Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. – Comment: The ‘therefores’ of scripture follow after very important stuff and are dependent on that as context. The context has been the supremacy of Jesus as the Creator, Sustainer and Saviour. The Colossians, having believed in Jesus, are given several commands – continue in your faith (walk); understand your belief (grow deep roots etc); be obedient to the truth and be thankful!
See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. 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. – Comment: Many people, even most, tend to try and work things out using various mediums – past experience, other people’s thinking, philosophies etc. Paul says, ‘ Don’t be captivated by such foolishness, Jesus is God Almighty! Trust Him.’ Circumcision is still a practice carried out sometimes by family habit, sometimes for religious reasons sometimes for medical purposes! But here the cutting off of a bit of flesh is used symbolically for cutting off a commitment to doing what the world ordains in rebellion against God! Jesus has freed us to live for God! And thus in Christ in God’s sight baptism means death to sin and Christ’s Resurrection means our being raised to New Life in Him! Behind these words is the truth to be lived out in rejoicing that we are accepted and free to live thus as we continue life, because Paul says, ‘you received Christ Jesus the Lord!’ God having ‘ 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. – Comment: And this is how He did it! (The bits highlighted in Blue) ‘It is finished’ was Jesus cry from the cross! Be very careful to understand that the cry didn’t mean “I’m finished, about to die” but “The work of salvation has been completed!”
Romans 8:16c-17 – we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.
Prayer: Dear God please help me to stand humbly tall and live out the privilege which You give me in Your Son!
As I read it! 