Colossians 2:14:
…by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.
The previous verse argued that Christ has made us alive and forgiven us all our trespasses. This verse provides further explanation as to how something so wonderful has happened.
He forgave us all our trespasses by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. The law reveals to us that we are guilty, thus we have a penalty to pay. God is just, therefore he couldn’t just let the sin go unpunished. If a human judge let a murderer go without any penalty from the state, we would feel as if justice hadn’t been served. In the same way, if God were to let sin go unpunished, then he would not be a just and righteous judge.
However, the very justice of God is the problem for sinners like us. We all have a record of debt that stands against us and condemns us. None of us are innocent. Thankfully, Christ has nailed our debt to the cross. He took the debts on himself and received the wrath of God so you and I (if we have faith in Christ) can be “made alive” and forgiven all our trespasses.
Application Questions:
- Do you truly see your guilt and the need for a just judge to condemn you? We will not value the good news if we don’t understand the bad news.
- Do you see why God cannot simply let sin go unpunished?
- Knowing the just penalty against us, do you see how Christ’s substitutionary death is the means of salvation for those who believe?
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