Welcome to relentless truth with John Warren, the
podcast that extracts truth from a wide range
of topics
revealing who God is, who we are and
how we relate to each other. Now, here's
John with this week's powerful and practical insights.
Welcome to relentless truth. I'm John Warren. It
is good to be with you again.
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And I'm encouraged when I hear from you
if you would take the time
that would be much appreciated. If other studies
would be beneficial to you,
down the road that again you'd like to
request that I consider
talking about a particular subject or series. I
am happy
to do so. We've had several the,
wonderful
series, beautiful series on God's word.
We've also thrown in some really interesting guests.
And
we'll we'll continue to do that as as
well. And and we've had some topical episodes
where we've just talked about the economy or
our government or a current event.
And I'm sure this election season will afford
us the opportunity to do that again. Well,
today, we're we're in,
and we have arrived.
At the very beautiful,
chapter 2
of this epi.
And, you know, Paul is is walking through
the doctrine of our completeness
in Christ, that is really the theme
of this letter to the Church at.
Paul is just a few years from his
death. He obviously, wouldn't know that. And he
is in prison at Rome.
And
he he wrote some beautiful letters
during that season of his life during that
approximately
a 2 year,
period where he was under
house arrest.
Well, we've arrived at chapter 2, and I'm
just gonna jump right in
It's interesting. I I like to pe like
to
review,
but
it's hard to do here, and I'm not
sure it makes sense. You can
the, you know, the listener can always go
back and listen to the last episode for
the review. So,
Paul has been,
talking about proclaiming Christ.
He said in in verse 28 warning,
everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom and
that we may present everyone mature in Christ
for this I toil,
struggling with all his energy that he powerfully,
works in me. That is we we labor
by Christ's
in enable,
and that isn't that beautiful. He he calls
us to do it and then enables us
to do it. He... There are all kinds
of ways to say this. This this finds
its way onto to plaques and refrigerator magnets,
you know, god god equip us for what
he calls us to.
There are all kinds of iterations of that
that you've heard over the years, And it's
just true, and it's a it's not a
slogan. It's a beautiful truth. God does equip
us beautifully
to do what he would
have us to do.
And then Paul starts, I I read those
2 verses because Paul starts with 4 or
because
I want you to know how great a
struggle I have for you. And for those
at La,
and for all
who have not seen me
face to face.
This this letter has quite a different tone
than the Philip letter, the church at Philip
letter
that we studied just before this 1.
He doesn't...
Necessarily
know them,
in and in colossus. He knows hip for
us, and he... He's been visited apparently by
some people from that church.
But but he he doesn't know them, and
many of them have not have clearly
not seen him face to face
So he's been talking about how Christ works
within him.
That... That's why we said the theme is
completeness in Christ.
It's a study of christ, A study about
Jesus Christ, our lord. This this letter is.
And so he says because
least transitioning in chapter 2 because I want
you to know how great a struggle I
have for you. Notice
present tense that how great a struggle has
the idea of, how how great is is
is magnitude, the Greek word there
as as the idea of significant matt magnitude,
and that word struggle is agony or or
striving. It's it's well translated in the English
standard version. How great a struggle I have
for you
and for those at L
and for all who have not seen me
face
to face.
So he's he's letting him know. I'm I'm
with you. This is a tender moment in
the letter.
III
struggle for you, and then he says in
in verse 2.
That their hearts
may be
encouraged
that they that they might be encouraged,
being being knit together
in love that word knit together, those words
have the idea of uniting.
It's it's actually AAA medical metaphor,
being knit together
in love.
Is isn't that beautiful that their hearts may
be encouraged
being knit together in love, You know, talked
back in Philippians about this unity. Remember our
2 ladies, Y and Cent. And just just
the general issue of all of dis unity
that that surface there. And if you've if
you've been part of any
particularly Christian organization, but any organization, you know
that there's always going to be some dis
unity. I I used to think,
and I might have even prayed for this
at 1 time
that that that I I wanted to live
a life
just full of unity with no dis unity.
And my logic was Well, you know, Christian
people should all get along. And and what
I've learned is that that Unity is among,
the challenges that we all face. We don't
talk about it a lot. We don't we
don't like to be complaining and gru to
use Paul's words in back in philippians.
But
but we... And and we just don't talk
about it a lot, but we all face
this this notion of of dis unity and
Paul,
is talking to the church You know, they've
they've had some no and other false teaching,
that that really domains the...
The ministry
of of Jesus Christ,
and and the person of Christ. His deity,
even,
And, you know, they taught that all the
knowledge rests in them
interestingly. You've you've seen cults like this and
cult kind of organizations like this. If you're
not 1 of us,
you don't have any knowledge. You know, you
don't you don't have the ability to reason.
That's why you don't get it because you're
not you're not 1 of us.
But but Paul is teaching that that this
church should be knit together
in love in a gap.
To reach
all the riches of full assurance
of understanding
and the knowledge
of God's mystery,
which is Christ,
in whom are hitting all the treasures of
wisdom and knowledge. Now,
this is fascinating to me because
He is just body slamming the no.
Because they believe all knowledge knowledge was in
them, and he says so being let's go
back. Being knit together in love in verse
2, that that medical metaphor that uniting in
love,
being knit together in love. That's what we
should
strive for. And then he says, to reach
so the purpose of of of this is
to reach all the riches
a full assurance of understanding
and the knowledge
of god's mystery,
which is Christ.
How to listen to this. That that word
knowledge is Gen.
That that that is that this full understanding
of room, we talked about the word to
know and scripture. And and there... There's 1
word in in the ia is the... Is
the hebrew word often translated to know
the the Y expression
Yada yada is
is
made famous by Jerry Seinfeld and others over
the years is really yeah I know. I
know. It it... That's literally what it says.
What it means.
But in the new testament, in the Greek,
there's a word we translate idaho to English,
which is, you know, I know I know
that flower is red. I I know my
address,
barely some days. But but, you know, I
know things. And and then and then there's
Gen or No, GN0S sis.
And that that is to to to to
understand well, you know, to to to really
know.
And then a stronger form of the word
is epi,
that prefix epi,
emphasizes the word makes the word more powerful,
which is to deeply understand. Well, this word
or Gen or Epic
that it it is
the, it's sep 2 agent, the the Greek
version of the, of the,
Hebrew old testament. So the Greek
version of that,
yeah, uses this word
Gen to describe the
intimacy of the union between a man and
woman.
And and so this is
this is relational this word. This is
this is not just superficial knowledge. This is
deep understanding relational understanding. Remember, Paul,
talked in in in Romans 6 about our
being in Christ incorporated with him. He uses
the word baptism.
He is being in us and our being
in him being found in him.
And so he says the knowledge of God's
mystery
which is Christ. You say, Paul knew the,
and he knew there was a certain mystery
here
around Christ, and then he explains it in
verse 3, in whom are hidden
all the treasures
of wisdom and knowledge. Now, if you're... Yeah,
I'm just saying if you're if you're agnostic.
And you're reading this. You're ticked now, because
Paul has just stumped you in the head.
In whom are hidden all the treasures of
wisdom and knowledge, and Christ is the 1
and who are hidden all the treasures of
wisdom and knowledge. III just love this about
Paul. Paul is loving.
He's gracious in his communication, but you never
see Paul, you know, and we talked about
this last time. You never see Paul back
down. He says the next thing. He doesn't
leave it unsettled, you know, I'm I'm I'm
not gonna mention that because it'll offend people.
You know, I'm gonna hint at it, but
I'm I'm not going... No. He says,
any and he corrects them with the right
information, which is Christ,
in whom are hidden
all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
As we mature in the faith as you
mature in the faith, and I tell this
to my my students, my my 17, 18
year old students, I... Had 16 year to
18 year old students.
I I make this clear that as as
you mature,
you're you're going to realize
that Christ is everything.
The gospel of Jesus Christ,
is everything.
Scripture tells us to preach it to ourselves
to remind us of ourselves of the gospel
to live
life
in the context of the gospel.
Well, what what does that mean? That means
that I'm a sinner who's been saved by
grace by Jesus Christ.
He he came to earth was born of
a virgin,
lived a sin endless life. All these details
are important,
was tempted just like we are,
was executed on a cruel roman crossed the
harshest form of death, the kind of death
that a Roman citizen was prohibited from suffering.
It's an humiliating death.
He conquered sin and death. He took on
sin for us, conquering sin and death was
raised on the third day.
Paying the price for our sin.
And then he spent
a number of days on Earth.
We believe 40 days on earth and ascended
sits at the right hand of father making
session. For us and that salvation is is
accessed
by faith.
By simple faith by putting our trust in
our confidence in Christ.
Christ is everything.
When Paul says in whom are hidden all
the treasure wisdom and knowledge, he means it.
He's slamming diagnostics, but this is a truth
for us, and that word knowledge is in
fact Gen
there.
So he's talking about this
this knowledge, this intimate knowledge,
relational knowledge, not just...
Some sort of intellectual ascent.
Isn't that amazing? And then he says, I
say this. So so
again,
the beauty of of Paul's teaching. You you
you lays it out there for you. I
say this in order that no 1 may
d dilute you
with plausible arguments.
Now isn't that
interesting. Attorneys out there, you I happen to
know
that what the word plausible means. In a
legal sense. And the only reason I do
is I was sitting at a conference table...
Conference table selling a bank
of all things 1 day, talking to board
members,
and the investment banker used the word plausible.
He said, well, it's plausible. We're were talking
about, you know, what if we what if
we don't sell it now, What might happen
in the future. And and this was back
during a really volatile period in the economy
2012,
I believe.
And and
and and so the the attorney said, well
plausible is actually a weak
standard. It just means it could happen. It
doesn't mean it's likely to happen.
And so so let's look at these words.
I say this in order that no 1
may del dilute you.
That that that word d dilute literally means
to reason or speak beside.
It it it has the idea of faulty
logic.
So so
he he's saying, I'm I'm writing for your
own good church at.
That no 1 may may fool you with
faulty logic
with plausible
arguments. That is that word plausible is literally
a persuasive argument, a type, a type of
speech they're designed to entice others.
I don't know about you.
But when I listen to
say,
oh, I don't know. Joel Ol or somebody,
I just really
enjoy that. III...
You know,
I I know he's a a false teacher
largely.
And and there there's some other people out
there who names I just can't think of
right now who who who just...
Every word is beautiful and
and some of what they say is is
is true and they're just so encouraging.
I I know older people who who must
listen to him,
Joel, Hosting.
And and there some others that are out
there that are they're just smooth.
They they dilute people. They use faulty logic.
Their teaching is is damning,
but
It's a kind of persuasive a type of
speech designed to entice. They make it flower
and beautiful.
It's not edgy and harsh.
It... It's designed to entice. It's it's it's
kinda cool,
on the surface in in human terms.
It's it's ana. It's it's to be it's
to be
tram.
It's it's it's not worth our time. It's
it's dangerous. It's it's.
But but these arguments are enticing.
Don't ever. Please, dear brother and sister in
Christ.
Even think for a moment
that we're above falling for false teaching.
It is the wisdom and knowledge of Christ.
In whom all treasures are hidden back in
verse 3,
and we are to walk
by faith in him.
And and that's a mouthful. That that means
a lot of things that we'll talk about
as we go forward here.
So so there's... There's just beauty in this
This this is a warning.
It's a it's a warning
against the no.
It's a real punch in the mouth to
to the no, but it's an encouragement to
the church. You know, you can imagine. I
I mean, I can barely imagine paul's in
prison under house rest, and shack to a
Roman guard. And and, you know, they don't
have... They can't text their friends to see
how things are going
the in other parts of the world, like
we can do now,
but they had to write and have letters
delivered and and read, you know, replicated by
hand and red out loud. And so communication
took time, travel was on foot or by
boat, and and it was slow.
And and and so Paul, you you can
just imagine how he feels as he's trying
to protect this dear your church.
What, as as you get seasoned in the
faith, and and that that... That's a that's
a nice way to say old,
as you age,
you become wiser, and you naturally want to
protect other people.
And and 1 1 of the things I
say to students often, and I said it
at a graduation that where I got to
speak a couple years ago,
you know, parents need to understand that
But by the time, a a student is
graduating from high school. They already have all
the advice that we're going to give them.
But what we actually do is we... We
imagine that, you know, if they're going off
to college,
what that's gonna be like, and we wanna
be sure. We feel like maybe we failed
them, not that they've failed us necessarily, but
that we might have failed them and so
we we think, oh, my goodness. I gotta
pack all this knowledge.
Into them, and get... We... So we give
them our opinion again and again, and again,
if you ask them, they already know our
opinion on and everything.
And what they need to know is that
they're loved.
But there's this, you know, if you if
you want to just put on Paul's hat
for a moment and imagine
what this was like.
You can,
just think about a child going off to
college. And by the way, parents, if you're
not there yet and haven't experience that brace
yourself, that is 1 of the hardest things
you will do and parenting
for an adult teenager
or a person in their early twenties is
really difficult.
To do. But in any case, that's probably
the best example that I can think of.
And and Paul is Paul is warning them
that no 1 made to dilute them with
plausible arguments. He's he's hearing things from reliable
sources,
probably.
That that these people are are struggling. There's
false teaching in the church and he's and
he's trying to shore them up in the
faith and he says in verse 5, for
though, I am absent in the body.
Yet I am with you in spirit.
Re
to see your good order, that good order
is actually discipline
re to see your discipline, your good order,
and the firm ness
of your faith.
Your your corporate strength and stability
is the idea there. The firm
of your faith
in Christ.
So
he
I'm absent in the bottom. I'm not there
with you. I haven't I haven't even met
some of you yet. Most of you Yet,
I am with you in spirit,
re to see your good order and the
firm of your faith in Christ. If you've
worked with missionaries supported people, you don't know
communicated with other churches and works across the
country or across the globe even
you know what this means. You can we
can rejoice in Christ. If we agree on
the essentials of the faith.
And we can
rejoice with others
just like Paul says here yet. I'm with
you in Spirit re.
Practicing what he taught in philippians,
experiencing joy to see your good order, your
discipline and the firm of your faith in
Christ. He's he's he's basically corrected
And then he's saying,
though I'm not there,
I'm with you in Spirit, and I know
that you're disciplined
and that you have the...
The strength together, the corporate strength
and stability
of your faith in Christ, the faith that
you need,
He encourages by being so positive.
And and he and he doesn't lie. He
knows this about them that they're a strong
church. Then he goes on,
He pivot. Therefore, so
again, because of this,
as you received Christ, Jesus, the Lord,
so walk in him.
Well,
how how did they receive Christ Jesus the
Lord by faith.
Right?
This is this is 1 of the hardest?
Bits of teaching, I believe in in all
of scripture. Hardest in the sense that it
gets abused and misunderstood and we gravitate toward
legal ism
and and
and and you say, what in the world
are those things.
We'll talk about that in a minute. But
he but
that we we are so tempted
to become self sufficient
every day, post
salvation
post trusting in Christ. Therefore.
As you receive Christ Jesus the Lord,
so walk
in him.
I I have people who asked me, and
I've heard people ask other people in in
sort of audience question sessions.
What does it mean to walk by faith?
Does it mean to follow Christ?
Well, Paul gives it to us right here?
Therefore, as you received Christ jesus the Lord?
How did you receive him by faith.
So walk in him. Walk by faith. This
is this is present tense.
It it indicates perpetual activity, daily, constantly.
So walk
in in him.
That now there there are kinda 6 features
of of the walk that he gives us
here. And let let's look at him. So
so so first 1 is by faith as
you receive Christ jesus the lord. So so
the this wall happens by faith.
Not by sight. First not by grinding not
by waking up every day and trying harder
with a checklist. Although if you need a
checklist, that's fine. I do from time to
time.
So walk in him. So second feature of
the walk is it's a walk, not a
run.
It it it... I mean, it it a
metaphor expression, but it's... But it's... It it
there's a walk.
It indicates it present tense indicates doing it
perpetually or daily constantly.
It's So walk in him at him being
Christ.
Rooted.
Number 3,
grounded,
beyond grounded, rooted.
And built up
in him,
and
this... That's 4 built up in him. Rooted
his 3,
and then 5 is and established,
you know, Paul constantly talks about how suffering
makes us
steadfast.
Makes us grounded rooted established.
He uses this language throughout all of his
epi.
Established
in the faith
I was talking about in the faith, the
faith, the truth of Jesus Christ.
Just as you were taught
abounding
in number 6,
thanksgiving.
So this walk is by faith,
walking in him,
rooted,
built up,
established in the faith
and abounding
in Thanksgiving.
1 of the things, 1 of the barometer
indicators that I can use in my own
life
is is whether I'm
being
thankful.
Have a thankful heart or not.
If I'm living in the flesh or or
or or just ticked off because Usually, I
have a good underlying
reason or theme or at least I think
I do. And and I'm just gru and
And that that person this and this that,
in that situation is not good. And
I am not thankful.
But if I'm walking
in him as Paul describes here,
I am grateful,
which makes me gentle,
which makes me established,
rooted, built up.
And walking in him.
So
I think Thanksgiving is an important part of
this. Paul talked about that in Philippians if
you remember
I think those 2 ladies would have stopped
fighting if they turned and looked at Christ
and their own salvation and were thankful.
I think a wonderful way. Paul Paul goes
through conflict resolution in that book, and there's
an episode
titled something like that conflict resolution. You should
go back and listen if you missed it.
But but III just think Paul's a master
at at conflict resolution. He knows biblical truth.
He knows god's truth, and he knows that
a, thankful heart is not going to be
in in conflict.
And then let's go on. The new new
paragraph.
See to it that no 1 verse 8,
see to it that no 1 takes you
captive by
philosophy, by or through
philosophy.
And empty d see. So he's gonna rattle
off a few things that are
that that are ways that we're taking captive.
I think there are 5 of them here
approximately.
See to it that no 1 takes you
captive by
philosophy
and empty
d.
So he's... Again, he's he's talking about the
no and the aesthetics and others
who who are trying to take you captive.
He's He's back to visiting that same topic
that he visited in chip and verse 4
when he of chapter 2 when he says
I say this in order it to know
when may. To dilute you with possible arguments.
So it goes back to that topic. See
to it that no 1 takes you captive
by philosophy and empty defeat. It's it's interesting
we we become captive
too bad philosophy. If you buy in into
bad ideas. Now, you've probably tried to talk
to people who reject Christianity.
And they bought into a couple of tenants
of nonsense
that that
philosophical nonsense. It makes it impossible
for them to see the truth.
And I think that's the kind of captivity
that Paul is is talking about. You might
relate to this in terms of being captive
to sin
young people can relate to this because they
they live in sin, they form
lies around their life for with let's say,
for example, with their parents,
and and or they live 2 lives, 1
with their Christian friends and 1 with non
Christian friends, and they become captive to that
so that they're they're serving it. They're they're
a slave to it. That's what happens with
Sin. It owns us. And well the same
thing happens with simple,
Aaron philosophy.
We should constantly anchor ourselves.
In truth. Paul says, an empty d. So
he's talking about lies.
So so he's talking about heresy
And then he says, so first, it's... We're
taken captive by bad philosophy.
And empty d is second.
According to human,
tradition. Third, there are lots of human traditions
that are sinful
and and and and secular tradition, know, Paul's
already identifying secularism here just so, you know,
I know we didn't name it that until
a few decades ago, but but that's exactly
what it is.
Human tradition,
according to the number 4 elemental
spirits
of the world, Those are those are principles.
It's it's that things in a in a
in a series,
legal
observations.
Observe... Or or ob absorb as even.
The elemental spirits,
the
there's so many... It's not really that word
spirits is kinda of poorly translated. Talking about
principles,
elemental principles of the world.
There there are some just some some assumptions.
It you it pause Paul's here talking about
worldview.
You know, he's talking about not being taken
captive by the the elemental principles
or or things in a series that
that might appear to have some logic, but
are
ob
of of the world
or We should be so careful.
We should not embrace legal as we should
be afraid of it. It is counter to
the gospel of Jesus Christ. It sounds good.
It feels good. We like to have legal
neighbors because they're really good and keep their
lawns nice and their and their fence is
tidy and and they're they're very courteous.
But but but they... They... Their philosophy is
damning,
and Paul knows that.
And then he goes on and not according
to Christ,
All of this is not according to Christ
Christ is everything. He is all. He is
in all. And then he says for in
him,
the whole fullness of deity
dwell bodily.
There... There's a long
conversation we could have about this.
He is
completely
God, the whole fullness.
Paul would have been okay just saying the
fullness. Right? But the whole fullness.
The full fullness,
the whole wholeness,
all all of it.
The full the whole fullness of Deity
dwell
blah bodily.
Now Jesus Christ had been in heaven.
Now for about 30 years as Paul's writing
this.
Give or take a few years.
And so Jesus, we know, and from this
section and other teaching in scripture,
is
has the body that was resurrected
and maintains it.
Is in that state in heaven
the whole fullness of Deity dwell
bodily present tense.
And you have been filled in him,
who is the head
of all rule
and authority.
Now there there was the tendency by the
no too
to worship and these these things they called
angelic,
intermediaries.
And and so he's paul setting everything straight
here for in him, the whole fullness of
Deity dwell bodily.
We we we we don't need the angels
aren't little gods aren't part of god. Mormons
have it wrong.
Lot lots of lots of
other groups have it wrong.
We're we're not becoming little miniature gods.
In Christ, the whole fullness of Deity dwell
bodily.
And you have been filled
in him.
Beautiful
ephesians talks about this in chapter 1 being
in him.
It's very consistent with Gen that knowledge and
intimate knowledge,
being in him,
who is the head
of all rule
and authority. Jesus Christ is the head of
all rule and authority.
There are no angelic intermediaries or other intermediaries
areas, and we should be careful
with astrology with
with with fortune telling with.
I I see Christians dabble in some of
these things, and
it it makes me cringe it gives me
pause
because Christ is the head
of all rule and authority. And then verse
11,
in him, also, you were ci sized with
a ci decision made
without hands. Very consistent with language Paul uses
in the... His epi to the church at
Rome.
He's he's talking about salvation.
A ci decision made
without hand. So he's he's going to appeal
to Jewish readers here.
By putting off the body
of the flesh
by the ci
of Christ.
J taught that physical ci decision was essential
for salvation Didn't they.
Paul had been aggressively pursued by them. You
could make an argument that they pushed him
to go to some of the places he
went and and and actually,
they
stirred up enough trouble they have them arrested.
And and yet he's he's still fighting
by the ci of Christ having been buried
with him in baptism,
that is spiritual baptism incorporated with him in
which you were
also raised with him through faith
in the powerful working of God
who raised him from the dead.
So
We we've been ci sized, spiritually
by Christ,
having been buried with him in baptism,
in which you also
were raised with him through faith and the
powerful working of God who raised him from
the dead
resurrection is important. We could talk a long
time about the
resurrection.
It is the conquering the proof. Of the
conquering of
sin and death. And Jesus was seen
by so many
after his
resurrection
the resurrection indicates victory over over death.
No no other person did that.
Was was resurrected,
and any who
experienced something similar to that where they were
dead for a short period of time and
healed by Jesus,
restored to life by Jesus,
eventually died a second time, didn't they?
Not him.
He lifts today and inter seats for us
at the right end of the father. And
verse 13 and you who were dead in
your tres passes.
That is your,
your...
Your your your your acts of sin, your
deliberate acts of sin, dead in your tres
passes and the un.
Of your flesh.
God made alive with him.
Having forgiven us all
our
tres passes.
That is apart from human
merit.
He has God made a alive together
with Christ.
When we are in him.
Ephesians 2 5 through 6.
God made a lot God made a life
together with him having forgiven us
all
our tres passes.
Listen to this.
By canceling the record of debt
that stood against us with its legal demands.
God's righteousness was maintained
throughout the entire gospel of Jesus Christ through
his sin life his death, his resurrection and
his
ultimate ascension. And setting at the right hand
of the father. God's righteousness
was not compromised. If you struggle with that
go read
Romans 3
I think it's around verse 20 and following.
Just read it. God did not compromise his
righteousness
and in forgiving sin.
By faith in Christ
through his death
and resurrection
and ascension,
by canceling the record of debt that stood
against us with its legal demands. What were
those legal demands?
Well, the the legal demands were were were
were were debt.
Death.
The the record of debt are our sin,
that see... We understand that it was it
was a debt,
he's using accounting language.
It was a debt, that that then we
can understand that our our... That that was
purged that debt from our account taken on
by Christ.
On the on the cross.
And and then righteousness
was was credited to our account because of
him.
It it's it's really an accounting term. By
canceling the record of death that's stood against
us with its legal demands. Its legal demands
were death.
This this reminds me of Romans 8 1.
There's therefore now no condemnation to those are
in christ. Jesus. That's condemnation of reference to
the to the pen phase, the punishment phase
of the trial.
The the yes. Yes, we had debt built
up by sin
that... And its legal demand was death,
but he... This, he set aside, Paul says
here,
nailing it to
the cross. Our debt,
sinful debt, debt because of our sin was
nailed
to
the cross.
He took on our debt. It was nailed
to the cross in the person
of Jesus Christ the sun,
of God.
God in flesh.
Then verse 15, he disarmed the rulers
that the disarmed is to to put off
or away from
the rulers and and authorities.
Again, ephesians 02:14 and 15 are good references
there.
Ephesians 02:14 and 15 and put them to
open shame
by triumph over them.
In him. He put them
to shame, Christ canceled the debt of humankind
to the law,
His death covered
all tres passes past,
present
and and future.
That is just a beautiful picture. There's so
much because we get so confused about the
law and Christ
relationship to the law we'll talk.
More about that next time. But the beauty
of this
is that Christ canceled the dead of humankind
to the law,
is his death covered all tres passes
past,
present and future.
I struggle to read this without
just sobbing.
When I read by canceling the record of
death that stood against us with its legal
demands. This, he set aside,
nailing it to the cross.
What love for us our Lord has.
Nailing my sin all of my sin to
the cross, past,
present and future.
He put away from or disarmed,
the rulers and
authorities and put them to open shame
by triumph
over them
in him.
What what beautiful words these are in paul's
epi to the C church.
I hope this study is as much a
blessing
to you as it is to me.
Next week, we're gonna...
Gonna look at another hard subject to, all
all of this,
this completeness in Christ is is is beautiful,
but but but seems to be challenging for
us when we live it out.
And and we'll we'll talk about
we'll talk about the rest as we'll start
in verse
16 of a chapter 2 next week and
we'll work our way through the the end
of the chapter. We're gonna... We're gonna talk
about legal again in as
again,
it's it's very important and if you're if
you're just starting on this journey, this Christ
following journey. You've just put your trust in
him. I I want to encourage you to
read these words and understand them.
Get yourself an English standard version of the
bible or similar.
And, new King James is fine. There some
others that are that are okay.
N iv, even is alright. New American standard
version is fine. Some of the more modern
ones lose some of the rich content.
Some of the modern para phrases,
like the message bible and others I'd I'd
kinda stay away from for this study,
But if you you can study this scripture
and and by filling in just a few
gaps,
Yeah, you you you can you can get
this.
And you'll see that,
the beauty of Christ's love
for us even in the way that we
live the Christian life
that when we look at the gospel of
Jesus Christ, the good news of Jesus Christ,
it is it is good for us for
living day to day.
Salvation is not just a transaction. It has
it has multiple facets. This,
san justification are walking by faith, or following
Christ making disciples, being a disciple of his
and making disciples,
is just so incredibly
important in scripture.
Paul spends a lot of time writing here
about how to do that. Who Christ is
what he accomplished when he says, this he
set aside
nailing it to the cross. I've talked before
about the fact that I don't. I I,
you know, I like it. I guess that
him that old him, he could have called
10000 angels.
But Christ gave himself. He emptied himself and
gave himself. We talked about that back in
Philippians. He gave himself. He didn't wanna call
me. He First of all if he had
wanted to. He didn't need to
because of his deity because of his sovereignty
because of his his his power.
He he he didn't need any angels.
But but could he have called thousands of
them or or or multitudes of the course
he could have.
But the but gave himself. He he... This
he set aside nailing and nailing our sin
to the cross. He took on sin,
himself. If you go read Romans 03:20
and following, you'll see that he was our
appropriation. On the day of atonement, the arc
of the covenant would have the blood of
the spot less spot less lamb,
sprinkled on it. He was our lamb who
was slain our spot less perfect lamb who
was slain on our behalf, and that's what
Paul is talking about here. This, he set
aside
nailing it to the cross.
Well, thank you for listening to this beautiful
truth from C.
I hope it's helpful next week, as I
said, we'll start in verse 16 of chapter
2. Well, God willing will finish chapter 2,
and we can move a little quicker through
the rest of the book. It'll take us
just a few more weeks. I look forward
to being with you then. Please like share
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