OUR PLACE OF FAITH AND OBEDIENCE IN JESUS CHRIST

Our place of faith and obedience in Jesus Christ


We were all at one point dead in our sins. When we accepted Jesus Christ into our hearts we were quickened together with Him and our sins were forgiven. God does not hold our trespasses against us past tense. There is not one verse in the Bible that says when we accepted Jesus Christ into our hearts our sins have been forgiven past, present and future. "Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God." Romans 3:25.

Can you possibly imagine the Apostle Paul forgetting to write in the words present and future? I can not because he was an extremely detailed writer. We will not find a single verse in the King James Bible that tells us when we accepted Jesus Christ into our hearts our sins were forgiven past, present and future. Obviously we as Christians are to set our sights on living holy and obedient lives before God and if we do sin ask for forgiveness. 1 John 1:9 tells us Jesus Christ is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

We obviously have to repent of our present offenses against heaven because this precious salvation experience is not a license to sin. Notice Romans 3:25 just writes our sins that are past are forgiven. If our present and future sins were forgiven at salvation then the Apostle John wrote in vain, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9. Why would we even need cleansing if our present and future sins are already forgiven?

You would be surprised as to how many Christians do not understand this principle. We are responsible and accountable for our manner of conversation or the way we live our life. Notice John says "If" because it is not an expected thing or not something that we should be engaging in but "If" we do sin we can sincerely and earnestly ask for forgiveness. I am in the practice of repenting of my sins every night --- known, unknown, small or big sins. It is very important to me that I stay honest and clean before God.

When we came to the Lord we changed possessions from darkness to Light. The blotting out of the handwriting of ordinances that was against us as sinners before God was taken out of the way and nailed to His cross.

When Jesus Christ rose from the dead on the third day after dying on a cross He spoiled principalities and powers and triumphed in victory over them.

The Apostle Paul must have had a problem with "Special" days as some people were judging other people regarding this subject. The "Special" substances or days were meat, drink, holy days, new moons and Sabbath days. Regarding the first two this does not mean we are to commit the sin of gluttony or get drunk with wine but I will expand on this verse as the article progresses. I could use the rapture of the church as an example because I do not believe this event will happen on a feast day. The Bible says so many times that Jesus is coming at a time when we least expect Him to come in the Blessed Hope. I am sorry to divert with an example but in getting back to the subject Paul says we as the church are the body of Christ.

Once again Paul warns his readers not to let anyone beguile them through trickery or inflated truths which usually becomes a lie. Paul explains that Jesus Christ is the head and we as His body get our spiritual nourishment from Him being knit together. If we do increase with spiritual growth this is from God. Let me quote the original text so you can read it and perhaps make reference to the passage in this biblical study. 

(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 show 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 holiday, 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." Colossians 2:13 - 19.

This is going to sound like a paradox but the death of Jesus Christ is our life. Our state of sin before we came to Jesus Christ was our state of spiritual death. An unbeliever is unfortunately in sin but they are also dead in their trespasses against God. Our body decays because it is in a degenerated state and eventually dies but sin is the corruption of the soul. When a person is dead he or she is unable to help him or herself in their own power. In like manner a habitual sinner is impotent to stop his trespasses without the resurrected power of Jesus Christ. We were dead in our sins before we invited Jesus Christ into our hearts but now we are quickened together in Him. The death of Jesus Christ was the death of our sins but the resurrection was the quickening of our souls. If we relate this to an unbeliever they will not know what we are talking about but if they come to know the Lord this understanding will be a reality in their spirit. 

There were dark forces against us but they were taken away when we became born again which is a term straight out of John chapter three. When Paul talks about the handwriting of ordinances which were against us this was Jesus Christ obtaining for us a legal discharge for our sins. There was the hand writing of ordinances in the ceremonial law but the Lord Jesus Christ took it out of the way and nailed it to His cross. 

In verse seventeen Paul talks about shadows but when the Son of God died on the cross this fled away but an individual still has a personal responsibility to repent of all their sins and invite Jesus Christ into his or her heart. If you do not feel as if you did this now may be a good time to make this all important eternal decision. Jesus Christ has already obtained a glorious victory for us over the powers of darkness.

The Apostle Paul talks about Jesus Christ spoiling principalities and powers because the curse of the law was against us but the power of Satan was in his possession. The Son of God took this out of the hands of the devil and redeemed us through His resurrection power. All we have to do is accept Him into our hearts by faith and repenting of all our sins and inviting Jesus Christ into our life. All the powers of hell were conquered by our dying Redeemer. His crown of thorns turned into a crown of victory. He made a show of them openly. Jesus Christ triumphed over them by dying and raising on the third day. 

When Paul talks about not letting any person judge you in meat or drink this means if God did not impose this on you do not let them put a burden on your soul because it is man made. The Apostle talks about the shadows of things to come that were done away with when Christ rose from the dead. They had the shadows but we have Jesus Christ Himself in our hearts.

Apparently gentile philosophers worshiped angels. Paul did not desire anyone to be deceived and quite frankly every Apostle had the same solemn fear. Once again we see another invention of people that is not of God. Watch who you worship because we were made to worship. The implication is in the ten commandments. Worship God and God alone is the principle so please take this precept serious. Individuals that do this might be humble but there is pride in disobeying God. Paul talks about not holding the head because more than likely pride is at the practice of these evil practices and false worship. We should never let go of our hold of Jesus Christ because there is always some kind of lure in the world waiting for us to fall into a trap of sin. 

If you will go back and read verse nineteen Paul says a lot in a few words. The body of Christ is supposed to be a growing body but the increase is always from God if it is true righteous maturity. If I am doing something for Jesus Christ and I see an increase I know God causes the growth. Do you think I am going to give myself the credit? I can not even wake up in the morning. When I do it takes me a couple of hours to really get started knowing "Far" less than one percent of everything going on in this universe. My hope and prayer is for everyone reading this article to have Jesus Christ in their hearts and lives and understand our place of obedience and faith in Him.

God bless you, 
Bob D.