Nailed to the Cross - Good Friday!

In Paul's letter to the Colossians he is seeking to remind believers of the all-sufficiency of the person and work of Christ. He does this because false gnostic teaching is affecting the church. This teaching made Christ only one of a large number of intermediaries between man and the ultimate deity. Secret knowledge was necessary to move from one of these spiritual ladder rungs to the next. Of course, only the gnostic teacher could initiate a person into this secret knowledge!

In chapter 2, vv.13-15, Paul takes believers back to where they have come from. They were DEAD in their "trespasses and the uncircumcision of [their] flesh" v.13. That is, all of us who are now believers were once spiritually dead and separated from a relationship with God. As Paul says in Ephesians 2:12, we were "without hope and without God in this world." Why? Because of our rebellious acts (trespasses) that flowed from a rebellious nature (uncircumcision of the flesh). This is where all of us were. Dead because of our sin. Rebels through and through. Sin always has its consequences and they are disastrous.

But something happened. Paul says that God made us "alive together with him" i.e. Christ. From death to life. How could this radical transformation take place? ONLY when whatever caused us to be DEAD was removed, i.e. our sinful nature and sinful acts.

Paul then tells us that God has "forgiven us all our trespasses" v.13. "Forgiven" is a word that emphasizes God's GRACE in releasing us from the guilt of our sin. It is a gracious act of God toward us in infinite contrast to our rebellious acts against Him. No merit here. All free grace.

But God cannot just decide to forgive. He is the just judge of all the earth. Sin has its irreversible consequences. There is a debt to be paid and it WILL be paid...by someone.

Jesus Christ is that SOMEONE. Paul tells us HOW God could forgive our infinite debt:

• He canceled "the record of debt that stood against us" v.14. "Record of debt" was an IOU written by the hand of the debtor. It legally detailed one's personal debt to another. Our record of debt is contained in the law of God. We are responsible and accountable to obey every command and prinicple of the law of God. Because we have utterly failed to do so, that law stands as a record of our infinite and unpayable guilt and debt to a holy God. It announces, "Mike has failed to honor his mother and father." "Mike has looked on a woman to lust for her." "Mike has cared more for the praise of people than the praise of God." Mike has had other gods before God." "Mike has been a gossip." "Mike has utterly failed to love his neighbor as himself." And on and on and on and on and on...
• But this legal and unpayable debt to God has been CANCELED. This word means to be blotted out, wiped away, the total obliteration of any mark that remains against us. There is not even a smudge mark against us. The record of debt is wiped clean. 50 billion billion billion billion dollars in sin debt wiped clean. Not a penny of guilt remains. HOW?
• God set it aside, "nailing it to the cross" v.14. Here, my friend, is a breathtaking statement. MY SIN, MY REBELLION...ALL OF IT...past, present and future was nailed to the cross when Jesus was nailed to the cross. Each pounding of the spikes that held Him there as the Lamb of God was a statement that my sin, your sin, all the sin of sinners was being paid for. The hidden sins, the unspeakable sins, the sins that maimed others, the sins of attitude, the sins of pride and arrogance and presumption on God's grace, the sins that pushed God to the periphery of my life while I pursued idols of pleasure and comfort and reputation - it was nailed to the cross in Jesus, the sin bearer.

"Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us - for it is written, 'Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree'" Galatians 3:13.

Hallelujah! Hallelujah! The bloodied, bleeding, mocked, naked and humiliated figure on the center cross on that ancient Good Friday was in that very condition because He was taking the record of my debt out of the way, never to be seen again. He became a curse so I would not be cursed.

In light of this payment on my behalf, shall I sin lightly? Never!

In light of this payment on my behalf, shall I ever again allow Satan to play the guilt game with me? Never! see Colossians 3:15.

In light of this payment, can I think of the cross only as a religious symbol or a favorite shape for jewelry? NO...it is the place where my Savior was pounded to death for my sin.

"Father, I am humbled to the dust at the sight of my Savior bleeding for my rebellion. I am overwhelmed by grace that blots out my trespasses at the cost of the sinless One becoming sin. May I live my life in cross-gratitude and joyful obedience to the end of my days. Oh, what a GOOD FRIDAY! Thank YOU!"