Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Resisting the Powers

Last week's sermon represented many years of reflection. Over the past few years, I've been thinking about this strange language in the New Testament of powers, rulers, authorities, and elemental substances.

Here's where I stand right now on the subject matter. There are forces at work in the world that manifest themselves through human institutions, ways of thinking, philosophy, and culture. These forces or powers were created as good, created by God in Christ (Col. 1:15-16). After all, we can't live without any any of the things mentioned above.

However, these powers or forces have been infected with evil, and therefore they often take on a life of their own and assume a god-like role for us; this explains why Jesus had to disarm these powers (Col. 2:15) and why the rulers crucified Christ (1 Cor. 2.8). With that in mind, we can now understand the problem--humans submit to these other powers and forces, and they become enslaved to them (Galatians 4.1-11).

The examples are legion. Sex is good, created by God to be enjoyed between two people in a marriage relationship. However, sexual freedom has taken on a life of its own; it's in the air. It's as if the worst thing imaginable is to deny your sexual desires, no matter how base they might be, creating another problem in our culture--sexual addiction. Government is necessary, but most governments demand our allegiance, which can easily separate us from Christ and his kingdom. Philosophy is good and worthwhile, but it often sets up ways of looking at the world that separate us from the ways that God wants us to live. On and on the list could go. The point being, there are many enslaving forces in our world.

The answer to this dilemma is, of course, God's work on the cross in Christ. Christ disarmed the powers and redeemed us from the enslaving forces. Now we know who the true Lord is. For we also know how evil the powers have become; they would rather kill God's son than assume their rightful place. Therefore, we should be done with them, we should die to them, and live for Christ.

After all, why live for idols? They will only increase your sorrows (Ps. 16.4).

Peace

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Christ disarmed the powers and redeemed us from the enslaving forces. Col 2:15 [And] having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

Col 1:12 "Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet"

{my interp of meet: The LOVE (adhesive power) OF THE FATHER FOR THE WORLD to connect, embrace, bond, knit}

continued: "to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Col 1:13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translate [us] into the kingdom of his dear Son:

WHO CAME IN THE FLESH


"Col 1:14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, [even] the forgiveness of sins:" Through Col 1:22 In the BODY OF HIS FLESH THROUGH DEATH, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:"

Through the end of the Chapter.

Anonymous said...

One of the KEY tenets of THE FAITH is that God came in the flesh. How this subject is understood by human kind (especially THE FAITHFUL) is, in my opinion, the most important and primary "meet" bonding power of Gods LOVE making the difference between life and death, truth or lie, being lost or found.

Anonymous said...

I have been listening to Family Radio for many years. One of the more controversial hosts is Harold Camping. Most of what he says in his study of The Word of God is pretty much Right On! However, there are a few areas where he is not teaching correctly. God through His Word has disclosed that Mr. Camping is way off on his understanding of Jesus Christ Coming In The Flesh. It is important that we know what Mr. Camping says about this subject, and pray that he would be corrected to fullness of knowledge for his benefit and our edification.

He claims that Christ Jesus advent and life from his birth to his death on the Cross of Calvery came to "demonstrate" how Jesus Bore Our Sins Before The Foundation of the world. That Jesus was more or less following a pre-determined script of what Jesus had done in Heaven to Redeem Mankind before the World was made. That his dying on The Cross of Calvery was not the atonement made for our sins, but that what he did in heaven was the Real Deal! He claims it is a mystery that only the mind of God can understand, and that it is God's business and that we, of human kind made in his image, shouldn't be so bold as to ask questions or even give much thought to it because our brains are so puny to even begin to understand it! To be Continued when I catch my breath...

Anonymous said...

Mr. Camping further claims that the words "ALL and WE and US" in;

ISA 53 "ALL WE like sheep have gone astray. WE have turned everyone to his own way."
"And The Lord laid on him the iniquiity of US ALL."

....Refer only to The Elect. And that God from the begining, before the foundation of the world, "died for real" somehow in heaven to save those whom he had chosen to save AKA The Elect of God before anything was made.

Again Christ Advent 2000 yrs ago are in Camping's words A DEMONSTRATION of what God somehow accomplished in Heaven before the foundation of the world.

My Christian brothers and sisters, this is an example of one of many kinds of false teachings present in the world today. It always hurts more when it comes from someone who claims to teach what the Bible the Word Of God says.

So Harold...When did the Word become flesh?"

Anonymous said...

We need to be asking and searching in God's Scriptures to know: How the Word became flesh, When the Word became flesh, Where the Word became flesh, Why the Word became flesh. For this is the stuff "which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated [us] into the kingdom of his dear Son:"

Anonymous said...

Some food for thought:

Rom 5:6 While we were still weak, AT THE RIGHT TIME CHRIST DIED for the ungodly.

1 Peter 3:18 For Christ also died for sins ONCE for all at the end of the age to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.

Hbr 9:26 for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared ONCE for all at the end of the age to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.

Gen 49:11 Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass's colt unto the choice vine; he washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes:"

Mat 21:5 Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, Thy king cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt of the foal of an ass.

Zec 9:9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he [is] just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, an upon a colt the foal of an ass.

To me, Christ in the flesh who at the right time died for sinners is the, for the want of a better word, The "Platform" of love/grace/strenght to bear, even to carry, and deliver lost sinners. (who is Christ Jesus the sinless spotless Lamb of God MIGHTY to Save!)
who enterd into Jerusalem riding upon (2 burden carriers) The Promise of His Word and The Action/Fullfillment of His Word. Jesus Christ the sin bearer (live scapegoat) who bore and carried away our sins whom God The Father Laid On Him at the Right Time ONCE For All in the Widerness at the rock of golgatha upon a cruel tree outside of the city...where so many signatures of truth (prophecy) were opened that day pouring out his soul unto death on the cross of Calvery the blood of The Redeemer Jesus, prooving ONCE FOR ALL that Jesus IS GOD!

Anonymous said...

MIGHTY TO SAVE!

Col 2:15 [And] having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

AMEN!