INTRODUCTION
• SLIDE #1
• A couple of weeks ago in our passage we saw that we were buried with Christ in baptism and that God raised us to life in Christ as a result!
• What does it mean to be raised with Jesus through the power of God?
• Have you ever woke up and just felt so alive? Something about the day is different and you just feel good and are ready to take on the day?
• I get that feeling when I am with my wife or I am on my bike.
• I got to experience the joy of seeing my youngest daughter being born; once they got her stabilized I got to carry our new bundle of joy to the next room.
• I will never forget looking into her eyes with a sense of awe and, I remember it like it happened just yesterday.
• My daughter alive outside of the womb for the very first time. What a joy.
• Of course I do not remember my own physical birth, but I am sure my parents were overjoyed.
• There is another birth I remember, my spiritual re-birth. I remember knowing I was going to step forward to be baptized into Christ in the evening service because there were fewer people and I was a bit shy.
• But that morning, while I listened to the message, I was moved, when the invitation song started, I remember feeling the pull to go forward, I remember kung Fu gripping the pew in front of me, my shyness was trying to keep me in the pew.
• Then I thought, it is time and I stepped forward to be immersed into Christ where I was born again.
• I felt so alive for what seemed the very first time. Something was different for me.
• Life for me was going to change in a big way even though it was going to take some time. By the way I pray my life never stops changing.
• You can experience being Alive For The Very First time also! We experience life in Christ not be filling our heads with knowledge or by behavior modification, we can experience LIFE and LIFE ABUNDANTLY BY BEING TRANSFORMED BY JESUS into HIS IMAGE!
• Today we are going to look at three reasons we can experience being Alive for the very first time! These three reasons allow us to live a transformed life in Christ!
• Let us turn to Colossians 2:13-15, we will start with verse 15!
• SLIDE #2
• Colossians 2:13 (ESV) And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses,
• SLIDE #3
SERMON
Being alive for the very first time is possible because…
I. In Christ your sins are forgiven!
• It is worth taking note that Paul speaks on the issue of forgiveness in each of the first three chapters of Colossians.
• I wonder why?
• Forgiveness is an important issue, it is one of the keys to us being able to enjoy being in fellowship with God.
• One thing I have noticed about forgiveness and it is the part that can seem unfair, is this: The one who have been wronged is the one who needs to forgive.
• Think about that one for a minute. Your spouse has cheated on you and YOU need to forgive them?
• The one who transgressed cannot forgive themselves; they need the one whom they have wronged to forgive them.
• Try telling that to a person whose heart has been shattered and crushed by the one whom they had the most intimate of relationship with.
• For the relationship to be repaired, the transgressor (cheater) HAS to be repentant and the one sinned against has to be able to forgive. That is not always easy to do.
• When it comes to God, we are the transgressor; He is the one who has been transgressed.
• I have dealt with situations where the one who cheated tried to dictate the terms of being forgiven, THAT does not work. The result is the end of a marriage.
• The same result happens with God, when you try to dictate the terms of HIM forgiving YOU, the result is a continued
• Without God forgiving our sins through Jesus, we would never be able to experience new life; we would never be able to experience the joy of being transformed into the image of Jesus each day!
• We start out in a woeful state. In the context Paul is emphasizing to the readers who were mostly Gentiles that they were in a particularly bad state.
• What does it mean to be made alive?
• In verse 13 it means that God has forgiven your sins through Jesus. When you are immersed into Christ, God forgives you! Plain and SIMPLE!
• In the work of salvation the guilt and stain of our sins must be removed. That needs to be done for all of us!
• SLIDE #4
• Romans 3:23 (ESV) for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
• There are many characteristics of forgiveness. Forgiveness is gracious, it is a gift. On our context it is a gift from God. But never forget this, when someone forgives you it is by THEIR GRACE.
• God’s forgiveness is bountiful. God forgives not merely of His riches but ACCORDING TO HIS RICHES!
• SLIDE #5
• Ephesians 1:7 (ESV) In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,
• God is eager to forgive!
• SLIDE #6
• 2 Corinthians 5:19–20 (ESV) that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
• God’s forgiveness is certain!
• Let us turn to verse 14.
• SLIDE #7
• Colossians 2:14 (ESV) by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.
• SLIDE #8
Being alive for the very first time is possible because…
II. In Christ God removed the obstacle of perfection.
• I love this, it is one thing to forgive us, but it is another to cancel the record of debt.
• This is a bit like getting a speeding ticket and the judge not only forgiving your sin of speeding but he also takes down the speed limit signs and tells you to drive reasonably.
• The record of debt Paul speaks of is the Law of Moses, the Old Testament.
• The word canceled also means "to wipe out, wash over, or erase." God erases the document and cancels the debt.
No one was saved by the Law. It was hostile because except for Jesus, no one was able to keep it.
• Those under the Law who were saved were still saved by Jesus, because all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.
• Part of being alive in Christ is having the certificate of debt canceled!
• The Law was always somewhat of a curse because technically in order to be saved by it you had to keep ALL 10 Commandments EVERY moment of your life. Only Jesus was able to do that.
• SLIDE #9
• Galatians 3:10 (ESV) For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.”
• This is why we call the Law a curse, it is set a standard we cannot possible obtain.
• BUT we must remember that the Law was not intended to be a means of salvation it was meant to be a tutor to lead us to understanding our need for Jesus.
• SLIDE #10
• Galatians 3:24-27 (NASB) Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.
• The Jewish leadership would not accept Jesus because they were looking for a military leader because they did not THINK they had a sin problem, they thought they were righteous.
• When we think we are righteous we do not think we need Jesus either.
• The phrase RECORD OF DEBT denoted a handwritten legal document. God removed it so we are not cursed with having to be perfect!
• How was the Law canceled? IT WAS NAILED TO A CROSS! This refers to Jesus dying on the cross!
• Jesus Himself said in Matthew 5:17
• SLIDE #11
• Matthew 5:17 (ESV) “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.
• Let us pick up a concluding thought from verse 15
• SLIDE #12
• Colossians 2:15 (ESV) He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.
• SLIDE #13
Being alive for the very first time is possible because…
III. In Christ God defeated your accusers.
• This “disarming” occurred when Jesus died on the cross. The word for “disarmed” is literally “stripped,” as in stripping a defeated enemy of armor on the battlefield.
• The powers and authorities of this evil world stripped Christ of his clothing and popularity, made a public spectacle of him on the cross, and triumphed over him by putting him to death.
• Ironically, the victory belonged to Christ. Actually he stripped the evil powers of their hold on the world, held them up to public contempt, and triumphed over them by taking his rightful power and position.
• This means that through Him you win!
• Those who mocked Jesus have been defeated; the one who is the great accuser is defeated.
• Satan can have NO power in the life of the Christian, Satan can gain no ground unless the Christian GIVE IT TO HIM!
• When we feel guilt we need not be dragged down by it!
• SLIDE #14
• Romans 8:1 (ESV) There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
• In Christ we have been set free!
• SLIDE #15
• John 8:36 (ESV) So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
• This is final of the three important acts whereby God grants one the joy of salvation!
• There is a SPIRITUAL battle going on and there is a war going on for your soul!
• In Christ you have victory!
CONCLUSION
• DO you want to truly live life or do you want to exist?
• True life is found in Jesus, without Him you are simply existing!
• Come to Jesus today and let Him allow you to experience being ALIVE FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME!
