I Don't Go To Church Much Anymore

I suppose it could be said of many people, "I don't go to church much anymore." I wonder why? Old age with infirmity and ill health will certainly slow one down but I am thinking more now of the many who simply have quit attending church services not having any reason for doing so. Their health is fine. They have just quit going.

I know of one who said she rarely goes anymore who went on and said, "But I am as close to God as ever." How does she know that? How can she know it? Did God tell her? Did she read it in scripture? Or, did her emotions and that alone tell her this? To ask is to answer.

Many people's faith does not rest on God's word but on their emotions. Their conscience does not bother them because their emotions tells them all is well. However, the faith of the Bible rests on God's word and that alone. "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Rom. 10:17 NKJV)

Every person's prayer to God ought to be Father, let me see myself as you see me. Let me look through your eyes, which in this case is his word, so that I might see myself as I am and not as I think I am. Let me cease measuring myself by my standard of measurement and accept with purity of heart whatever your word tells me about myself be it good or bad.

If God gives me a command and I habitually ignore it, how can I say I love God and it's okay with my soul? "And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some...for if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins." (Heb. 10:24-25 NKJV—the reader would do well to read on through verse 31) This passage is destructive of the idea that one can ignore church services and still be close to God. "For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments." (1 John 5:3 NKJV)

Some may say, "That is just your interpretation." That is pretty much the standard line that is used against any doctrine of the Bible that does not satisfy the one who wishes to ignore what it teaches. It doesn't matter if a teaching is so clear a third grader could not misunderstand it if it does not satisfy the longing of the one who wishes to discard it. It is "just your interpretation." We have become a dishonest people. We are dishonest with the scriptures, with God, and even with ourselves.

Many others have reached the point, and many more are headed that way, where they no longer make any claim to faith in Christianity and look with scorn on anything from the Bible. While they still claim love as their own it will be love as they alone define it and they are not about to let the book of God define it for them. It will be defined by what they feel in their hearts. But, here is the problem:

"The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it? I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his doings." (Jer. 17:9-10 NKJV)

We will be judged by our ways and doings when put up against the word of God, not by our deceitful hearts.

"The word I have spoken will judge him in the last day." (Jesus speaking, John 12:48 NKJV)

We are going to be judged by the word of God, not by our inward feelings or emotions.

"But everyone who hears these sayings of mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall." (Matt. 7:26-27 NKJV)

"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my father in heaven." (Matt. 7:21 NKJV)

"He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey him." (Heb. 5:9 NKJV)

But, then, as stated earlier, in our society today "that is just your interpretation."

The Bible does not teach we can be saved by perfect commandment keeping, we are saved by grace, but neither does it teach we are free to ignore God's commands and tell ourselves fantasy stories about how it is well with our soul.

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Faith As A Driving Force

Most people are fairly confident they know what Christian faith is. It is what you believe to be true about Christ being God's Son. That, however, is only a portion of scriptural faith. There is a lot to faith other than just what one believes with the mind, as important as that is.

Faith is not just thought but action. It is a driving force, an inward power that drives a person to act and do, to sacrifice, to seek, to suffer, to endure, to commit, and drive on when there appears to be no longer reason or common sense in doing so.

Much is made about the faith people have. What I have observed over the years is that many who speak of their faith seem to have a faith that by all outward appearances has driven them to do nothing. It is as dead as a doornail by all outward measurements. Many who talk about their personal faith cannot even make it out to worship once a week, but they are saved by faith.

But the response is made, you are judging, you do not know my heart. What I do know is that James says, "What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?" (James 2:14 NKJV) You know that is a rhetorical question; to ask is to answer. James later says "faith without works is dead." (James 2:20 NKJV) Can one be saved by a dead faith? The demons had a dead faith. (James 2:19)

What kind of faith saves? "You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only." (James 2:24 NKJV) The faith that saves is thus a working faith, a faith that leads to action, to doing; to be specific, it is a faith that obeys.

So many emphasize faith and grace to the extent that works (obedience) is discounted. Who needs to obey? Just believe is the cry. That is not what Jesus taught.

Jesus taught that a failure to obey was a failure to love. Hear Jesus: "If you love Me, keep My commandments." (John 14:15 NKJV) "He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me." (John 14:21 NKJV) "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word." (John 14:23 NKJV) "He who does not love Me does not keep My words." (John 14:24 NKJV) Paul says, "If anyone does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be accursed." (1 Cor. 16:22 NKJV)

Jesus again says, "why do you call Me 'Lord, Lord,' and not do the things which I say?" (Luke 6:46 NKJV) He is "the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him." (Heb. 5:9 NKJV)

Thus salvation by faith without works of obedience would also be salvation without love for God. Faith-only advocates will not have baptism as an element of salvation, for they fear it is a work. Well, no more so than repentance. When the Bible teaches we are saved by grace through faith and not of works, Eph. 2:8-9, is that passage teaching we are saved by disobedience because to obey would be a work and we cannot be saved by works? Is that what it teaches?

When one interprets a passage of scripture in such a way that puts it into conflict with other scriptures, it is time to go back and do some rethinking. That is exactly where those are at who interpret Eph. 2:8-9 in such a way as to make it exclude baptism or any work whatsoever. James teaches you can try to get to heaven by faith alone, but it will not work — not without works. Paul, the author of Eph. 2:8-9, was himself baptized to wash away his sins (Acts 22:16) but never once complained to Ananias, the one sent from God who directed him to do it. Paul never replied to Ananias, "I can't do it, for it would be salvation by works."

But my goal in this article (I have allowed myself to be sidetracked) is to show how scriptural faith drives a man to obedience, to suffering and sacrifice, and all the other things mentioned earlier in this article. Abraham's faith drove him so strongly that it forced him to sacrifice Isaac his son. Only God's direct intervention prevented the deed from being done.

In the faith chapter of the Bible, Hebrews 11, we find this (speaking of how others were driven by faith):

"Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented — of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth. And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith …." (Heb. 11:35-39 NKJV)

The passage has reference to men and women of faith under the Mosaic dispensation of time.

Those mentioned in the Hebrews passage quoted had a choice. They did not need to suffer those things. In fact, the first verse quoted speaks of not accepting deliverance, but why not — because faith is a driving force in the person's life that has it. It is not just a feeble thought or opinion. It will force you to obey when it becomes as strong as God desires it to be.

Paul speaks of his own life as a Christian in the New Testament and says:

"Are they ministers of Christ? — I speak as a fool — I am more: in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often. From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness." (2 Cor. 11:23-27 NKJV) What would drive a man to endure such things? He could have stopped preaching and evangelizing at any time and ended the persecution had he so desired. What drove him on? One word — the word "faith" drove him.

But what is faith — this inward driving force within a man or woman that drives them to such extremes? The Hebrew writer says, "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." (Heb. 11:1 NKJV) I want to note the words "assurance" and "conviction." After Paul saw Jesus on the road to Damascus, do you think he had assurance and conviction? Our faith needs to become what Paul's was.

Bible faith is meant to develop and grow and become strong. The Bible says Abraham's faith was so strong that he believed God would raise Isaac up from the dead in order to fulfill the promise He had made that "In Isaac your seed shall be called." So Abraham would sacrifice Isaac in full faith that God would raise him back up from the dead. (Heb. 11:17-19)

But I think we have perhaps as strong a statement of faith as we will likely find anywhere in a statement Job made when he said, "Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him." (Job 13:15 NKJV) This is the degree of faith that we all ought to seek to attain.

When we are able to say, "Father, do with me as You will, yet You will always be my hope," then we can find comfort in the most difficult situations life may bring to us. Too often our faith is of the fair-weather variety. When life begins to go sour on us, our faith starts to vanish. We begin to doubt God and start losing faith.

As long as our faith is not tested, it is fine, but it will not stand the test when tried. The test is often obedience, and obedience under trying circumstances. There is no test if obedience is easy with no trial to it.

When Jesus was explaining the parable of the soils, He spoke of the kind of faith we are inclined to have and must fight against. He said, "He who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles." (Matt. 13:20-21 NKJV) It is a faith that cannot stand the test.

Peter speaks of our faith being tested by fire and of its preciousness. (1 Peter 1:7 NKJV) Then a little later he says to those to whom he wrote, "Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you." (1 Peter 4:12 NKJV) James goes so far as to say, "My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing." (James 1:2-4 NKJV)

"Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him." (James 1:12 ESV) Remember, love equals obedience.

Do you remember Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego? They were to be cast into the furnace of fire unless they worshipped the idol Nebuchadnezzar had set up. Here is part of the account of what happened:

"'But if you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you from my hands?' Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, 'O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.'" (Dan. 3:15-18 NKJV)

Did you get the part where they said "if not"? This reminds me of Job's statement in Job 13:15, "Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him." (NKJV) These are men whose faith has reached a point of such strength that they are able to say, even if God lets me die, so what? I will trust in Him. I will be faithful. When one gets to that point in their life, fear and worry are pretty much gone from life. What is to fear if one does not fear suffering or death? "I will not fear. What can man do to me?" (Heb. 13:6 NKJV)

Faith can overcome poverty, sickness, betrayal, desertion, homelessness, ill-treatment, pain, sorrow, suffering, persecution — every ill known to man. We feel sorry for the wrong people oftentimes. We feel sorry for others when our sorrow ought to be for ourselves and our lack of genuine Bible faith.

I close with the words of Job describing the faith he still had after losing everything:

"The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD." (Job 1:21 NKJV)

"Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?" (Job 2:10 NKJV)

"Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him." (Job 13:15 NKJV)

When it seems God has deserted you and no longer cares, will you still trust Him? If not Him, whom will you trust? Where will you go? For me, and for you, we must ask ourselves "is my faith driving me?" If not we need to strengthen it.

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Giving An Account

It is hard for us as human beings to grasp what it will be like to be judged by Christ on the Day of Judgment. It is beyond our comprehension what that day will be like, the sights we will see that day, the raw emotions that will be displayed by us all.

So much has been made of the grace of God and God's love that it is hard to come to grips with the idea of judgment, but James in writing to Christians says, "Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned. Behold, the Judge is standing at the door!" (James 5:9 NKJV) So he is. "We shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written: 'As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.' So then each of us shall give account of himself to God." (Rom. 14:10-12 NKJV)

If the Bible is true, and I say that without a doubt in my mind, then every person who has ever lived or will live in the future, or who lives now, will someday be found on their knees at the feet of Jesus, the creator of the heavens and the earth and all that is. I cannot imagine the terror of one who is forced into that situation knowing that he or she has lived a life of rebellion against God. Terror is too mild a word for that experience. Perhaps horror would be a better word.

Can a man fight against God and hope to win? If not, should we not consider the life we ought to be living? We have today. We ought to make use of it for "behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." (2 Cor. 6:2 NKJV) Today is the day God will accept us if we willingly accept him by faith and obedience to the gospel. But as life has well taught us, today is here and gone tomorrow. Time flies. We have all been to the cemetery too many times to fool ourselves into thinking that today will last indefinitely. Our last day on earth shall arrive gradually with expectation or come as a surprise like a bolt of lightning out of the blue, but when that day does arrive, as it will, then we pass from today into tomorrow and into too late--too late to obey the gospel and live life eternally with God in heaven.

If I could beg you to obey the gospel, and it would do any good, I would do it, but that is not how it works. Why? Obeying the gospel to please me would do you no good. Gospel obedience must be from the heart, sincere in its desire to please God, not a man. As Paul wrote to the Romans, "You obeyed from the heart" (Rom. 6:17 NKJV) and so it must be with us all. In Christianity, it is folly to think of using force of any kind to convert people. In the Muslim world that might work, at least they have practiced that, but not in the faith God requires as found in the Bible.

Where does a man run to get away from God? "Where can I go from your Spirit? Or where can I flee from your presence? If I ascend into heaven, you are there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, you are there." (Psalms 139:7-8 NKJV) Jonah tried running away from God but did not get far. I guess one could say that he got far enough to realize running was not going to work. Yes, we can run from God, but we can't outrun him, cannot hide from him.

When the Lord returns in judgment he "will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts" (1 Cor. 4:5 NKJV) for "he knows the secrets of the heart." (Psalms 44:21 NKJV) Yes, he knows your evil thoughts (Matt. 9:4), and we will be judged for those, see Matt. 15:18-19. "God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ." (Rom. 2:16 NKJV) "All things are naked and open to the eyes of him to whom we must give account." (Heb. 4:13 NKJV)

What I have written so far I have written both to the saint (the Christian) and to the sinner (the one who has never obeyed the gospel). But, I want to direct my words now to those who are Christians. Be forewarned, "The Lord will judge his people." (Heb. 10:30 NKJV)

"If we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins." (Heb. 10:26 NKJV) The writer here is speaking to those who are guilty of "forsaking the assembling of ourselves together." (Heb. 10:25 NKJV) The entire book of Hebrews is directed primarily to a Christian audience. The writer closes this section of his writing by saying, "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." (Heb. 10:31 NKJV)

In 1 Corinthians 10, Paul begins by talking about the journey out of Egypt to the Promised Land. He speaks of some of the sins God's people fell into during that period and of the consequences of those sins saying, "With most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness." (1 Cor. 10:5 NKJV) Then after recounting a number of those sins, he says, "Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, on whom the ends of the ages have come. Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall." (1 Cor. 10:11-12 NKJV) Paul is writing to Christians when he makes this statement. The book of 1 Corinthians is addressed "to the church of God which is at Corinth." (1 Cor. 1:2 NKJV)

So all of mankind, saint and sinner both, shall stand before Christ on the day of judgment and give an account of their life. (2 Cor. 5:10)

Salvation is free in that we do not earn it, nor do we deserve it, but neither can we take it for granted or be indifferent about it. The Hebrew writer makes this clear when he speaks of "a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. Anyone who has rejected Moses' law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?" (Heb. 10:27-29 NKJV)

In the letter that was to be delivered to "the angel of the church in Thyatira" (Rev. 2:18 NKJV), Jesus said, "I am he who searches the minds and hearts. And I will give to each one of you according to your works." (Rev. 2:23 NKJV) Yes, the message is to Christians, and I could not help but be reminded as I read this passage, reminded again of what I have heard over and over again, that works do not matter, it is all grace. Jesus did not teach that.

God "'will render to each one according to his deeds': eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality; but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness—indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil." (Rom. 2:6-9 NKJV) Jesus is "the author of eternal salvation to all who obey him." (Heb. 5:9 NKJV) No person can be saved without the grace of God, but to imply the Christian has no obligations to meet for salvation, God's grace will just cover it all, is a perversion of the truth.

Matt. 7:22-23 ought to be an eye-opener to all who will give it serious consideration. Jesus says, "Many will say to me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name, cast out demons in your name, and done many wonders in your name?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you who practice lawlessness!'" (NKJV) He is speaking, of course, of the Day of Judgment. Here is a group of men who had some religion about them. Were they lying to Jesus about the things they had done? I cannot conceive of a man who would be that big a fool at the Day of Judgment to lie to Jesus knowing what was at stake and knowing with whom he was dealing. I thus take them at their word as did the commentators I consulted on this passage. Furthermore, Jesus does not take them to task for lying to him.

So, what is the point? Simply this--a man may claim to be on the Lord's side, he may do things that appear to be good and positive, and they may be up to a degree, and yet the bottom line is despite appearances, despite one's own 'I am satisfied with my religion,' the man is lost. Yes, a regular churchgoer (figuratively speaking), a religious man, who is lost. Why is he lost? Because he practiced lawlessness. What is lawlessness? "Sin is lawlessness." (1 John 3:4 NKJV) Now note the text in Matthew says nothing about whether or not this sin was deliberate or not. Sin does not have to be deliberate to be sin. Many who crucified Christ or were in favor of it did it in ignorance, Peter says so in Acts 3:17, but it was nevertheless a sin as was Paul's later persecution of Christians before his conversion.

Who will be saved on the Day of Judgment? "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven." (Matt. 7:21 NKJV) Note this is the verse just before Matt. 7:22-23 quoted above, just before Jesus denies entry into heaven of those who had done many good works in his name but who practiced lawlessness.

Yes, "the Judge is standing at the door!" (James 5:9 NKJV) He is expecting you. He "was ordained by God to be Judge of the living and the dead." (Acts 10:42 NKJV) The day is appointed (Acts 17:31). Christ will be there. You will kneel and confess that Jesus is Lord and answer for your life. Are you ready? If not, what are you going to do about it? Surely you are not going to fritter away the time you have left, are you? We will all, every one of us, give an account.

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Christ and Baptism in Colossians

The fact that baptism is essential to becoming a Christian and being saved is written on page after page in the New Testament despite being rejected by most who call themselves Christians. I have never understood how something so clearly taught can so readily be rejected by so many, other than through the power that tradition and religious heritage exerts on people.

Error believed has the same faith effect upon a man or woman as truth believed and can thus provide peace and comfort until the time truth exerts itself with such force that it cannot be denied. Saul, before he became Paul the apostle, believed error and acted in all good conscience (Acts 23:1) while persecuting Christ (Acts 26:14). He believed error and was at perfect peace with himself while sinning continually--that is until the force of truth was exerted with power on him on the road to Damascus. Sincerity will never change error into truth nor will it ever lead to a pardon for disobedience. The fact that Eve was deceived by Satan in the garden did not free her of her sin. We are responsible for what we believe be it truth or error.

We need to read the Bible, even more, we need to study it as, "a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of God." (2 Tim. 2:15 NAS) We need to read the book of Colossians and see what it teaches about Christ and baptism.

"Christ in you, the hope of glory," (Col. 1:27 NAS) is a central theme of the first two chapters of the book of Colossians. Christ is all that is needed in a person's life for in him "are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." (Col. 2:3 NAS) In him we are "made complete." (Col. 2:10 NAS) We are not therefore to be taken "captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men." (Col. 2:8 NAS) We are not to submit ourselves to decrees "in accordance with the commandments and teaching of men." (Col. 2:22 NAS)

With Christ we have all we need and should thus stay far away from all impositions upon our faith not found in the word of Christ which is just another way of saying stay away from the commandments of men. "Anyone who goes too far ('Lit., goes on ahead'-side margin note in the NAS reference edition, 1963 and 1995 – DS) and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God." (2 John 9 NAS)

In chapter 2 Paul lists some examples of things we should not concern ourselves with because of men--food, drink, respect to festivals, new moons, and Sabbath days (Col. 2:16); he does likewise in verses 21 and 23. In 1 Tim. 4:3 he speaks of "men who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods" going so far as to refer to such teachings as "doctrines of demons." (NAS) Does this remind you of any famous religious bodies today? I remember when going to a state university back in the 60's when Fridays (I believe it was a Friday--it has been a long time ago) were special days in the college cafeteria because of what one religious body could and could not eat on that day. Their numbers were such that they had that influence on the menu.

The bottom line is Christ is all a Christian needs. Christ is found in his word and not in things that cannot be found in his word. If one cannot find a book, chapter, and verse for a teaching and practice in the New Testament then it ought to be left alone, ignored. This eliminates all creed books, church councils making decisions, etc. Christ is the head of the church, "He is also head of the body, the church." (Col. 1:18 NAS) "He is the head over all rule and authority." (Col. 2:10 NAS) He says directly, "All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth." (Matt. 28:18 NAS) Paul teaches in the book of Colossians that all we need is Christ, him and him alone, him and nothing else. Christ is found in his word and not outside it in someone else's ideas, thoughts, or imaginations, or as Paul says in the NAS "in self-made religion." (Col. 2:23)

If Christ in me is "the hope of glory" (Col. 1:27 NAS) how does Paul tell us this is brought about? One must remember Paul is writing to people who have already heard, believed, and obeyed the gospel and thus are already Christians. He says they had already been "delivered…from the domain of darkness, and transferred…to the kingdom of his beloved son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins." (Col. 1:13-14 NAS) How had that happened?

The answer is found in Col. 2:11-13, "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. And 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." (NAS)

The passage begins with the phrase "in him." In him, in Christ, is life, a new creation. While Paul is speaking of a spiritual circumcision here, in Colossians, back in Galatians he speaks of a physical one when he says that the physical one does not matter one way or another but he says there is something that does matter--a new creation. "For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation." (Gal. 6:15 NAS) The side margin note in the New American Standard Version (reference edition previously referred to) says "Or, creature." That is what matters. "Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come." (2 Cor. 5:17 NAS)

Only in Christ does this spiritual circumcision take place in which "the removal of the body of the flesh" occurs. One is baptized into Christ. We are, Paul's exact words, "baptized into Christ Jesus." (Rom. 6:3) See also Gal. 3:27. It is "in him" where we "were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands." (Col. 2:11 NAS)

Paul in talking about this circumcision in Col. 2 connects it directly with "having been buried with him in baptism." (Col. 2:12 NAS) The body of flesh, or as Paul calls it in Romans, the "old self" (Rom. 6:6 NAS), is put to death in baptism for we are baptized "into death" (Rom. 6:4 NAS) but the good news is "you were also raised up with him through faith in the working of God," (Col. 2:12 NAS) "he made you alive together with him." (Col. 2:13 NAS) But, this one who is made alive is a new man. He is not the man that went down into the water and died. This one that comes up from the water "made… alive together with him" (Col. 2:13 NAS) was raised to "walk in newness of life" (Rom. 6:4 NAS) for he is a new creation in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17 NAS).

He forgave the Colossians all their transgressions. When? When upon their faith they repented and were "baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins." (Acts 2:38 NAS) This is what was required on the Day of Pentecost when the first gospel sermon was preached by Peter; Paul teaches the same thing to the Colossians. Does one want to say Peter and Paul were at odds?

There are a few other passages in Colossians teaching the same truth. Paul in Col. 2:20 speaking to the Colossians says, "if you have died with Christ." (NAS) He is not expressing doubt but emphasizing a point. He is saying, in so many words, if you are a Christian "why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees?" (Col. 2:20 NAS) Question--how does one die with Christ? He says, "if you have died with Christ." The answer is found in inspired words, "Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into his death?" (Rom. 6:3 NAS) Thus Paul teaches baptism in a verse many overlook without a thought. We died with Christ in baptism.

Another verse along the same line is found in Col. 3:1, "If then you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above." (NAS) You cannot be raised up with Christ unless you have first been buried with him, can you? "We have been buried with him through baptism into death." (Rom. 6:4 NAS) Paul goes on in that same verse, "as Christ was raised from the dead…so we too might walk in newness of life." (NAS) When do we do that? When we arise from the waters of baptism. Many think they have been raised up with Christ who have never been buried with him. Only in baptism is one raised up from spiritual death to spiritual life.

Paul says to the Colossians in Col. 3:3, "you have died." (NAS) We know how and when they died from what we have already read and studied but the question for men today is have we died and risen again as they did?

I close this with one more passage, Col. 3:9-10, "Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the one who created him." (NAS) When does one lay aside the old self? Paul speaks of having "died to sin" in Rom. 6:2. When one dies to sin the old self has been laid aside. We die to sin, and thus to the old self, in baptism. "We have been buried with him through baptism into death." (Rom. 6:4 NAS) Death to what? To ask is to answer -- death to sin. When we were baptized (if we were) "our old self was crucified with him, that our body of sin might be done away with." (Rom. 6:6 NAS) "He who died is freed from sin." (Rom. 6:7 NAS)

The book of Colossians teaches clearly that salvation is found in Christ and that Christ is all any man or woman needs for salvation. However, there are many today who are in error concerning how one enters into salvation in Christ Jesus. Remember it is, "Christ in you, the hope of glory." (Col. 1:27 NAS) Why not clothe yourself with Christ which Paul says in Gal. 3:27 is done by being baptized into Christ? "For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourself with Christ." (Gal. 3:27 NAS) If you are clothed with Christ then certainly, if you live faithfully, you have "Christ in you, the hope of glory." (Col. 1:27 NAS)

Remember it was Jesus himself who said, "He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved." (Mark 16:16 NAS). It is man who has said, "He who has believed and has not been baptized shall be saved." One gets to choose – choose Jesus' way or man's way. The book of Colossians teaches you ought to choose Jesus' way over man's.

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