4 Oct. Saved by Christ’s death, not the Jewish law
"I want you to know how hard I work for you, those in Laodicea, and others who have never seen me. I want them to be strengthened and joined together with love so that they may be rich in their understanding."
"This leads to their knowing fully God's secret, that is, Christ himself. In him all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are safely kept..."
"As you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so continue to live in him. Keep your roots deep in him and have your lives built on him. Be strong in the faith, just as you were taught, and always be thankful."
"Be sure that no one leads you away with false and empty teaching that is only human, which comes from the ruling spirits of this world, and not from Christ."
"All of God lives in Christ fully (even when Christ was on earth), and you have a full and true life in Christ, who is ruler over all rulers and powers."
"Also in Christ you had a different kind of circumcision, a circumcision not done by hands. It was through Christ's circumcision, that is, his death, that you were made free from the power of your sinful self."
"When you were baptised, you were buried with Christ, and you were raised up with him through your faith in God's power that was shown when he raised Christ from the dead."
"When you were spiritually dead because of your sins and because you were not free from the power of your sinful self, God made you alive in Christ, and he forgave all our sins. He cancelled the debt, which listed all the rules we failed to follow. He took away that record with its rules and nailed it to the cross."
"God stripped the spiritual rulers and powers of their authority. With the cross, he won the victory and showed the world that they were powerless."
(Colossians 2:1-15)
Paul reminds the believers in Colossae how hard he has worked for them – and for the believers in Laodicea – even though he does not know them personally.
He wants them to know that, although they were brought to Christ by Epaphras (see Colossians 1:7) they nevertheless have a full understanding of "God's secret".
So he begs them not to be deceived “with false and empty teaching that is only human, which comes from the ruling spirits of this world, and not from Christ” (Colossians 2:8). And he urges them to "Keep your roots deep in him and have your lives built on him." (Colossians 2:6)
He tells them they have been saved not by the Jewish ritual of circumcision “done by hands”, but “through Christ’s circumcision, that is, his death” (Colossians 2:11).
Paul compares going under the water at baptism with being buried under the ground at death, and explains that, "When you were baptised, you were buried with Christ, and you were raised up with him through your faith in God's power that was shown when he raised Christ from the dead." (Colossians 2:12)
And with that baptism into the life of Christ, God "cancelled the debt" of sin and "all the rules we failed to follow." (Colossians 2:14) "God made you alive in Christ, and he forgave all our sins." (Colossians 2:13)
The photo shows the Roman aqueduct that brought hot water from springs at Hierapolis to the public baths at Laodicea.
You can read more from Paul's Letter to the Colossians @ https://www.thebiblejourney.org/…/1…/saved-by-christs-death/