In Christ, we find freedom from the Law. An old hymn captures this beautifully: "Free from the law—oh, happy condition! Jesus hath bled, and there is remission; Cursed by the law and bruised by the fall, Christ hath redeemed us once for all." When Paul addresses the church at Colossae it is important to him that they understand they are indeed freed from the Law.
Jesus Fulfills the Law
Jesus said He came to fulfill the Law, not to abolish it (Matthew 5:17). Jesus fulfilled the Law because He was the One who was prophesied that would come as Savior. Only Jesus—the only sinless human— perfectly obeyed the Law (1 Peter 2:22) and taught it as well (Matthew 22:35-40). Through His life, death, and resurrection we are reconciled to God. We are now under the Law of Christ (Galatians 6:2), not the Law of Moses. No one is justified by the works of the Law, but only by faith in Christ (Galatians 2:16).
The Purpose of the Law
The Law existed to show humans their need for Christ. It was there to show them it was impossible for them to lead a sinless life. They needed a Redeemer. Galatians 3:24-25 explains it so well. The Law was a tutor responsible for bringing us to Jesus so that faith in Him could justify us to God. We are justified, freely forgiven and brought into a right relationship with God through Christ. But now that there is faith, we don't need a tutor. A tutor in this sense was a guardian responsible for the care and discipline of children.
Circumcision of the Heart
Paul tells the Colossians that they have been circumcised without hands (Colossians 2:11). They don't need to be physically circumcised as a sign of being set apart for God. There is now no need for a physical circumcision, but rather for a 'cutting away' of our sinful nature from a person.
This is the spiritual fulfillment of the Old Testament Law of Circumcision (Genesis 17:10-14). As Paul declares in Romans 2:29, outward circumcision means nothing if your heart isn't changed, and only the Holy Spirit is capable of doing that. We see this repeated in the Old Testament in Deuteronomy 30:6 and Jeremiah 4:4.
Baptism: Dying and Rising with Christ
Paul continues in Colossians 2:12, explaining that Christians have been "buried with Him in baptism". In Acts 1:4-5, the resurrected Jesus tells the disciples to stay in Jerusalem and wait for what was promised. He tells them that where John the Baptist baptized with water they would be baptized with the Holy Spirit. Just as Jesus died, was buried and rose again by the power of God, so too will we, His followers, die to sin and be buried in baptism (Colossians 2:12).
Dead to Sin, Alive to God
"... How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life."
Romans 6:2-4
Raised Through Faith
Colossians 2:12 goes on to say that we were "also raised with Him." But how are we raised? According to Paul, it is through faith. Ephesians 2:8-9 tells us that our faith is a gift of God, not something we have earned. It is this faith that God has bestowed upon us, which allows us to be raised to eternal life with Him.
Alive with Christ: The New Birth
In Colossians 2:13, Paul tells us that we were dead in our trespasses, our sin, but that He has made us alive with Christ because our sins have been forgiven. So we who were once dead are now alive because of Jesus. This is the New Birth, the beginning of our transformation. This spiritual new birth is through the work of the Holy Spirit (John 3:3).
A Heart Transformed by Faith: C.S. Lewis
C.S. Lewis, best known today as the author of the "Chronicles of Narnia", the "Screwtape Letters" and his book, "Mere Christianity", converted from atheism to Christianity. His spiritual new birth was driven by a search for spiritual truth. Once a committed atheist, Lewis was influenced by the witness of friends like J.R.R. Tolkien, author of the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, who challenged his views and discussed faith and reason with him.
His search led him to reconsider the existence of God. He finally realized that his deepest desires and beliefs about right and wrong pointed to God. Over time, he found himself drawn to Christianity, which he believed offered the best explanation for life: suffering, joy, and love. Lewis’s conversion was, as he described, a reluctant surrender to God, resulting in a faith that deeply influenced his life and writing. His spiritual journey, in many ways, is like all of ours as we are changed by the Holy Spirit.
Spiritual Growth and Transformation
We are born into God's family like babies (1 Peter 2:2) but as we grow we transform and become more like Christ. We see the fruits of the Spirit working in our lives, we grow in love for others, we learn to use our spiritual gifts and we put to death our earthly, sinful nature (Colossians 3:5). There is no life in Christ without faith. There is no faith without God's forgiveness. These go together and are inseparable in a believer.
The Cross Cancels Our Debt
In Colossians 2:14, Paul says that the "handwriting of requirements" that was against us has been nailed to the cross. The term handwriting of requirements is Paul's way of saying that the Law that the Jews were under no longer had power over their lives. Sin was defeated by the cross. Jesus canceled any debt that we have that was caused by sin.
Overcoming the Marks of Sin
Sin has a way of leaving its mark on us. It changes our character, it leaves bitter memories, it tends to harden us in a way towards evil—we become less and less affected by it, and it even influences our worship. We stand before God and talk about what miserable sinners we are, but do we honestly believe that? But all these effects of sin are blotted out by Christ's sacrifice and our faith in Him. Instead of terrible memories of past sins we can now view these memories as guides to avoid repeating our sins and as sources of hope. Why? Because they are forgiven and because of God's mercy we have an eternity to spend with Him.
Victory over Spiritual Powers
The cross brought shame to the spiritual powers of darkness (Colossians 2:15). Jesus's victory on the cross was a triumph over sin. His death on the cross, meant to be one of shame, instead brought shame to the powers of evil that wanted to destroy Him.
Freed from Rituals and Regulations
Because of Christ's victory on the cross, in verses 16-23, Paul explains that the church no longer has to worry over what they eat or drink, it need not be concerned over whether they celebrate typical Jewish customs, nor be anxious about the "commands and doctrines of men". Why? Because they are freed from the Law.
Living Sacrifices for Christ
The sacrifices required under the Law are no longer necessary. The sacrifices that Christians offer are not bulls and sheep. Now, Christians offer spiritual sacrifices. These include our praise, our will, our time, and our talent; anything that Christ asks us to give up for Him. Romans 12:1-2 describes us as "living sacrifices." These sacrifices come from our new hearts.
A New Heart and a New Life in Christ
These new hearts are given to us by the Holy Spirit. It is obedience from the heart to the things of God that is important (and always had been). As 1 Peter 3:15-17 says, it is our heart that should be holy and set apart for the Lord.
A Heart Set Apart for the Lord
McClaren's Expositions has this to say: "Do not let your hearts be the devil’s copybooks for all evil things to scrawl their names there, as boys do on the walls, but spread them before Him, and ask Him to make them clean and write upon them His new name, indicating that you now belong to another, as a new owner writes his name on a book that he has bought."
Do you have a new owner? Have you spread your heart before the Lord? Have you been changed and transformed by a New Birth?
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