Sermon Prepared by James McCullen
Email Preach Him with Dr. Jim

Symbols of Salvation
Col 2:11-14

NKJV
11 In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 
12 buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. 
13 And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, 
14 having wiped out the hand-writing of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. NKJV 		 NASU
11 and in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ; 
12 having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. 13 When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, 
14 having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. NASU 		 NIV
11 In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ, 
12 having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead. 
13 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 
14 having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. NIV 

Introduction
Last Wednesday night Bob Woods said Joe has a new job. I ask where and he said in Farmington. He mentioned the name of the place and I asked what do that do and he said "make symbols"

I thought he was talking about musical type of symbols but he said not emblem kinds of symbols.
That is a good introduction to my sermon. I am talking about the symbols of salvation. I am not talking about musical symbols but an emblem kind of symbol.
 
 

1.    The Symbol of . . Circumcision. v 11


        In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ,

A.    An . . Unusual Circumcision. v 11 a
            In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands,

B.    An . . Unearthly Circumcision. v 11 b
        ". . . by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ,
 
 
 

2.    The Symbol of . . Configuration. v 12-13


    12 buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. 13 And you, being dead in your tres-passes and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses,

A.    The Configuration of A . . Baptismal Burial. v 12 a
            ". . . buried with Him in baptism, . . . "

        1.    The Configuration of A . . Baptismal Resurrection. v 12 b
        ". . . in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised
            Him from the dead.

        2.    The Configuration of A . . Death and Life. v 13
        When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you
            alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions,

B.    The Symbol of . . Crucifixion . v 14
        having wiped out the hand-writing of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.

        1.    The Crucifixion that Cancels . . Debts. v 14 a
                ". . . having wiped out the hand-writing of requirements that was against us,. . . "

            a.    Christa and I got Married with no money.
            b.    She had to make a loan for me to buy her engagement ring.
            c.    No one helped with my education cost.
            d.    We were broke and stayed that way for several years.
            e.    I know what it is like to be poor and to be in debt so deep you can't get out
                    for a long while.   It is depressing.

            f.    Liken that to spiritual debt.   Their is a sin debt to pay.

        2.    The Crucifixion that Cancels . . Degradation. v 14 b
                ". . . which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it
                to the cross. "

            a.    Sin and Satan would love to . . Degrade the Christian.
            b.    Self would love to . . Degrade the Christian.

Illustration
Duane and Kathleen Craig were members of First Baptist Church in Mountain View. I had a need to pay off my part of my major medical insurance. My part was $5,000.00 and I was going to have to stretch it over a few years. Then one week somebody gave a love gift to me of $5,000.00. I was not told who gave it but different one talking about it I figured it was the Craigs. I thank them and told them what a blessing it was.

Application

The gift by the Craigs canceled my debt to the hospital. The gift of Christ canceled sin debt.
It is simple and easy because of what Christ did.