Month: January 2024

Colossians 3:8-17 (KJV) But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: Where there is neither Greek not Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all. Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. And let the peace of God rule in youir hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.”   

Things to put off or take off:

  1. Anger: Which means Indignation leading to vengeance. Do we remember what Paul says in his letter to those in Rome? Listen to these verses: Romans 12:17-21 (KJV) “Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. There fore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head Be not over come of evil, but overcome evil with good.” There are several places where GOD says that vengeance is HIS, here is one place where Paul could have got this saying from, listen to what the Bible says in Deuteronomy 32:35 (KJV) “To me belongeth vengeance, and recompence; their foot shall slide in due time: for the day of their calamity is a hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste.” Don’t try to steal GOD’s wrath, or try to play GOD by taking revenge on someone who has done you wrong, or spitefully treated you. The scripture I just read from Romans did not say to ask GOD to dump hot coals on the head of those that do you wrong, but to return their EVIL doings with your GOOD things that you do for them. Let GOD take the revenge, we just keep on loving them that do us wrong. But now you can only do this when you live are living a victorious life while you are “RISEN WITH CHRIST”.

  2. Wrath: This word is similiar to our first word “ANGER” but it is actually when you let that anger in you, remain there and kindle it up like you would a fire in a stove or a fire outside where you are burning leaves or brush, you don’t get rid of the anger but let it stay within you and cause you to seethe or simmer with indignation that builds into a fierceness, with you allowing it to cause you to try to repay “evil for evil”. Please keep that type of anger and wrath away from you, put it off of you and out of your life.  

  3. Malice: This word is from the Greek word (kay cos) and means “BADNESS” that is subject to  “DEPRAVITY” or active “MALIGNITY” or “TROUBLE”, and it doesn’t have to come just from anger but being in state of mind and letting that remain in you and drive you to all kinds of “WICKEDNESS”, because you really open the door for satan. We know that sin “lieth at the door” or could be translated “croucheth at the door” ready to pounce upon you, according to Genesis the 4th chapter and the 7th verse, and if you continue to harbor this malice in you, satan will come right through that open door and raise all kinds of “HAVOC” with your life. If you continue to stir up that type of attitude within you, if you keep poking at it and provoking it, YOU WILL FALL. Let it go, put it away form you and then replace it with the LOVE OF GOD there inside of you and you will do the right thing.  

  4. Blasphemy: Here Blasphemy means vilification(especially) against GOD, railing against GOD and blaming everything on HIM, because HE let you do something. How wrong, and heartbreaking to GOD, who “LOVES YOU WITH AN EVERLASTING LOVE”. 

  5. Filthy Communication out of your mouth: Or what you might say is “TAME THE TONGUE”. James, the LORD’s brother talks about the damage and hurt that the tongue came cause or create. In the book of James, well, let me read it to us so that I will be sure to get it right. You can turn with me in your Bibles to James 3:5-11 (KJV) and I’ll be reading out of the King James Version, “Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of HELL. For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?” No wonder GOD’s WORD says in James 1:19(KJV) “…be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:” listen please, brothers and sisters you can’t unspeak something, once you have spoken something cruel or hurtful, those words have already done their damage, make sure your mind and heart are in gear and in sync with one another before you say it!

  6. Lie not to one another: The Greek word simply means to “utter an untruth” to “deceive by falsehood”. Be careful, very careful, and let GOD guide your words, put your statement on trial before you say it. Let’s always remember that GOD’s HOLY WORD says that “satan is a liar and the father of it”. Let LOVE motivate your statements and words and they will always be right.

After the Apostle Paul names these 6 things that we should undress our selves of, that we should put away out of our lives, far away from our lives, he uses a phrase, or a combination of Greek words, to further explain himself, listen to the last part of verse 9 of Chapter 3 of Colossians (KJV) “….seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds…” This comes from the  Greek word (apo) which means the  “COMPLETE CESSATION OF”, and let me interject here, not just to lay something aside where you maybe able to pick it back up and use it again, but to completely obliterate it from your life, to destroy it by making it unusable. and another Greek word (ek-duo); which means to totally divest oneself wholly from something, or that is to put off from you forever. Now of course you have heard me say this before. When you are “BORN AGAIN” you have to RENEW your life, by putting off the “OLD WAYS” and learn to do and use the “NEW WAYS”. Paul says in the 10th verse of our TEXT that we have “…put on the new man, which is renewed in the knowledge after the image of him that created him:…” Who was it that “BORNED YOU ANEW” who was it that made a “NEW MAN” out of you, and of course that person was JESUS of NAZARETH, the CHRIST. So then we can look at the IMAGE that JESUS “PAINTED” as HE lived HIS life here on earth, and always remember that we paint a picture with our CHRISTIAN LIVES, so PAINT it TRUE, make people know that JESUS has really saved you and changed you. We can see the INTEGRITY, the COMPASSION, the LOVE, the continuous EFFORTS that HE showed in HIS life to HELP others and minister to their needs. How are we renewed, we are completely RENOVATED, by the KNOWLEDGE that JESUS not only taught but lived for all to see.

Now, that we have put all of this away from us, what are we going to put in it’s place? Here it is, the things we need to do, so please listen to the 12th verse of our text: “Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;” and then Paul reiterates where they should come from, of course he uses the word “BOWLES” which means the “INWARD AFFECTIONS THAT ARE SALTED OR FILLED WITH TENDER MERCIES“.

You might say how can I do that, how can I be that type of person, the only way is to “STAY FILLED WITH THE LOVE OF GOD“.

Colossians 3:13-16 (KJV) says: “Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts,” May I interject here, who rules my heart, who rules your heart? Now continuing on with our scripture “to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with the grace in your hearts to the Lord.” So let me quickly number these “things we should do”

1: Forbear one another: The actual meaning is “to hold oneself up against” that is, in our “country bumpkin” jargon we would say “put up with”, sometimes we just have to “put up with” “one another” because no one is the same as someone else and we all have some different idiosyncraises or some quirks in our behavior that others might not have, so we just look over them, so that we can work together in HARMONY and LOVE.

2: Forgive one another: Paul kind of adds to this thing that we are to do, by saying “even as Christ forgave us”.  Jesus forgave us of lot things and ways that we had because “HE LOVED US” and of course the Bible tells us to “LOVE ONE ANOTHER AS CHRIST LOVED US”. We know also that if we do not forgive others their trespasses, JESUS taught that we would not get our trespasses forgiven. There’s not really anything complicated about that, and we shouldn’t have a problem with doing it, if we LOVE as JESUS LOVED.

3: Put on CHARITY (LOVE): One of the first things I taught on Wednesday was 1 Corinthians 13 (KJV): Known as the LOVE CHAPTER, of course you already knew this verse and it’s teaching, but sometimes we need to go back to the fundamental teachings again, again and again. LOVE is the driving force of CHRISTIANITY, without LOVE,  true AGAPE LOVE, we are NOTHING are WE HAVE NOTHING, our words of WITNESS, our words of WORSHIP, and our WORD’S to a lost and dying WORLD mean nothing, they are just as a “sounding brass” or “tinkling cymbal”. Let’s keep that “AGAPE’ LOVE OF GOD” forever strong in our HEARTS’ so that we WORK for the LORD as HE wants to work for HIM!

4. Let’s dress ourselves with KINDNESS for everyone. The word KINDNESS means “MORAL EXCELLENCE” we claim to be MORAL in our lives, don’t we know that it is IMMORAL not to be KIND to EVERYONE. We like to think of “IMMORALITY” as “ADULTERY” as “DRUNKENNESS” as “IDOLATRY” and those are  IMMORALITIES but also so is the LACK OF “AGAPE’ LOVE”, IMMORAL and not acceptable in the sight of GOD! Do we, do I reach out and strive for that “MORAL EXCELLENCE” or do we just “SETTLE” for “second best”

5. HUMBLENESS of MIND: Which of course means, modesty, lowliness of mind, not of a haughty mind.

6. Meekness: Which is humility with gentleness, meekness does not mean WEAKNESS, but being GENTLE with others as you are being HUMBLE. Paul also says to do all that you do in “the NAME of the LORD”, not doing something so that you can be “NOTICED” but that JESUS, JESUS, JESUS can be noticed or “lifted up”.

7. Long Suffering: Which is being “lovingly PATIENT”! as GOD is alway LONG SUFFERING, or PATIENT with us, if HE wasn’t we would not stand a chance while on our JOURNEY down here. We fail him so much, in our lives but he “LOVINGLY” corrects us and uses us for HIS GLORY!

8. Thankful: Now, just because you get a day off from work and eat some turkey and dressing, don’t mean you are being thankful to GOD, and I’ll say very quickly “they ain’t nothing wrong with TURKEY and DRESSING! But the word THANKFUL means being “SO GRATEFUL” to GOD for all that HE has done for you and also for the all the things HE hasn’t done to you, when you let the FLESH rise up in you. As we continue to “WALK WITH AND FOR HIM” he is always with us to STRENGTHEN, PROTECT, AND GUIDE US.

There are many other things that I haven’t mentioned here that we need to dress ourselves up with, or “PUT ON” so just look at CHRIST’s life and be like HIM, and you’ll be fine. So, are you wondering or thinking, how can I do all of these things. Look quickly at the 16th verse of our text, and we will find out how we can do these things. Read along with me or just listen attentively “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the LORD.” I know that I have been a little long with this sermon, but I want to do one more thing. May I ask you this morning, where do we normally do all of these things? Now, I’ll answer my own question here and say “IN CHURCH SERVICES” and of course we are not to just do it, exclusivly, in “CHURCH SERVICES”. But, I can’t think of a time that we haven’t done these things in our “CHURCH SERVICES”. That being said, let’s each one of us take every opportunity we have to come to the “HOUSE OF GOD” and do these things. So if you are still wearing some of those things you should have already “PUT OFF” or if you haven’t “PUT ON” some of those things you should have “PUT ON”. Choose this day to complete those things in your Christian life.

Colossians 3:5-7  (KJV) “Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordianate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.”

Mortify: Simply means to “put to death”

Romans 8:1-13 (KJV) “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if you through the spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.”

Ephesians 4:19(KJV) “Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.”

Members which are upon the earth: The word “members” here means a limb or part of the body: the Bible also says in Galatians 5:13,14 (KJV) “For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love seerve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.”

  Fornication: The word simply means “harlotry” which includes “adultery and incest” and a lot of the times it is used, it is used figuratively which means “idolatry” or having a loving affection for the fleshly things of the world, more than you have a loving affection for the spiritual things that are of GOD.

  Uncleanness: Which hardly ever means “unwashed” or what we would call “getting dirty” but means “physically or morally” unclean handling of the things that are unpure to GOD and HIS COMMANDMENTS.

  Inordinate affection: Usually means the love or lust for the enemies of GOD, such as other nations that loved their IDOLS and left GOD for the things of this world. Leaving GOD out of their lives and clung to the hand made IDOLS and STATUES of the gods that could not speak, move or help them in any way.

  Evil Concupiscence: Which is a longing for the EVIL things of this world, that satan paints such a pretty picture of, so that GOD’s people will leave GOD and HIS WORK and snuggle up to the things of the flesh.

  Covetousness, which is Idolatry: Simply means loving money, fame, notierity, being so caught up with those things so much that you leave GOD behind and seek after them and forget about GOD, and then they become YOUR GOD which of course becomes IDOLATRY. Listen please, LOVE NOT the WORLD nor the things of the WORLD.

We’ve all been there!! We don’t like to admit it but “WE HAVE BEEN THERE”. Isn’t that what the Apostle Paul means when he said in verse 7 of Colossians the 3rd chapter, : “ In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.” I know that it is a bitter pill to swallow sometimes, but we have got to remember, when we see someone else wrapped up in these things, that we were once there in the same place, doing the same things or maybe even worse. Looking into the MIRROR of our past lives, sometimes brings back memories that we had rather not think about. Now, we are not to live in the past and memories of times when we were without GOD, in other words before we were saved, before we had repented of them and cried out to JESUS. But we need, at times, to look back at our past to see the ugliness of what sin brought into our lives, and to remind us of where GOD has brought us from.  Remember the word “LOOKING GLASS”: and of course you’ll find this word in 1 Corinthians 13:12 (KJV) “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.”  This verse doesn’t say that we don’t see through a dark glass but we see DARKLY or obscurely, the mirrors of those days as we see even in JOB were usually made of metal and were not very clear. Most of the times what they saw in the “LOOKING GLASSES of those days were very fuzzy and  obscure, and sometimes dark. But sometimes we need to see things obscurely because we cannot understand some things in our natural state. In the movie “A Few Good Men” Jack Nicholson’s character said “you can’t handle the truth” and those are some pretty good words to think on. The truth is hard to handle, but we must hear and see the truth, so that we can be the Christian, GOD wants us to be.

Job 37:18  (KJV) “Hast thou with him spread out the sky, which is strong, and as a molten looking glass?”

Elihu is speaking here and explaining to Job about some of the wonders that GOD had made, mentioning the SKY and how it looked like a “MIRROR”, calling it a “molten looking glass”, and in that day, metal was melted and poured out to form a smooth convex piece of metal that a person could look at see their reflection. Just a side note on that, did you realize you have never seen your face, only the reflection of it in a mirror or reflective object, and its actually reversed. I kind of thought that that was very interesting. Not important, I guess, but very interesting.

In the 1500’s the secret of how to make a great mirror was a closely guarded secret and even to the point of that the ART or PROCESS was not known worldwide but was exclusively manufactured in ITALY. But then in the 1600’s the process was leaked to England and other countries and the rest is history.

Sometimes we try to obscrure the truth in an effort to not have to deal with it but, of course the best way is to “FACE THE TRUTH”. In the Gospel of John, Jesus said these words:

John 8:31-34 (KJV) “Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed, and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. They answered him, We be Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free? Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.”  

James 1:23-25  (KJV) For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a class: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.”  

1 Peter 4:1-4 (KJV) For as much then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God. For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries: Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you:”

Don’t worry about what people think about you but live as GOD WANTS YOU TO LIVE. Don’t go back to the life you used to live before you were “BORN AGAIN” Stand strong, Stand tall, Stand straight.

Let us not forget Colossians 3:6 (KJV) “For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:”

Please don’t go back to what you were before GOD called you to SALVATION through CHRIST! “PUT TO DEATH” all of those things that are not “PLEASING TO GOD” and “LIVE FOR HIM” “REMAIN RISEN WITH CHRIST”.

The wrath of GOD “ain’t no fun” The Bible declares “…it is a fearful thing to fall in the hands of a “LIVING GOD…”

Colossians 3:1-4 (KJV) “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.”

Not a sweeter set of scripture appears in the Bible than these 4 verses. If these do not get that CHRISTIAN BLOOD pumping through our veins, then something is wrong in our lives and we need to go to JESUS and get things back right again. We need to get recharged with that power of the SPIRIT and begin to GLOW anew, because we are fizzling out. We need for the HOLY SPIRIT of GOD to rekindle the fire within us. The more GLOW with that type of fire, the more we SHOW the world that JESUS is REAL.

Paul starts this chapter out with a challenge, with a directive to those at Colossae and to anyone who reads it. He begins this chapter with the word if. Which when we read it, if we are not careful we will read right over it and keep on going, but the Greek word rendered here actually means “forasmuch as” or “since that you are”. We just got through seeing in my last 2 sermon blogs that there are 2 choices of commandments that can be followed, the COMMANDMENTS of GOD, or the commandments of men, and both of those choices are being taught and offered to us as we JOURNEY through this world on our way to eternity. WE MUST CHOOSE THE RIGHT ONE!! We also have seen that we are supposed to be dead to one of them, we have seen that we have DIED with CHRIST, and being dead with HIM we should nor allow the drawing of fleshly desires cause us to become wayward on our “SPIRITUAL JOURNEY” so the Apostle Paul is showing the Colossians and anyone else that is interested that “SINCE WE ARE DEAD TO THE WORLDLY DESIRES” that we should live “RISEN WITH CHRIST”. So!! How do we live the VICTORIOUS LIFE IN CHRIST. Well!! There is great news for us and Paul gives it to us right here. Listen please, to the 2nd verse of Chapter 3 here: “Set your affection on things above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of GOD.”  The word (Set) here means to be “very careful to place your interests in” it doesn’t come automatically but must be exercised, you don’t get a “STRONG BICEP” muscle just because you have an arm, you don’t get hand strength just because you have a hand or strong leg muscles just because GOD has given you legs. You have to “USE” them and the more you use them the stronger they get, and the more the muscles grow. It is the same way with your brain and with your spiritual power, the more you exercise the spiritual part of your brain is, by reading the “WORD OF GOD”, by using the “WORD OF GOD” in your everyday life, and by speaking the “WORD OF GOD”; by doing these the better you get at practicing it and the STRONGER it get’s. The GREEK word here (fro-nay’-oh) has the conotation with it “TO BE VERY OBEDIENT TO USE” to exercise your spiritual BRAIN every chance you get. As stubborn as most of us are, since we are Baptist, we should not have a problem to “SET OUR MIND” to something. So “SET OUR MINDS” “OUR AFFECTIONS” on things above, not on things on this earth. Sometimes we get that turned around and “OUR AFFECTIONS” are on the things that are in our worldly life instead of on our “SPIRITUAL JOURNEY” Listen, PLEASE, we are still in this world and must do some worldly “TASKS” but we have got to, we must, LIVE as CHRISTIANS as we complete those tasks down here, not the other way around.  “AFFECTIONS” are those things that we LOVE to be around, and LOVE to do, so we plan our lives around them and do the other things as we have to, not because we have “AFFECTIONS” for them but because they are the types of things that are necessary to support our families and help them be taken care of.

Are you ready? Have you been “BORN AGAIN”? HAVE you obeyed CHRIST?

The word Paul uses in the 1st verse “SEEK” means to “SEEK AFTER” or to “SEARCH FOR” to DIG around to find something. Do we remember the parables that JESUS told of the “TREASURE” and of the “PEARL” in the Gospel of Matthew? In Matthew 13:44 (KJV)JESUS said: “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.” and in Matthew 13:45,46 (KJV) “Again, the kinddom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.” Do we feel like that about our SALVATION, about our CHURCH, about our WITNESS for CHRIST? WE SHOULD!! Where is my heart today? Where is your heart today? In the book of Matthew again our SAVIOR JESUS said in the 6th chapter and verses 19 through 21 where we should be storing all of our treasures, so let’s read: Matthew 6:19-21 (KJV) “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: and we really need to take heed to this verse 21: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” So let’s keep everything in perspective while on our SPIRITUAL JOURNEY down here and “SET” “OUR AFFECTIONS” in proper order, put them where they should be. We are physically here in this world but according to Paul here in verse 3 of Colossians, Paul says OUR LIFE, OUR SOUL, “WHO WE REALLY ARE” is hid, is stowed away, concealed, with “CHRIST IN GOD” our souls are never in danger, WE ARE!!  SECURE.   WE, after that we are “BORN AGAIN” are already with CHRIST IN GOD. The HOLY SPIRIT has come within our HEARTS and SEALED us until the DAY OF REDEMPTION, so that when CHRIST APPEARS WE WILL APPEAR  WITH HIM IN GLORY. I am going to read you two last verses to compare and confirm what Paul just said. 1 Corinthians 15:51,52 (KJV)  I know that this is very familiar with you but I am going to read it anyway. “Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”

Colossians 2:20-22 (KJV) “Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, (Touch not; taste not; handle not; Which all are to perish with the using;) after the comandments and doctrines of men?

Commandments: (en’-tal-mah) from (entellomai); an injunction, that is a religious precept, that is a commandment.

Doctrine: (did-as-kal-ee’-ah) from (didaskalos); instruction (the function or the information) :- doctrine, learning, teaching.

Man: This is the Greek word (anth’-ro-pos) or simply a human being, in comparison or contradistinction to angels or godly beings, or creatures such as animals, or even statues.

So now, what is Paul talking about here, what point is the Apostle Paul trying to make or what message is he trying to get across to these Christians at Colossae and Laodicea and also to other Christians, down through the ages, who will be reading it and learning how to walk during their Christian Journey. Just like when we are born into this world from our mother’s womb we don’t come out fully grown, physically, mentally, spiritually but as babes and must grow and learn and become an adult. So then after our 2nd birth or after we are “born again” we are essentially a “babe in CHRIST” and must learn all kinds of things to become the CHRISTIAN that GOD wants us to be. We, of course, after being born again, or “renewed” don’t want to remain “fleshly oriented” we want to be equipped and experienced in those things which will enhance our Christian appearnce to those who need to come to know Christ personally.

Where have we heard this statement before?

Isaiah 29:13 (KJV) “Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:”

Matthew 15:8,9 (KJV) “This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.”

Mark 7:7  (KJV) “Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.”

Man is flesh, so of course he more readily tries to attach himself to those things of the flesh, so after he or she is “reborn” he or she must then become retaught, retrained so that they can become reoriented in their lifestyle. We don’t have to change our vocation or our work, or our career, we just have to act “Christian Appropiate” in those areas which we live. When the world is falling apart, when the world is running to and fro not knowing what to do or where to go, we have our sights honed in on the “WORD OF GOD” and on “JESUS” and keeping our lives and thoughts centered on what we can do to help others. We don’t become involved in things and practices that we used to do before we were “changed” by our Christian experience. After the day of Pentecost when GOD’s HOLY SPIRIT, or HOLY GHOST, whichever words you prefer, descended and came within men and women to assist them in the tasks that they are given to do. The Bible records that as Peter and the other disciples began to TEACH. PREACH and LIVE differently by the new strenth that GOD placed within them, the Pharisee’s, Saducee’s, those of the Sanhedrin Council, said of them, that they could tell that they “HAD BEEN WITH JESUS”. I can remember after I was “BORN AGAIN” and then called to preach the GOSPEL of CHRIST. I got to go back to EAST POINT, Georgia, where I was raised as a young man, back to a tiny mission on Semmes Street, where I had raised havoc on that small church by yelling slanders at them and breaking their windows out with rocks, there GOD used me to proclaim the GOOD NEWS, that the POWER of GOD could change the vilest sinner into a person that he could use. I can remember after the service, my very best friend that I had when I was a teenager came up to me and said “DOUG, THAT WASN’T YOU UP THERE” I said to him, you are right JOE, that was a different person, a person that GOD had “CHANGED”. I was the lowest of preachers then and still I am the lowest of preachers now, but GOD uses that kind of person “AFTER HE CHANGES THEM”. Be a person that GOD uses after HE “CHANGES” you, don’t sit on the shelf IDLE and let your world, your community, your city, your family quietly go to hell. STAND UP STAND UP STAND UP for JESUS and proclaim the SAVING GRACE OF GOD HAS COME TO ALL THAT WILL RECEIVE HIM!!!

Do not LIVE TEACH PREACH the “…commandments and doctines of men…” but LIVE TEACH PREACH what JESUS said in John 13:34 “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another, as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.” LOVE as JESUS LOVED, LOVE as GOD the FATHER LOVED, LOVE AS the HOLY GHOST directs you to LOVE, and you will see HEART’s of the whole world MELT and become “BORN AGAIN”. We were left here to “CHANGE” the world, let us be about our FATHER’s business.

Colossians 2:20-23 (KJV) “Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, (Touch not; taste not; handle not; Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men? Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh.”

Such a PROFOUND statement “…if ye be dead with CHRIST…” Oh, that all “born again” people would be “DEAD WITH CHRIST FROM THE RUDIMENTS OF THE WORLD”. So!! What does that statement mean? I think that when we see the first word in verse 20 of our text it sets the meaning of the rest of chapter.

Wherefore: In the Greek language this word “wherefore” is an adverb used as a conjunction. It connects the statements following it to the previous subject or subjects, or to be more directly, in this verse, it is to explain about the “BODY OF CHRIST” and our duties and reasons, and why we are not in heaven, but why we “THE BODY OF CHRIST” have been left here on earth. It explains why and what we should be doing here on earth, and why we were left behind as witnesses of JESUS THE CHRIST. It explains why the MYSTERY, as Paul called it, was kept secret for thousands of years. If you remember the JEWISH people, the HEBREWS mostly believed that when the CHRIST came, that HE would at that time set up HIS KINGDOM with power and force. But, that belief was not entirely correct, or understood correctly. CHRIST came to establish a people that would include, JEWS and GENTILES together as the CHURCH, the BRIDE of CHRIST, and they were to PREACH and TEACH the GOSPEL so all would have the opportunity to become part of that LIVING ORGANISM, THAT LIVING CHURCH, THAT WOULD PORTRAY to all of the WORLD, WHO CHRIST WAS, and WHAT HE WAS ALL ABOUT. That ONLY THROUGH HIM could SALVATION be obtained, as GOD’s WORD records in the sermon that Peter brought to those people in the TEMPLE on the days after PENTACOST when he healed a known cripple as he went into the temple at JERUSALEM, in the book of Acts, so please look with me in the book of Acts, in the 4th chapter, to that account:

 Acts 4:10-13 (KJV) “Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.” 

So what does it mean to be as the Apostle Paul said: “…if ye be dead with CHRIST…”

The Greek word that is translated to die or to be dead in the present tense is θνήσκω, and means probably exactly what you think it means, to be dead in a present sense! The word Paul used here is a compound word where the Greek word “APO” which renders the original word more vivid and intense, which changes the meaning to, you are to surely be quite dead! Which mens no longer living, or living in, when it is added to “NAY-SKO” the common Greek word that is used for “being dead to”. So the actual meaning of this compound Greek word means “since you or dead to the things of “life” then you no longer have feelings for those particular life styles because your senses have been deadened to them. Then the two Greek words used together intensifies the normal word for dead and magnifies it, so to stress, that you litereally can’t live in those thing any more since you are dead to them.

Now then listen to what Paul says that you are dead to, or to what your senses have been deadened to, so that power of those things no longer have an allure to you or draws you to them. The “RUDIMENTS OF THE WORLD” which means the fundamental, principle, basics of our senses of the FLESH. Paul then describes what he is talking about so that it is clear to his readers what he is meaning. Listen to what he says in verse 21 to help them and us to understand his point of being “DEAD WITH CHRIST” Paul uses the word IF to get them and us to begin to search our hearts so that we can really know if we have “DIED WITH CHRIST”. So he says these things:

1: Touch not: The Greek word here (touch); properly means to attach oneself to, that is, to touch (in all kinds of implied relations) it is a primary verb; properly to fasten yourself to, or (especially) to set on fire or to kindle, to light up, and to apply one’s self to,  so in the sense of to eat or devour or consume. To completely mesh yourself with.

2: Handle not: The Greek word that is used here by Paul and is translated as HANDLE is a prolonged form of an obsolete word that means (to finger); to manipulate, that is to have to do with; by implication to injure or to handle to the point of roughly examining an object. To take it into your hands and manipulate it to help you decide if you really like it or not, or to determine what the object really may be.

3: Taste not: The first Greek word here (TASTE) is a primary verb; to taste; by implication to eat; figuratively to experience (good or bad) that is to eat, or to taste; and of course metaphorically, it means to experience, to partake of, or to live in. The second Greek word that is used here and the preceding two statements is the word (NOT), and as an “adverb” here, it modifies and describes the verbs TOUCH, HANDLE and  TASTE and is an absolute NEGATION or DENIAL. Not just a suggestion, but shows the degree of how we are to TASTE, to TOUCH or to HANDLE, which is “NEVER”, flatly meaning to NEVER TOUCH, NEVER HANDLE, NEVER TASTE. When you really get down to the NITTY GRITTY of it, it makes sense, because before we were saved we did these things and already know the results of the EXAMINATIONS that Paul is talking about.  So in contradistinction to these commands that Paul gives; David the psalmist gives us the ALTERNATIVE examinations and tells us what we should be doing. Please read along with me;

Psalms 34:8 (KJV) “O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.” Leave it up to the Psalmist to say it so eloquently, with meaning of continuely tasting at all times. I hope the CHURCH, the BODY OF CHRIST, never loses their taste for the LORD. We need to whet our appetites for the LORD everyday by reading HIS WORD, by praising HIS name, by worshipping HIM every day of our lives.

Let us now look at this next word, I realize that the (KJV) seperates it into two words but it is actually a compound word “Will Worship”: Now this word is a self-devised, external form of ceremonial service, a mode of ceremonial worship chosen for one’s self, this compound Greek word is used only once in the whole Bible. and it is made up of the Greek words (thelo) and (threskeia) which mean voluntary or (arbitrary and unwarranted) piety, that is sanctimony or a little more familiar word that we might recognize is “SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS. A type of “worship based on a random choice or personal whim, rather than on any reason or on any system. Here, the Apostle Paul warns Christians not to be fooled or beguiled, we have seen that word before in this chapter of Colossians, haven’t we, means by the deceptive arguments of MEN or WOMEN. Usually these types of arguments are very pleasing to the flesly side of our life as we JOURNEY along down here on earth. But, most of the time these types of things sound true enough, but are NOT, and are only ploys of the devil. They argue for such things as LEGALISM, VISIONS, SELF-DENIAL, and other types of outward displays and actions that look good to others that are WATCHING but are not WORSHIP that is directed towards pleasing the Father but are more arbitrary so that others will think that we are religeous or in the spirit. Now, let me be quick to EXPLAIN that Paul is not talking about involuntary praises like amens, thank you JESUS, and other bursts of praises to GOD that are led by the SPIRIT OF GOD. But, voluntary utterences that magnify the person and are really saying “LOOK AT ME” and not an involuntary “knee jerk” caused by the movement of the “SPIRIT OF GOD” as we WORSHIP. These voluntary outbursts are similiar to what the Pharisees did as they sometimes would grimace and make faces and other actions to be seen as PIOUS in the sight of men, to make them seem religeous or spiritual in other’s eyes and minds. Read with me or listen attentively to Matthew 6:16-18 (KJV) where I SAVIOR JESUS says: “Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.” I want to be very careful here because I would never want to say or imply that you, I or anyone else should “quench the spirit”. The Apostle Paul in his letter to those Christians at Thessalonica gave these practical precepts for them while they were on their JOURNEY and we can use these encouraging words while on our JOURNEY:

1 Thessalonians 5:16-22 (KJV) “Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Quench not the Spirit. Despise not prophesyings. Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil.” 

So let us Christians, who are the “BODY OF CHRIST”, be “DEAD IN CHRIST” and not just say we are “DEAD IN CHRIST” but die daily to the allure of fleshly tendancies while on our JOURNEY here on earth, let us be truly “IN THE WORLD” “BUT NOT OF THE WORLD” if we are not, how in the world will the unsaved come to know to follow us to the SAVIOR, to JESUS OF NAZARETH? I will put this sermon on our Facebook page. This Wednesday’s sermon blog will be along this same line, and next Sunday’s  sermon will be instructing us how to be RISEN WITH CHRIST since we are indeed “DEAD IN CHRIST”.

Colossians 2:19  (KJV) “And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of GOD.”

I remember back when I was youngster and we would be making a trip somewhere, either up here to LaFayette to see my mother’s people, or either on a trip to Florida to see my oldest brother while he was still in the Navy, or on a trip to see my sister who was in Savannah, Georgia. During the trips I and my brother Walter were always asking the question that most young children ask when on a trip with their parents, “are we there” or “when are we going to get there” and I can remember the answer that my mom would give us everytime. She would say “we’ll be there in a little while, just “HOLD ON”. Dad would not say much till we kept on, and kept on, and kept on asking the same question “are we there yet”. Then dad would say, with that low gruff voice of his “you heard what your mama said, now mind her and just “HOLD ON” and we’ll be there soon enough, so quit squriming around back there and do what we say and “HOLD ON”. Now I don’t want you to get the idea that I am saying “HOLD ON” meaning that we are holding on to GOD, for I am not saying that at all, because, of course, we don’t hold on to GOD, but HE FIRMLY holds onto us! I am sure you are familiar with John 10:27-29  (KJV) “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.”  

I am thinking about verses of scripture such as Hebrews 10:23 (KJV) where it says “Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)” and

Hebrews 4:14 (KJV) “Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.” Jesus and the Father are not going to let go of you and no one, not even you can PLUCK you out of their HANDS, THANK YOU JESUS!!!!

Listen please, just like Peter said in his 2nd epistle in the 3rd chapter and the 9 verse: (KJV) “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.” He’ll still be holding onto us in that day, and we will still be with HIM! Please remember HE said: “…I will never leave thee nor forsake thee.” and HE meant it.

Now what Paul was saying to those Christians at Colossae was “don’t listen to any man, or any teacher that is not teaching “SOUND DOCTRINE. Are the people teaching you, “HOLDING FAST” to the things that Paul taught. Remember what Paul taught to Timothy and Titus.

 As an example let’s look at Titus 2:1-15 (KJV) “But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine: That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience. The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed. Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded. In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works; in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity, Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you. Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters, and to please them well in all things; not answering again; Not purloining, but shewing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things. For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.”

So I would like to reiterate what I said a little while ago and in other sermons, let’s stay knitted together as the BODY of CHRIST and  let our part of the BODY be busy about our HEAVENLY FATHER’S business that supplies our SPIRITUAL strength and efforts so that the progression of CHRIST’S KINDOM will continue on and so that those that are lost and doomed for a devil’s HELL will SEE our LOVE, will FEEL our LOVE and will HEAR our LOVE and come to know JESUS of NAZARETH as their PERSONAL SAVIOR and be “BORN AGAIN”.

“GOD LOVES US WITH AN EVERLASTING LOVE”

Collosians 2:18-19 (KJV) “Let no man BEGUILE you of your REWARD in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, And not holding the HEAD, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of GOD.”

I recently spoke and wrote on “THE BEGUILEMENT OF THE CHURCH” so now since Paul has brought it up again, I will attempt to say more about the “THE BEGUILEMENT OF THE CHURCH” and how Satan wants you to lose your reward and why. He is still, after all of these years, trying to make a liar out of GOD and trying to get humans to obey him instead of being obedient to GOD. If you’ll remember, satan had declared that he wanted to take over GOD’s throne, in other words he wanted to be GOD. That’s why he was cast out of heaven.

In 1 Corinthians 3:14 (KJV) Paul is writing to those Christians at Corinth about the TRIAL that all Christians will go through and he says “If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward” I am very sure that you and I are not working to obtain these  REWARDS but are working for CHRIST because we LOVE HIM and HIS CHURCH, but never-the-less REWARDS are stored up in HEAVEN for us because of that work. Of course Satan can not stand to see anyone HAPPY or to receive any REWARDS for the work that they do for CHRIST’S KINGDOM, so he does his best to cause us to do and think FLESHLY THINGS so we will lose some of those rewards in hopes that that loss, will make us angry with GOD and cause us not to continue to serve HIM as we should. So, satan use men, and a lot times those that he uses are our FRIENDS and FAMILY, to discourage us and cause us to walk away from our service to GOD. Now, let me say this, very quickly, that these FRIENDS and FAMILY, are not doing these things on purpose to hurt us but are fooled or BEGULIED by satan so that the “SPREADING of the GOSPEL” will be impeded and so that lost souls will not come to believe in CHRIST or will not become BORN AGAIN, and also to cause unsuspecting CHRISTIANS to actually be found “FIGHTING” against GOD and HIS PURPOSE. Now let us look at this first statement: “voluntary humility and worshipping of angels”:

This phrase really means to, of your own free will, will bow down and worship angels instead of God the Father, Jesus, in other words, God in all of his entirety, ALL that HE is. There is nothing wrong with angels or believing that they are real, because they are real, VERY REAL, and are among us here on earth, they exist in this world for a PURPOSE, which is, as MESSENGERS, to bring us good news of GOD’s presense among us, to bring us comfort of GOD’s WORD, comfort that GOD has placed them here and around us to sometimes protect and guide us, and I believe has assigned some to each “BORN AGAIN” person, read with me:

Matthew 18:10  (KJV)  “Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven THEIR angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.”. They show us that GOD is REAL and that they are protecting us for HIM.

We are not to worship them but know that they come from GOD and are to assure us that HE IS ALWAYS with us, to keep us safe and comforted. But as I said earlier that we are not to WORSHIP them or put them in the place in our lives that is RESERVED for GOD only. These people that are teaching that you should revere or worship ANGELS are, as Paul says in these verses, “INTRUDING INTO” areas that they have no right to be delving into. They are trying to get you to place these beings in the wrong place in your life, they are sent by GOD but are not GOD. Those that would teach these things are, as Paul says: “intruding into” things and areas that GOD has not taught or led them to, and continues on to say that they are “..vainly puffed up by (their) fleshly mind.” Paul goes on to say “..not holding the head..” And of course you and I know that we are to have the “MIND OF CHRIST” we are the BODY not the HEAD. We are to WORK–WORSHIP  and WITNESS as the HEAD of the CHURCH, which is JESUS, leads us to do.

We as the BODY of CHRIST are nothing without the HEAD. We would just be floundering around accomplishing nothing, being useless. Paul, then goes on to talk about “JOINTS AND BANDS” which are the LIGAMENTS and NERVES or all of the other sensory things that the HEAD uses to control the the arms, legs, feet, mouth, ears, eyes or all of the rest of the BODY that the mind controls. They are the things that KNIT us together and cause us to work as a TEAM, as a CHURCH, if you please. The BODY without the HEAD, without JESUS the CHRIST, could do nothing, could have no increase. Brothers and Sisters we have got to work together, through the LOVE that GOD has put within us or we will accomplish nothing for CHRIST. But if we LOVE one another as CHRIST LOVED us, we will be a powerful witness for GOD,  and a GIANT of a witness for the KINGDOM, and GOD will continue to USE US. Each individual of the BODY supplying their part to cause that increase. HANG IN THERE, Brothers and Sisters in CHRIST, keep on LOVING, keep on PRAYING, keep on WORKING, and GOD will KEEP ON USING US.

Colossians 2:16-17 (KJV) “Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.”

I just got through speaking about or writing about how that Jesus had TRIUMPHED over all principalities and powers of DARKNESS by HIS VICTORY on HIS CROSS and that since we have been SAVED or BORN ANEW by believing in that VICTORY that we also are “VICTORS” through HIS OBEDIENCE and SACRIFICE upon HIS CROSS. Paul is now going to TEACH us how that we can use that VICTORY to live our LIVES down here on earth, to accomplish the JOB, to accomplish the MISSION that HE has given us. We see the VICTORY in the lives of all of the APOSTLES, we see that their goals were the same goals that JESUS had. Most if not all of the APOSTLES of CHRIST did other things why they were here on earth, the jobs that they had everyday did not define who they were, it was just a “means to an end”. The earthly jobs that they had were to supply them with the necessary things that were needed so that they could “GO YE INTO ALL OF THE WORLD AND PREACH THE GOSPEL”. Some were fishermen, some were soldiers, some were doctors, some were business men, some were technicians, some were scholars and teachers, some were what we may call common labors, but for sure, they were all “sojurners” here and had a common goal and purpose in their lives which was to “MAGNIFY” CHRIST and WIN a lost a dying world for GOD and HIS purpose. We are in a “RACE” a race to get things accomplished before JESUS comes back to get us! In a race to prepare this WORLD for the second coming of CHRIST. We have only a little while to work, to labor for JESUS, we have only a little while to do our part of “winning” this WORLD to JESUS. We have only a little while till JESUS, who is the CHRIST, splits the Eastern sky to RAPTURE out HIS CHURCH, to CALL UP HIS BRIDE. Please allow me to say this in an attempt to paint a better picture of what Paul is saying.

My earthly dad, fought in boxing matches, in the “Cotton Mill League” and was very good at it, and of course he taught all of his children how to box and protect ourselves, even my sister Sylvia. During those lessons he taught us how to “SHADOW BOX”, now those types of lessons were taught so that when the time for the “real thing” the “real match” to happen that we would be prepared to “fight the fight”. During the real match we would not shadow box but we would have a real opponent. We would have a physical “adversay” a physical “enemy” to contend with. Well!!! We as the BODY OF CHRIST are in a real match, we are in a real war, we have a real enemy, We don’t fight a PHANTOM or an IMAGINARY opponent but REAL ENEMIES, but now I want to interject here that GOD’s HOLY WORD says this “…greater is HE that is in you than he that is the world..” So, “KNOW THIS” we have all that we need to succeed, we have all of the weapons of  “WARFARE” that we need and “WE ALREADY HAVE THE VICTORY” we are not fighting for VICTORY but TOWARDS VICTORY, that VICTORY that lies just over the next hill! The VICTORY that was gained for us through “GOD’s ONLY BEGOTTEN SON” through HIS “DEATH” “BURIAL” and “RESURRECTION”

  Now let me read you some verses of scripture that the APOSTLE PAUL has written that will help us better understand this. Please turn in your Bibles or listen attentively to this scripture where Paul is explaining why he has made himself “THE SERVANT OF ALL”.

1 Corinthians 9:22-27 (KJV) “…To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. A and this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you. Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, nat as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air (OR SHADOW BOX): But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway…”(WORTHLESS, OR ONE THAT IS NOT USABLE) Surely we don’t want to become “UNUSABLE” someone that GOD can not use. That would be a misrable life, to want to be GOD’s HELPER but not be allowed to. Please, don’t become a “CASTAWAY”!!

Let us be “REAL CHRISTIANS” those soldiers of “HIS CROSS” that will stand the test of time. That will be there when we are needed. When JESUS comes back for us, let us be FOUND obediently performing GOD’s commands. We don’t want to be found to have to be begging GOD not to destroy the world, if HE could find a certain number of “RIGHTEOUS” people as in Genesis 18 (KJV) and Genesis 19. (KJV)

The last statement made in verse 17 is: “….the body is of Christ.” All of the things that are mentioned in verse 16 are a shadow,

1. meat= Which is physical FOOD

2. drink= Which is a liquid DRINK

3. holyday= Which is a day that is appointed as a day of feast or ceremony.

4. new moon= Which is a normal, common festival that Judaizers celebrate on every new  moon.

5. sabbath days= Which is plural and means, all of the days of the week before the actual Sabbath Say. All of the daily sacrifices, ceremonies and feasts during the week days. 

But the body  “body is of CHRIST” the word body here means “SUBSTANCE” or “REALITY in comparison with the 5 shadowy things listed above. Why fight a thing that is a shadow, the “Shadow Boxing” is for training, it is to prepare you for the actual fight or match. So Paul is saying “let no man judge you” or to “call you in question” for those ceremonial things which are just a shadow of things to come, but be sure you are about the reality of the substantial things of JESUS the CHRIST. Live in CHRIST, obey HIS commandments, do all in LOVE.

Colossians 2:13-15 (KJV) “And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; 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; And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.”

Stick with me on this one, there is so much “spiritual meat” in th ese three verses, it is hard to get through them in one session, one sermon or one lesson. So let’s begin by taking apart these three verses, by parsing and reparsing them. So that we get the message from them that GOD wants us to have, let’s empty our hearts of all of the things that happened in the past year. Let’s forget about all of the mistakes that we have made, all of the wrong turns that we have taken while on our JOURNEY through this world of sorrow and woe, and start afresh as we head out into this NEW YEAR, and use all of the time that GOD is giving us to GLORIFY HIS SON. Let’s take the opportunities that are given to us to be the “BEST BODY OF CHRIST” that we can be. Let’s receive, into our HEARTS and LIVES, all of the instructions that GOD’s HOLY GHOST presents to us this year, and let’s remove the BUSHEL BASKET that we might have put over our LIGHT, or to wipe clean the SOOT or STAIN that has collected or gathered on our “LAMPSHADE OF LIFE” so that we can shine “BRIGHTLY” every day of this coming year, so that we are continueously giving a Bright BEAM, to LIGHT the way for those people who have never TRUSTED CHRIST as their SAVIOR or for those who have abandoned even trying to be a LIGHT for the world to use, to see their way through this sin-laden world that is full of pitfalls and perilous distractions.

Let us look first at Paul’s statement at the beginning of verse 13 of our text. “And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh…” Now the Apostle Paul is not talking about the actual medical procedure that is done to males very soon after birth, but is using that procedure as a simile to bring us back, in our mind, to what we were before we chose to turn from sin and turn to JESUS for our REBIRTH. Right now I want to read to us a few verses that will remind us of what we were, and where we were in our lives, according to what Paul teaches in some of his other letters. In Romans 6:23 (KJV) “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Now you might be saying or thinking, surely he can’t be talking about me, I lived or I am living a good life, I love my family and my neighbor and do the best I can, but now listen to what Paul says in Romans 3:23 (KJV) “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;..”  For, you see Paul is talking about how, that before we were SAVED, how that we directed our lifes toward the fulfilling of our FLESHLY desires. How we were FLESHLY minded and didn’t direct the efforts of our lives to help the spiritual lives of others. We may have helped others physically, we may have given to all of the popular charities, helped feed the poor, paid our bills, didn’t drink or carouse around but, we were not within the “BODY OF CHRIST” we had never turned from sin and turned to GOD, but then “A MIRACLE” happened! Please listen to or follow along in your Bibles with what the Apostle Paul said next in verse 13 of our text, as he is continuing to talk about YOU, ME, and EVERYONE that believes. I am going to interject the first two words of the 13th verse for clarity “And you…hath he quickened together with HIM, having forgiven you all trespasses;…” When we finally see ourselves as GOD sees us in the truth of HIS word, we don’t like what we see, and we cry out to GOD, “LORD FORGIVE ME COME INTO MY HEART AND SAVE ME” then and only then does he “quicken us together with HIM” makes us alive with CHRIST, and forgives us of “ALL” of our sins and trespasses. Have we really grasped that, have we taken the meaning of it into our hearts. HE, GOD, “The Creator of the Universe” has washed us clean and placed us together with JESUS THE CHRIST. HALLELUJAH, HALLELUJAH, PRAISE BE UNTO GOD, WE WHO DESERVE, DEATH, HELL, and the GRAVE have been placed NEXT to JESUS because we cried out to GOD and HE placed us there, we couldn’t live good enough to get there, we didn’t have enough money or position to get there, because no amount of anything exists to get us there, but as Paul said in Ephesians 2:8,9 (KJV) “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of GOD: Not of works, lest anyman should boast.”

Now then, in verse 14 of chapter 2 of the book of Colossians, Paul continues to explain what GOD did to save us when we by faith believed that JESUS died for us. Paul wrote: “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;”

You see the phrase that Paul used “handwriting of ordinances” was a hand-written decree a manuscript, a legal document or bond that said or decreed that you and I are and were GUILITY. Now, by whose hand was this decree written, because that is vitally important, I have had a lot of people write or say, Doug did this, Doug did that, Doug was mean to me, Doug said this or Doug said that. But most of the time it was because they were mad at me because of something I had said or done that they didn’t like. But that report or decree meant nothing because of who wrote it or said it.  

So by whose hand was this “handwriting of ordinances” written? It was written by someone who LOVED and LOVES us with an everlasting LOVE, it was written by GOD’s hand of course, GOD wrote your name and my name on a decree or an ordinance, that was and is legal and binding. But that report is not a good thing, it is decreeing where we would go if we died before we were saved, decreeing where we will or would spend eternity. Not because we were such a bad person but because we had or have rejected the payment that was made for our salvation, that was made for our redemption, it was the propitiation for our sins even the sin that was transferred to us by EVE’S and ADAM’S disobedience to GOD. The word “BLOTTING OUT” in this verse means to obliterate, to ERASE COMPLETELY and actually wipe away as if it had never happened. You see when GOD forgives us HE puts our sin away from us as far as the EAST is from WEST to remember them no more. Not because we were innocent but because we had received or accepted the atonement offered to us. As I said just a little while ago the Bible says that the “…the wages of sin is death…” and that “…all have sinned..” so you see all of us are “GUILTY” but we are seen as “innocent” because of JESUS’ sacrifice on the cross, “HIS CROSS”, because HE “NAILED” every sin that has ever been committed or that will ever be committed to “HIS CROSS” even though HE had never sinned.

Now, I will not forget to include the 15th verse of our text. Colossians 2:15 which says “And having spoiled principalities and powers, HE made a shew of them openly, “TRIUMPHING OVER” them in it.”

The word spoiled means that HE, JESUS, rendered the powers of and principalities, the leaders and chiefs of darkness POWERLESS. When HE died and was buried and then rose again, HE triumphed all of the POWERS that were against HIM. ANGELIC, DEMONIC, and HUMAN. You see when we obey GOD, nothing can stop us nothing can win against us, when we let GOD DO IT, and stop trying to do it with our power or for our GLORY. GOD WILL GIVE US THE VICTORY just as HE gave JESUS the VICTORY! Listen please!!! There was not only a wrongful death upon the CROSS of CALVARY but because it was “HIS CROSS” there was also “VICTORY” on that BLOODY, gruesome hill of Golgotha that day. It was not murder but it was a willful sacrifice of an INNOCENT life to pay for the sins of the whole world!!!!

If you have never been saved, trust in that SACRIFICE that JESUS of NAZZARETH made for you, me, and “WHOSOEVER WILL” on “HIS CROSS” that day over 2000 years ago, you will NEVER regret it. If you have been saved but have kind of forgot it and have wandered off the narrow path, HE still loves you, HE will forgive you, HE will bring you back into the FOLD. HE like the prodigal son’s Father, is waiting and watching for you to come back home.