13When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made youd alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. (Colossians 2:13-14)
Thoughts: Paul was talking about how Christ has circumcised us when he baptized us- claiming us as His own and cleansing us of sin. Then Paul says, "when you were dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh God made you alive" (cf. Eph. 2:6). We were dead in sin- sin killed our ability to be alive to God- our souls. We may be walking on the outside but on the inside we are dead until God makes us alive, regenerating our souls to Him. Some have the idea that we reach half way up and God reaches the rest of the way. But being dead in sins means we cannot reach at all. God scoops us up and shocks our souls-restarting them.
Paul goes on to explain how God gets us out of the deadness of sin. Christ forgave us- cancelling the charge against us. It would be like we were about to lose our house, our car, our everything because of all the debt we owe and God recognized the debt as paid by Christ on the cross. He bore our punishment. So we pray, "Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors."
It is like God took our debts- and nailed them to the cross for everyone to see- and to see they have been paid. When we are burdened by debt it is very unpleasant. But when we are set free from debt it is a wonderful gift.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for setting me free. Help me to live and enjoy responsibly the freedom you have given.
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