Christ Preeminence is Detailed to the Colossians Volume 20

Paul Declares these Colossian Beleivers Made Alive to God the Father & Forgiven of All their Sins in Christ

Colossians 2:13-14 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath He quickened together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to His cross; KJV

As we touched on 'the spiritual death of every person born into the world' just briefly in the previous study/commentary, Paul is now being more direct to these believers in Colosse and to we believers today and to every sinner (yet to be saved) reading these words, "And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath He quickened together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses;" (Colossians 2:13) (KJV). Paul's desire here is to make these Colossians see and understand, likewise to convict sinners reading these words, that there is no goodness in them and no power or ability in them/us to free ourselves from the 'corrupt sinful nature' every human being inherited from Adam by virtue of his fall or original sin. When Paul writes 'and you being dead', he is writing to men and women who are alive physically, but they were (before Christ) dead spiritually to God. This is what it means for any person to be lost. The sad idea that has been drummed into the heart and minds of people today that there is something inherently good in human beings is wrong, false, and actually a lie spread by the devil to lure men and women into this ridiculous notion that man can get to God and have favor with Him by just being 'good' or the more common phrase of 'a good person' we hear often people refer to themselves as such and to others as such.

Note: "The late Dr. J. Vernon MaGee often was heard saying these very favorite words to me speaking of those of us who have been forgiven, been redeemed, been saved, been born again, while we yet live disobedient and rebellious, 'If we could see ourselves as God sees us we could'nt stand ourselves.'" This is very true of these believers in Colosse and we believers today, therefore, how much more is God never pleased with any works or deeds apart from Jesus Christ or done for the Glory of Jesus Christ. The English phrase 'hath He quickened together' is translated by one Greek word suzoopoieo meaning to reanimate; to revitalize; to give life; to make alive. In other words, it was the love and mercy oozing from the heart of God the Father that sent our Lord, Master, and Savior Jesus Christ to the earth to sacrifice Himself for us and die in the place of each and every sinner paying our debt to the Father that no amount of 'good works' could ever pay, but instead it is with these Colossian believers and we believers today as Paul declared with these words written to the believers in Ephesus, "But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus." (Ephesians 2:4-7) (NKJV).

Note: "If the beloved saint of the Catholic Church Mother Teresa did all of the work for the poor and sick in Calcutta, India in order to earn favor with God, then all that work was in vain, but (as we believe) she did all of that sacrificial work for those poor and sick people becuase she loved God by virtue of the regenerating work of God the Holy Spirit in her inner woman, then that work was done only for the Glory of God, nothing more." Now Paul describes to these believers in Colosse what happened to their sins and our sins when our Lord Jesus Christ sacrificed Himself in our place and so he says, "Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to His cross;" (Colossians 2:14) (KJV). The English phrase at the very beginning of this verse 'blotting out' is translated by one Greek word exaleipho meaning to smear out, that is, obliterate (figuratively pardon sin): - blot out, wipe away. In other words, because God's Law requires and demands complete and perfect obedience to it (James 2:10), that is, the Moral Law (the Ten Commandments) and the Jewish Ceremonial Law or as it is better know as the Law of Moses, and no one ever kept either perfectly as our Lord Jesus reproved the Jews who thought they were keeping the Law of Moses with these words, "Did not Moses give you the law, yet none of you keeps the law? Why do you seek to kill Me?" (John 7:19) (NKJV).

However, our Lord Jesus Christ kept both the Moral Law and the Ceremonial Law perfectly, thereby, satisfying God the Father's Righteousness and Holiness and therefore, these Colossian believers and we believers 'in Christ' today and for all times are made right with God the Father's Law by virtue of Christ obedience to it (see Hebrews 8:7-13). The sins/debt (including their guilt and cry before God the Father) that were on the ledger of these Colossian believers and on the ledger of every believer today and for all times were 'nailed to Christ Cross' never to be required repayment and we are free from debt and complete in Christ and blessed to have our sins covered by His Blood (Romans 4:7-8), so as the Apostle John says of our Lord so it is true, "The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29) (NKJV). Note: "There is a huge difference between a person being 'in sin' verses a person 'committing an act of sin'."

"At the very moment we are made alive to God the Father by Christ death and subsequent resusrrection from the dead, we are immediately and for all time and eternity forgiven of our tresspasses and sins by virtue of them being covered or hidden from the Father in Christ perfection, this is what makes a saint, nothing else." Clifford D. Tate, Sr.

"Doubly dead to God, not only wallowing in trespasses, outward sins, but also in the uncircumcision of your flesh - A beautiful expression for original sin, the inbred corruption of your nature, your uncircumcised heart and affections. Hath He - God the Father. Quickened together with Him - Making you partakers of the power of His resurrection. It is evident the Apostle thus far speaks, not of justification, but of sanctification only." John Wesley

"A state of sin is a state of spiritual death. Those who are in sin are dead in sin. As the death of the body consists in its separation from the soul, so the death of the soul consists in its separation from God and the divine favour. As the death of the body is the corruption and putrefaction of it, so sin is the corruption or depravation of the soul. As a man who is dead is unable to help himself by any power of his own, so an habitual sinner is morally impotent: though he has a natural power, or the power of a reasonable creature, he has not a spiritual power, till he has the divine life or a renewed nature." Matthew Henry

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...


Sincerely in Christ,


Clifford D. Tate, Sr.

Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…