Colossians 2:13-14

Colossians 2

13 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,

14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.

According to the Bible, if we are without Christ, we are dead in our sin. We are without hope and can be sure of an eternity separated from God.

Its incredible to think about all that Christ did for us to reconcile us back to God. We had to be free of our sin, as explained here in Colossians. These are two of my favorite verses- having forgiven us all our trespasses (sin) by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.

When I think about the person I was and the things I have done, and I picture Jesus -with a list of those things and the their ‘legal demands’ (separation from God)- nailing them to the cross, covering them with His blood, and declaring me justified and free from it- it leaves me speechless every time.

He did this so that we could be made alive together with Him- alive rather than dead in our sin- living in and for Him. These verses have obvious connotations for any that have yet to trust in Christ as their Savior, but there is a message here for the believer too.

If you have trusted in Christ as your Savior, you are free from sin. Don’t let it bind you through guilt or shame. You’re already forgiven for it all. ‘This he set aside’- removing it from you. At the same time, do not continue in sin. Christ paid this price so we could be made alive together with Him, not so that we could continue to wallow in the playground of sin and death. Cast off sin and live in Christ.