Series: Colossians: Supreme!
Title: “How to live out your faith with confidence”
Scripture: Colossians 2:6-7, 11-15
(Commentary helps listed at the end)
Bottom line: Walk boldly in the wake of Christ’s victory.
Opening story:
In Exodus three and four Moses encounters got at the burning bush. After God tells him that he wants him to lead Israel out of slavery in Egypt into freedom and the promised land, Moses comes up with several excuses for why he thinks someone else should do it. And even though God tells him he will be with him and give him all kinds of reasons to obey, Moses ends up just saying please send someone else.
If Moses, the great lawgiver of Israel, the most humble man ever to walk the planet, struggles to walk confidently in his faith with God, then it stands to reason that we might struggle with the same thing.
Today we will revisit the question that is implied in Colossians 2:6–7 how do we walk confidently with God. How do we walk with confidence in our faith with the Lord Jesus Christ? It’s a good question.
This question is understandable as well in the face of being uncertain of who do we believe, who do we believe in, and what do we believe about them? These things are addressed in Exodus three and four with Moses and the burning bush. And these things are addressed by Paul in Colossians 2.
Transition: Paul states his concern (shared with Epaphras) in 2:4. He then calls them to resist and gives them reasons to resist along with the power to resist. Spoiler alert: It centers on Jesus Christ.
Outline: (based on Pace)
Bottom line: Walk boldly in the wake of Christ’s victory.
How do we walk out our faith in God with confidence? We do so by remembering and believing that:
I. He circumcised our hearts. (2:11)
II. He conquered over death. (2:12-13)
III. He canceled our debt. (2:13-14)
IV. He condemned the enemy. (2:15)
V. He confirmed our victory. (2:15)
And that he called us to identify with him in these things. That’s a Purpose in baptism.
Conclusion
Bottom line: Walk boldly in the wake of Christ’s victory.
How do we walk boldly in our faith of God?
We remember who it is we believe in.
We remember what he did and continue to walk in those things.
Pray
Lord’s Supper, 1 Corinthians 11:17-32
Other
Pace Outline:
Bottom line: We must define our identity in Christ so that our words, ways and works reflect who we are in Christ.
I. He circumcised our hearts. (2:11)
II. He conquered over death. (2:12-13)
III. He canceled our debt. (2:13-14)
IV. He condemned the enemy. (2:15)
V. He confirmed our victory. (2:15)
Hughes’ outline:
I. “In Christ”: His death, burial, and resurrection. (2:11-12)
A. Death
B. Burial
C. Resurrection
II. “In Christ”: Delivered from bondage. (2:13-15)
W.W.
II. Colossians 2:11–23 (WEONT): Beware of Religious Legalism (2:11–17)
These false teachers had mixed oriental mysticism with Greek philosophy and Jewish legalism—what a mixture! But the flesh loves to be religious, so long as that religion does not have a cross to crucify the flesh. The Colossian believers were involved in Jewish legalism—rituals, diets, holidays, and so on. “You are going out of the sunlight into the shadows!” Paul cries (v. 17). “You are forsaking the reality (Christ’s body) for the symbol!” Like the child who admires his father’s photo while he ignores his father’s presence, so these Christians had turned from the fullness of Christ to the ABCs (“elements”—2:8, 20) of the world.
All that we need has been accomplished by Christ on the cross. The circumcision of v. 11 is not His physical circumcision as a child (Luke 2:21), but rather His death on the cross. Just as Christ’s water baptism was a symbol of His baptism of suffering on the cross (Luke 12:50), so His circumcision as an infant prefigured His “putting off the body” when He took our sins on Calvary. “Your spiritual circumcision in Christ is far more wonderful than physical rituals!” Paul states. “Why replace Christ with Moses? Why have a physical cutting instead of a spiritual operation on your heart? Circumcision removes a fragment of the flesh from the body, but our identification with Christ puts off the whole fleshly nature.”
All of this is made possible through our union with Christ, when the Spirit baptized us into His body. We died with Him, and we are risen with Him. The Old Covenant laws are now set aside; Satan has been completely defeated (v. 15); therefore enjoy the liberty you have in Christ. “Let no man judge you!” Paul urges (v. 16).
OTHER ILLUSTRATIONS:
As I reflect on Tim Keller’s summary of Larry Hurtado’s main points in his book, I see a lot of wisdom to help me lead our church going forward.
I learned about this article while having lunch with Neal McGlohon. He summarized the o
5 points in a slightly different order . Neal shared it this way:
1. The early church was multi-racial and experienced a unity across ethnic boundaries that was startling. (Democrat, Progressive concerns)
3. The early church was famous for its hospitality to the poor and the suffering. (Democrat, Progressive concerns)
2. The early church was a community of forgiveness and reconciliation. (What both sides thinks it’s doing when in fact what we see is fighting for power)
4. It was a community committed to the sanctity of life. (Republican; conservative concerns)
5. It was a sexual counterculture. (Republican; conservative concerns)
MAIN COMMENTARY HELP:
Exalting Jesus in Colossians by Scott Pace
Preaching the Word: Philippians, Colossians and Philemon commentary by R. Kent Hughes
ESV Global Study Bible
Bible in One Year by Nicky Gumbel
Bible Knowledge Commentary
The Outline Bible, Wilmington
Paul for Everyone, The Prison Letters, NT Wright’s commentary on Philippians and Colossians
Gospel Transformation Bible
NIV Study Bible
The Bible Exposition Commentary, Warren Wiersbe
BQ = Better Questions
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