with Elder Elico Manenji
✝️In this chapter, the Apostle Paul is concerned about the churches in Colossae and Laodicea which he never visited, and which churches he did not find or establish himself.
His desire was that all churches be strong and the believers to love one another and having a full understanding of the riches they have in Christ.
That the hidden treasures of wisdom are found in Christ who is the fullness and fulfilments of all ceremonies and feasts, new moon and holydays.
Which, when.He came he abolished in His flesh and established one, the sacrifice of Himself as sufficient sacrifice for sin.
His desire was that believers should maintain the orderly fellowship and strong faith they have in Christ from the beginning of their faith.
They must examine all teachings carefully and not allow themselves to be easily led astray by the arguments of the false teachers and false prophets and apostles.
He tells believers that God forgives sins and wipes out our debts because Christ paid the full penalty on behalf of repentant sinners.
He destroyed the power of the law of ceremonies as if he took that book with its record of sins and debts and nailed it to the cross with the death of His Son.
1️⃣Colossians 2:1-10:Absent in the body but alive in the Spirit.
⏹️Believers are rich in love when their faith is confirmed and when they understand the mystery of Divine Persons and endowments they get in Christ.
The Apostle John says, "And this is life eternal, that they might know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent"(John 17:3).
⏭️There is no need for facial contact but our connection with God should be by faith as they are privileged to attain to a full knowledge of the Divine mystery.
The Apostle Peter says, "Whom having not seen, you love; in whom, though now you see him not, yet believing, you rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory"(1 Peter 1:18).
⏹️Believers should understand that God has freed them from the powers of evil in Christ Jesus. If then, they turn and accept a religion powered by the unseen spiritual forces of evil, they are placing themselves in bondage once again.
The Apostle says, "And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation to all them that obey him"(Hebrews 5:9).
⏭️Christ needs no angelic powers to help Him to save mankind for the fullness of the Godhead exists in Him in its totality.
The Apostle says, "For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse"(Romans 1:20).
⏫Those in Christ need no angelic powers to help them for they are already complete in Him and all their needs, spiritually, mentally and physically are met in Him.
The Apostle says, "For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him"(Colossians 1:16).
2️⃣Colossians 2:11-23: The Law of ceremonies and festivals as a shadow were nailed to the Cross.
⏹️Now salvation is not based on rites and ceremonies, either is it based on circumcision, the cutting of the flesh but through Christ the fulfillment of all the Law and its ceremonies.
The Apostle says, "For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God"
(Ephesians 2:8).
⏭️ Salvation is by faith as we unite with Christ through baptism, as this union means death to sin and burial to the old nature and rising with Him in newness of life.
The Apostle Peter says, "The like figure whereunto even baptism does also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 3:21).
The Apostle says, "One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all"(Ephesians 4:5-6).
⏭️ Note that, there is a grand difference between salvation by faith and by works of the law, such as ceremonies, festivals, new moon and holydays and religious foods as required by every ceremony and festival.
These were introduced to expose sin and to show the cost of how sin was expiated whilst the real expiator of sins had not come, even Christ Himself.
The Apostle says, "For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh"(Romans 8:2-3).
⏫Also, note that the weekly Sabbath and food for the nourishment of the human body were not introduced because of sin but given soon after the creation of mankind.
Foods, sabbaths mentioned here are all those that were introduced for requirements of ceremonies and rites which the Apostle calls a shadow of things to come, who was Christ.
The Scriptures say, "And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made"(Genesis 2:2-3).
"And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the middle of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil"(Genesis 2:9).
⏹️The law of God, introduced at Sinai, shows up human sinfulness and demands death as the punishment of sin.
The Law is like a book that records sinners’ debts, then demands their death because they cannot pay those debts.
But God forgave the sins and wiped out the debts, because Christ paid the full penalty on behalf of repentant sinners. He destroyed the power of the law as if he took that book with its record of sins and debts and nailed it to the cross with himself. Therefore, believers need no longer fear the power of the law.
Nor need they fear the power of the spiritual forces of evil for Christ has conquered them and taken away their power and displayed His victory over them on the Cross.
The Apostle says, "Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin"(Romans 3:20).
⏹️So, having been set free from the bondage of sin through Christ’s death, believers need not get into bondage again by becoming slaves of religious regulations, rites and ceremonies that people want to impose on them.
But believers should live perfect lives in Christ who redeemed them from the condemnation of the Law, setting them free from sin and transgression by faith in what He has done for them. Jesus said, "Take heed that no man deceive you"(Matthew 24:4).
🅰️Appeal
The Law demands justice which is death, ceremonies demand the requirements needed for justice to be satisfied but Christ came to fulfill both the demands of the Law and requirements of that justice which was His death on the Cross.The Apostle says in Christ we are filled with all the fulness of God bodily. He affirms, "Wherefore, if you be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are you subject to ordinances?"(Colossians 2:20). Amen!!!
Elico Manenji
(+263712952704)
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