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COLOSSlANS 2:13 - 17

"THE VICTORY OF THE CROSS"

Intro: The cross of Christ as produced varied reactions among people. To the Greeks
       foolishness to the Jews a stumbling block to those saved.

I. THE NECESSITY OF THE CROSS.
        A. When God formed man's body from the dust and then breathed into him the breath of
           life, man became a living soul.
                1. His mind was alive and conscious of God. A dead soul is one not conscious
                   of God.
                2. He walked in fellowship with God.
        B. God warned that disobedience would bring death.
                1. Man disobeyed and died. (No longer living soul but dead souI.
                2. Spiritual death was immediate, it eventuated in physical death.
                3. Spiritual life is immediate, it eventuates in eternal life.
        C. So man is dead as the result of sin and living after the flesh. 
        D. Body awareness was the first result of man's sin.
                1. "They knew they were naked."
                2. From that point man's mind and life were rules by his body appetites.
                3. Adam sought to cover his nakedness by sewing fig leaves together.
                        a. First endeavor of self-righteousness.
                        b. Cover my guilt with my own works.
                4. God gave them the skins of animals.
                        a. This necessitated the death of an animals.
                        b. Early in history the idea of the need of shedding blood to cover
                           man's guilt was born.
                                1. Abel, Adam's son, offered from his flock a sacrifice to
                                   God.
                                2. Noah, Abraham.
        E. In the law God repeated the necessity of the shedding of blood in order to cover
           guilt of sin.
                1. He said, "without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness."
                2. The majority of the law dealt with the various sacrifices and how they were
                   to be offered.
                3. This is what concerns me about a Jew today.
                4. The sacrifices made a "kophar" or covering.
        F. The offerings, the holy days, Sabbath days, the sacrifices were all but a shadow of
           things to come.
                1. They could not put away the guilt only cover it.
                2. They all looked forward to the perfect sacrifice that could put away our
                   sin once and for all.

II. WHAT THE CROSS ACCOMPLISHED.
        A. Forgiveness of all your trespasses.
                1. Think of it, God has nothing against you!
        B. The blotting out of the law that excluded you from God.
                1. These charges that the law made against you all blotted out. 
                2. "Nailed to the cross."
                        a. Customary to nail charges against the felon on his cross as Pilate
                           had written, "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews."
                        b. The law should have been nailed there.
                                1. It had condemned us to death.
        C. The spoiling of principalities and powers.
                1. These are rankings of satanic forces.
                2. The forces that hold control over the lives of sinners keeping them
                   captive.
        D. The triumph over the forces of darkness.
                1. Paul had in mind here the marches of triumph in Rome.
                2. Victory over the power of evil.
                3. You can experience that victory today.