In Christ

 1. In Him you are complete. (Verses 9-10) “For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and in Christ you have been brought to fullness.”

A. Why does Paul repeat what he said in chapter one?

2. In Him you are circumcised. (Verse 11) “In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Your whole self ruled by the flesh was put off when you were circumcised by Christ”

A. Why is this needed? What kind of circumcision is Paul speaking of?

3. In Him you are a new creation (Verses 12-13) “...having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead. When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ.”

A. Paul contrasts the past life of being dead in sin and our new identity in Christ. Our baptism is another form of identification with Jesus.

4. In Him our debt is canceled. (Verses 13-14) “...He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.”

A. Since we are unable to keep the law the law became our accuser. Jesus wiped out our debt nailing it to the cross.

5. He has triumphed by the cross. (Verse 15) “And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over the by the cross.”

A. Disarming powers and authorities Paul meant both the spiritual powers of darkness and their earthly representatives.