“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” (Colossians 2:13).
No other book in the Bible focuses more on Jesus, who he was, what he did, and why it is so important than the book of Colossians. In Colossians chapter 2, we can see exactly why Jesus was nailed to the cross that day because it was more than just the body of a man and everything that needed to be nailed along with Him.
In fact, what was nailed that day took care of my past, my present, and my future, and the same is true for you. So let’s look specifically at what was nailed to the cross with Jesus so that we can understand all that had to die so that we could have a relationship with God and be reconciled to Him. We’ll look at the first two things today, and one more tomorrow.
First, our sinful disobedience has been nailed to the cross. Paul is describing not from just a purely physical viewpoint, but more of a theological viewpoint, exactly what happened when Jesus was nailed to the cross. He begins with these words, “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” (Colossians 2:13).
There is a magic word in that verse. It is the word “forgiven.” That word contains the only antidote to the virus of sin through the veins of the entire human race. It literally means to take away. You see, there is only one barrier that separates the human race from God and that is sin. The only cure for sin is forgiveness. But for that forgiveness to happen, our sins first had to be nailed to the cross with Christ.
Second, our spiritual destiny has been nailed to the cross. How many of our sins were future and still out in the future when Jesus Christ died on the cross? All of them! God had already factored in those sins and included them in that death. In other words, Jesus died not only for all of the sins of people in the past, but all the sins of the people in the present and all of the sins of the people in the future.
In other words, what about the sins we will commit tomorrow, and next week, and next month, and next year? Those sins have already been forgiven too! Since the only thing that could ever keep me away from God or out of heaven is sin, as all of my sins (past, present, and future) have already been forgiven, then my spiritual destiny has been nailed to the cross.
Dear Jesus, thank you that when you were nailed to the cross, so were my sins and so was my destiny. Thank you for your forgiveness that makes it possible for me to have a relationship with God. What a gift that forgiveness is! May I strive to never take it for granted. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Topics: Forgiveness
