10. Your Church Life – O Happy Day!

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Hymns: RHC 286 O Happy Day! 209 Because He Lives 425 Take the World But Give Me Jesus

Colossians 2:11-23

11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: 12 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. 13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; 14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; 15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. 

16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: 17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ. 18 Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, 19 And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God. 20 Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, 21 (Touch not; taste not; handle not; 22 Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men? 23 Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh. (Col. 2:11-23 KJV)

In your Church-Life – O Happy Day! (1)

OUTLINE

  • Consecrated and Baptised (v11-15)
  • Worldly Influence Creeping Into the Church (v16-23)

INTRODUCTION

It is indeed a happy day for believers to have our sins washed away.

Oh happy day (Oh happy day)
Oh happy day (Oh happy day)
When Jesus washed (When Jesus washed)
Oh when he washed (When Jesus washed)
When Jesus washed (When Jesus washed)
He washed my sins away (Oh happy day)

He taught me how to watch, 

And rejoicing every day

happy day happy day
When Jesus washed.

  • Consecrated and Baptised (11-15)

11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: 12 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. 13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; 

The believer coming to faith is described as circumcision without hands, not outward but inward, where one puts off sin in his flesh, that is, having his sins washed away. The rite of circumcision is first commanded of Abraham and his family to identify them as the covenant people of God. 

Here the Apostle Paul describes circumcision as the inward grace itself illustrated by the outward rite of circumcision that God commanded to Abraham upon his descendants. This is accomplished through Christ by His crucifixion. The sins of the flesh are nailed to the cross and put away.

Abraham obeyed God by the rite of circumcision to have his household circumcised, taking hold of God’s promises by faith.

After Jesus died, He was buried in the garden tomb of Joseph of Arimathaea. The burying of Jesus signified that He truly died. For the believer, he is described as having his sins buried with Christ, the act of Christ taking his sins on his behalf.

And this is effectual by faith. It is the faith of the believer who believed that Christ’s death was to atone for his sins that he received this blessing of salvation through the faith that he exercised.

The Westminster Confession of Faith states:

I. Baptism is a sacrament of the New Testament, ordained by Jesus Christ, not only for the solemn admission of the party baptized into the visible Church; but also to be unto him a sign and seal of the covenant of grace of his ingrafting into Christ of regeneration of remission of sins, and of his giving up unto God, through Jesus Christ, to walk in the newness of life. Which sacrament is, by Christ’s own appointment, to be continued in His Church until the end of the world.

II. The outward element to be used in this sacrament is water, wherewith the party is to be baptized, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, by a minister of the Gospel, lawfully called thereunto. 

III. Dipping of the person into the water is not necessary; but Baptism is rightly administered by pouring, or sprinkling water upon the person.

IV. Not only those that do actually profess faith in and obedience unto Christ, but also the infants of one, or both, believing parents, are to be baptized. 

V. Although it is a great sin to contemn or neglect this ordinance, yet grace and salvation are not so inseparably annexed unto it, as that no person can be regenerated, or saved, without it: or, that all that are baptized are undoubtedly regenerated. 

VI. The efficacy of Baptism is not tied to that moment of time wherein it is administered; yet, notwithstanding, by the right use of this ordinance, the grace promised is not only offered, but really exhibited, and conferred, by the Holy Ghost, to such (whether of age or infants) as that grace belongs unto, according to the counsel of God’s own will, in His appointed time.

VII. The sacrament of Baptism is but once to be administered unto any person.

William MacDonald said well “Paul now turns from the subject of circumcision to that of baptism. Just as circumcision speaks of death to the flesh, even so baptism speaks of the burial of the old man. Thus, we read: 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. The teaching here is that we have not only died with Christ, but we have been buried with Him. This was typified at our baptism. It took place at the time of our conversion, but we expressed it in public confession when we went into the waters of baptism. Baptism is burial, the burial of all that we were as children of Adam. In baptism we acknowledge that nothing in ourselves could ever please God, and so we are putting the flesh out of God’s sight forever. But it does not end with burial. Not only have we been crucified with Christ and buried with Him, but we have also risen with Him to walk in newness of life. All of this takes place at the time of conversion. It is through faith in the working of God, who raised Christ from the dead.”

The Apostle Paul now makes the application of all this to the Colossians. Before their conversion, they had been dead in their trespasses. This means that because of their sins, they were spiritually dead toward God. It does not mean that their spirits were dead, but simply that there was no motion in their spirits toward God and there was nothing they could do to win God’s favor. Not only were they dead in sins, but also Paul speaks of the uncircumcision of their flesh. Uncircumcision is often used in the NT to describe the Gentile peoples. The Colossians had been Gentiles. They had not been members of God’s earthly people, the Jews. Therefore, they had been in a position of distance from God, and had given full rein to the flesh with its lusts. But when they heard the gospel and believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, they had been made alive together with Christ, and all their trespasses had been forgiven. In other words, what had really happened to the Colossians was that their whole lifestyle had been changed. Their history as sinners had come to an end, and now they were new creatures in Christ Jesus. They were living on the resurrection side. Therefore, they should say “good-bye” to all that characterized them as men in the flesh. [William MacDonald]

14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; 15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. 

Paul now goes on to describe something else that was included in the work of Christ. Having wiped 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. The handwriting of requirements that was against us describes the law. In a sense, the Ten Commandments were against us, condemning us because we did not keep them perfectly. But the Apostle Paul is thinking not only about the Ten Commandments, but also about the ceremonial law that was given to Israel. In the ceremonial law, there were all kinds of commandments with regard to holy days, foods, and other religious rituals. These were all a part of the prescribed religion of the Jews. They pointed forward to the coming of the Lord Jesus. They were shadows of His Person and His work. In His death on the cross, He took all this out of the way, nailing it to the cross and canceling it as a bill is canceled when the debt is paid. As Meyer put it: “By the death of Christ on the cross, the law which condemned men lost its penal authority, inasmuch as Christ by His death endured for man the curse of the law and became the end of the law.” Kelly summarizes neatly: “The law is not dead, but we have died to it.” [William MacDonald]

To be continued…