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