Series: “The Cross of Christ”

“TRUE FREEDOM THROUGH THE CROSS”
Colossians 2:8-14

Wednesday Evening
April 28, 2010
Dr. Richard Walker

Tonight, I would like to continue my sermon series on “The Cross of Christ” by looking at the difference between true faith which is brought to life by our trust in what Jesus has already done through the Cross, and made-made philosophy and/or religion based legalism. In his letter to the church at Colossi, the apostle Paul address a grievous error made by the Christians of that church where they combined pagan Greek philosophy and the Jewish Law into something far removed from true Christianity. I am afraid that the modern church in our own day is guilty of making this same mistake. We forget that everything we have, everything we can ever hope for comes to us through the Cross of Christ. It is the only thing that will set us free from the bondage of sin. The it is the only thing that we give us freedom from the bondage of man-made religion. The title of my message tonight is, “True Freedom Through the Cross.”

1. THE FOLLY OF FOLLOWING THE TRADITIONS OF MEN (v. 8) – Paul warns believers not be spoiled by returning to law when they were not freed by God’s grace, or to be given over the influences of Greek philosophy which has no power to change men’s lives. Every religion in the world other than the Christian faith is a works-based religion that centers on rules and religious regulation. Even with the Jewish faith, the religious leaders began to add more and more rules thinking the keeping of ordinances and laws was the way to be made right with God. The traditions of men became more important than a true relationship with God. Such an effort is always folly because no one is ever to keep a set of ordinances with perfection, and following law only leads to failure, frustration, and separation from God.

Verse 8 – “Beware lest anyone cheat [KJV- spoil] you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.”

2. BEING MADE COMPLETE IN CHRIST (v. 9-13) – Through Christ’s death and resurrection, and through our spiritual union with Him, we are set free from both the penalty of sin and the bondage of sin and are made alive together with Him. Nothing more than God’s grace activated through our faith in Christ and the Cross is necessary to make us complete in the eyes of God.

Verses 9-13 – “For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power. In Him you were circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting of the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven all your trespasses.”

3. PUTTING AND END TO THE REQUIRMENTS OF THE LAW (v. 14) – In His earthly ministry, Jesus made it clear that He had not come to abolish the Law of Moses, but to fulfill. Yet, through his death on the Cross, He relieved men of the never-ending burden of attempting to keep the law. By keeping the law Himself perfectly, and then paying the penalty for all of us who never could, he did away with the condemnation that came to us through failure, and forever took the requirements of the law away. Now, we live by faith in an age of grace.

Verse 14 – “…having wiped out [KJV – blotting out] the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.”

Unless otherwise noted, all is Scripture taken from the New King James Version, copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission.