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.
- Colossians
2:13-15
Have you ever been in debt? Student loans? Owed a friend a
favor? Whatever debt you have been in, are in, or ever will be in, it is
nothing compared to the debt that you stands against you for your soul. You are
a wicked person by nature and deserve death. Before any encounter with Christ,
we are dead in our trespasses or our sin. But here’s the good news, God made us
alive in him by forgiving us of everything we have done and everything that we
are. He has cancelled our debt. Can you imagine having your student loans paid
off? Now multiply that times infinity. That is how much God paid off for you
and humanity. He nailed it all to the cross. What a powerful statement. Jesus
loved us so much that even though we were in such a large debt that we could
never do anything to pay it back, he wiped it clean, nailed it to the cross,
and took the punishment himself. Not only did he save us and set us free from
the slavery of our debt to death, he openly defied and shamed sin and death. He
beat them. He knocked them out. He demolished them. Jesus loved you so much
that he took all of the weight of your sin. He took the punishment that you
deserve not only for what you have done, but also for who you are. He took your
sin and nailed it to the cross with himself, erasing and canceling all debt
that you owe.
You no longer are in debt. You are no longer a slave to sin if
you are in Christ. You no longer are dead in your trespasses or your sin. You
no longer are required to spend an eternity submersed in the flames of hell.
You are no longer forced to succumb to the powers of this world because Jesus
has defeated them.
Instead you have been set free to be a live in Christ. You
are now a slave to righteousness. You are alive in Christ through Jesus.
Beginning with Christ, you are spending an eternity in the splendor that is the
Kingdom. Because of the grace given to you, you have no choice but to live in
thankfulness and gratefulness for the sacrifice Jesus has made. You have been made alive in Christ.
