A Deeper Look Into the Blood of Christ

I. Introduction

A. Eat no blood. Lev. 7:26-27

B. The blood is the life of the gospel. Heb. 4:12

C. The life is in the blood.

1. Lev. 17:11

2. Lev. 17:14

II. The Physiology of the Blood.

A. Fluid and mobile, flowing to all parts of the body.

B. Maintains every cell.

1. Nourishment.

2. Cleansing.

3. Without blood, the cell dies.

III. The Blood of Christ.’

A. We are members (cells) of the body of Christ.

B. Our relationship to the other members and the head is the blood.

IV. We are all related by the blood. Acts 17:26

A. We all have common origin in Adam.

B. God breathed into Adam “the breath of life” Gen. 2:7

C. There is a relationship between breath and blood. Lev. 17:11

D. Adam died of “blood poisoning” Gen. 2:17

E. Man died spiritually, that is, something happened to the blood.

1. Sin affected the blood of man, and indirectly, his body.

2. Sin is transmitted to the flesh by the blood.

3. Therefore, in Adam, all have sinned. Rom. 5:12

V. The Question of the Sinless Christ. Heb. 4:15

A. Question: How could Christ be Adam’s son and yet be without sin?

B. Question: How could Christ partake of Adam’s flesh, and not partake of Adam’s sin?

C. God found a way by which Jesus could be a perfect human being, but not have a drop of Adam’s blood in his veins.

VI. The Power of the Blood

A. Hebrews 9:13-14

B. Structure of the blood.

1. Plasma (liquid)

2. Platelets

3. Erythrocytes (red blood cells or hemoglobin) Its function is to carry the oxygen and take away the garbage.

C. Jesus Christ is our supply 1 John 1:7

D. Leucocytes (white blood cells) They fight infection. Rev. 12:10-11.

VII. Sin can only be cured by an application of sinless blood.

A. Hebrews 9:17-23

B. Note: We are not made sinners in Eve, but in Adam.

1. We are transgressors according to Adam’s seed. Rom 5:14; 1 Cor 15:22. This is true even though Eve was the transgressor! 1 Tim. 2:14.

2. Jesus, however, is called the Seed of the Woman.

a. Gen. 3:15

b. Gal. 4:4

c. If sin is in the blood, then Jesus could not have Adam’s blood in him. There was only one possibility: Jesus had to be born of a woman, but not by man.

VIII. God’s Perfect Lamb

A. Blood of bulls and goats not enough. Heb. 10:1-4

B. Is the blood of Jesus still in existence?

1. 1 Peter 1:18-19

2. Acts 2:27

IX. The Virgin Birth

A. Matthew 1:18-23 (Isaiah 7:14)

B. Jesus was conceived in the womb of a virgin Jewish maiden, wholly apart from any generation by a human father.

C. Origin of the blood.

1. The mother does not supply the blood. (No intermingling)

2. The blood always comes from the father.

D. Jesus partook of the flesh, but not of the blood. Heb. 2:14.

1. Partakers: to share fully

2. Took part: taking part in something outside oneself, take part but not all.

E. Divine blood. Romans 1:3 (Mary contributed the body.)

F. Innocent Blood. Matthew 27:4

G. Incorruptible, therefore justifying blood. Romans 5:8-9.

H. Jesus Christ, in full, plenary, effacacious redemption, provided for every aspect of our salvation by shedding his blood on the cross for us.

I. Rejection of the blood is like severing the rope by which you hang suspended over the chasm of a godless eternity. Hebrews 10:26-29.

Worshipping God in the Spirit

John 4:21-24

21 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.

22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.

23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.

24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

I. What is worship?

Old Testament

1. The principal Old Testament word is shachah, “depress,” “bow down,” “prostrate” (Hithpael), as in Ex 4:31, “bowed their heads and worshipped”; so in 94 other places.

2. Other words are: caghadh, “prostrate,” occurring in Isa 44:15,17,19; 46:6, but rendered (English Versions of the Bible) “fall down.” In Dan 2:46; 3:5-7,10,15,18,28, it (Aramaic ceghidh) is “worship” (English Versions of the Bible), 7 times associated with “falling down” and 5 times with “serve.”

3. The Old Testament idea is therefore the reverential attitude of mind or body or both, combined with the more generic notions of religions adoration, obedience, service.

New Testament

The principal New Testament word (59 times) is proskuneo, “kiss (the hand or the ground) toward,” hence, often in the oriental fashion bowing prostrate upon the ground; It is to render homage to men, angels, demons, the Devil, the “beast,” idols, or to God. It is rendered 16 times to Jesus as a beneficent superior; at least 24 times to God or to Jesus as God. The root idea of bodily prostration is much less prominent than in the Old Testament. It is always translated “worship.”

Next in frequency is sebomai, “venerate,” and its various cognates, sebazomai, eusebeo, theosebes, sebasma. Its root is sebas, “fear,” but this primitive meaning is completely merged into “reverence,” “hold in awe”: “In vain do they worship me” (Matt 15:9, etc.).

latreuo, is “serve” (religiously), or “worship publicly,” “perform sacred services,” “offer gifts,” “worship God in the observance of the rites instituted for His worship.”

General Observations. It is as natural to worship as it is to live. The feeling and expression of high adoration, reverence, trust, love, loyalty, and dependence upon a higher power, human or divine, is a necessity to man. These sentiments, toward something or somebody, and whether real or imaginary, appeal to a greater or less degree to every man. And that something determines his worship. “Worship is as old as humanity. It has its root in a necessity of the human soul as native to it as the consciousness of God itself, which impels it to testify by word and act its love and gratitude to the Author of life and the Giver of all good” (Keil, Bib. Arch., p. 55).

(From The New Unger’s Bible Dictionary. Originally published by Moody Press of Chicago, Illinois. Copyright (c) 1988.)

II. What is Pentecostal worship?

Pentecostals have developed a distinctive style of worship. Noise, singing, shouting, running, leaping, praising and praying are all expressions of worship. Worship actually goes beyond this, It is an attitude of the heart first, then it is a demonstration of the body.

A. We pray aloud together.

Acts 4:24 And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is:

Luke 1:10 And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense.

B. We lift up our hands together.

Psalm 134:1-2 Behold, bless ye the LORD, all ye servants of the LORD, which by night stand in the house of the LORD. 2 Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the LORD.

C. We clap our hands.

Psalm 47:1 O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph.

D. We play instruments in church services.

Psalm 68:25 The singers went before, the players on instruments followed after; among them were the damsels playing with timbrels.

Psalm 98:5 Sing unto the LORD with the harp; with the harp, and the voice of a psalm.

Psalm 98:6 With trumpets and sound of cornet make a joyful noise before the LORD, the King.

E. We make a joyful noise to God.

Psalm 98:4 Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise.

Psalm 100:1 Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.

F. We testify out loud.

Psalm 26:6-7 I will wash mine hands in innocency: so will I compass thine altar, O LORD: 7 That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all thy wondrous works.

III. The renewal of praise and worship in the revival of the church age fits with Bible prophecy.

Acts 15:13-18 And after they had held their peace, James answered, saying, Men and brethren, hearken unto me:

14 Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name.

15 And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written,

16 After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up:

17 That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things.

18 Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world.

What is the “tabernacle of David?”

The house, or family of David? This certainly is part of the prophecy.

But there may be a further meaning of this as well.

2 Sam. 6:11-18 And the ark of the LORD continued in the house of Obededom the Gittite three months: and the LORD blessed Obededom, and all his household.

12 And it was told king David, saying, The LORD hath blessed the house of Obededom, and all that pertaineth unto him, because of the ark of God. So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obededom into the city of David with gladness.

13 And it was so, that when they that bare the ark of the LORD had gone six paces, he sacrificed oxen and fatlings.

14 And David danced before the LORD with all his might; and David was girded with a linen ephod.

15 So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet.

16 And as the ark of the LORD came into the city of David, Michal Saul’s daughter looked through a window, and saw king David leaping and dancing before the LORD; and she despised him in her heart.

17 And they brought in the ark of the LORD, and set it in his place, in the midst of the tabernacle that David had pitched for it: and David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD.

18 And as soon as David had made an end of offering burnt offerings and peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD of hosts.

IV. There is to be a dimension of New Testament praise and worship that is spiritual.

A. Spiritual singing.

Ephesians 5:19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;

B. Spiritual praying.

1 Cor. 14:14-15 For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful.

15 What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also.

Romans 8:26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

V. Yet, our demonstration of worship in the body is not necessarily worship in the Spirit.

Matthew 15:7-9 Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying,

8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.

9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

Outward manifestation must be tested by inward worship.

VI. Worship is our response to God.

A. We respond to his commission through obedience.

Luke 24:47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

Submission to God and spiritual authority is vital to discipleship!

B. We respond to his promise through our belief.

Luke 24:48-49 And ye are witnesses of these things. 49 And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.

C. We respond to his blessing through our thankfulness.

Luke 24:50 And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them.

D. We respond to his ascension through our recognition of his Deity.

Luke 24:51-53 And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven.

52 And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy:

53 And were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God. Amen.

These are truly the elements of worship!

The Bible on Soul Winning

We have heard many people talk about why we should win souls, how we can win souls and how a church should set up a soul-winning strategy. Many theories have been advanced about reaching ethnic groups, using demographics to find and target receptive segments of the population and what kinds of advertising works best. We also read about changing our types of services and making our approaches more relevant to the twenty-first century. It is true that these different ideas have all worked in different places and in different ways. It is also true that many of them have failed to work by people who have done their very best to try them sincerely.

At the end of the day, the Bible remains the most important guidebook for successful soul winning. Let us then go back to the Word of God to find out how the disciples of Jesus and the early church got their results. Such a study should be allowed to go wherever it leads without trying to manipulate or control it. Let us not try turn the Bible method into a template or a three, five or ten step plan that is “guaranteed” to work every time. The best thing we can do is find out what principles those in the Bible used to win souls that worked in every circumstance. The scriptures can teach us how to apply these principles to our lives and times, regardless of where we live.

Let’s begin with the greatest soul winner of all time, Jesus Christ. He won souls one-on-one as well as reaching the multitudes.

John 1:43-51 “The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me. ⁴⁴ Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. ⁴⁵ Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. ⁴⁶ And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see. ⁴⁷ Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile! ⁴⁸ Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee. ⁴⁹ Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel. ⁵⁰ Jesus answered and said unto him, Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou? thou shalt see greater things than these. ⁵¹ And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.”

1. Philip and Nathaniel. Jesus reached Philip by simply saying, “Follow me.” Philip then found Nathaniel and testified that he had met the Messiah. When Nathaniel questioned him, Philip invited him to “come and see.” When Nathaniel came to Jesus, the Master told him that he had already seen him under the fig tree. That statement alone was enough to convince Nathaniel to believe in Jesus.

Three principles are at work here. First, Jesus had a word of knowledge to call Philip to discipleship. There may have been some introductory conversations about the Messiah, but the telling blow was the effectiveness of Christ’s command to Philip to “follow me.” If we have a word of knowledge about someone, maybe we ought to tell them to come to church rather than to ask them.

Second, Philip whetted the appetite of Nathaniel with the intriguing thought that he had found the Messiah. He knew that Nathaniel was interested in this. “Come and see” was a natural outflow of the discussion. Philip did not play to Nathaniel’s present knowledge or fears. He promised him that he would find out the answer to a long held question. It was an invitation to learn something that he did not know but that he had a vested interest in finding out.

Last, something about his encounter with Jesus led Nathaniel to a divine revelation. It was a sovereign work of God. Philip may have anticipated this but he could not control it or make it happen. After he did his part to share his knowledge with Nathaniel, he had to believe that the result would have to be the miraculous power of God at work. There is no evidence that Philip tried to set the stage for a warm reception for Nathaniel. We are not told that Philip worried about whether or not Nathaniel would receive Christ. Evidently, he believed that the power of God at work would be sufficient to change Nathaniel’s heart without any additional help.

Furthermore, we have no reason to believe that Philip was deliberately trying to win Nathaniel. He was only sharing with him the overflow of his own soul. He was excited and his own excitement motivated his witness. Could it be that God simply wants us to be excited and passionate about him and thus create an attraction to others? Maybe we worry too much about the who, what, when, where, why and how of witnessing. Our joy of knowing Christ cannot be suppressed. Philip released his joy in the company of a friend. “From the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh.” Talk about God. The talk will have an effect on others.

2. Nicodemus. Next, we see the incident of Nicodemus coming to Jesus by night. Can we discern some divine principles at work here?

John 3:1-3 “There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: ² The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. ³ Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

First, we must accept the fact that hungry people are everywhere seeking out truth in their own way. We don’t often know who they are because they can’t or won’t identify themselves. Nicodemus was a seeker, but he was very fearful because if his meeting with Jesus was discovered, he would be in much trouble. That’s why he came at night. He also asked Jesus a religious question. He could have had a legitimate concern about who Jesus was. Or, he may have tried to cover his lack of knowledge by professing to know some religious facts himself. Jesus did not engage his surface question. Instead, he discerned the real reason why Nicodemus had come. He had a deep hunger in his life to know God and he already had a belief that Jesus was the Messiah, although the belief was not yet confirmed. Sometimes we try the debate the surface issues with people and get nowhere. We need to exercise enough discernment to realize the real need that people have and then minister to that need. Jesus did not respond to Nicodemus’ question, but Nicodemus responded to Christ’s statement. There is something so overpowering about truth that it will sweep away all the non-essentials.

Also, Jesus did not give Nicodemus a generic answer about love or belief. He specifically told him that he needed to be born again of the water and the spirit. He then went on to describe the experience of receiving the Holy Spirit. One of the reasons I love the Acts 2:38 message is that it is so particular and specific. Generalities tend to set people at ease and make them believe that they are fine. Jesus did not always tell people everything they needed to know in the first meeting, but he always gave them concrete facts and specific words that would change their lives.

3. The Woman at the Well. John 4:4-10. “And he must needs go through Samaria. ⁵ Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. ⁶ Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour. ⁷ There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink. ⁸ (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.) ⁹ Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans. ¹⁰ Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.”

This is the first instance where Jesus deliberately went to a certain place to win a soul. It became an urgent matter for him. Although Jesus had all knowledge, he is also our example. There should be times in our lives when we feel a definite leading to go to a certain place and witness to a certain individual. Notice that the woman was not there when Jesus arrived. He sat on the well and waited. This required faith. We must put ourselves in the witnessing situation first and then expect that God will cause the rest to unfold.

Jesus sat on the well which was a place that the local population had to come to get water. He did not sit in some out-of-the-way place and expect someone to come to him so he could say it was God’s will. This shows common sense. He began the conversation on common ground. “Give me to drink.” The principle he used was to build a bridge to the person we want to reach by using words or acts that they easily understand. We should not wait on a miraculous happening or an unusual incident to get started. Also, he had a real need for rest and water and he used this need as a way to open the conversation.

At the same time, Jesus went against commonly practiced protocol in order to establish a link between the woman and himself. The fact that he was a Rabbi and a Jew struck the woman as an odd occurrence because this was against custom. Two profound principles are illustrated here. Jesus was making a theological statement that the value of her soul was far more important than racial or religious barriers. Also, he knew that his encounter with her would stoke her curiosity. Thus, he created a situation that was very likely to provoke conversation. As Jesus knew she would, she immediately addressed the situation by asking him why he was going against custom.

Again, note that Jesus did not answer her question directly. Instead, he began to talk about the gift of God and of living water. Even further, he made it sound like she only had to ask him to come into contact with this living water. We know, of course, that the living water is a reference to the Holy Ghost. He did not discuss theology with her, even though she wanted to lead the discussion in that direction. He continued to talk to her about a spiritual experience. But another principle may be found here that is often passed over. Jesus focused attention upon himself. We have to make it clear that we are not just interested in haggling over scriptures and doctrines. Jesus teaches us through this incident that our greatest testimonial power is to tell people what has happened to us, what we possess in our own souls and what we have found to be true. Later, Jesus talked about the scripture, but his initial emphasis was on the dynamic power that lived and worked within him. Dry theological discussions on the Bible may stimulate the mind but they will do nothing for the soul. Christ in you, the hope of glory, is far more critical to your witness.

4. The Nobleman of Capernaum. John 4:46-53. “So Jesus came again into Cana of Galilee, where he made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman, whose son was sick at Capernaum. ⁴⁷ When he heard that Jesus was come out of Judaea into Galilee, he went unto him, and besought him that he would come down, and heal his son: for he was at the point of death. ⁴⁸ Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe. ⁴⁹ The nobleman saith unto him, Sir, come down ere my child die. ⁵⁰ Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way; thy son liveth. And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way. ⁵¹ And as he was now going down, his servants met him, and told him, saying, Thy son liveth. ⁵² Then enquired he of them the hour when he began to amend. And they said unto him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him. ⁵³ So the father knew that it was at the same hour, in the which Jesus said unto him, Thy son liveth: and himself believed, and his whole house.”

This is an instance where a man is saved because of the miraculous power of God working in his family. The principle here is that Jesus put the responsibility for believing on the nobleman himself. We often fail to witness about God’s power because we aren’t sure if we have the faith to see something happen. We should never labor under the illusion that our faith is always on trial. If the other person accepts the challenge of believing, his or her faith will be rewarded. We need to challenge the faith of the person who needs to be saved. The reason for this is that their faith in the miracle will provide them the basis to have faith in Jesus and be saved.

5. The Day of Pentecost. Acts 2:1-6. “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. ² And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. ³ And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. ⁴ And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. ⁵ And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. ⁶ Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.”

The birthday of the church was prophetic. God’s sovereign power was on display here and the disciples were the recipients of the outpouring. The greatest principle of witnessing power was given to the church at this time. Several things need to be noted here.

First, the disciples prepared for this day. Luke 24:45-53 tells us what they were told to do. Acts 1:12-14 records the history of their obedience to the Master’s command. Acts 2:1 shows us the climate of faith and expectancy that prevailed to give them the atmosphere to receive this blessing. All of these ingredients were necessary. Would God have poured out his Spirit if the disciples were not prepared? We do not know. We cannot, however, assume that He would have sent his Spirit into an unprepared church. We must believe that it was vitally important for them to keep their end of the bargain of Luke 24. The principle is to follow through with God’s commands for our personal and corporate lives.

Second, they knew the purpose of the outpouring before it happened. Acts 1:8 says that we will receive power after the Holy Ghost comes on us and we will be witnesses unto Jesus. The early church fully understood the purpose for the Holy Spirit infilling and abiding in them. They never saw it as just an experience or miracles. They recognized that it was a divine equipping of the saints to become power witnesses for the kingdom.

Last, the news of the upper room outpouring hit the streets and caused the crowd to gather. The church did not specifically stage an event that would draw people apart from the moving of the Spirit. This is not to condemn any program or plan we may have to attract people to Christ, but it is to affirm that the true attraction is supernatural. If we will do what we are told to do and simply give ourselves to prayer and worship, God will draw people to himself.

The pattern of the day of Pentecost governs the impact the church has on a corporate level. It does not mean that we should not continue to reach out to individuals as Jesus did. The Book of Acts records many instances of soul winning by individual saints.

Principles will work if we apply them to our every day lives. Soul winning is not so much a technique or a strategy as it is a lifestyle. Love for souls is everything.

Themes of Colossians – Chapter Two – Part Three

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  .

Being dead…. When you were dead.

• Sin is the state of spiritual death. Those who are in sin are dead in sin.
• The body dies when it is separated from the soul. The death of the soul consists in its separation from God.
• In nature, a dead body becomes decayed and corrupt. Sin corrupts or decays the soul.
• A dead man cannot help himself by his own power. A sinner is morally powerless, even if he has natural power, or the power of reason.
• Spiritual power only comes through divine life. Ephesians 2:11-12.
• A convicted criminal under a death penalty is called a dead man because he is under a sentence of death. Sinners are under condemned already, John 3:18.
  

Hath he quickened together with him. Quickened means made alive. When we are buried with Christ (vs. 12), we share his death. This literally means that every status, every victory, every accomplishment Jesus gained by dying on the cross has been transferred to our account. It is just as though we, ourselves, had died.

Hebrews 2:14-15 “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; ¹⁵ And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.”
Hebrews 10:10-18 “By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all . ¹¹ And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: ¹² But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God.”

So, if we share in his death, by the same token we share in his resurrection.
Ephesians 2:4-6 “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, ⁵ Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) ⁶ And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.”

The Six Victories of the Cross

1. Victory over the law.

Galatians 2:16 “ Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.” There is no benefit, as pertains to salvation, to the observance of the Mosaic law.

2. Victory over sin.

Hebrews 9:26 “ For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.”

1 Corinthians 15:56-57 “ The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. ⁵⁷ But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

The cross destroyed sin in principle. The cross showed the path to destroy sin in its practical aspect. The victory is there if we will avail ourselves of it.

Galatians 2:20 “ I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

3. Victory over death.

2 Timothy 1:10 “ But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.” What should the Christian philosophy toward death be? If we are to take God at his word, there is nothing to fear, nothing to cause sorrow when a believer departs this life. It is a time of rejoicing because the saint who leaves this life enters into the joys of the Lord.

4. Victory over the devil’s works.

1 John 3:8 “ He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.” What is the work of the devil? Deception. Accusation. Fiery darts. (Trials, temptations, irritations). None of these weapons can hurt you if you abide in Christ.

5. Victory over Satan himself.

Revelation 12:10-11 “ And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. ¹¹ And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.”

6. Victory over all enemies.

John 12:27-33 “ Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour. ²⁸ Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying , I have both glorified it , and will glorify it again. ²⁹ The people therefore, that stood by, and heard it , said that it thundered: others said, An angel spake to him. ³⁰ Jesus answered and said, This voice came not because of me, but for your sakes. ³¹ Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. ³² And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. ³³ This he said, signifying what death he should die.” All men are drawn to Christ either for grace or judgment. Christ’s death, burial and resurrection qualifies him to judge.

Isaiah 63:1-6 “ Who is this that cometh from Edom , with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save. ² Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the winefat? ³ I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment. ⁴ For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come. ⁵ And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto me; and my fury, it upheld me. ⁶ And I will tread down the people in mine anger, and make them drunk in my fury, and I will bring down their strength to the earth.”

The victory of the cross will not be complete until the Great Tribulation is over and the Battle of Armageddon has been fought and won. The shadow of the cross stretches from the beginning of creation to the end of time. With that much victory, surely there is enough victory for you today!

Blotting out the handwriting of the ordinances that was against us. The Greek has the meaning of smearing over or expunging the handwriting, so as to make it illegible as a document to be produced against us.

In general, this refers to the ten commandments. Exodus 18:20 “ And thou shalt teach them ordinances and laws, and shalt shew them the way wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do.” Leviticus 22:9 “ They shall therefore keep mine ordinance, lest they bear sin for it, and die therefore, if they profane it: I the LORD do sanctify them.”

Clearly, we must not violate these ordinances. Yet, if each of the ordinances could testify, what would they say? They would say that we have broken each one of them in some way. There is no question as to our guilt. So, Christ did not argue the point for us against his own law in order to preserve our innocence.

So, a very critical question emerges from this act of blotting out the handwriting. Does this destroy the ordinances? By going to the cross and forgiving us our sins, did Jesus impugn the law? Did he essentially say that the law no longer applied to us? The truth is that the cross reaffirms the power of the law. Jesus did not destroy the law. What did he do with it?

And took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross. The cross did not despise the law. The cross honored the law to the highest degree possible. Every broken law, every transgression, every sin was nailed to the tree. One ancient mode of canceling bonds was by striking a nail through the writing. Who was nailed to the tree? Jesus was. That means that Jesus equated himself to our sins, our broken commandments. 2 Corinthians 5:21 “ For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”

If you are struggling with guilt and shame, you need to envision this image of the cross. Instead of seeing only the flesh and blood of Jesus hanging on the cross. You need to see your sins, your shame, your faults nailed to the tree. Zacceus saw his theivery nailed to the cross. Mary Magdalene saw her prostitution nailed to the cross. Simon Peter saw his defection and backslidding nailed to the cross. Paul saw his role of accomplice to the murder of Stephen nailed to the cross. What do you see?

Either you let Jesus nail your sins to the cross or you accept the handwriting of the ordinances that were against you and face an angry God yourself.

¹⁶ 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: ¹⁷ Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ. ¹⁸ 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,

Let no man therefore judge you… We are not under the law, nor are we encouraged to observe any aspect of the ceremonial law for cultural, symbolic or enhanced meaning to our Christianity. We deal with substance, not shadows.

Let no man beguile you of your reward… This means “to declare you unworthy of the prize.” It comes from ancient athletic contests, especially races, in which any contestant who makes a wrong turn in a marathon race disqualifies himself from the reward. The reality is that all of us must take care because we are vulnerable to being deceived.

Voluntary humility in worshipping of angels… False humility. Developed Gnosticism supposed that a long row of angels stood between the material universe and the immaterial God. The most powerful angels were the furthest from the material. Many worshiped and sought to contact these angels.

¹⁹ 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.

Holding the head… We are to keep our focus on Christ. Every aspect, every strand of Christianity needs to emerge from Christ and converge upon Christ. We are always in danger of peripheral pursuits, of running after novel and intriguing ideas that lead us away from Christ.

All the body by joints and bands having nourishment and knit together… This is a way of showing the need for active participation and interaction. Every person has value in the body. Everyone has a contribution to make. Do not withdraw, isolate yourself or become hostile in any way to the church.

²⁰ 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, ²¹ (Touch not; taste not; handle not; ²² Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men? ²³ 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.

This last verse has to do with legalism or asceticism. Ascetics think they will sanctify their soul by disciplining the body. Paul attacks this heresy. Observing days and adhering to religious diets have no sanctifying value. Fleshly discipline cannot sanctify a person. While we do discipline ourselves because we respect our bodies and minds, we do not discipline ourselves into salvation.

We are not saved through our own righteousness, but salvation through the cross of Christ leads us to a holier lifestyle. The bottom line is that we have a wonderful Savior whom we love and want to please.

Themes of Colossians Chapter Two – Part Two

⁹ For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. ¹⁰ And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:

Dwelleth: Inhabit, live in, reside. [-eth: continues to dwell, not temporary or finite] Divine powers and influences are said to dwell in one’s soul, i.e., to pervade, prompt, govern it. To dwell implies having the authority to decide how to manage, administrate and furnish the dwelling place.

The relationship between the Father and the Son, or between the flesh and the Spirit, is indivisible in its essence. God does not simply use Jesus as an ancillary or auxiliary device to orchestrate the redemption of mankind. To show this, Jesus uses this same word “dwelleth” in John 14:8-11. “Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. ⁹ Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then , Shew us the Father? ¹⁰ Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. ¹¹ Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake.”

This relationship is not limited to agreement, contract or acting in unison. It was the evidence of the claim of Christ to be the Father himself. John 10:38; Revelation 21:6-7.

Fulness: Greek= Pleroma. Contents, what fills something up, completeness, total quantity. The pleroma was a description of God’s completeness and meant that he was totally without lacking or wanting of any divine attribute. This is very significant in the understanding of Jesus Christ. Jesus left the pleroma in order to accomplish salvation for us. Philippians 2:5-8 says, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: ⁶ Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: ⁷ But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: ⁸ And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” Jesus did not cease being God but he laid aside the pleroma so that he might enter into the world of man.

Imagine a father playing basketball with his five year old son. The father acts as though he cannot dribble or shoot and he allows his son to out maneuver him and score. The father, for the sake of encouraging his son, lays aside his skills or maturity for the pleasure of his son’s enjoyment. Through Christ, the Father made himself vulnerable to the flesh, to dishonor and death for the pleasure of saving the church. The Word became flesh. Hebrews 12:2 says, “Looking unto Jesus the author  and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. ³ For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.”

Godhead: Divine being. “It occurs only once in the NT, Col. 2:9: ἐν αὐτῷ (Christ) κατοικεῖ πᾶν τὸ πλήρωμα τῆς θεότητος σωματικῶς , Cf. 1:19f. The Εἷς θεός of the OT has attracted to Himself all divine power in the cosmos, and on the early Christian view He has given this fulness of power to Christ as the Bearer of the divine office.” (Theological dictionary of the New Testament. 1964-c1976. Vols. 5-9 edited by Gerhard Friedrich.)

Bodily: Means material, physical, real. For example, the Holy Ghost descended from heaven on Jesus in a bodily shape like a dove. (Luke 3:22). This is the doctrine of the incarnation. God chose the bodily form of the man Christ Jesus to manifest himself to the world. “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.” 1 Timothy 3:16. Jesus was not a theophany, an angel or an apparition. This body had all the physical attributes that an ordinary man has, only without sin.

1 Timothy 2:5-6 “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; ⁶ Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.”

Hebrews 4:15 “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”

The oneness of God is the foundation for all true theology. Deuteronomy 6:4, “Hear O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord.” Many supporters of the Trinitarian doctrine or of some other interpretation of the Godhead dismiss our emphasis on the oneness of God as pure semantics or wordplay. They say that, in reality, no difference exists in the differing views, and that any differences we claim are merely differences without distinction. Anything too difficult for us to know should be accepted as a great mystery and left at that. This position is wrong on several counts.

• We have no higher pursuit in life than our understanding of God.
  
• Any true Christian should want to know God.
  
• The Godhead may be known to man.
  
• Our understanding of God affects our relationship to him and his Word.
• Truth should be the most important factor in accepting doctrine.

Complete: This word refers to criticism for not performing the legalistic keeping of the Mosaic law. Those who failed to observe the Sabbaths, the washings, circumcision, eating and drinking ordinances, etc., were said to be lawbreakers. Paul makes it clear that having Christ makes us complete, regardless of the Judaeistic ceremonies.

¹¹ 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.

Circumcision made without hands. This was the spiritual counterpart to the physical act of circumcision in the Old Testament, which symbolized the covenant between God and Abraham. David Bernard and others see this more in baptism, there is also a major role for repentance as a fulfillment of spiritual circumcision. D. A. Carson says,

“The circumcision done by Christ is a figurative way of referring to his crucifixion, while ‘the putting off of the body of flesh’ is best understood as describing his violent death (though some take it as a reference to putting off the Christian’s old nature). The Colossians were also circumcised in him, that is, they died with Christ in his death. In contrast to Jewish circumcision, theirs was not … done by the hands of men; it was a divine work in which God himself made the change from the old life to the new.” (Carson, D. A. (1994). New Bible commentary : 21st century edition. Rev. ed. of: The new Bible commentary.)

Repentance is a type of death to the flesh. The pattern is clear: brazen altar, laver of water, holy place; death, burial, resurrection; repentance, water baptism, Holy Ghost infilling. Repentance is also seen in the phrase “putting off the body of flesh.” The words, “put off” appear other places. (Colossians 3:8-9) and also Ephesians 4:22: “That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts.” Repentance means to kill or to make a clean break from the former self and the behaviors and practices of sin. “Putting off” comes from the Greek apekdysis which means to strip off, undress or remove.

Nothing brings confusion into one’s relationship with Christ any quicker than haphazard or insincere repentance. Incomplete repentance seeks to mix the new life with the old flesh. This will not work because the old flesh cancels out the effectiveness of the new influence in a person’s life. There is an initial repentance in coming to Christ and being born again. There is an ongoing repentance in a daily confession and forsaking sin. Paul said, “I die daily.”

Buried with him in baptism. Baptism answers to the burial required for dead flesh.

The ancient Egyptians sought to preserve the body instead of burying it and allowing it to return to dust.

“The ancient Egyptians had an elaborate set of burial customs that they believed were necessary to ensure their immortality after death. These rituals and protocols included mummification, casting of magic spells, and burial with specific grave goods thought to be needed in the afterlife.^[1][2]. The burial customs used by the ancient Egyptians evolved throughout time as old customs were discarded and new ones adopted, but several important elements of the process persisted. Although specific details changed over time, the preparation of the body, the magic rituals involved, and the grave goods provided were all essential parts of a proper Egyptian funeral.” Wikipedia.

Our burial with Christ signifies many things. One of them is that we die to our own flesh, but we are not buried by ourselves. That would mean eternal death. We are buried with Christ. Christ is our only connection to eternal life. When we mummify our flesh instead of burying it, we try to preserve our body and force our way into eternal life without Christ. Natural burial in the ground means complete immersion in earth for the purpose of returning the body back to earth. We call this process decomposition. Baptism means complete immersion in water for the purpose of abandoning (decomposing) the flesh and joining our souls to Christ.

Baptism also signifies circumcision in that it is a change of identity for an individual. He receives a new name and is accepted into the family. This emphasizes the importance of baptism in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Acts 2:38. Also, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” Acts 4:12.

The act of baptism is to be physically administered in water, by immersion, with the candidate having the name of Jesus verbally called over him. “And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.” Acts 22:16. Our scriptural examples speak numerous times of water and immersion as the way to carry out the command of baptism. (Acts 8:36; 10:44-48). Water, as used in baptism, explains the teaching of Jesus in John 3:3-8. The new birth consisted of birth of water and birth of Spirit. The birth of water occurs in water baptism, not in the natural birth process as proposed by some commentators. Common sense says that you cannot command a person to be born naturally as Jesus did to Nicodemus. Water and Spirit refer to baptism and the infilling of the Holy Ghost.

Ye are risen with Him. Even as Christ rose from the dead, we rise from the burial of our flesh through the baptism of the Spirit. This speaks to the necessity of the baptism of the Holy Ghost.

Does the infilling of the Holy Ghost require any evidence on the part of the believer? Absolutely. It is a spiritual experience. When a baby emerges from the womb of his mother, we listen for an audible cry that signifies life. David Bernard says, “New spiritual life does not come automatically at the ceremony of baptism; it comes through faith, specifically through faith in the working of God. “The faith of the operation of God” here means “faith in the operation of God” according to Greek grammar, and “the operation of God” implies the work of the Holy Spirit. Someone may be truly baptized in water and yet not be filled with the Spirit (Acts 8:15-16). At most, then, we should understand “wherein” to indicate that baptism symbolizes new life in the Spirit. When someone is baptized, his sins are washed away, and as he rises out of the water he opens his heart to receive the Spirit. The act of rising thus symbolizes his entrance into new life, but he must actually receive the Spirit in order to truly experience the new life.”

The normal New Testament evidence for the Spirit baptism is speaking in tongues. Acts 2:1-4 provides the primary scriptural basis for this doctrine, but it is reinforced in other places as well. (Acts 10:44-48; Acts 19:1-7). Acts 10:46 specifically says that tongues provides the evidence of the Spirit baptism.

Who hath raised him from the dead. The baptism of the Holy Ghost is our personal assurance of the resurrection of Christ from the dead. Those who have received this experience do not need to rely on the word of others, on hope, on guesswork or on argumentation. The gift of the Holy Ghost is also to be seen as the earnest deposit or the “down payment” on the future rapture of the church. “In whom ye also trusted , after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, ¹⁴ Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.” Ephesians 1:13-14.

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NT New Testament.

OT Old Testament.

^d in it: or, in himself

^e in meat…: or, for eating and drinking

^f beguile…: or, judge against you

^g rudiments: or, elements

^h neglecting: or, punishing, or, not sparing

^[1] The Holy Bible : King James Version. 1995 (electronic ed. of the 1769 edition of the 1611 Authorized Version.) (Col 2). Bellingham WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.