Gerry Breshears gave a lecture titled “What is the Gospel” in Mill Valley, CA in January, 2011 in which he shared thoughts from Acts 2 about God's revealing role in contrast to humanity's responding role with regards to the gospel. He also shared the eventual results of the gospel. I have contemplated on one of those effects of which he spoke - the triumphant atonement of Christ on the cross.
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. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him. Colossians 2:13-15
Atonement simply means to have things made right. You have likely heard the simplified definition of the term which breaks the word down into “at-one-ment” which indeed captures the essence of what atonement does. It makes us at one which someone with whom there was previously a fractured relationship. When we speak about atonement, there are many aspects on which we can focus our attention. Two clear examples are propitiation (payment for sins) and expiation (removal of sins). Today, I want to focus our attention on the triumphant aspect of the atoning work of Christ. Simply put, Triumphant Atonement means that Christ has given us victory.
Christ
provides a Triumphant Atonement through 7 victories.
1. Christ
defeated death.
Verse 13 offers us great hope as result of the work of Christ - We have been made alive. When Jesus died on the cross, God raised him from the dead. When we believe on Him, they same victory over death is offered to us. In the garden, death entered the world in two ways. Physical death became an eventual reality in the life of humanity. Spiritual death was an immediate reality. Faith in Christ reverses that curse. Faith in Him means that we are made alive spiritually immediately, and that we will live physically forever, in a new home.
2. Christ
defeated guilt.
Death is not the only thing that Jesus defeated on the cross. 1 Corinthians 15 tells us that Jesus defeated both death and sin. The passage we have seen in Colossians 2 elaborates on various aspects of sin that were defeated. First, Jesus takes away all our guiltiness. We have been forgiven of all sins. You are guilt-free. Your wrong-doings are not held against you by the Lord.
3. Christ
defeated accusation.
In addition to being guilt-free, the charges against us are gone. In a court trial a defendant can hope for a couple of possible outcomes. One is to be declared "not guilty." Another is to be have the charges dropped altogether. In the court of God, for those who possess faith in Jesus, the accusation is gone. All legal indebtedness is cancelled. There is no record of debt. The list of wrongdoings is non-existent. Rather than having the charges dropped, it is as if they were never filed in the first place. Suspicion of guilt is gone. More than that, the code that makes sin sinful, the Law, that which brought the charges in the first place, is also obliterated. So, the next time the Accuser whispers into your soul all the past wrongs you have done, shoo him away with the promise that record of my debt which stood against me with its legal demands has been cancelled by the blood of Jesus.
4. Christ
defeated sin’s hold.
There is yet more good news that comes to the believer as a result of the work of Christ on the cross. Yes, our sins are removed. The indebtedness is gone. But so is sin's sway over us. Jesus nailed it to the tree. He dismissed it from our lives. Paul explains that we have been set free from bondage to sin. So, if we have been set free, let us live like it. Yet too often, I see devout followers of Christ living under the influences of the fallen nature, not the redeemed one. If our sins and our sin nature have been nailed to the tree, why do we wander over to that tree and ply them from that blood stained beam and return them to a place of control in our lives. Leave them be. Live free!
5. Christ defeated powers.
Verse 15 starts of simply. He disarmed the rulers and authorities. What is Paul speaking about here? This world consists of more than just the natural realities that we can observe. Though they are limited, there are powers that are not in agreement with the will of God. Paul is reminding us that they are indeed limited and that even they recognize the ultimate authority of Jesus. When temptations are at their greatest, when habits seem to possess undeniable control, when our all too-human impulse overtakes our better sense, in those moments, know that Christ defeated these powers and offers His authority for personal self-control and victory over the evil around us.
6. Christ defeated shame.
Paul continues his assault on the powers and authorities in the next phrase. I want to look at it in a slightly different way. Part of the task of the Evil One and his minions is to constantly bring accusations against us to cause doubts, fear and shame. The defeat of these powers by Christ eliminates our shame. He reversed the curse and now instead of holding the guilt against, us exposes the evil powers. Our former
shame will be their eternal shame. That with which the evils powers sought to indict
us will stand for all eternity accusing them.
7. Christ
defeated Evil.
Christ has won the victory. He has triumphed over the evil powers. Christ defeated the Evil One. Our faith is not some pie-in-the-sky, hopeful wishing that one day things will get better. The victory has already been attained. Will we live accordingly then? Many people do not see this victory because too many of us do not live in it. We too often exhibit a defeated life.
Today, I implore each follower of Jesus,
Because of the
triumphant atonement of Christ…
Claim
victory over death.
Claim
victory over guilt.
Claim
victory over accusation.
Claim
victory over sin.
Claim
victory over powers.
Claim
victory over shame.
Claim
victory over Evil.
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