SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 3/21/2017 11:06 PM
My Worship Time Focus: PT-3 Complete
Forgiveness
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Colossians
2:13-14
Message of the verses: “13 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, 14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross (ESV).”
In our last SD we talked about how the Colossians were
dead in their trespasses, and then in today’s we want to add the next phrase “and
the uncircumcision of your flesh.” Paul
used this phrase to show that the Colossians were Gentiles and not Jews as this
phrase means that they were outside the covenant, the covenant that God had
made with Abraham. Let us look at Paul’s
letter to the Ephesians, which was written at the same time when he was in
prison and is a very similar letter. “11
Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called "Uncircumcision" by the
so-called "Circumcision," which is performed in the flesh by
human hands- 12 remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth
of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God
in the world.” This shows that
the Gentiles were in a much worse state than the unbelieving Jews, for at least
they had the law and the covenants along with the rest of the OT writings.
Now the story does not end with the first part of verse
13 for Paul goes on to say that God had made them alive together with Him. Now this is similar to what Jesus had
promised to do in the 17th chapter of the gospel of John when Jesus
prays that believers will one day be one with Him and this speaks of the
believers union with Christ as seen in a verse from Colossians we have already
looked at, Colossians 2:10 “10 and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all
rule and authority.” That phrase “in
Him” is the key to understanding this unity we have with Christ for once we
were saved we were put in Him. So what
we see here is that before Christ the Colossians and all other believers were
hopelessly dead in sin and then received a new life through this union with
Christ.
MacArthur writes “As a result of being made alive with Christ, believers have been ‘forgiven’ of ‘all’ their ‘transgressions’. The knowledge that all our sins have been forgiven brings great joy. ‘How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered!’ (Ps. 32:1).”
What we are looking at is the fact that God has forgiven
the sins of those who believe, and with that are included in God’s eternal
kingdom and glory is the most
important truth found in the Scriptures! The psalmist in 130:3-4 writes “3 If You,
LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? 4 But there is forgiveness with
You, That You may be feared.”
Isaiah 1:18 says “18 "Come
now, and let us reason together," Says the LORD, "Though your sins
are as scarlet, They will be as white as snow; Though they are red like
crimson, They will be like wool.” Isaiah
55:7 says “7 Let the wicked forsake his way And the unrighteous man his
thoughts; And let him return to the LORD, And He will have compassion on him,
And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon.” One more verse about our forgiveness from
the OT prophet Micah 7:18 “18 Who is a God like You, who pardons iniquity And passes over the
rebellious act of the remnant of His possession? He does not retain His anger
forever, Because He delights in unchanging love.”
Now remember this wonderful truth that God forgives our
sins and will give us at that point eternal life which lasts forever as one day
we will be with Him and serve Him forever and ever, as we have complete
forgiveness.
3/21/2017 11:40 PM
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