Colossians 2:13-15
Even when you were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ by forgiving us all our trespasses. God erased the record of our debt brought against us by his legal demands. This record stood against us, but he took it away by nailing it to the cross. After disarming the rulers and authorities, he made a public display of them by triumphing over them in Christ.
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for restoring us to you. When we consider everything we think, say, and do, we realize how loveless and undeserving we are of your salvation. However, you made us alive in Christ by forgiving all our trespasses and sins—all the loveless things we do against You and others. When we hold up your commandments as a mirror, we see how awful of people we can be, chasing after all the desires of our hearts no matter how bad they might hurt someone else. We use this idea of being deserving of the good things we get, like we are something extraordinary. However, even our consciences condemn us, and when we try to quiet them down, the guilt and the shame remain.
Lord, only through Christ is there forgiveness for all our sins. He took them to the cross to suffer and die for us there; Jesus wiped that slate clean and gave us his perfection in sin’s place. You erased our record of guilt, all for Jesus’ sake. It was on the cross that our every sin was nailed with him. What is also amazing is that you did this publicly and not in secret; those who nailed Jesus to the cross had no reason to put him on that cross, but it was for our sins that we have been given victory—sin, death, and the Devil are defeated and powerless. You make all this ours through faith in Jesus, so thank you for forgiving and restoring us.
Please give us opportunities to share this good news of Christ’s forgiveness with those who still suffer the ravages of guilt and shame in their lives so that they, too, will believe and come to faith, which will result in them having everlasting life with you in heaven. Amen.
Written through Pastor Roger Emmons
You are restored to life by faith in the one who has taken all your sins to the cross with him. Trust in Jesus, your redeemer, and Savior; he nailed all your sins to that cross.