LISTEN
NASB:
Having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and he has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.
NIV:
Having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross.
Observations:
The apostle Paul is writing to the Colossians about being built up in Christ. Here, he gives us the picture of what Christ did with what we owe as sinners.
He canceled our debt. There were decrees against us, and those were hostile, but Jesus took them away.
Not only did he take them away, they were nailed to the cross, along with him, thereby removing our guilt and our sin now and forevermore.
In addition to taking away our sin, he did away with the stringent nature of living by the written law. Instead of salvation by sacrifice and works, it became salvation by grace through faith.
Takeaways:
Jesus removed all that we have sinfully done in our lives. We do not have to bear the shame of our sin because it was nailed to the cross with him.
When Jesus came, we were freed from the bondage of having to live up to the law by performance. Now, we live by faith in Jesus and obey the commands of scripture.
