When you were dead in your transgressions and the un-circumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having CANCELED {ERASED} 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.“- Col 2:13-14

 

I sent this to a dear man who was in torment over his past sin, failures. The evil one had turned him inwards- and there is nothing but despair when we turn away from Looking to Jesus! Hope this may encourage you or someone you know… he had been “tormented” and when he called me by phone he could hardly speak he was sobbing uncontrollably in tears over a sin from forty years previous. The evil one had reminded him, he had instead of turning to the Lord and understanding he had been forgiven, “pardoned,” his sin sent away” on the Cross of Christ, and celebrating Him. He turned away from the cross and turned inward! The evil one, his own failing to embrace and stand on the truth of The Word of God in His position in Christ. He looked away from Jesus and focused instead on his own pitiful performance and in turning inward ended up in despair! Self occupation leads to despair. There is no hope looking inward at self. The only Hope, certainty, blessed Assurance is to look away to Jesus and consider what He says and replace the lie through embracing the truth of God’s Word by faith in the LORD!

Paul wrote these words of comfort and FACT, to  combat the lies of the evil one was using people to seek to doubt the sufficiency of the Lord Jesus and therefore the sufficiency of their salvation. Paul combats the lie as Jesus did with referring to the Objective truth of God’s Word, “It is Written.” “When you were dead in your transgressions and the un-circumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, 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.“- Col 2:13-14

1.- ERASED;

This verse says God has forgiven not a few not some not even most but “All” of your sins it says He has “cancelled” which means “ERASE.” HE did this through the Blood of the Cross. If God has forgiven “ALL” – HOW many of your sins are not forgiven? NONE! ” ALL” are paid in Full” and ERASED- DELETED! God does nit bring them up again to you to condemn you otherwise the cross of Jesus is null and void – a waste – which is not so. The Cross is GOD’S DECLARATION of His punishment of sin and All who turn to Him in repentance and faith in The Lord Jesus have their sins, ” ALL” of them once and for all eternity – “ERASED!” What wonderful news. It is possible to buy an appliance like a washer and dryer and have a two year guarantee. But once that “guarantee” runs past the two years,  the appliances are no longer guaranteed. The guarantee is removed, null and void, and if anything breaks you are liable. God says in Hebrews 8,“Their sins and iniquities I will remember NO MORE.”- God’s guarantees as long as He is, which is Eternity He will never again hold your sins against you as He held them against His Son, who did for us what we could not do for ourselves. He paid the price. When Jesus on the cross said,“IT IS FINISHED.” that is one word in the Greek which means, “PAID IN FULL.” Therefore God gives you an ETERNAL GUARANTEE! No More will He old your sins and iniquities against you! That is terrific news. That is cause to humbly praise Him upon contemplating the vastness of His grace, mercy and love!

ERASED;A poor scribe would often use the same parchment to write on. In those days there was no acid in the ink that caused it to be imbedded upon the parchment. The ink simply lay on the surface, and the poor scribe if he desired to write something new would take a damp clothe and ERASE what was written. God has taken the blood of His dear Son, the Lord Jesus and has permanently, eternally ERASED All of your sin. There is no record in Heaven of sin against you. For on the Cross, Jesus “ERASED” the debt you were incapable of paying. The words of the hymnist come to mind who marveled at such love when he penned these words, “What wondrous love is this o my soul, o my soul what wondrous love is this.”  My dear friend understood by the help of the Holy Spirit from the Word of God. “there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ.” For He bore our condemnation. The evil one seeks to shoot “fiery darts to condemn us,” and when He does we can lift up the shield of faith and use the “sword of the Spirit” and rejoice our sins and iniquities God has given us an eternal guarantee- He will remember No More! Never again to hold against us! Our sin has been “ERASED!” This is good news for this is God’s News!

From time to time I call my friend and when he answers the phone I address him with these words, “How are you ERASED?” I have nick–named him,”ERASED,” to remind him of what God has done with all his sins through the cross of Christ where our I.O.U. was nailed and canceled- ERASED! Ask the LORD to help you understand His eternal guarantee for you. Does this mean we have a license to sin?” God forbid…where sin abounded grace SUPER- ABOUNDED.” the Psalmist said ,”Oh Lord if You should keep records of our sin who could stand? But.with You there IS forgiveness that you might be served with reverence.”   He needed to be reminded that e was “complete in Christ- {Colossians 2:8-10}  Consider Him, His Work, His sufficient grace. His standing “In Christ.”

 

2.- HOW TO FIGHT CONDEMNING THOUGHTS;

When condemnation or doubts come to your mind, quote and Apply His Word– Jesus said three times when tempted in Matthew 4 – “IT IS WRITTEN.” Let God speak for you. Let God speak TO you!

Two reasons we “embrace” the guilt and condemnation -The accuser of the brethren accuses and shoots fiery “darts” at you of condemnation… and we listen to him!  We embrace the thought, yield to it and it worms into our minds and Take over and dominates our thinking and leads us and leaves us looking to ourselves rather than away to the LORD JESUS! The evil one turns us inward and we have no resources of our-self, our resources are “In Christ.” His blood. His salvation , His forgiveness. His acceptance of us.”All is in Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit to the glory of God.”

We need to “renew our minds”-Rom 12:2; and fill our minds with what He says and THINK ON THE SCRIPTURES….When the accusations come and our past comes to CONDEMN US… REFER TO GOD AND, “IT IS WRITTEN!” Paul told the Colossians to “let the Word of Christ dwell in you RICHLY,” Jesus wen tempted said,”Man shall not live by bread alone but by EVERY WORD that proceeds from the mouth of God. The psalmist said,”Your Word have I TREASURED in my heart…” Paul committed the church at Ephesus to the Word of Grace which is able to BUILD them up.” Jesus opened the minds of the two despondent disciples and “beginning with Moses and the prophets revealed HIMSELF in ALL the Scriptures .. Psalm 1 the psalmist said,” his DELIGHT was in the law of the LORD and in it he meditated day and night.” DL Moody said of the Bible this book will keep you from sin or sin will keep you from this Book! It is God’s love letter. It is Living and powerful…it offers encouragement and hope, it instructs…,it makes us wise as we apply it. It is compared to bread, to milk , to solid food all to nourish our soul and reveal the character of God to us…the precious and magnificent promises to use.

 

3.-THE WORD FOR YOU TODAY AND EVERYDAY!!

The Word for you this day and everyday is – ERASED !

God won’t bring up your past to condemn you. He already condemned your SIN on the cross…Jesus Christ bore your condemnation. He stood in your place as Your Substitute, your SIN BEARER and God punished Him once and for all -NEVER AGAIN TO CONDEMN YOU!! So, if God does not condemn you why do you condemn yourself! There is No need for you to. He loves you and Revelation 1:5, says HE HAS (past tense with continuous ramifications) FREED YOU FROM YOUR SINS! ERASED – DELETED so that you need not NOT live any longer – DEFEATED. Elated in the Love, grace, mercy of God, growing in thankfulness to the Father who has authorized your salvation, redeemed you from the slave market of sin, granted you an eternal inheritance where your soul is “kept, guarded” by the power of God.{1 Peter 1:5

 

4.- GRATITUDE;

Colossians 1:12-14 says the response to the Heavenly Father is to INCREASE in YOUR THANKSGIVING TO GOD BECAUSE ” ALL” your sins have been ERASED! No condemnation NOW for YOU And ALL – those in Christ Jesus!!!{Romans 8:1} FREED YOU FROM YOUR SINS! ERASED – DELETED so that you need not NOT live any longer – DEFEATED. Elated in the Love, grace, mercy of God, growing in thankfulness to the Father who has authorized your salvation, redeemed you from the slave market of sin, granted you and  eternal inheritance where your soul is “kept, guarded” by the power of God.

” O Jesus, King most wonderful,
Thou Conqueror renowned,
Thou Sweetness most ineffable,
In Whom all joys are found!

When once Thou visitest the heart,
Then truth begins to shine,
Then earthly vanities depart,
Then kindles love divine.

O Jesus, Light of all below,
Thou Fount of life and fire,
Surpassing all the joys we know,
And all we can desire!

Thy wondrous mercies are untold,
Through each returning day;
Thy love exceeds a thousand fold,
Whatever we can say.

May every heart confess Thy Name;
And ever Thee adore;
And seeking Thee, itself inflame,
To seek Thee more and more.

Thee may our tongues forever bless;
Thee may we love alone;
And ever in our lives express
The image of Thine own.”

 

GOD SAYS YOU ARE FORGIVEN – no record of a sin record against you – “ALL” have been – ERASED! He is good news – stop looking at sin and start looking away to Jesus who ERASED All of your sin once and for all!!  “WHAT A SAVIOR, IS JESUS MY SAVIOR WHAT A WONDERFUL SAVIOR IS JESUS MY LORD.”

There are times my friend struggles, the tempter seeking to have him turn away from who He is  “In Christ,” and look at his sin rather than the Savior who saved him from his sin at great personal cost. The Lord is helping him develop a NEW PATTERN OF THINKING AND TRUST HIS WORD. What does God say on the matter? Speak the truth to yourself. Don’t listen to those “fiery darts of condemnation.” Hold up the shield of faith and use the sword of the Spirit to counter, defeat the accusations, condemnations and rest safe in the Word of the Living God!

The enemy would have you sin conscious and lead and leave you looking at sin,The Holy Spirit would have  you Savior conscious who has dealth with your sin!

 

The enemy would have us sin conscious and lead and leave us looking at sin, our failures and offers no hope, He will not point you to the Blood of Jesus. he cannot for he is full of hatred. The Holy Spirit always points to Him. He makes much of Him, His Person, His Work and who you are “IN HIM.”

The Holy Spirit would have  you Savior conscious. When the thoughts come to your mind, ask yourself, “Who do these thoughts end with me, sin or the SAVIOR?” Your thoughts should always end with The LORD.  there is always a “BUT GOD…”at the end of every accusation, condemning thought the enemy would seek to capture your mind with. The battle is for your thought life. The Word is your weapon. The truth about what God has done with your sin, ALL your sins have been “ERASED.” You stand fully acceptable to God through the Lord Jesus. You stand in grace, not condemnation before Him!

Make much of Him. Think much of Him. Thank the Father often that through the work of the Lord Jesus your sins have been, irrevocably, eternally ERASED!

I still call my friend today, and when he answers the phone I ask, “How is ERASED doing today?” I do this to REMIND Him of who he is,”In Christ!” You too have a new standing, “In Christ,” that is sure and secure, you too are to live in the realm of “ERASED,” THROUGH THE LOVE OF GOD.

PRAISE THE LORD!