What would you think if after the Kansas City Chiefs won the Super Bowl last February, their players kept playing trying to become champions? Seriously, imagine Patrick Mahomes on the field throwing passes to his receivers after the game was over. If you are like me you would think they are exerting a lot of energy to try to obtain that which they already have. What a waste time! The players must have missed the parade!
That’s a silly example to illustrate a serious spiritual truth. A lot of Christians have missed the parade. Look at Colossians 2:15:
AMP 15 When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities [those supernatural forces of evil operating against us], He made a public example of them [exhibiting them as captives in His triumphal procession], having triumphed over them through the cross.
This passage says Jesus threw a parade in hell after triumphing over Satan and his demonic cohorts at the cross! He made a public example of the demonic forces He held captive! The Bible doesn’t say what that looks like, but in my mind, Jesus had a procession of floats with demonic spirits chained to each float underneath a sign that says DEFEATED!
Unfortunately many in the church missed the parade so they try to work and earn that which Jesus has already made available by grace. Colossians 2 is written in the past tense describing what happened at the cross and our new position in Christ. Look at some additional verses:
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 handwriting 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.
Verse 11 says you were already circumcised with a circumcision without hands. This is symbolic way of saying God cut away your sin nature the same way a man’s foreskin is cut off when he is circumcised. Sorry to be graphic, but the point I want you to get is this is already done. If you are born again, you don’t have a sin nature anymore! You may feel like you do because you missed the parade so renew your mind and enjoy the victory that has already been won!
Verses 12-13 confirm this by saying your old man is already dead and buried and you have already been made alive in Christ! This happened when Jesus went to the cross and forgave all of your sins.
This brings us to verse 14 which says Jesus wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us when He nailed it to the cross. What’s that you ask? The law of Moses; specifically the 10 commandments! While the law was pure and holy it was what Satan used to accuse us because no one could keep it! After Christ went to the cross and paid for our sins, He was able to send the Holy Spirit to live in us and change our nature.
This meant the 10 commandments became unnecessary for the believer. Yeah, I said it. If that sounds controversial, watch this video as I teach on it for about 45 minutes. Anyway, the benefit of having the law taking out of the way is Satan can’t use that to accuse us anymore. We are now righteous based on the victory Jesus won and not based on what we do!
The best part of all this is when Jesus went to the cross and paid for our sins, He qualified us for all of the promises of God. This includes righteousness, healing, financial prosperity, a sound mind, wisdom, favor, and the list goes on. All of these things were provided in the atonement package! More on that here.
The bottom line to all this is because of what Jesus did, all we have to do is believe and receive! The victory’s been won and Jesus held a massive parade to celebrate! This means you don’t have to try to become what Jesus has already made you! All you have to do is rest in His victory and enjoy the benefits He provided!
