Colossians Lesson 13

All right, we are on lesson 13. Does everybody have lesson 13? Everybody's got the questions? All right. So we're going over, well, this is Colossians, for the tape people. Colossians chapter 2, going through verses 15 through 19. It is lesson 13. It's one of these things, I know, I think Mike said I review too many times sometimes, but I like to go back and see the forest through the trees. I find that we look at things very precisely here, verse by verse, and we dig into it and we find out everything about that. But then we move on very slowly as we parse these and look at each verse.

Mike actually told me years ago, just read the word. And sometimes I do that. Just read. Actually, I do that every day. I just read. And then not for, you know, trying to do studying, like studying for these lessons. I just read. And so I wanted to go back just to kind of go through and get a flavor for what we've gone through in Chapter 2.

So I'm going to read Colossians Chapter 2. 1 through 19. So those would be all the verses. You can follow along either in your own Bible or if you want, you can just listen. I just think it's good to get the whole flavor of where we're at and where we've been and what these verses, how they fit in. So I'll just read them. Colossians 2, 1 through 19.

For I want you to know how great a struggle I have on your behalf, and for those who are at Laodicea, and for all those who have not personally seen my face, that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God's mystery, that is, Christ himself, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

I say this so that no one will delude you with a persuasive argument, for even though I am absent in body, nevertheless I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good discipline and the stability of your faith in Christ. Therefore, as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude. See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of man, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.

For in him all the fullness of deity dwells in bodily form, and in him you have been made complete, and he is head over all rule and authority. And in him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ. having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead. When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, he made you alive together with him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us, and he has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross, When he had disarmed the rulers and authorities, he made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through him. Therefore, no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day, things which are a mere shadow of what is to come. But the substance belongs to Christ.

Let no one keep defrauding you of your prize by delighting in self-abasement and the worship of angels, taking a stand on visions he has seen inflated taking his stand on visions he has seen inflated without cause by his fleshly mind, and not holding fast to the head, from whom the entire body, being supplied and held together by the joints and ligaments, grows with a growth which is from God." A lot of truth in there, a lot of things we've been through, God's mystery, walking in him, in him, all the deity dwells in him in bodily form. He's been made head over all rule and authority. We go through identification, the baptism raised up with him. Again, things about, and he starts off in verse 8, see to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception. We're going to hit that again today in these verses about what was coming in.

And remember what was going on with the Colossians too. What were they fighting? Do you remember what kind of, it's that funky little word, syncretism? They were going through a bunch of things, mixing a little Jewish with a little Greek philosophy and shaking it around and then they were being deluded by what we'll see today in today's lessons about angels. They were bringing angels and different things. So there was a lot going on.

When you look at what he's going through, and when you read the whole chapter, he's setting this up about why he's addressing all these things. This is specific to the Colossians, and Mike and I are talking about some things going on right now. He'll address maybe in the next week or two how that applies even today. What the Colossians were going through, what we see today, and what some of the same challenges that Paul is addressing, we actually see today. So we'll address a bunch of those different things.

But there's just so much in these verses. And the verses we're going to talk about today is really kind of back to what verse 8 said about deception, deluding. He's going back to what this letter is about. All these people who were trying to delude the Colossians, trying to lead them astray.

Question one, how did Christ disarm the evil rulers and authority? And I'll read from the NASB, and that was also when I read the verses, it's from the NASB. In verse 15, when he had disarmed the rulers and authorities, he made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through him. The New King James has it as having disarmed principalities and power. So, first let's look at who is being referred to as being disarmed.

Who are the evil rulers and authorities? And nobody say Obama. Because that wouldn't be right on the tape, people listening. Satan? Satan and the demons. Others? Is it evil kings? What about the laws? Laws? So, imposed by, so, the common law of the kings or whatever is being imposed upon them? Well, that sounds good. I don't want to put words in your mouth. I would not want to do that.

So, others? Just Satan and his... They had the aftermath of having come from other religions. So, they believe all these things that they must do that those religions have and, you know. Okay? So, I'm trying to see, rulers and athletes. Other than God himself. Okay. Other thoughts? Yeah, yeah. Ephesians 6, 12 says, for we wrestle, not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the world, against the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. That kind of covers them all. Yeah.

So, but, So is it, I guess what kind of surprised me when I went through this, I was kind of thinking also just rulers, kings and all that, all the commentaries and all the things, and when you look back at the word in different things, it is really, it's the evil forces, Satan and basically all the, it's more spiritual than it is physical rulers. And when I originally was looking at this, I thought it was, you know, again, the crazy rulers that were there or whatever, but this is really the forces of evil. And that kind of surprised me because when I first see rulers and authorities, if you look at I think Romans 13 1, I looked at that because that's being subjection to all authority because Christ has put all in authority. And I went back to that same word. It's the same word here. So it kind of was like, and that's authorities like presidents and kings and that. But in this instance, it's referring to the spiritual side. And again, remember what they're dealing with in the Colossians and the mixing of philosophy and this and that and all. It's talking about spiritual things.

So, Wanda, from Zodiates, The Greek word for ruler is arkis, which means spoken of the princes or chiefs among angels or among demons. So again, it's on the spiritual side, not physical rulers. So this isn't just he's going to take out all the rulers of this world. He's talking about the spiritual and the spiritual attacks and that he's disarming the spiritual side. And for the Greek word for authorities, Zodiatis finds it as, for the celestial and infernal powers princes potentates, for example, angels, archangels, demons. So in this instance, they are spiritual, not earthly.

So when you look at this, it's not about disarming that nasty king. And I guess in some respects it could be, because if it's a force of evil, he's working on the forces of evil. Yeah. he triumphed over them. Jesus didn't triumph over any of the rulers there on earth. Then you go back to the Romans one, he's the one who establishes them. All authorities.

When you put it all together, it fits that this is about spiritual forces, rulers and powers. It's a spiritual part that he's disarming, not just the bad king. Also, this appears in verse 10, referring to the spiritual forces at work in verse 10, same sort of thing. Starting in verse 9, For in him all the fullness of deity dwells in bodily form, and in him you have been made complete, and he is head over all rule and authority.

Again, the same thing addressing He has disarmed them. He has authority over. So now, how did Christ disarm them? How did He do it? By His resurrection. By His resurrection. They thought they had Him. Coming forth from the tomb. What does the verse say? Let's see here. Actually, let me ask one thing. What does it mean to disarm? That was another one I wanted to hit before we got to this. What does it mean to disarm? He disarmed them. Did he just take their weapons away? They don't have guns now? It's the ultimate gun law?

They were portraying the truth and he revealed his statement that they were not telling the truth. Okay, so he just stopped. Then from telling the truth? Or telling the falsehood? They probably kept right on doing that. Disarming. What does disarming mean? Take away the power. Power. The interlinear says they exposed him with openness. Good.

It was seen in verse 14 where he cancelled the certificate of debt. which applies to the same power, how he disarmed them. So, in the Greek, the word for disarmament means to strip, divest of power or authority. So, he stripped or divested them of the power and authority, what Bob said. So, disarming means he took the power and their authority away. So, in verse 10, we see that Christ is head over all, all rule and authority.

But how did he do it when it comes to the previous two verses, 13 and 14, which say, When you were dead in your transgressions and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, he made you alive together with him, having forgiven us all transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of death, consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us, and he has taken it out of the way, having what? Disarmed us to the cross. So how did he disarm them? through the cross, having nailed it to the cross. Yeah, how did he disarm them?

And that seems contrary in that, you know, you say they thought they had him at the cross in the resurrection. No, that was their end. They thought they, you know, I assume they think they had him, they had him on the cross and they crucified him. We got him. That was their end.

What we're talking about is that when Adam sinned, Satan and his minions got rule over him and all of his posterity, all humanity and the earth. And so the way I think the cross mitigates that power is by for those who are in Christ only. And that's my point. We're getting to it, but go ahead. Is this for everybody? Sins were paid for everybody, isn't it? Mike usually points to the guy across the street. All sins were paid for. So, is that guy, were his sins paid for?

They were. Did he receive, and is he out from underneath the power and authority of Satan and his minions? If he doesn't know, or isn't a believer, isn't in Christ, does he have that? No. So this is pointed to us as believers. So, that's a big comfort. Do you have to worry about Satan and his minions? Do they have authority over you? No. We can look back at Colossians 1, and again, it's the same thing. Colossians 1, 13 through 20. For He rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authority. All things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. He is also head of the body, the church. And He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.

For it was the Father's good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him. and through him to reconcile all things to himself, having made peace through the blood of the cross. Through him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven." It's through the cross. The cross is, and through him to reconcile all things through himself. And he created all thrones and dominions and rulers and authorities. So he has authority over them. And he has disarmed them, divested them of power. So again, how does that feel? How does that impact you? Before I was saved, Satan had power over me through death. After I was saved, death means nothing. There's no power. Exactly.

And you know, the thing we talk about a lot is before you were a believer, you had no other choice but to sin and be under their power and authority. You had no choice. So now you have, again, you are not under that authority or power in the new man in Christ. So again, that has impact on us. Again, when the mutiny and the captain and what J.D. went over, Jim went over, the captain's on the ship and the mutiny and they tie him to the post and he's still yelling commands. Does he have any authority? No. Same thing here. It's been disarmed. The power and authority has been disarmed by Christ on his death on the cross. So Christ on the cross paid for all of our sins and transgressions, stripped the power from the spiritual powers that are against us.

We see what Christ has accomplished on the cross in verse 11. It said the cross in relation to ourselves and particularly the flesh. In verse 14, the cross in relation to legal ordinances. And then in verse 15, the cross in relation to spiritual forces or evil. So he kind of progresses on what the cross has done in that series of verses. In verse 11, it's relation to ourselves and the flesh. 14, legal. And then in 15, we have the forces of evil.

Hebrews 2.14 says, For as much then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same, that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil. So I think the Lord Jesus Christ became a man subject to all of the dominion that Satan had over the first creation. And when he died, and we died in him, we separated from that race of humanity that was under dominion. To render Satan and his power ineffectual, what he really did was he made us a new creation that is not subject to any of the old, that has no association with what was achieved by Satan in the Garden of Eden. He didn't just forgive us by making us new creatures, We're immune to all of that. We're not part of who we are. We're not under the jurisdiction. The new creation has nothing. Satan has no input into the new creation at all.

And so we're members of it. And the way he. disarmed them as he actually took us out of it. That's how he did it. Again, by the cross, and that's by our co-crucifixion, and that he separated us from that. And that's what I was saying, if you're not a believer, you're under that. You have no choice. You're under that jurisdiction, that authority. Once you have been identified with Christ, you've been in a new creation, new authority, who's your head now? Christ. Christ is the head. That's the authority.

So, any other thoughts? I was going to say, as believers, we have to keep that in the forefront of our mind, so we're not tricked into thinking that He does have power. You know, that's what we talked about a little bit, you know, last week, I think. You know, we have two natures in us. You know, the thing is, as you grow and mature, is you you begin to not respond to that voice, that nature that is calling you, the endemic side. I'll get to it a little bit later.

Whose battle is that? Is that our battle? Yeah, you know, when we look at it, we keep thinking it's us that we have to do this battle. I'll get in some verses that it isn't us. If you look at the verses, we aren't even in there. It's the spirit versus the flesh. So, you know, when we, ours is, you know, grow in the knowledge and grace of the Lord Jesus. That's what we're, and if we do that, you don't respond to that voice as much. Okay, question two.

Explain what the terms triumphed over means. That's coming from verse 15 again. When he had disarmed the rulers in authority, he made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through him. So again, Zodiatis, the word for triumph means to lead in triumph, triumph over, which I just don't like that when you use the word in the definition. I don't like that.

You could say victory. I went to Webster. Mr. Webster had triumph means to obtain victory. I thought that was much better than Mr. Zodiaty's. What does triumph mean? Well, it means to triumph over. What? Triumph means to obtain victory. Let me ask you, where else in Scripture do we find our victory in Christ? What are some other verses you can think of? Are there other verses where we have victory?

Ephesians 2.1. There's a little note in my Bible, so I haven't looked it up. Somebody got that? Or I can look it up.

Ephesians 2.1. You're dead and formerly locked according to the power of the prince. Formerly locked according to the curse of the world, according to the prince of power and error of the spirit, is now working in the sense of disobedience. Is that the one?

Ephesians 2.1. As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins in which you used to live when you followed the ways of the world. and the ruler of the kingdom of the air. Yeah, verses 4 and... 5, 6 and 7. Yeah, 5, 6 and 7. Again, you know, that's talking about the earth.

What about victory? Have you seen the victory or triumph? Yeah. I mean, it seems to me when Jesus said, it is finished, that somehow fits into a pretty good victory. Yeah, I mean, all these are. In 1 Corinthians 15, 56 and 57, this goes to what you were saying.

The sting of death is sin and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Okay? Death, where is your sting? We have been co-crucified and now we are a new, in kind and quality, a new creature. So, as Mike refers a lot to, Paul basically, when he talks about death, it's going to sleep instead of death. It's just, you know, our death has been swallowed up. Roy, did you have something? I don't know where it is. I've been looking here.

It's in First John. It says this is a victory even for faith. Is it 5-4? Is it 5-4? I don't know. So what is that? 225. Thanks be to God. He gives us a victory for our love of Jesus Christ. So did somebody have that one? Was it First John what? 5-4, I think. What's 5-4? For whoever is born of God overcomes the world, and this is the victory that has overcome the world, our faith.

So again, the victory is where? In Christ. The victory, the triumph, or the victory, to obtain victory, is through Christ. All these ones, the victory is through Christ. Alright? I got from William Kelly, Here we hear of what is done on the cross, the power of the cross, but there is the public manifestation of the victory in ascending up on high.

The great battle was won. Christ had forever defeated the powers of evil for the joint heirs. This ascending up on high and leading captivity captive is the witness that they are powerless against the Christian. I thought that was good. The victory we now have in Christ and the public manifestation of the victory and ascending upon high. The great battle was won. So, does the victory apply to us? And if so, why? Does that victory apply to us? And why?

We believe. Just because we believe? That's right. We believe what? He took our sins on himself and it was totally accepted by the Father. So just the payment was all that was necessary? Efficient. All we have to do is believe. Just that the payment was done? That our sins were paid? This is Mike's favorite question. We're getting there, yep. Because if you just paid for the sins, you cannot enter heaven. It's believing in just the payment for the sins.

The payment was accepted in full. Still, that's still not there. Because, you know, just we were talking about the guy next door. He would not have been raised if it had not been accepted. But just like the guy next door, his sins were paid for. He may believe that his sins were paid for. What does that do for him?

Nothing. Nothing. Because he has to believe. And how do you appropriate it? Not the F word. I think believe is equal. I'm getting lost in this one in a hurry. I think I have to say faith. I think believe and faith are the same. No, no. It's death, burial, resurrection, and our co-crucifixion, our identification with Him. It's who we are in Christ. Does Christ have the victory over these authorities? Does he have authority over all of them? Yes? Where are we? So do we have to worry about all the authorities and all these different things?

No. So, and I went to Ephesians 6, 10-17. Finally, Ephesians 6, verses 10-17. Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces, of this darkness, against spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm, therefore, having girded your loins with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having your feet and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace, in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith, which will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one, and take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." What do you see? All but one thing in here. Are we supposed to... We're armed like, you know, we have all this stuff on. Is it our job to go after the powers and authority? Well, we have this breastplate, we have the helmet, we have the shield, we have... We have protection.

That's for defense. I think Phyllis said one time that sitting on the honor of God is standing in opposition. The verse says it. Stand firm. It doesn't say, it's not our job to go after. You know, I hear a lot of people say, we've got to go after, you know, I've got to battle and I've got to go after Satan and his minions. Where do they get that? We are to stand firm. We have, in Christ, do they have authority over us?

No. So that's why I stand firm. And what is the one? Taking up the shield of faith. We're supposed to stand firm, believe what is true about us. That's how we're to battle authority, rulers, evil, and all that. is to believe what's true about us and what is true about us, we're in Christ. And is he subject to these evil forces? No. Okay? So, all defenses, we're to stand firm. Not our job to go after the force of evil. Whose job is it to go after evil from these verses? He triumphed over them. He did it.

What? There's no going after. Yeah, who is? From these verses you'll see. The only offensive weapon. And what is it? The sword of the spirit. It's the spirit's job. That's who does it. Not us. The only offensive thing is what? The spirit. It doesn't say we're supposed to go after. It's the sword of the spirit. So, again, all these things where I hear a lot of people saying, you know, it's our job to go after the forces of evil. It is not. One, we're not under the authority, and two, it's not our job. So, going back to these verses, He has disarmed them. He has triumphed over them. We have that same standing. You can also look at Galatians 5, 16 through 17.

But I say, walk in the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh. For these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. So my question again, this I kind of give it away.

Is the battle between us and the forces of evil based on these verses? Who? Spirit. It's not your job. The battle is between the spirit and the forces of evil, not us. Yeah. The only battle I see in my own life is with my flesh. And who is the one to convince and convict you of that battling of the flesh. The spirit. It's his job. That's the one in these verses.

That's what, you know, I hear in a lot of people, you know, that we got to pray because the battles, you know, all these spiritual things, and we've got to go after, you know, the forces of evil. And I'm going, where do you get that? Where to stand firm? And they, you know, they take up the verses everywhere. It's the, we're to fight the good fight. So that means we're supposed to take it to them, right?

What does the end of that verse say? Faith! We're just supposed to believe. And what does it tell us? We've overcome that. They've been disarmed and triumphed over. Fight the good fight of faith. Again, what is in here? Again, the spirit and the shield of us is faith. It all fits together. Can I say something?

No. We're not always, you know, the spirit is in us, but we don't always listen to the spirit. Yeah, that is correct. There is temptation all over, so we sometimes think that yes, we can do the battle, even though we can't, but then you have to get back into the Bible and get back into the Word, but it's easy to You say, when the music starts, why do I start dancing? Why do I respond to that?

I don't have to. And I think that's, as you mature in the Lord, that's what I say, I think you're... And one of the hardest things, I think, for a believer, I think you can see salvation, you can see grace, or understand, not see, but understand grace, you can understand all that. One of the hardest things, I think, for a believer is to identify the old man. I think that's what a lot of our maturing is, is seeing what is the old man versus the new. It's awfully hard to sometimes see what the old man is in us, and it's ugly. Sometimes it's hard to admit the ugliness that is there, but I think a lot of the things the Lord takes us through is to identify the old man and the response that we have. As we say in grace, you know, ours is to do something. You got to do something.

You invited me over dinner. Well, I've got to respond by saying, you know, I got to invite you back over to dinner. You know, I can't let you get ahead of me on dinner. What? You know, under grace, that doesn't fit. And I know he makes me pay for lunch every time now. So when we go out to lunch, he abuses the grace that we have. But that's our natural, the natural man is always wanting to do something. And then when you start realizing, those things, as you start realizing that, that's a good thing when you start realizing that. Because you start understanding it's the old man in you doing that, not the new, not the new creation.

And that's why the 2 Peter 3.18, which is the growing the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus. As you focus on that, as you grow in that, you'll have less tendency to listen to that voice of the old man.

But I think a lot of it is trying to figure out who the old man is in you. That's hard. That's a hard thing. Most people don't want to admit that, but when you start, you know... And I think the Lord takes you through a lot of things that exposes the old man. He does in my life. So... All right. Question three. In verse 16, not letting anyone act as your judge frees you from what? So in verse 16, there is no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or new moon or a Sabbath day.

So I said that an important word in scripture is therefore. Why is it therefore? So, why is it therefore? punch it back so it reverses. Right. After Paul explains some truth about us in Christ, he often then states that because of that truth that he just brought forth, therefore refers to a result of that truth. So, to begin with, what is the therefore based on? So... The triumph of Christ over... Not to be entangled. What's that? Anyways, triumphed over Satan. Easy, not easy now, but at one time it was very easy to get entangled in what someone else want you to do or, you know, what you should be doing.

And that's the perfect verse. Remember, they're mixing Jewish with philosophy and all this. So, you've got to remember those kind of festival things and, you know, a little bit of that and a little bit of that. We'll sprinkle a little of this, a little bit of that. You know, you really shouldn't be eating that donut today. And, you know, did you want... And I shouldn't have interrupted. You know, and it is.

Should you ever go to a football game? Should you watch TV? Modernizing what this is. Should you, you know, read a newspaper? Should you vote? Yes. If you're one party, you vote twice or three times. No, that's political. On TV, there's some program that I was watching. They keep talking about these moons. You know, the moons. Well, of course, you don't watch them. A religious program. Religious. Yeah. And here it mentions moons. Yeah.

Well, these were the different periods of the year when different moons and the festivals that were associated with it and all that. And that's probably what they're talking about is that, you know, it's like the harvest moon we have and the things we call, you know, a blue moon. And, you know, they associated festivals and different religious rituals with those moons. So that's probably what they're talking about. And the end time. Yeah, I think there's in some of the other times Blood Moon and all that. where Paul is saying, therefore no one is to act as a judge in regard to food or drink in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day.

So, we figured out the therefore is based on, we were looking at that, what it's based on. I think it's in conjunction with verse 14. Having cancelled out the certificate of death, consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us, and he has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. That's how Therefore, because it was all those decrees, all those things, all that, nailing it to the cross.

Okay? And we... Yeah. Could that include the law, period? Yeah. Oh yeah. That was nailed. Everything. Was the law associated with the new creature or the old flesh? The old. So, if we are co-crucified and the law is attached to the flesh, not us, his new creatures in Christ. So yeah, all that.

I also look at Romans 8, 1-5, Therefore there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did, sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin. He condemned sin in the flesh, so that the requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit do things of the Spirit." Again, what were all these food and drink and moons and festivals and all that? That was earthly things, right? Those are ceremonies. Rituals, ceremonies. You can't eat that because it was sacrificed at the temple. There were lots of these things. So, what does letting anyone act as your judge free you from? What does that free you from? The legalism of the Jewish law. Legalism of the Jewish law. Condemnation. Condemnation. We just read that. South Africa. self-effort.

Should we cancel Christmas? Remember I said about his heart that there was a question about that and the defectiveness of that. Only in the Doyle household will it be cancelled. He's just cheap, he doesn't want to buy presents, that's the only reason. In those words you just read, it talked about how we could fulfill the law. How was it fulfilled? Who fulfilled the law? How was it fulfilled? It got a hold of you, found you guilty, and it murdered you. You're dead. And Christ fulfilled the law. No, I'm not going to cancel Christmas. I think I'll send you a Christmas card that has this verse. If you remember, we're just remembering the Lord's birth. That's what Christmas is.

I live in a neighborhood of pathetic Jews. Thanks to you, by the way. Well, they sold them the buildings. And the rituals and the moons and all of that stuff is huge with them. I mean, it's amazing when I've gotten to know a rabbi across the street and we talk a lot about, you know, what's going on this week. And at some moon, some festival, some something, and they are so tied to it that they wouldn't see Christ if he walked down the street. And that's what they're trying to mix in and what Paul is addressing at the Colossian church is the Judaizers are trying to say, you know, get back to those festivals. You've got to remember the festival of booths.

You need to remember, you know, you're not supposed to eat that. You're not supposed to, you know. And they're trying to mix that back in. So what Paul is doing here is saying, you're free from that. And so again, not letting you act, not let anyone act as your judge. What does that free you from? Any of that. Christ's death on the cross and our identification co-crucifixion with him frees us from the legal system of works. We are now under grace.

I like what Paul said in Ephesians 2.14, where he himself is our peace, who has made us both one, and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility. If I abolish you, the law of the commandments expressed in Normans is that he might create in himself one new man in place of two, so make him peace, and so on. Did he just broke it all down? Yeah, I mean that's disarming the forces of evil, we now have peace.

William Kelly had a good one too. I looked at a bunch of his when I was doing this. A Christian man who knows the victory of Christ for us should not surely entertain the idea of going back to these elementary forms of working good. Hold fast your actual place in Christ. Act consistently with it. I thought that was good. We're under grace now. We have been removed from the law. We operate now under grace and the principles but not law. There aren't the do's and don'ts. Grace is... I mean it's difficult to...

I mean, grace isn't just something like, well, since I came to this church, now I heard about grace. I know, and I know that other Francis has said at the Baptist Church, they taught that, but I didn't get it. You know, and that's why we teach grace here. It's very rarely taught what grace is. Grace is just kind of one of those, kind of, usually it's a grace, it's kind of just God's love. Grace is an operating system by which we live in right now.

It's much more than just God love. God is love. It is much more than that. And that's why, you know, the second Peter one, you're supposed to grow into grace and knowledge. Grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus. Grace is an amazing thing. When we teach it, we wouldn't know really about grace except what Paul teaches us. I mean, there's grace exhibited in the Old Testament, but the operating system we live in is what Paul teaches us, and we wouldn't know it. Very few people teach grace and what it means. A lot of it is just kind of that feel-good word. Grace is kind of just God's love. But really when you delve into it, it is the operating system, and I forget what the verse is that says grace is a reigning principle.

Romans 5.23. Yeah, and you know that's what the operating system we work under right now.

So it's much more than just a happy word. So what's that book called? John? Bunyan wrote, what's that book? Pilgrim's Progress. Pilgrim's Progress. And I don't know if I was listening to something, but he said that Christian, I mean, he told everyone his name was Christian until the end almost of the book. And then he said, my name is Christian, but it was in the beginning graceless. And that just, Well, like I said, when you really start understanding what grace is, as Mike says, that's the greatest motivating factor that God puts on us, or allows us to have, is grace is the motivating factor. So, we'll continue on next week. I did want to go and Call your attention for next week. I took a long time on this question, so I really want you to spend some time on it next week. It's question six.

What's the deal with angles? See, Colossians, Mike put this together, so I took hours to come up trying to figure out what this was. You know, the Colossians were mixing legalism with Greek philosophy, so I thought now they're putting in the Pythagorean theorem maybe. Did they just have a problem with algebra or geometry?

Maybe that's what he was addressing. Maybe to the Ten Commandments he added the sign law. Or maybe they're just off on a tangent. I don't know. Angels. Angels. Yeah, I took a long time on that one. I could have gone on for hours. That was a fun time with that. Never let an engineer have a question like that one. What's the deal with angles? So, what's the deal with angels? Just in case you look at that one.

Alright, let's close with prayer. Heavenly Father, we thank you again for this time. We thank you again just for the truth that we have in your word and how that just gives us that peace that surpasses all understanding, the strength that we can only get through you. We just thank you for what comfort we have in your word and that we are in Christ and what all that means. for dominions and powers and all the evil forces that they have been disarmed by you. And we rest in that fact. And Father we just thank you again that you've left us with your word and the indwelling spirit and again that we operate in a system of grace. and what a tremendous place to be is in your system of grace. So we thank you for that. We do just pray for Vern in the next meeting just to accurately give us the word and prepare our hearts to receive it. And now we thank you for all these things in Jesus' name. Amen.