When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14 having cancelled 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. 15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. Colossians2:13-15
This is one of Paul's pieces of writing that I really enjoy!
What a sense of triumph!
The Law was the written code that showed up all our sin.
The powers and authorities (of Satan the Accuser) used the Law to accuse us and as a result we were found guilty and therefore dead in our sins.
Jesus didn't discard the Law, He came to fulfill it.
He fulfilled not only the letter of the Law, but the spirit of the Law*. When He died on the cross, He died completely innocent of transgressing any of the Law's statutes and thereby opening a new way apart from the Law. He cancelled the Law by fulfilling it!
The cross, which was considered a shameful death, became a place of victory. By being without sin, the enemies could not accuse, and so they were disarmed. Defeated.
The Law is now nailed to the cross: all its punishments were meted out on the innocent Son of Man and so we can enter through the door He has opened.
What a Saviour!
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Remember how He spelled that out in the sermon on the mount? e.g. it's not just murder, but a hateful attitude. It's not just about adultery but a lustful look.
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Theo Groeneveld theo@emmanuel.org.za
You can see past EmmDevs at http://emmdev.blogspot.com/
