The Cross of Christ is a Victory

Well, good morning, everyone.

Again, it's a wonderful privilege to be here

and to open the Word of God to you this morning.

I'd like to, if you have your Bibles still in hand,

I would like to invite you to turn to Colossians 2, 13-15.

We just read it.

I'd like us just to refresh and read it again.

Colossians 2, 13-15.

And you who are dead in your trespasses

and the uncircumcision of your flesh,

God made to live together with him,

having forgiven us all our trespasses

by counseling the record of debt that stood against us,

that stood against us with its legal demands.

This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.

He disarmed the rulers and authorities

and put them to open shame

by triumphing over them in him.

Let's pray.

Our dear, gracious and heavenly Father,

we gather together this morning

in your presence with hearts of thanksgiving

and gratitude for what you have done

for us on the cross.

We pray, Lord, that you would soften our hearts,

that you would open our ears,

enable us by your Spirit to receive your Word this morning.

We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ,

our Savior.

Amen.

Well, preparing this message,

I was reminded of how nothing compares

to the thrill and joy

of having a personal relationship

with God through Jesus.

I was reminded of how nothing is more important

than cultivating that relationship with Him.

And to fully appreciate

that nothing in this life is more important

than knowing Christ

and building that relationship with Him,

as forgetful people,

we need to be reminded

of how this relationship was made possible

in the first place.

We need to be constantly reminded

about what the cross of Christ has accomplished

and how it applies to our daily living.

In this sermon series,

we've been looking at what the cross of Christ

has accomplished

and what it means for you and I.

And this morning,

we're going to look to God's Word

and see how the cross of Christ

is a victory

and how this applies,

what are the implications

of this victory in our life.

This brings us to our text

in Colossians 2, 13 to 15,

where Paul speaks,

and here's the main idea,

the big idea,

of how the cross of Christ

opens the way to forgiveness

and defeats demonic powers.

How the cross of Christ

opened the way to forgiveness

and defeats demonic powers.

Before we get into our text,

let me provide you

with a brief background

to Colossians 2, 13 to 15.

Imprisoned in Rome,

Paul writes his letter

primarily in response

to a report of false teaching

that had crept into the Colossian church.

One commentator notes

how this likely revolved

around a false teacher

who claimed to have

some special revelation

into the spiritual realm,

who insisted on the worship of angels,

among other things.

Paul gives us a little insight

into this in verse,

if you look at verse 18,

he writes,

let no one disqualify you,

insisting on asceticism,

which is rigorous self-denial,

and worship of angels,

going on in detail about visions,

puffed up without reason

by his sensuous mind.

Now, ultimately,

this false teaching

served to diminish,

to devalue

the sufficiency of Christ

and the new identity

we have

when we put our trust in him.

Now, Paul wastes no time

reminding the Colossians

that Jesus is enough.

We are complete in him,

and only in him

can we experience

life in its fullness.

As Lord of all creation,

Lord of redemption,

and triumphant victor

over sin and Satan,

Christ alone

is to be the highest object

of our faith.

Christ alone

is to be the highest object

of our affection.

As the image of the invisible God,

Jesus is sufficient

in all things.

And with Christ being sufficient

in all things,

we come to Colossians 2.13,

where Paul speaks of

how the cross of Christ

opens the way to forgiveness.

How the cross of Christ

opens the way to forgiveness.

He writes,

Paul says,

And you who are dead

in your trespasses

and the uncircumcision

of your flesh,

God made alive

together with him,

having forgiven us

all our trespasses.

Paul says

that we were dead

in our trespasses

and the uncircumcision

of our flesh.

In the Old Testament,

circumcision

was a Jewish sign

of God's covenant

with his people.

By saying

that we were uncircumcised

in the flesh,

Paul means

that we were outside

of God's covenant care.

We were spiritually dead

in our trespasses,

echoed

in Ephesians 2.

And when a person dies,

they're physically

unreceptive.

unreceptive.

When we were living

and studying

in Massachusetts

and members

of a local church,

I was once asked

by the lead pastor

to visit him,

to visit a Christian man

who was dying of cancer.

And in that hospital room

in Mass General,

downtown Boston,

I remember speaking with him

and praying with him.

He was talkative

and receptive,

though in considerable pain.

And just like that,

a few days later,

he went to be

with the Lord.

At the funeral,

after the funeral,

at the wake,

I remember looking

into that casket

and seeing the same person

completely unresponsive

and unreceptive.

It just didn't seem right.

It felt wrong.

It seemed wrong.

The difference

from life

to death

was like night

and day.

And I think

it's a terrible thing

to see,

especially

for grieving family

and loved ones.

Now,

Paul is saying

that prior

to conversion,

we were spiritually

unreceptive

to God.

So just like

we were unreceptive

physically,

prior to conversion,

we were spiritually

unreceptive

to God.

We had no realization

that we needed

God's forgiveness.

No desire

or responsiveness

to know him,

to follow him,

and to walk with him.

Being dead

in our trespasses,

we violated

God's commands

as evidenced

in our sin

and trespasses.

We offended him

in thought

and word

and deed.

We were spiritually

dead.

We were dead,

sorry,

19th century

Anglican missionary

to Japan,

Barclay Buxton,

once said

that apart from God,

we were like

the dead log

floating downstream

with the flow

of this world,

our flesh,

and the devil.

We were dead

in our trespasses

and the uncircumcision

of our flesh

until,

until a miracle

happens

in our life.

Until a miracle

happens

when God

makes us alive

together

with him.

only the triune

God

can bring us

from death

to life.

And when God

makes us alive

together with him,

we become

spiritually alive

and sensitive.

We can enjoy

fellowship with God

and relationship

with him

who is creator

and sustainer

of everything

and everyone.

Shortly after

I received Christ,

I remember

going for long

walks

and marveling

that I had

access to God,

that I could

pray to him,

that I can be

in relationship

with him.

It was truly

like being born

again

with a newness

of life,

a new awareness

of his presence

and sensitivity

to the things

of God.

When God

makes us alive

together with Christ,

we truly love him.

and walk

with him

and seek him.

Our hearts

are set

on knowing him

and making him

known

by pointing

others to Jesus.

When God

makes us alive

together with him,

our worldview

begins to change.

We begin to see

things differently.

We begin to see

things as God

sees them,

as revealed

in his word.

When God

makes us alive

together with him,

we become

conscious

of our daily

need

of God.

We can't bear

the thought

of life

without him.

We recognize

that apart

from Christ,

we can do

nothing

when it comes

to bearing fruit.

We become

aware of his

sovereignty

and how our

days are in

his hands.

We become

aware of God's

greatness

and our

smallness.

Jesus becomes

our only hope,

our everything.

God

made us alive

together

with him.

How did he do

this?

How did he do

this, you ask?

He did this

by graciously

forgiving us

of all our

sins

at the cross.

Again,

verse 13

and 14

read,

and you

who are

dead

in your

trespasses

and the

uncircumcision

of your

flesh,

God

made alive

together

with him,

having

forgiven

us all

our

trespasses

by

cancelling

the record

of debt

that stood

against us

with its

legal demands.

This

he set

aside,

nailing it

to the

cross.

New

Testament

scholar

Clinton

Arnold

notes

how in

the

ancient

world

the record

of debt

was a

written

note

of

indebtedness.

Roman

authorities

would take

this note

and fasten

it to the

cross,

declaring the

crime for

which the

criminal was

being executed

for.

Here in

verse 13,

Paul illustrates

our

indebtedness

to God

because of

our sin.

A debt

so enormous

it could

never be

paid off.

But God,

who is

rich in

mercy and

love,

graciously

forgives us

by taking

our note

of indebtedness,

our debt

of sin

that we

could never

pay off

and nails

it to the

cross.

At the

cross,

Jesus took

our punishment,

our sin,

and he

paid our

debt,

literally

taking it

out of

the way.

This is

why we

sing those

wonderful

words,

Jesus

paid it

all,

all to

him I

owe.

Sin

had left

the crimson

stain,

he washed

it white

as snow.

Alive

together with

him,

forgiven

of all

our

trespasses,

we are

no longer

like that

dead

log

floating

downstream.

In

Christ,

we are

more like

the fish

swimming

upstream

against

the world,

our flesh,

and the

demonic

forces that

work against

us.

Dear

friends,

do you

know

the freedom

of having

all your

sins forgiven?

It is

like a

freedom

like no

other.

To be

forgiven by

God is

like being

released from

a lifelong

prison sentence

where the

chains of

sin are

broken.

The cross

of Christ

is God's

emancipation

proclamation

to you

and to

I.

And even

after being

liberated from

sin,

as you all

know,

we still

have a

sin nature.

In

Christ,

however,

we are

no longer

ruled

by sin.

If you

can imagine

sin like

handcuffs,

those handcuffs

are broken.

At the

cross,

Jesus put

to death

sin's grip

on our

life.

In other

words,

we don't

have to

go down

that road

that we

know we

shouldn't

go down.

We don't

have to

open that

door that

we know

we shouldn't

open.

By virtue

of our

union with

Christ and

the power

of the

Holy Spirit,

we can

turn in the

opposite

direction and

keep that

door closed.

In Christ,

we don't

have to

yield to

temptation.

We don't

have to

succumb to

sin's

seduction.

And if

we do

sin,

we have

an advocate

with the

Father,

Jesus

Christ.

When we

confess our

sins,

God is

what?

He's

faithful and

just to

forgive us

our sins

and cleanse

us from

all unrighteousness.

Charles

Wesley

described the

freedom of

God's

forgiveness in

one of the

great hymns

where he

wrote,

Long my

imprisoned

spirit lay,

fast bound

in sin and

nature's

night,

thine eye

diffused a

quickening

ray.

I woke

the dungeon

flamed with

light.

My chains

fell off,

my heart

was free,

I rose,

went forth

and followed

thee.

Who is

like the

Lord our

God?

If you

don't know

Jesus,

then come

to him

as you

are.

consider

him who

came from

heaven to

earth to

suffer and

to die

for you,

the God

of the

universe,

the God

of our

salvation.

He came

to purchase

salvation for

you.

Come to

him who

stands ready

to receive

you with

open arms

if you

don't know

him and

forgive you

when you

turn to

him in

true repentance

and faith.

only Jesus

can satisfy

the deep

spiritual

longings

of our

heart.

If you

know Jesus,

which many

of you here

know him,

one way to

respond to

God's

forgiveness

is with a

heart of

thankfulness

and praise.

As our

prayer book

reads,

thank God

for the

great

benefits

you have

received

at his

hands.

forgiveness

if you

need to

write it

in your

smartphone

or on a

sticky note

where you

can see

it until

you no

longer need

those

reminders.

Thank

God for

what he

has done.

And as

you thank

God,

as you

thank him,

never lose

sight of

what forgiveness

of sins

cost Jesus.

forgiveness.

Another way

to respond

to God's

forgiveness

is to

forgive

as you

have been

forgiven.

If you

look over

to Colossians

3.13,

Paul tells

us,

as the

Lord has

forgiven

you,

so you

also must

forgive.

And as

we bear

with one

another's

many faults,

God has

called us

to forgiveness,

to forgive

others as

we have

been

forgiven.

Perhaps

there's

someone that

you know

that you

need to

forgive.

The cross

of Christ

opens the

way to

forgiveness.

I was

recently

reminded by

my former

New Testament

professor that

the victory

of the cross

was not

restricted to

our personal

individual sins

as important

as that

is.

The

victory

of the

cross

looked to

undo and

remake the

world in

its entirety.

And this

brings me to

my second

point where

the cross

of Christ

defeats

demonic

powers.

The cross

of Christ

defeats

demonic

powers.

Verse 15

says,

he,

speaking of

Jesus,

disarmed

the rulers

and authorities

and put

them to

open shame

by triumphing

over them

in him.

Many

scholars agree

that the

rulers and

authorities

likely refers

to demonic

rulers and

authorities.

The cross

of Christ

is a

decisive

defeat

of demonic

powers

whereby

Jesus put

them to

open shame

by triumphing

over them.

Paul's

imagery of

Jesus'

defeat of

demonic

powers was

written in

the context

of ancient

Rome.

Now at

some point

in Paul's

travels in

Rome, he

would have

likely witnessed

a Roman

military

procession

where there

was a lavish

parade to

celebrate great

victories.

In this

procession,

the defeated

king, with

all his

leaders and

spoils of

war, were

paraded through

the streets

of Rome, a

public spectacle

for all to

see.

In a much

greater and

more powerful

image, this

is what we

see at the

cross of

Christ.

On the

cross, Jesus

defeated demonic

powers and

put them to

open shame.

Jesus defeated

or stripped the

demonic forces,

of their

power to

accuse us

before God.

In 1

Corinthians 2

68, we

learn Satan's

plot to

thwart God's

plan of

salvation was

turned on

its head.

And though

the demonic

forces were

defeated, they

were not

totally destroyed.

Their time of

destruction will

come.

will be

done.

And until

that appointed

time, demons

continue to

exist and to

deceive and

incite evil.

And until, dear

friends, we go

home to Jesus, we

are all engaged in

a spiritual battle.

So we need to

be sober-minded and

watchful because

our adversary, the

devil, prowls around

like a roaring

lion, seeking whom

or someone to

devour.

Though not totally

destroyed, the

devil is a

defeated enemy.

Christians don't

need to be

fearful of the

devil.

Jesus has not

left us as

orphans to

fend on our

own, but has

given us the

power to

stand against

the schemes of

the devil.

And we stand

against demonic

forces by

submitting ourselves

to God daily.

We stand

against demonic

forces by

standing firm

in the faith

that was once

for all delivered

to the saints.

We stand

firm in our

faith by

leaning on

God's word.

God's word.

The accuser

can accuse you

no longer.

He can accuse

you no longer

in Christ.

Romans 8

Romans 8:1

verses 1

says,

therefore,

there is no

condemnation

for those

who are in

Christ.

And if he

does accuse

you with

lying

whispers,

believers,

then, dear

friends,

lean on

God's word.

Say with

Paul,

who shall

bring a

charge against

God's

elect?

It is God

who justifies.

If he

accuses you

again,

lean on

God's word

and say

with Paul,

who is to

condemn?

Christ Jesus

is the one

who died,

more than

that,

who was

raised,

who is at

the right

hand of

God,

who indeed

is interceding

for us.

And should

the devil

accuse you

again,

hold fast

to God's

word and

say with

confidence,

who shall

separate us

from the

love of

Christ?

Shall

tribulation

or distress

or persecution

or famine

or nakedness

or danger

or sword?

No,

says Paul.

No,

says Paul

in Romans

8,

33 to

39,

for in

all these

things we

are more

than conquerors

through him

who loved

us.

For I

am sure,

I am

certain,

that neither

death nor

life,

nor angels,

nor rulers,

nor things

present,

nor things

to come,

nor powers,

nor height,

nor depth,

nor anything

else in

all creation

will be able

to separate

us from

the love

of God

in Christ

Jesus our

Lord.

Swiss

theologian

Karl

Barth once

was asked,

what was

the deepest

truth he

had learned

in all his

study of

theology?

To which

he replied,

Jesus

loves me,

this I

know,

for the

Bible,

tells me

so.

We need

to stand

against the

demonic

forces by

leaning on

God's

sustaining

word.

And we

can't engage

in these

spiritual battles

alone.

We need

one another

in the

body of

Christ.

And as

a church,

we can

pray for

those who

may be

going through

some intense

spiritual

battle.

And one

of the

best places

to do

this is

in a

small

group.

If you're

not part

of a

small

group,

I want

to

encourage

you to

joining

one as

they resume

in the

coming

weeks.

But my

point,

dear friends,

is this,

that we

pray for

one another

knowing and

believing that

our victory

is assured

in Christ.

We pray for

one another

knowing and

believing that

our victory

is assured

in Christ,

who is our

triumphant

victor over

sin and

the devil.

The cross

of Christ

is a

victory,

for it

opens the

way to

forgiveness

and defeats

demonic

powers.

Let's

pray.

Dear

Father,

we thank

you for

this great

victory on

the cross.

We thank

you for

your gift

of salvation.

We

pray that

you would

enable us,

Lord,

as long as

we have

breath on

this side

of heaven,

to never

cease and

never fail

to give

thanks and

praise for

what you

have done.

I pray

that you

would write

your word

as we

lean on

your word

on the

tablet of

our hearts

that we

may live

to glorify

you,

having been

gripped by

the gospel,

and honor

you in all

that we

do.

We ask

this in

the name

of your

son,

Jesus.

Amen.