“In him you were also circumcised, in putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ, 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” (Colossians 2:11-12)

My sister worked in a bank for many years. During that time she came in contact with a lot of counterfeit money. Interestingly, the training surrounding being able to identify a counterfeit bill was not studying it, instead it was knowing the elements that made up the real thing. She knew what the paper looked and felt like, how the ink and imprint should look, she recognized the interwoven strip inside the bill. And when all else failed, she had a pen that would turn black on everything except real money. Passing a counterfeit bill on to her would never work, she was an expert on the real thing.

As believers this should be our approach. Paul said, all the treasure of wisdom and knowledge are in Christ (vs. 3). Then warns twice not to be deceived by fine sounding arguments (vs. 4, 8). Then he gives two powerful illustrations to help us identify the real thing when the enemy tries to pass off a counterfeit.

#1 - Sin Nature is Gone

First, in Christ, know the sin nature in gone and He’s replaced it with His nature. Just as circumcision cuts away and remove flesh, so spiritual circumcision removes the nature of sin; the condition of unregenerate man. This does not mean you won’t sin; rather it means you have a new nature, not after Adam who made you a sinner by birth but after Jesus who makes you righteous in this exchange (Romans 5:19; 6:4, 6-7, 18; 7:6; I Corinthians 15:21-22; II Corinthians 5:17, 21; Ephesians 4:24; Colossians 3:9-10. For more about Adam and Jesus, read my articles on Romans 5 to get an explanation about what each brought you).

This is how the Amplified Bible explains what happened; “In Him also you were circumcised with a circumcision not made with hands, but in a [spiritual] circumcision [performed by] Christ by stripping off the body of the flesh (the whole corrupt, carnal nature with its passions and lusts)” (Colossians 2:11 AMP). This illustration helps us visualize what has happened in a spiritual sense the moment of salvation.

Identify the Lie

This is how this helps you be an expert in the truth and identify counterfeit ideas; the enemy and the world constantly pushes messages calling you a sinner, enticing you to live that way in order to throw it in your face and crush you. But remember at salvation Jesus gave you a new nature, His nature. If this counterfeit truth can keep us focused on trying to defeat the sin in our lives, then we won’t focus on what Christ did and this make this truth a null and void in experience. However understanding how His nature births life and newness in your everyday normal experience, will help you recognize and defeat the counterfeit, and you’ll live more holy on accident than you ever could on purpose!

#2 - You Have Christ’s Nature

Secondly, in Christ, you are raised to a new life. This is where the illustration of baptism comes alive. Baptism is the picture of actually dying and being buried, this happens in a very literal sense at salvation. We undergo water baptism as an object lesson for this truth. Put this in context with dying to the sin nature. It helps us to visualize what happened with our circumcision by the Holy Spirit. We died to that nature and when something dies we buried it, it’s final. Then, as in our example of baptism, we are raised from the dead as something new. (For more about about what baptism is, click here. Or read articles on Romans 6 to get explanation about dying to the sin nature).

This is how the Amplified Bible explains this; “[Thus you were circumcised when] you were buried with Him in [your] baptism, in which you were also raised with Him [to a new life] through [your] faith in the working of God [as displayed] when He raised Him up from the dead” (Colossians 2:12 AMP).

Identify the Lie

This is how this helps you be an expert in the truth and identify counterfeit ideas; your identity is now associated with Christ. Everything you were before salvation is gone. It has died and it was buried. You get to start over with a clean slate, the template used is patterned after Jesus. He made you both holy and righteous because you now have His life-giving nature and DNA (Ephesians 4:24; Colossians 3:10). Every Time something from your past accuses you, and every time you are enticed to sin imagine yourself being raised with Christ and seated with Him in heaven where these things cannot touch you. Remind yourself of who Christ made you to be until you believe it. This will help you defeat counterfeit ideas.

Be An Expert In Truth

Remember, both circumcision and baptism are object lessons, your enemy does not what you to know this. They are significant because both illustrate what happens in the spiritual realm when we come to Christ. Even when faced with ideas and notions that are counter to these truths, in light of them we will be able to determine the real thing. Understanding these two realities will continually help to visualize the change that has already taken place and then we will see this change in our lives as well.

“Understanding our internal condition and nature makes the new birth and all that it brings remarkable. God hasn’t just changed your status before Him, He’s changed you inwardly and decisively dealt with your corrupted nature. We can live in the freedom and power of these realities” ~ Brett Barclay; righteousinchrist.com

I’d Love To Hear From You!

Leave a comment; share an insight or an example of how knowing the sin nature is gone and having a new nature has defeated a lie Satan tried to tell you...