A Cross Worth Bearing"

Text: Colossians 2: 13-15

Intro: We live in a day when many pursue joy in every avenue. Most

seek it in money and youth. But youth cannot be kept and

you cannot take money with you to the grave. Only one place

to find substance of joy and that is the place called "Golgotha"

The cross was a beam of execution that turned into a balm of

salvation. The cross was and still is offensive. If a person is

to meet Jesus in the clouds, then he must meet Him at the cross.

At the cross, man gave his worst to God, but God gave His best

to man,. At the cross, at the cross:

I. JESUS DISCARDED THE SIN THAT CORRUPTED US

in vs 13, Paul graphically describes the awful condition of our past life.

It was a condition we found ourselves in before God reached down and

saved us by His marvelous grace. Paul describes this matter in two ways:

A) A Condition so greivous

Paul uses two graphic words "sins" and "trespasses"

1) Was a helpless condition ("sins"

God had set forth boundaries - man had violated these boundaries.

The result was "dead in our sins". Our sins were so grievous that

we were like dead men walking. A dead man can do nothing to change

what he is.

2) Was a hopeless condition ("trespasses") the word means violations.

Many a man has tried to violate the property of God (heaven), just to

find out after it was too late, that sin cannot enter heaven. No matter

how well the plan is executed, man still falls short of the glory of God.

B) A Cleansing so glorious (vs 13)

we were seperated, isolated, adn alienated from God by lour sin, and

still guilty of trespasses against God. But look what happened on

Calvary:

1) We were freely forgiven

the word "forgiven" is the same word used for "grace". It carries with

the meaning: cannot earn it, attain it, deserve it, it was freely forgiven.

2) We were fully forgiven (notive in vs 13, the number of our sins that

were forgiven "all trespasses". Large sin, little sin, little white sins,

big black sins. They were buried in the sea of God's forgetfulness.

God didn't just erase the blackboard, which might leave a trace.

God washed the blackboard, removing all trace of our sin.

II. JESUS DENOUNCED THE LAW THAT CONDEMNED US

vs 14 "handwriting of ordinances" speaks of debt owed. These ordinances

were charges indicting us in God's court of law. These were debts we owed

God, but could not pay. The unpaid debt was turned over to a bill collector

called "Mr law" who was screaming for payment. We were condemned to

death as a result of inability to pay our debt to God. These indictments

named our sin, numbered our sins and listed our sins. Mr law cried "thou

must pay the price and thou must pay it now. But Jesus:

A) Cleansed the Record (vs 14)

the word "blotting" means "to rub out or erase". At the cross, Jesus

took our IOU's and washed it in his own blood, blotted it out, erased it,

alleviated it and paid the account in full.

B) Cancelled the Requirement (vs 14)

"took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross". At the cross, the record

of God's law was not only cleanses but was cancelled. He satisfied

the debt, made it no longer binding, and gave us a legal discharge.

III. JESUS DEFEATED THE ENEMY THAT CONTROLLED US

The final scene of our text deals with the defeat of the most ruthless enemy.

Victory over the devil was won at Calvary. Not fighting for victory, but

marching from victory. He defeated out enemy in two ways:

A) By Disarming Him

(vs 15 "spoiled principalities and powers")

The word "spilled" means "putting off" or "putting away". It carries

with it the picture of taking off a garment or piece of clothing and putting

it away. Our Lord stripped the clothes of power from Satan and put them

away forever.

B) By Disgracing Him

(vs 15 "he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them it it")

In those days, when a Roman commander was victorious in battle and had

taken prisoners, he would chain them to his chariot, and parade them in the public streets.
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