Now, if you're looking for a central
theme in the book of Colossians, it would be the title of my message this
morning, Jesus Christ Himself. If you look back at chapter 1,
verse 12, watch this, all the way through these chapters, giving
thanks unto the Father, which hath made us qualified to be
partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light, who hath
delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated
us into the kingdom of his dear Son, the Son of his love. in whom we have redemption through
his blood, even the forgiveness of sins. It's Christ. Chapter 1, verse 18. And he,
Jesus Christ himself, he's the head of the body of the church,
who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things
he, Christ, might have preeminence. For it pleased the Father that
in Christ should all fulness dwell. Chapter 2, verses 2 and
3. That their hearts might be comforted,
being knit together in love, and unto all riches, of the full
assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgment of the mystery
of God, and of the Father, and of Christ. In whom? Jesus Christ himself. In whom
are hid all the treasures, all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge,
of fullness, of treasures, of wisdom in Christ. Now my text, verse 9. Verse 8
says, Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy, vain
deceit, or after the traditions of men, the traditions of religion,
or after the rudiments, the elements, the Old Testament sacrifices
and days and baptisms and ceremonies, and not after Christ. For it's
in him, in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. What's he saying here in verse
9? dwelleth all the fullness of
the Godhead. We're not talking about the gospel
here, not the gospel message or the gospel doctrine of redemption. All the fullness of God doesn't
dwell in a doctrine or in a system of doctrine. It dwells in him. It dwells in the man, Jesus Christ
himself, God's true person, God's true nature. dwells in Jesus
Christ, in the man. There is one God and one mediator
between God and man, and that's the man. So all the fullness
of God, all his true person, nature, body and soul dwells
in Jesus Christ. Now, God is everywhere. We know
that. God is everywhere. David wrote,
Whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend into heaven,
thou art there. If I make my bed in the grave,
thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning
and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there, thy hand
shall guide me. God is everywhere. But God was
in the tabernacle in a very special way. In the Holy of Holies, into
which only the high priest could go once a year, God dwelt in
a special way. The Shekinah glory of God was
upon that mercy seat. So that if any man came near
that place, he was destroyed. Only the high priest with the
blood, once a year. So God's everywhere, but there
was a special sense in which God dwelt in that holy of holies. And God was, in the highest manner,
in the person of Christ Jesus. Jesus Christ, listen to me now.
Jesus Christ is to deity what your body is to your soul. Here's
a body up here, and in this body there's a soul. This body is
the house in which this person dwells. Well, let me tell you
something. God is in Christ in the same
way that my soul is in this body. God is in the man, Jesus Christ. That's right. Listen to the scripture
over here in 2 Corinthians 5. 2 Corinthians 5, verse 19. It
says here in 2 Corinthians 5, verse 19, namely, that God was
in Christ. God was in Christ. reconciling the world to himself
by Jesus Christ. God was in Christ. All the fullness
of the Godhead dwells in Jesus Christ. It dwells in him, the
divine nature, the divine attributes, the divine power, omnipotence,
omniscience, immutability, righteousness, the creator, All the fullness
of God dwells in Jesus Christ. That's what he could say to the
disciples. He's seen me, he's seen God. I and my Father are
one. I like it in my text. Listen.
In Christ dwelleth. He dwells there. God dwells in
Christ. all of God, nature, attributes,
essence, power, righteousness dwells in Christ, dwells all
the fullness of God, bodily, bodily, permanently. Now listen,
God himself dwells in Christ Jesus. Not by power as in the
universe, God's power is manifested everywhere, the snow, the rain,
the lightning, the growing of vegetables, that's God's powers
everywhere. And not by grace as in a believer,
God dwells in us, by grace. And not by gifts as in an apostle,
the apostle had gifts. It could be said of them like
it was said of Christ, no man could do the miracles you do
except God be with him. Not by signs as in the temple,
the smoke, That was an indication God was there. The cloud, the
pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night, those
were signs. But what this is saying here,
in Christ Jesus himself dwelleth all the fullness of God. Essentially, personally, God
dwells in Christ Jesus. And listen to that next line,
verse 10. So you're complete in him. This man is our Savior. This man, God, was manifest in
the flesh. God himself was manifest in the
flesh. Not a representative of God,
but God himself. In him dwelleth all. of the fullness of the Godhood,
permanently, bodily, in Jesus Christ. That's what qualifies
him to be our Savior. The same thing that qualifies
a well to quench thirst, that's where the water is. A well can quench your thirst
because that's where the water is. And Jesus Christ can save
your soul and fill you with the with the completeness of God,
because God is in him. You are complete in him. You
feel full in him. We are in him, and all fullness
being in him, then we are full also. Not in ourselves, but in
him. Not what we shall be some day,
but what we are right now. You are complete in him. All
spiritual blessings are in Christ Jesus. Blessed be the God and
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all spiritual
blessings, all spiritual blessings, in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus.
Of God are you in Christ, who has made unto us wisdom, righteousness,
sanctification, and redemption. That's the reason that we're
redeemed. We're in him in whom all the
fulness of God dwells. What's the next line? And he
is the head of all principalities and powers. Now, we read a while
ago he's the head of the Church. That's true, we know that. Christ
is the head of the Church. But he's the head of all kings
and nations. He's the head of all angels,
good and bad. He's the head of all rulers and
enemies in high places, all principalities and powers. He's their head,
too. Read this in Ephesians 6. Ephesians 6, verse 12. And these are our enemies. It says in verse 12 of Ephesians
6, we wrestle not against flesh and blood. Flesh and blood are not our enemies.
We wrestle against principalities and powers, against the rulers
of the darkness of this world. We're talking about Satan, demons,
evil angels. evil principles and powers, spiritual
wickedness in high places, we wrestle against those things.
But he's their head. They're under his control. This
man is God. This man is God. All the fullness
of God dwelleth in him. He's not a representative of
God, he is God. All the fullness of God is in
him. So if I'm in him, I'm complete. I'm lacking nothing. And when
he says here that he's even the head over principalities and
powers, that's said to declare his excellency, that's true.
To declare his greatness, that's true. But it's also to deliver
us from fear of any enemy, of any power, or
any creature. I can't be delivered from the
fear of these things unless my Savior has control over them.
But that's what it says here. Now, turn to Romans 8, and let
me share what Paul says about that in Romans 8. Romans 8, verse
38. I'm persuaded that neither death the life, no angels, no principalities
or powers, no things present, no things to come. Now, no height,
no depth, or any other creature can separate me from the love
of God which is in Christ Jesus my Lord. Do none of these things
frighten you? No. Why don't they frighten you?
Because he's the head of these things. They're all totally,
completely under his control because he's God. is God. 1 Corinthians 3, listen to this.
All principalities and powers, 1 Corinthians 3, verse 21. Therefore let no man
glory in me, and all things are yours. Why does it matter? Because they are in him, under
his control. Whether it's Paul, or Apollos,
or Cephas, that's the apostles, or the world, or life, or death,
or things present, or things to come, people are worried about
Armageddon, they're worried about raptures, they're worried about
all these things. Why? They're under his total control. And they're yours! And you're
his! And he's God's! I hope that's clear what I'm saying.
I'm trying to illustrate that this body has, it's not two or
three people in here, it's just one. And everything about me,
my nature, my essence, my personality, my likes and dislikes, my intentions,
my ambitions, my faith, everything's in here, it's in this body. And
when Jesus Christ was born of Mary and came into this world,
God Almighty in all of his essence, purity, power, perfections, attributes,
character, he came in this man. In Jesus Christ personally, himself,
dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead in a body. And I'm complete in him. I like
nothing, need nothing. that he doesn't supply. Fear
not. He said, you look unto me and
be ye saved, for I am God. Is that clear? For I am God. For I am God. You look to me. Don't pray to a God that can't
save you. Don't spend your money for that which cannot satisfy
you. Look to me, for I am God, and
there is none else. We're complete in him, we always
have been. We are now, and we always will be. That's as essential
truth as I can present in this pulpit. That's as necessary to
faith as anything I can say. That Jesus Christ is God Almighty. in all of the fullness and power
and essence in Christ Jesus. And you are complete in him.
Look at all these other things in him. Verse 11, in whom you
are circumcised. It was a circumcision made without
hands. Back in the Old Testament, beginning with Abraham, God required
all of the Jews, Jewish men, to be circumcised. And this was
man's work. Man did it. Man circumcised the
flesh. And circumcision said four things
about the Jews. Number one, it says that they're
God's people. That's distinguished from other
nations. This circumcision, something that took place in Israel and
nowhere else. Anywhere you saw a circumcised
man, he's a Jew. And they called all Gentiles
the uncircumcised. So it first distinguished the
Jews from all other nations. Circumcision allowed him to come
into the temple. No uncircumcised man could come
to the temple or partake of the Passover, could not partake of
the Passover. Thirdly, a child was named when
he was circumcised. They were circumcised when they
were eight days old, and when they were circumcised, they received
a name when they were circumcised. Up to then, they didn't have
one, but they have one now. Circumcision is a sign. It's
not given to save or to cleanse or to purify or actually make
a man one with God. It's a sign. It's a sign of the
operation of God, not on the flesh. That's man's work. But
an operation of God made without hands on the heart. God cuts
away the offended flesh and gives a new heart. Now, in Christ we're
circumcised. That is, in Christ we're distinguished
from all other people. We're a holy nation. a peculiar
people, a royal priesthood with God's people. These are my people,
that's what it said. Christ said, all mine are thine,
and that's in Christ. And that's what distinguishes
us from other nations, is Christ in us. Secondly, it allows us
to take the Passover. Christ is our Passover. It allows
us to eat his flesh and drink his blood. It allows us to come
into his presence and worship him, because we've been circumcised
in heart. Thirdly, we had a name. God said
to Jacob, you're no longer Jacob, you're Israel, you're Prince. When God upweighed on our hearts,
he gave us a new name, Christian, child of God, his name. Circumcision is a hard way, and
we are peculiar people. Turn to 1 Peter 2. This is a description of these
circumcised people. In 1 Peter 2, verse 9, it says,
you are chosen generation. You are a royal priesthood. You are a holy nation. You are
a peculiar people, that you should show forth the praises of him
who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. In
times past you were not a people, but are now the people of God.
There was a time when you had not obtained mercy, but now you
have obtained mercy. Complete in him. circumcised
in him, now look at verse 12, buried with him in baptism. Buried
with him in baptism, wherein also you are risen with him,
through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from
the dead. Let's look at Romans 6. Our baptism,
when we came into the waters of baptism to confess Our baptism
is a picture of our redemption in Christ Jesus. That's what
baptism is. It's a picture. It's not a sacrament.
It's not a saving ordinance. It's not entrance into the church. It's a confession of Christ. It's the way the early church
confessed Christ. When they heard the gospel and
God visited them in mercy and gave them faith, then they went
into the waters of baptism. and they confess Christ. And
it's not only a confession of Christ, but it's a public demonstration
of our identification with Christ, who died, who was buried, who
rose again. And in Christ we're dead, we're
buried with Christ, crucified with him, buried with him, and
risen with him to walk in the newness of life. Let's read this
in Romans 6, verse 3. That so many of us as were baptized
into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death. That's what we're
picturing, that's what we're identifying with, his death.
Therefore we're buried with him by baptism into death. That like
as Christ died and was buried and was raised from the dead
by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness
of life. For we have been planted together
in the likeness of his death. We shall also be in the likeness
of his resurrection. When Christ died on the cross,
he died under the curse of our sins. He died because he bore
our sins in his body on the tree. He was the substitute and the
sacrifice for sin. He was wounded for our transgressions.
He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace
was upon him, and he was buried. died and he was buried. And we
were buried. We died and we were buried. And
then he arose without sin. He arose glorified. He arose
without sin. He arose perfected. And we died
and we're buried, and we rise with Christ and we're perfect
in him, because of his obedience and his death. And it's by, here
it says, Be buried with him in baptism where he in Colossians
2, you are risen with him through the faith of the operation of
God. Now listen to this. It is by faith and through faith
that we see ourselves crucified with Christ and buried with Christ
and risen with Christ. It's not just any type of faith
either, it's the faith that's through the operation of God,
the circumcision of God. The work of God on the heart,
the gift of God, the same power, look at this last line here,
who hath raised him from the dead. We are buried with him
in baptism, also we are risen with him through the faith of
the operation of God. The same power that raised him
from the dead is the power of God which works in us, that saving
faith that looks to Christ. That's the power, through the
operation of God, do we see ourselves crucified, buried, risen with
Christ. By the operation of God in our
hearts, giving us faith. Romans 4 shows this. Abraham
is an example, and we have the same faith as Abraham. In Romans
4, listen. Romans 4, verse 21. and being fully persuaded that
what God had promised he was able to perform. How was Abraham
persuaded of that? By the operation of God, by a
God-given faith, by God revealing himself to him, by God calling
him. He found grace in the eyes of
the Lord, and God came, Abraham, get thee out of our father's
house. What made the man leave his father's house? God operated
on him. No assault on nobody else. Abraham heard what nobody else
heard. Abraham knew what nobody else knew. It was the operation
of God. And he was willing to leave his
home. Seventy-five years old. Take his wife and leave home.
Wander in the wilderness until he died. Believe in God. That's
the operation of God. That's the circumcision of the
heart. Not made with hands. persuasion, entreaties, invitations,
dragging people, so many, won't do it, God reveals it. He believed. That prayer, verse 22, was imputed
to him for righteousness. And that wasn't written for his
sake alone that it was imputed to him, but for us also to whom
it shall be imputed if we believe on him that raised our Lord Jesus
from the dead. Because we see in Christ's death
our death, in Christ's burial our burial, in Christ's resurrection
glorified, holy, perfect. So we went back to heaven, back
to the Father and sat down on the right hand of God. We see
ourselves. How can you say that? God opened my eyes. How can you
believe that? God gave me faith. How can you
hear that? I've got ears to hear it. It's an operation of God. You see that? That's what that's
saying here. He's God. All the fullness of
God is in Him, not in a creed or a cult or a denomination or
a church or a law. It's in Him. And I'm complete
in Him. And I'm circumcised, made a child
of God, a holy nation in him. I'm crucified with him, and I'm
buried with him, and I'm risen with him. Because verse 13 tells
me what I was, and what God did, and what I am now. Listen to
verse 13. and the uncircumcision of your
flesh." That's what we were, dead in sin, hopelessly, helplessly
dead in sin. Didn't seek God, know God, love
God or want God. Trying to find the righteousness
of our own. What did he do? He quickened
us together with Christ, representatively. He quickened us together with
Christ, having forgiven you, having forgiven you. Is that
past tense? I'm not an English major, but I think that's past
tense, having already forgiven you. He raised you having already
forgiven you. That's a past act. That's all
God. God ordained it, God decreed
it, and God accomplished it in his Son, having already forgiven
you, already, of all trespasses. I'm talking about all sins. There's
not anybody here that doesn't grieve over your sins. There's
not anybody here that ever spends a day or goes through a whole
day that I say, Lord, forgive me. There's not anybody here
that's not, like David said, my sins are ever before me. But
they're not before him. He has forgiven you of all your
sins, past, present, and future. Having already forgiven you. Past, present, and future. All
sins. Original, actual. Sins of mind,
body, whatever, thought, imagination, before conversion, after conversion,
before faith, after faith, you just rile them all up in one,
a whole lifetime from cradle to grave, and God is already
forgiven them in Christ. That's right. And not only that,
but he's quickened us with Christ. We're already seated with Christ
in the heavens. Watch this, verse 14, I'm blotted
out. This Jesus Christ himself, all the fullness of God in him. Circumcised in him, you're circumcised
in him, you're crucified, buried in him, you're risen in him,
you're forgiven. Only God can forgive sin, and
he's God. And he blotted out the handwriting
of ordinances that was against us, was contrary to us, took
it away, and laid it to the cross. What is this handwriting of ordinances? Well, one is the ceremonial law.
The law of Moses, the ceremony of the law of Moses, that was
written, and every washing says we're still polluted. And every
sacrifice says we've still got to die. And every atonement was
said, every time they offered it once a year, says it's not
done yet. But he's blotted that out. It is done. The great transaction
is done. I don't need any washings, and
I don't need any sacrifices, and I don't need any atonement.
He's my atonement. So that's blotted out. All those
handwritings of Sabbaths and Holy Days and forms and all these
things, rituals, blotted out. What's this other handwriting?
Someone wrote Ten Commandments one time with his own hand. Almighty God. wrote his law. He wrote it in tables of stone,
and they are against us. That's right. The handwriting
of ordinances and laws against us, contrary to us. Don't tell
me it's not. The law is fulfilled in two words,
Love God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength. Would
God I could. Love your neighbors as you love
yourself. Under God I can't. Wish I could. It's against me.
But thank God he took that law out of the hands of Moses and
put it in an ark. And on that ark, the mercy seat.
And on that mercy seat, the blood of his son. And blotted it out. Old Belshazzar saw that hand
over there writing on the wall. What's that mean? It means you're
weighed in the balances and found wanting. And that law God gave
Moses, said that to all of us, and that law God wrote himself
on the Mount Sinai, says you're weighed and found wanting. And
there's another writing, Revelation 20, there's another writing that's
against me. There's another writing against
me in Revelation 20. Oh boy. In Revelation 20, verse
11. I saw a great white throne, and
him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and heaven fled
away, no place found for him. And I saw the dead, small and
great, stand before God. And the books were opened. And
another book was opened, which is the book of life. But the
dead were judged out of those things written in the books according
to their works." You talk about handwriting against
you. and the law of ceremonies, the
law of God, and everything I've ever done in secret, in public,
privately, thought wrong, said wrong, did wrong, is written
on some books in heaven that are going to be open. But he
blotted that out. He blotted that out. They don't
exist. I saw three things here in that
verse, verse 14. The handwriting of ordinances,
contrary to us against us, he blotted them out. That means
they can't be read. When something is blotted out,
it can't be read. It can't be read. He took it away. He took it out of the way. It
can't be seen. It can't be read, it can't be
seen. And he nailed it to the cross. paid in full, can't be
charged. I'm debt free. It's nailed to
the cross. Let me tell you something. This generation can put their
hopes in anything they want to, that's all right. But my hope
is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and his righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest, most appealing frame. But I wholly,
completely lean on him who is God, all fullness in him, in
whom I've been operated on, in whom I died and was buried and
rose again, and whom by his death blotted out all the handwriting
against me in heaven, earth, and hell, took it away and nailed
it to his cross, and I bear it no more, free in Christ. That's good news. And this in
verse 15, he spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of
them openly, triumphing over them. What's that mean? Well,
when a Roman emperor won a victory and conquered a city or his foes,
he rode through the streets of Rome in an open chariot, and
all of his captives, the kings and nobles and warriors, stripped
of their armor, stripped of their shields, with their hands tied
behind them, they walked exposed to public shame and disgrace
before their emperor who conquered them. And my Lord conquered all
principalities and powers and made a show of them openly. He's
defeated Satan, sin, hell, and death. And he's made a bold display
of all his foes, all his enemies, God said, are under his feet.
And he parades them down the street, vanquished foes. He spoiled them. So therefore,
verse 16, I'll close. Don't let any man spoil you or
judge you and say you're not saved because you eat a certain
kind of meat. Or you don't drink this, you don't do drink that.
Or in respect of a holy day, you don't keep the Sabbath day
Sabbath. You don't keep the feast days
and the Sabbath days and the circumcision. Don't let any man
judge you in those things. Don't you let any man sit in
judgment on you and your relationship with Christ because you don't
do things like he does them. Ordered by some traditions that
have already been fulfilled. Because verse 17, these are shadows,
these are types, these are pictures. They're paid for. Fulfill the
body's Christ. And don't you let any man beguile
you of your reward in a voluntary humility. What's that self-abasement?
I tell you, true humility before God and true faith before God
is in here, not a show. Not put on. pretense, this voluntary humility,
that's what they put on to demonstrate. They look up towards heaven and
raise their hand and go through all these different, that's a
voluntary humility. Oh, I'm just such a low preacher. That's in here. That's in here. This is Isaiah 65. I want you
to look at this. I've taken too long, but I want
you to look at Isaiah 65 a minute. Isaiah 65, verse 2, he's talking
about these Jewish, pious, religious people put on pretense, outward
show of humility, outward show of religion. He said in verse
2, I've spread out my hands all day unto a rebellious people,
which walketh in a way that's not good, after their own thoughts. A people provoke me to anger
continually to my face. that sacrifices in God. They
do sacrifice. They burn incense upon altars
of bricks. They have religion. They go about
all these pretense and put on and demonstrations of religion. They do all those things. Which
remain among the graves and lodge in the monuments, which eat swine's
flesh and the broth of abominable things in their vessels. And
they say, now, you stand by yourself. Don't come near me. I'm holier
than you are. You're not holy enough for me.
I'm holier than you are. I've got religion. I've got a
piety that you don't have. I keep a day you don't keep.
I go through all these things you don't do. And God says these
people are smoking my nose. You ever go out when somebody's
barbecuing and every way you walk the smoke follows you. After
a while you're coughing and spitting and trying to look for a place
to breathe some fresh air. And that's the way God says he
is around these religious put-on people, making a pretense out
of religion. He said, they're smoking my nose. I want to get away from them.
Smoking my nose. A fire that burns all the time. Nauseating. Now don't let a man
beguile you of your reward or rob you of your relationship
with Christ by accusing you of not being outwardly religious
all the time. And they worship angels. They
worship heavenly messengers. They claim visions that they
haven't seen. Worshiping angels, intruding into things they haven't
seen. God said this to me. No, he didn't. No, I promise
you he didn't. You may hear voices, but it's
not God's voice. You hear God speak through his words. God
showed this to me. No, he didn't. No, he didn't. I receive revelations that nobody
else has and prophecies that nobody else has. No, you don't.
No, you don't. This is a put-on humility, this
worshiping of angels and visions and things that are not seen,
vainly puffing up this fleshly mind. Don't let anybody judge
you. You stay with the Word. You stay
with that awesome, delightful, personal, private The relationship
with a living Christ, with God in Christ. Holding the head,
that's our Lord, from which all the body, by joints and bands,
are nourished. Christ nourishes us. We feed
on him and live on him and walk with him and delight in him and
knit together increasing with the increase of God. If you be
good with Christ, from the rudiments of the world, why, as they're
living in your world, are you subject to touch not, taste not,
handle not, to appease some religious crowd? And all these things are
to perish with the using of them. They're all flesh. He's forever. His grace is forever. His love is forever. His mercy
is forever.