The Cross Abolished all Legalism of the Jewish Religious system along with mans traditions associated with it.
I’ll
begin with Colossians 2:14, by rereading the previous verse. I’ve
said so often that Paul only writes to believers, and the whole
purpose is if we can equip the believer with right thinking (a clear vision and perception), and the
right tools then they’re going to go out and share Christ with
others. I maintain that this is why most Christians are scared to
open their mouth. They’re not sure of themselves nor do they Trust
the Holy Spirit enough to give them living waters. That if someone
comes right back and asks them a question they can’t answer it,
then they’re embarrassed. So this is the whole idea of teaching, to
become skilled. I'm assisting the Holy Spirit by repeating what He
has so often told you Himself, is all that I'm doing. I'm confirming
His revelation to you.
Don’t
just take it in like the Dead Sea. See the Dead Sea is dead because
all it does is take beautiful fresh water in from the north from the
Jordan River. But as soon as it reaches the Dead Sea, it can’t go
any further, so it becomes dead. So the fresh part of the water
evaporates, and all the other stuff is left behind, a brackish hardwater salt water. Well it’s the
same way with Christians. If all you do is take it in without ever
giving it out, then you’re going to be a stale Christian. So learn
to use the Scriptures even if you don’t know all of them. You know
those people that come to your door, aren’t you aware of what
Scriptures they’re going to use? And they know how to use them, and
that’s why they can hook so many people. Well we need be the
same way, only get it right when you share. Then you can have the
thrill of winning someone to the knowledge of the LORD of spirits,
Christ Jesus, and I might add there’s no greater thrill. We all need to know how to rightly divide the Word of Truth and to do this we NEED the LORD the Spirit of all Truth.
Colossians
2:13a
"And
you, being dead in your sins (in the old Adam-Satan nature part of
us) and the uncircumcision of your flesh, (in other
words, Paul is writing primarily to Gentiles believers) hath he quickened
(made new, alive, and brought us out of that Spiritual deadness by
circumcising our heart) together with him,…"
We
were crucified with Christ in Jesus, we were in the tomb with Him, and we’re
resurrected and ascened with Him. Our New Identification is the whole
concept of Scripture. That as He died, we died, as He was buried, we
were buried, and as He was raised in resurrection power so are we
raised and as He ascened we ascened with Him. So this is exactly what
Paul is putting together.
"…having
forgiven you all trespasses;"
That
is hard for people to swallow. Yet every sin of every person that
ever lived or will be born was forgiven by virtue of the work of the cross. Hebrews
says that Christ tasted death, not just for believers, but for how
many? For every man. Yes, even the Hitlers, or Stalins, or any of
the other horrible persons that have gone across the stage of human
history, or will go across that stage, He tasted death for every one
of them. And why couldn’t they cash in? Because they never believed
it! And so this is the problem with the human race even right around
us wherever we live. It’s all been done, but they will not
appropriate it by trust, and that’s what we have to do. Take it,
receive and our receiving will become faith as we grow in the
knowledge of Christ in Jesus. The more knowledge of His Grace and Truth we learn
the stronger our faith will become. It all begins in Redemptions
school where trust is caused to face a scrisis of some sort, then it
is flected over and over again. Which causes the next verse 14 to come into play, and
here we’ll get into the meat of this study. This is one of our
favorite verses, because we're separating Levitical Law and from Grace.
We’re not under the Levitical Law, we’re under the Ten
Commandments and Beatitudes, and the law of God (written in our heart
and impressed on our minds because they're spiritually discerned and
acted upon) which is His Will and Word, spoken or revealed to us and
His New Covenant of Grace. You see through the anointing of Christ the written word takes on a Life of its own, in and then through Christ (the anointing) within us (1John 2:27). Look what this verse says.
Colossians
2:14a
"Blotting
out the handwriting of ordinances (rules and regulations with
there suggested punishment)
that was against us, which was contrary to us,…"
Stop
for a moment. What is the first thing that happens to the human make
up and especially when they’re young when you say, "You can’t
do that." What’s the first thought that comes into their
minds? Why not? You know we’ve used the illustration over and over,
you put a wet paint sign on the wall, and 99 out of 100 people that
walk by it are going to say, "I’ve got to find out."
Isn’t that right? All right now that’s what the Levitical Law
did. Just as soon as the Law said, "Thou shalt not steal,"
what’s the first human reaction? Well why not? The Levitical Law
was (is) against us, it was (is) contrary to us.
Colossians
2:14b
"…
and took it out of the way, (and how did He do away with it?
By) nailing it to the cross."
That
is plain language? I've said that when the Lord gave Moses the Ten
Commandments, He put them on tables of stone. Moses brings them down
to the nation of Israel, that is after he wrecked the first set, and
got the second set. Any how he brings them to Israel, and you’ve
heard me put it this way more than once, "they were
strictly on tables of cold stone. Those Ten Commandments
had no power whatsoever, and all they could do was point the finger
of condemnation." They are no more than a code of moral
behavior good for all peoples. But when the Levitical Law came so did
Condemnation that was all they could do, and so from God’s point of
view, yes they were perfect. They were the perfect constitution for
human living all wrapped up in those Commandments with its many
ordinances. But the Levitical Law for man to keep them it was weak
and fleshly, because they are contrary to human nature, and they had
no power to help any one keep them and neither does the Ten
Commandments. So consequently what happened to Israel under the
Levitical Law? Oh they failed miserably over and over. I think maybe
that’s why they were prone to fall into pagan worship, because that
was easy compared to keeping the Levitical Law. Keeping the Ten
Commandments was severe, but to try to do the Levitical Law with all
its does and do not's under penalty of death it was a tough go,
because it was so demanding and commanding. Pauls
states that to accomplish them one has to be spiritual as God being
Spirit filled them with His Spirit making them spiritual, a secret
held in God but now revealed through His sons (Romans 7:14). This is what Jeremiah 31:33 speaks of as the foundation for the change God is about to bring to man.
Then
along comes the Lord's Covenant meal and the work of the cross, at the appointed end of His ministry to Israel. This will be a good time to come back to Romans chapter 3. See this
is so hard for the run of the mill church member to get through their
head, I know because this is where I was. Most of them are of the
thinking that if I keep the Commandments, if I do the best I can
surely God will accept me. But nothing could be further from the
truth. In fact I had a young lady just the other day that was
almost depressed. She’d had a class with some of her peers for the
past two years, and had been using our postings and she was
explaining how we’re not under the Law, but rather Grace. Then she
asked one of her students about her salvation and where she would
spend eternity if she died? Do you know what her answer still was?
"Well I’m keeping the Commandments the best I can, and I'm
doing the best I can." The teaching lady said, "That’s
enough to make you scream. How could she be hearing this for two
years and still make that statement? She’s heard it over and over,
that it’s by simply believing Paul’s Gospel that Christ died
and rose from the dead and we with Him!"
Well
that’s the human race, and unless the Lord does like He did with
Lydia, and opens their understanding, that’s what we’re up
against. We just sort of beat a concrete wall until the Lord opens
their understanding. But here we are in Romans chapter 3, and Paul is
telling us exactly how the Law operated. Verse 19. And remember he's
told us that he was head and shoulders above his peers in Judaism
which means that he knew the Levitical Law inside out and backwards
and forwards. He knew its strengths and its weaknesses. Besides he
had it straight from the risen Lord Himself and who are we to argue
with Him? Learn from Job people.
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