Raised With Him

Paul’s prayer from Ephesians frames the claim that believers need the eyes of their hearts opened to know the hope, inheritance, and power that belong to those united to Christ. Colossians 2 unfolds that reality: in Christ dwells the fullness of deity, and those who receive him are filled, circumcised “without hands,” buried in baptism, and raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God. The text insists that the resurrection is not a quaint historical footnote or a sentimental picture of a gentle helper; it exposes who Jesus really is—the eternal Creator who became flesh, bore human sin, died, and rose to reign over all authority. Faith, therefore, means affirming that entire story and allowing it to reframe identity, allegiance, and action.

The preacher contrasts a sanitized, decorative image of Jesus with the biblical portrait that demands lordship. Faith does not merely subscribe to a comforting emblem; it acknowledges accountability, accepts forgiveness purchased by the cross, and experiences inward renewal that produces visible change. Resurrection power remains active: the same mighty work that raised Christ moves within believers to produce perseverance, holiness, gratitude, and fruitfulness. Attempts to keep Jesus on the sidelines—invoking him only as emergency aid or retaining him as a background sentiment—prove inconsistent with the scope of the gospel.

Practical application follows naturally: genuine faith shows itself in baptism, in transformed desires, and in a life increasingly shaped by the kingdom rather than by former dominion. The church invites questions, offers teaching, and points to next steps such as baptism and membership classes for those wanting to explore the gospel more deeply. The claim is sweeping but simple: the Easter event demands a response that embraces the full person and work of Christ and trusts the same power that raised him to make believers new. Those who receive that truth discover not a gentle, background guardian but a reigning Lord whose resurrection power reorders life from the inside out.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Believe the full biblical Jesus Faith must affirm Jesus as Creator, incarnate, crucified, and risen—and not stop at a sentimental snapshot. To embrace the whole portrait is to acknowledge that the one who made and sustains everything also bore sin and now exercises rightful authority over life. That confession carries both comfort and weight: forgiveness comes with accountability, and belonging comes with reorientation. Such belief invites the transforming presence of God to reshape desires and actions. [11:50]
• 2. Faith admits the whole story Genuine faith means saying every detail of the gospel is true—identity, atonement, and resurrection—and then making that story one’s own. This admission dethrones self-reliance and replaces it with trust in the cross as the sole means of reconciliation. When faith claims the full narrative, it also opens the believer to ongoing formation by grace. Faith framed this way becomes the engine of spiritual rebirth and hope. [15:57]
• 3. Resurrection power transforms daily life The power that raised Christ continues to work in believers, producing endurance, holiness, and meaningful fruit. That power does not simply assist occasional needs; it reorients longings, strengthens through trials, and enables obedience that human will cannot sustain. Expect spiritual growth to emerge as the Spirit applies resurrection life to ordinary days and relationships. The gospel’s vitality shows itself in persistent change. [20:38]
• 4. Faith cannot be kept in background Faith that relegates Jesus to an emotional emblem or an emergency tool misunderstands the gospel’s claim to lordship. The biblical picture insists that faith reorders loyalties so that former dominions fall away and a new allegiance shapes decisions. Keeping Jesus in the wings blocks the very power that creates new affections and actions. Full trust in Christ demands visible, ongoing transformation. [16:50]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [00:25] - Opening prayer from Ephesians
• [02:00] - Reading Colossians 2
• [03:05] - “Jesus emoji” anecdote
• [05:26] - Text: filled, buried, raised
• [06:37] - Focus: “raised with him”
• [07:32] - Warner Salmon image of Jesus
• [09:47] - The biblical portrait of Jesus
• [15:30] - What genuine faith requires
• [20:01] - Resurrection power at work
• [24:45] - Invitation and next steps
• [29:16] - Closing encouragement

Bible reading: Colossians 2:6-15 (ESV)
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. 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. 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.

Observation questions

1. According to Colossians 2:9-10, what two things are true of Christ and what is the result for those who are "in him"?
2. What three actions does Colossians 2:11-12 say have happened to a believer in relation to Christ?
3. The sermon described a common, "sanitized" image of Jesus. [08:20] What were some of the characteristics of this incomplete portrait?
4. What does the passage say is the means by which a person is "raised with him" (Colossians 2:12)?

Interpretation questions

1. The passage says we are to "walk in him" just as we "received" him (Colossians 2:6). What does it mean to "receive" Christ Jesus the Lord, and how should that reception shape our daily walk?
2. The "circumcision made without hands" is described as "putting off the body of the flesh." [19:21] How does this spiritual reality contrast with the "philosophy and empty deceit" (Colossians 2:8) the world offers for self-improvement?
3. The sermon stated that the resurrection power that raised Christ "continues to be at work in the life of a believer." [20:38] How does this ongoing power connect to the command to "walk in him" and be "established in the faith"?
4. The "record of debt" was nailed to the cross (Colossians 2:14). Why is it significant that this was God's action, and not something we could accomplish ourselves?

Application questions

1. Faith means admitting the entire story of who Jesus is and what He did is true. [15:57] Which part of the biblical portrait of Jesus—Creator, incarnate God, crucified sacrifice, risen Lord—is most difficult for you to fully embrace, and why?
2. The power that raised Christ is meant to produce endurance, holiness, and meaningful fruit in daily life. [20:38] What is one ordinary situation this week (e.g., a relationship, a task, a temptation) where you need to rely on this resurrection power rather than your own strength?
3. Keeping faith as a background program, only to be used in a crisis, misunderstands Jesus's claim to be Lord. [16:50] What is one area of your life (e.g., finances, schedule, relationships) where you tend to keep Jesus "minimized," and what would it looklike this week to let His lordship reshape that area?
4. Genuine faith produces a life-changing moment where a person is "buried" and "raised" to new life. [19:42] If someone looked at your life over the past year, what visible change would point to the reality of this resurrection power?
5. The passage calls believers to be "abounding in thanksgiving." [22:34] What specific thing has God done for you, in you, or through you recently that you can recognize and thank Him for this week?
6. The biblical portrait of Jesus includes both the comfort of forgiveness and the weight of His authority. [11:50] How does holding both of these truths together—His grace and His lordship—affect the way you approach Him in prayer and obedience?