Our Debt Was Paid and is Gone Forever
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 ESV Read More
Whenever we do something for or against something else, a debt is created. If we cut across our neighbor’s yard, we owe a debt to them to restore their flowers we trample. If someone opens a door for us, we can give them some respect or gratitude. These are little things, but they really do create a huge web of appreciation, respect, and a very tiny debt.
Sometimes that is made more clear. When a drunk driver kills somebody, wrong has been done, and the public seeks for that debt to be paid. That debt is called justice. Wrong has been done. Something has been taken. If it can’t be restored, a proper payment is required, which is the debt that justice attempts to pay off.
When we sin against God, we are rebelling against the Supreme Lover of Our Souls. He has the best interests and plans in the world for us, and sin is the power that drives us to go against that. That rebellion comes at a cost. We understand how justice is directly related to the one against whom we sin. If you throw a rock at a random neighborhood kid, there is one level of punishment. If you throw a rock at the president, there is an exponentially greater level of punishment.
When we sin against the one and true great God of the universe, the justice we deserve is quite a demand. One preacher said, “never preach about Hell unless you have tears in your eyes.” I’m not going to go there now. It’s unspeakable. But that debt we had against God, as huge and unbearable as it was, was carried by Christ to the cross. Whatever power the lender had over the debtor was taken away when our sin-debt was paid by Christ.
Now the spiritual power of the Devil, which is sin and accusation and condemnation (and ultimately fear of death and judgment), is taken away by the sacrifice of God. They are put to shame because in God’s mercy there is now no condemnation for those that are in Christ.
What freedom that brings to know that all of our acts of service toward God aren’t toward a debt, but part of a thank you letter! The debt has been paid and the check already cashed. Now the correspondence between us and God is out of love and friendship, not employment and debt. That is His triumph that has become our triumph. Victory is building a family of relatives, not a slave army of workers. In that, we rejoice, labor, and live.
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