God has put within our hearts a gallery of redemptive artwork. A display of what He gave us to deal with the problem of sin. This is Christ - "that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ." Col. 2:2
The question is are we taking advantage of the gallery or are the lights out? Do we just peak in from time to time?
The artwork Col. 2:1-15
- Wisdom
- Power
- Cancelled Debt
- Freedom
Wisdom for the foolishness of sin
Wisdom is a gift from God. If God could possibly be foolish, the most foolish He could be would be wiser than the wisest that man could ever reach. Wisdom only comes from God. He gives it freely if we ask for it.
"But where shall wisdom be found?
And where is the place of understanding?
Man does not know its worth,
and it is not found in the land of the living." Job 28:12-13
Power to deal with the inability of sin
Awesome. That is God. Sin is like quicksand, the more we struggle to get free the further we sink. God is the only one who can defeat the inability that we face in sin.
"Behold, these are but the outskirts of his ways,
and how small a whisper do we hear of him!
But the thunder of his power who can understand?" Job 26:14
Cancelled Debt to forgive and pay for sin
"For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Rom. 6:23
"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, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross." Col. 2:13-14
Freedom from the slavery of sin
"When you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness." Rom. 6:20
"He disarmed the rulers and authorities[b] and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him." Col. 2:15
Conclusion
Sin has been defeated, but it's prescence still remains. The redemptive artwork above was the means by which sin was defeated (aka justification). Now...
"Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving." Col. 2:6-7
...despite the prescence of sin, we need to continue to look on this gallery as we walk, grow, and abound (sanctification).
Excerpts from Paul David Tripp - Sunday 11/6 @ NHCC
And my two cents...