I fully intended to finish this
chapter, but I didn't get past verse 15. I'm going to look at
three verses. That's all right, it's so full.
Read verses 10 through 13 again. Colossians 2.10, you're complete
in Christ, which or who is the head of all principality and
power. in whom, in Christ also, ye are
circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, and putting
off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of
Christ, buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with
him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised
him from the dead. being dead in your sins and uncircumcision
of your flesh, hath he quickened together with Christ, having
forgiven you all, all trespassers." Sounds like Ephesians, doesn't
it? Go back to Ephesians 2. The reason it sounds like it,
because it's the same message through and through. Ephesians
2, and you, he says, were dead, hath he quickened. Ephesians
2 says the same thing. Verse 1, you hath he quickened
who were dead and trespassed in sin. And verse 5, even when
we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ. It's
by grace you're saved. And down in verse 11, talking
about circumcision, it says, remember, you being in time past
Gentiles in the flesh who are called uncircumcised. by that
which is called the circumcision, that is, by Jews in the flesh
made by hands. To go back to our text now, this
thing of circumcision, and we've done a whole message on that,
but this was a law of God for Jewish males. It was a mark in
the flesh that distinguished them from the Gentile world. Romans 2, go over there, Romans
2. This speaks of this. And what circumcision really
is, is a picture of Christ crucified. We just read how it says Christ
performed this circumcision on his people, male and female.
It's of the heart. Look with me at Romans 2, verse
28. He is not a Jew which is one
outwardly. Neither is circumcision, which is outward in the flesh.
He is a Jew, which is one inward. And circumcision is that of the
heart, spirit, not in the letter, whose praise is not of men, but
of God. So this thing was a law of God. And now you can go back to Colossians
2. This thing was a law of God for Jewish males, a mark in the
flesh that distinguished them from the rest of the world. But
all of God's people, male and female, in Christ there's no
male and female. And flesh, doing something to
our flesh can't get us into the spirit world. Flesh and blood
can't inherit the kingdom of God and can't, by works of the
flesh, you can't be justified. It never did, it never was. meant
to distinguish somebody as being a child of God. It's a picture. It's a type. It's a shadow, okay? Paul said in Philippians 3, verse
3, now we're the circumcision. He said all of God's people are
the true circumcision. That is those who have been operated
on by God. He says three marks. Here's the
marks. This thing that God does on the
heart is they worship God. and spirit, rejoice in Christ
Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh. What God does on
the heart of every believer is make them realize in your flesh
dwelleth no good thing. The flesh is useless. And Christ
had to come in the flesh and condemn sin in the flesh. And he himself was, he removed
this body of sin in his body on the cross. Circumcision is a bloody thing,
it's a painful thing. Christ redeemed us and removed
this body of sin. It's a mystery, but he did it
by his own blood and pain and suffering. And now the marks
of God's people is not outward in the flesh, but it's in the
heart. You understand a little bit of
that? Okay. That's what that means. That's what circumcision
is all about. In our text it says that he has
forgiven us in verse 13. We're quickened together, raised
together, alive under God, once dead. having forgiven you all
your trespasses. I love that. Don't you? Trespassing. Trespassing is what we think
it is. You're somewhere you shouldn't
be. You're on somebody else's property without permission.
And you didn't ask. And you're a squatter. And you're
going to be cast out. The earth is the Lord's in the
fullness thereof. The world, everything in it,
inhabitants thereof, belongs to the Lord. What does the Lord
require of His creatures? Thanks and service. Serve His glory. Do any of us
do that by nature? Do any human beings call on God
by nature? No. In fact, they think, this
earth is our right. It belongs to us. It was the
Native American Indians that were incredulous when the white
man came and said, we're taking it. We bought it. And one of
the old chiefs, Al Gonkel or something, said, how can you
buy the earth? It doesn't belong to us. That's
what they believe. But they sure did claim it. But that's what man thinks. This
is ours. No, it's not. You're a trespasser. If you don't
acknowledge whose it is, give him thanks for it. That's the
rent we pay. And it doesn't belong to us. It's on loan. What do
we do with God loaned us? We use it for others. He'll let
you stay. He'll let you use it. If you
just ask Him and thank Him and use it, use His earth for what
it has meant, His glory. Trespassers. This parking lot
is a haven for trespassers. I sit over here and study and
people All the time. All the time they'd come park
their cars here. And one time a fellow was so brazen I had
my truck parked there and he just pulled right beside my truck
and got out and got his daughter out and had her skating all over
the parking lot. I don't mind, but it's like I
wasn't even here. And that's man, isn't it? It's like
God doesn't exist. The heavens declare his glory.
The firmament showeth his iniquity. Day after day after day after day after day after day after
day after day after day after day after day after day after day after day after day after day after
day after day after day after day after day after day after day after day after day after
day after day after day after day after day after day after day after day after day after day after
day after day after day after day after day after day after day after day after day after
day after day after day after day after day after day after day after day after day after day after
day after day after day after day after day after day after day after day after day after day after
day after day after day after day after day after day after day after day after day
after day after day after day after day after day after day after day after day after day
after day after day after day after day after day after day
after day after day after day after day after day after day
after day after day after day after day after day after day after day after day after day after
day after One time, some ladies got together
and I saw like three or four cars parked on the parking lot
right beside each other and they got in one car. I guess they
were going shopping or wherever in the parkway. They parked their
car and left. They didn't ask me. Well, I went
out there and I'd just written an article on trespassing. I'd
just written it. These very things, how we trespass
on God's earth. And I pasted that on the window
while I was gone. You're trespassing. I said, if
you just ask, don't mind a bit, just ask. And then that's what
God said, just ask. Well, that's all. That was me.
But, yeah. Dead to God. Didn't even care
if there was a God. I'm sure glad he cared for me.
Forgiven. All forgiven. All your trespasses. Past, present, future. Blotted out. Wiped out. All forgiven. Is that easy? Yeah. You just
ask, forgive me. Gone. But it cost Christ dearly,
didn't it? Cost him. Verse 14 says he's
blotted out, blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that's
against it, contrary to it. Took it out of the what? Nailed
it to the ground. These ordinances, I wish German
Baptists were listening to this, Amish, I wish, but they're not.
We are. The Reformed, I wish more people
were here, but they're not. We are. We're so blessed here. Paul at one time said, tell me
you that desire to be under the law, don't you hear it? He said to the Galatians who
offended him, one point to give to them. One point. Because it's
against God. It's His law. In Romans 3, it
says, whatsoever things the law say, say it to them that are
under the law. Now what does it say? that every
mouth may be stopped and all the world become guilty as charged. That's what the law says. The
law says this do and live. We don't. We haven't. In fact,
we're positively rebellious. You know, there's sins which
are active rebellion against God. There's iniquities. We come
short. of the glory of God. It's trespassing
where we ought not to be, doing what we ought not to be, not
asking questions. Different forms, sins, just out and out rebellion
against God. And what the law saith, it saith
to every human being that every man may be stopped and all the
world become guilty. Stand before the law of God guilty
as charged on all charges. Our Lord came, and the scripture
says He magnified the law. You remember the Sermon on the
Mount? He said, you've heard it said in the law, thou shalt
not steal. He says, to covet is your guilt. He said, you've heard it said,
thou shalt not kill. Now he's the one that wrote it.
He said, I said to you, to be angry at your brother without
a cause, you've wanted him dead. But I didn't let you kill him,
but you're guilty. Guilty. Everything, every child. And the law required, the law
is spiritual, Paul said. He said, I'm carnal, I'm flesh.
The law, God looks on the heart. God requires perfection in thought. The Pharisees thought, well,
we'll keep the law on the outward. It's not good enough. Not good
enough? God looks on the motive. Why
are you doing this? For a reward? Guilty. You're taking glory. So the law,
God, Christ magnified the law and he made it honorable. He kept it perfectly in thought,
word. Deed, his hands, his feet, clean
hands, pure heart, never lifted up his soul unto vanity or swore
deceitfully. The perfect man in the flesh. And then God. Scripture says,
cursed is everyone that, you're cursed if you offend in one point.
The law is a curse. When Adam sinned in the garden,
God said, cursed is the ground for your sin. Everything you
touch like leprosy. Curse, curse, curse. Pain, thorns,
thistle. Because of sin came all these
things. Thorns and thistle and pain and
anger and wrath and malice and lust and lust of the eyes and
the flesh and the pride and just all these things that cause pain
and suffering and evil and wickedness. Just curse, curse, curse. The
whole world is full of sin and under the curse of the law, because
we're all much a sinner. Christ came to redeem us from
the curse. How? Cursed is he that hangeth
on a tree. And God put his flesh, his soul,
on the maiden altar for sin. Soul that sinned. You say he
never sinned. No, he didn't. But God made him
sin. Made him to be sinned. Who knew
no sin? This is our salvation. Substitution. Switch places. He made a curse. My, my. And so, hanging on the
cross, it says, scripture says, verse 14, he blotted out the
handwriting of ordinances that was against him. Over top of his cross was Jesus
of Nazareth, the King of the Jews. That's right. The king,
alright. Remember, Pilate said, the people
said, don't put that there. They said, he said he was king
of the Jews. Pilate said, what I've written,
I've written. Who told him to write that? God did. In every
language. Let it be understood. This is
your king. Everybody, whether you know it
or not. Oh, what condescension. Your king came down here. He
never condescended any more than when he became obedient to death,
even the death of the cross. God hung him naked, stripped
him of his righteousness, and put sin in him, on him. That's
us. Everything naked and open before
God. All our sins. But when he stripped Christ,
he clothed us. covered us with His righteousness. God sees us holy. And that blood
paid for every sin, forgave every sin, paid for every sin. Nailed
to that cross was not only His title king, His blood was on
that cross, but every ordinance, every law against us that we'd
broken, nailed to that cross, paid in full. kept. All charges laid on him. Everybody else, all charges dropped. Isn't that wonderful? Wonderful,
wonderful, wonderful. Where am I? Oh, verse 14. He
nailed it to the cross. In verse 15, it says, he spoiled
principalities and powers. He spoiled principalities and
powers and made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it, that
is, His cross or in Himself. He spoiled principalities and
power. Now, Ephesians 6 said, we don't
wrestle with flesh and blood. Our flesh is not the big enemy,
really. But he said, we wrestle against
principalities and powers, against the rulers of the darkness of
this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Adam
and Eve, spiritual wickedness in high
places came to them, came to the woman. And that's significant. God makes this very clear. Came
to the woman and he deceived her. How? Flattery. Pride. You'll be as God. Lies. Deception. God say that? Did
God say that? You'll die? And then flat out
and out denial. You won't die. Boy, if that isn't
religion today. It's Satan's seeds. And it's
led by women. It's a fact. You know what's
up? Look at the congregations, everywhere. I was reading yesterday about
Catholic Mariology. That's what they call it, Mariology,
the study of Mary. They call her the matriarchs,
the co-redemptress. She had a part in our redemption.
No, she didn't. They say she's a mediatrix. Another
mediator. That's a flat lie against God's
Word, isn't it? Satan started it in the garden. It started with flattery, with
lies, an open denial of Scripture. And she fell for it. She swallowed
it. She loved it. Oh, and sin came in. And Adam
willingly did it. That was open rebellion against
God, wasn't it? Wasn't anything noble about that.
In other words, I guess he loved her more than he loved God. And we're going to read about
that in Luke 14 real soon. And so Satan deceives him and
her, and Christ was the one who came in the garden that day.
Yes, He was. The voice of God came walking.
Who's the voice of God? That's Christ. In the beginning
was the Word. where it was with God. Without Him, was it not
anything made that was made? Let us make man in our image. That's Christ. And He spoke. He's the one that said, let there
be light. He's the one. God made man. How did He make
him? With His own hands. Who? Christ. Went down in the
dust and gathered it up. The God-man made a creature of
clay, a vessel of clay and breathed. Christ is life. Life in Adam. Adam became a living
son. Looked just like Christ. But
he rebelled against him. His image marred. Marred the
image. So what did God do? Marred his
son's image. Innocence. Sent him down here. No beauty outwardly, but oh,
he was beautiful. Because beauty is not skin. It's in the heart. And yet God
marred his image more than anything. But he never looked more beautiful
than when he was bloody. Only one person in glory has
blemishes, scars, Jesus Christ. And we're all going to think
he's the most beautiful person in heaven. He's got scars on
his head, his hands, his side, feet. That's why we're there. Because he was scarred. Marred
his image. So Christ came in the garden
to tell them, the first man and woman, that he's coming. The
woman sees. They didn't understand. So he
showed them. He showed them. He took a little
lamb. Maybe Eve's pet. Her dear, her
darling lamb. First little flock. Innocent. pure eyes, full of
life, and right before their eyes. You don't understand, do
you? You don't understand, do you, Eve? You don't understand
what you've done. Father, forgive them. They've done not what they've
done. Adam, you just don't know what
you have started, because you didn't believe me. And this is
what it's going to take. And he took that precious little
lamb, took a knife, and slit his throat. And the blood just,
they'd never seen blood. They didn't know what blood was.
That's in you. I put that blood in you. It's
the life of the flesh. The soul that sins must die.
And that little lamb, they watched it kick and it stopped. Blood everywhere. It's dead. They didn't know what death was.
Dead. Light gone out of its eyes. The
warmth left his body sad. Was Eve crying? What have I done? Was Adam? What have we done? And Christ said, this is what
you've done. I'm going to undo. And then he slit its belly and
pulled that skin off, stripped that lamb of its cover,
And they're standing there naked, shivering. And he took that lamb,
that skin, and wrapped it around both of them. And they felt warm
for the first time in a little while. Now, children, this is
what I am going to come and do for you, for your people, the
son of the sons of Adam. I'm going to cover them. I'm
going to pay for their sins by my own precious blood. I'm going
to cover their nakedness. by my own righteousness. It's
going to be the seed of a woman, a virgin born. Did they understand
all this immediately? No. But they lived 900 and some
years. And so he came in the garden.
Well, what was the first thing when Christ was made flesh as
a man? He appeared as a man 30 years
ago. What was the first thing he did? He faced Satan. Satan came, okay? This is our
covenant head. This is the second Adam come. The captain of our salvation,
okay? Our arch enemy. See, he's not
all wise. If he was, he wouldn't have tangled
with Christ. He wouldn't fight God. How foolish
can you be? He's not all wise. God's not
mocked. He mocked Satan. If Satan knew what Christ was
going to do on that cross, he would try to keep him from it.
And Christ said, all the way in the garden, I'm going to bruise
his head. Isn't it? He's going to bruise
my heel, but I'm going to break his head, stand on his head. He's going to be under my feet. Satan didn't have a clue what
he was talking about. It's like that. Alright, he came
as a man and faced Satan first thing. And Satan hurled at him
every temptation that we can face as men and women in the
flesh. Lust of the eye, lust of the
flesh, pride of the life. And Christ defeated him. He didn't
find one. He defeated him completely. Satan was disappointed, as you
know. I'm not making light of principalities
and powers, but I'm lifting up our wonderful one who did this. He did this. Like God mocked
Satan when he came to appear. Remember Job chapter 1? Satan
appeared because he had to. He couldn't do anything unless
God let him. And he came to appear like everybody
else did. And he said, God said, have you
considered my servant Job? Doesn't like him. Satan said,
yeah, I have, but I can't touch him. God let him have it. Not completely.
He let him touch his flesh. And God did this. Satan entered
into... Alright, the next time, our Lord
was on it for three and a half years, and then the next time
he met Satan, he was on Calvary's trail. Satan entered into Judas. Who told him to do that? God did. Christ did. Remember,
Christ said to John, the one I dip the sop in and give it
to, he's going to betray me. Why? Because he has to. Because
I'm doing this. And he gave it to Judas. And
it says immediately Satan entered into it. Right there. Because
Christ said so. All right? And then what Christ
said was, what you do, do quickly. Get. Like a dog. Get. And he did. He went out and did what God
determined before to be done. Betrayed the Christ. Innocent
blood. And then God says, hang yourself.
And he did. Work done. That's the Lord Jesus
Christ. Reigning and ruling over everything.
All right? Then he hung on that cross. hanging
on that cross. And what he was doing on that
cross was defeating our adversary. He defeated Satan. Sin was laid
on Christ, put in his body on the tree, and he by himself faced
our foe, the adversary. the accuser of the brethren. And he was guilty, completely
guilty, as charged before God, Satan, man, even man said it. He's guilty. Everybody said it.
He's guilty. That's right. So God killed him
right there. You know what else he did? He
broke the power of canceled sin and set the prisoner. We're going
to sing that song in just a little bit. Oh, for a thousand tongues
to sing. He crushed Satan's power, which
is sin. The law. Strength of sin is the
law. But he kept it. He took it out
of the way. The law. The law says guilty,
but Christ, but God says no, justify it. The law says you
can't do that. Yes, you can. Christ died. The
penalty has been paid. Who's He that condemned? God
justified. Who shall lay anything to charge
of God's elect? Christ died. We're going to see
in Colossians 3, it says you're dead. Well, He said you were
dead, but now you're quickened. But He says you were dead, now
you're alive, but you're dead. What do you mean? You know what
I mean, don't you? Crucified with Christ. Dead. God's not going to charge
us for what Christ did. Satan can't do it. They're guilty. Christ says, no, they're not.
I was made sinful. And at the same time, when Christ,
before He went to the cross, He said, now is the God of this
world come. Now shall the God of this world
be cast out. That's what He said. And I don't
have time, but over in Revelation 20, it talks about an angel coming
down. And he grabbed hold of that serpent and cast him into a pit. And
he stayed there for a long time until he let him out for a thousand
years, for a little while, just a little season. He let his chain
out for a little season. And then after that was over,
according to the will of God, then he cast him into the lake
of fire. Who's that? That's Jesus Christ. He's that
angel who laid hold of the serpent. And he can't do anything. Satan
can't do anything unless Christ has asked him to. He's on a chain. And it says here in verse 15,
in his cross, and the heavens were seeing this, Satan didn't
realize it, but he triumphed. over him openly, made a show
of them openly, triumphant over them in it, in himself. Captain of our salvation. Removed
the curse, answered all accusations, broke the power of canceled sin,
set his people free, free from the law, oh happy condition.
The Lord Jesus had bled and there is remission. Cursed by the law,
bruised by the fall, Christ hath redeemed us once for all. So
it's finished. Satan's finished. His work's
finished. Just remains to be seen. Just a little short season, then
I'm going to be finished with him. And it says here, he openly triumphed
over them in it. He led captivity captive. When Christ went back to glory
after he did this work, surely heaven erupted. Surely the angels
gave him a standing ovation, and all the living saints in
heaven surely said, he did it. He did it. You know it, sir. Let me read
you this from Charles Bunyan. John Bunyan's book, The Holy
War, was written in prison like Pilgrim's Progress. I like it
every bit as much, if not more, than Pilgrim Bible. But it talks
about Immanuel, that's God with us, that's Christ, came down to this earth to free
Mansoul, the town of Mansoul. He came to free them. They were
under the captivity of Diabolus, the devil, under the captivity.
They willingly let him in. They willingly let their adversary
in their town. He came to the ear gate and talked
them in to open it. And they did. Come on in. And
what he did is he took them all captive. He silenced the conscience. Put the recorder, put the town
crier, put him in a place where they couldn't hear him. And he
went to the castle and set up his reign in the heart of Menzo. Well, some petitions went out
to El Shaddai the king on the throne. Help. Send some help. Somebody. We're in captivity.
Send somebody. He said, I will. I'll send my
son, Emmanuel. Captive. I'll set them free. Okay? He came. They wouldn't
open the gate. Ear gate. Couldn't do it. They
barred it. You know what he did? Break it
down. He came in. You know what he
did, first thing he did? He went and got ahold of Diablos. I'm going to read to you. When
Emmanuel had taken him and bound him in chains, he led him into
the marketplace there before the whole town, stripped him
of his armor, which he boasted so much of. The trumpets did
sound, the captains shouted, and the soldiers sang for joy. And before the eyes of Mansoul,
he commands that he should be bound with chains to his chariot
wheels. And he rode triumphant through
the town of Mansoul. And Bunyan says, you cannot think,
unless you'd been there as I was, what a shout there was. in Emmanuel's
camp when they saw that tyrant bound by the hand of their prince
and tied to his chariot wheel. And they all said with one accord,
he had led captivity captive. He had spoiled principalities
and power. Now the God of this world is
under his feet. Amen. Okay.