God’s Grace
“And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross” (Colossians 2:13-14).
If we’re honest with ourselves, we must admit that we have some rotten thoughts, desires, and actions. Oh sure, we put on a mask of competence and respectability, but underneath, we hide some ugly faults. We sin against God and against people. We may even feel terrible about it.
But the good news is we don’t have to live under the guilt that comes because of our sin. The central, and paramount truth of the gospel is that God, in His amazing grace, has provided the provision for us to be forgiven. He doesn’t excuse our sin by saying, “Well, it’s not that bad,” or “It doesn’t really matter.” No. He calls it sin, and He has paid a high price to forgive us.
In Colossians, Paul uses the metaphor of a Roman debtor’s prison. When a person could not repay a debt, he was thrown in a cell, and a scroll of all his debts was nailed to the cell door until the debts were paid. Jesus saw us in the prison of our own guilt. He took the list and paid the price. All the debts are paid. He nailed them to the cross. His sacrifice paid them in full.
Freedom is never free. Christ’s grace is free to us, but it cost Him His life. His sacrifice shows us how much He loves us, and we ought to be grateful and accept His wonderful forgiveness. When we do, we are set free to experience relief, and we are motivated to honor the One who freed us.
“Amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me! I once was lost, but now I’m found. Was blind but now I see.”
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