT WEEK: As we continue working our way through the book of Colossians, we have arrived at the place where wise judgment leading to holy living is found at the end of COL 2 and beginning of COL 3. That will be the subject of next week’s message. The more we read of this short, but wonderful book, the better we will understand what God’s will for our lifestyle is. This means we must have good judgment (good, in God’s sight) and that we must break old, well-worn habits. While knitting is not an ethical issue, I will use it to exemplify my point. For over 50 years, I’ve knitted American style, having to drop my work and often using straight needles. However, there is another way, continental style, which is said to produce more even tension and knit faster. So, I’m trying to learn this latter method, and I’m not finding it easy. In these beginning efforts, I feel like I have ten thumbs, all working against each other! J. However, with practice, I will eventually knit better. That’s the way it is for us when breaking old habits, old ethics, and the devil’s ways. It’s hard at first, and, with practice, it will provide a result that will please our God. He deserves our compliance and praise be to Him for revealing His ways for us to copy!
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn
JS 24: 15
© Lynn Johnson 2016. All Rights Reserved.
<-- Back to Archives