The Handwriting of Requirements

Colossians 2:13-16

Message No. 0725 | Twitter @GodandUs | www.wisdom-speaks.ca

If you have never been incarcerated, you probably don’t know the meaning of freedom. If you want freedom defined properly, speak to anyone who has been wrongfully convicted and jailed. They know what it means to be in the orange jumpsuit and be told when to sleep and when to wake up. They know what it means for someone else to drive their daily lives and be told what to do and how to do it. They know what it means to be fed with food that is less than adequate, and what it means to not be able to simply stand up and go where you want. They know what it means to be separated from family, friends and other loved ones. They can adequately describe the marginal utility of freedom. They can corroborate the saying that one does not know the value of what he or she has until that thing is lost.

While no one prays for anyone to lose his or her freedom, this was where we all were until we gave our lives to Christ. We were lost in our sins, in our miry clay, having no hope for the future, and most especially, no hope beyond the grave. We were all in spiritual prisons, serving and obeying the devil in our daily lives. We did things that were inconvenient and lived in the bondage of sin. There were times that we said, never again will we indulge in or engage in some activities, but we found ourselves doing it repeatedly. Despite our best efforts, we had no way of delivering ourselves from this bondage, and its disastrous consequences. We would sometimes love to do better, but we couldn’t. Don’t we all remember who and where we were before Christ came to set us free?

Now, when a prisoner is released from jail, their family and friends come to wait for them at the gate and to embrace them and kiss them and welcome them back to freedom. They sometimes talk to the press to narrate their experiences in prison, and those who know God or have given their lives to Christ while in confinement, give thanks to God. Freedom is worth celebrating. They can breathe fresh air again, and some bow down to kiss the ‘free’ ground.

When the prisoner is released, all accusations against him or her are fulfilled. The debt is paid, and the government has nothing against them anymore. This is exactly what Christ did for us when He died for our sins and took our iniquities away. All of the guilt that we have ever accumulated is wiped out and we are forgiven. The punishment that we deserved is taken away, and our names are removed from the book of death to the book of life. In the words of Paul, this is how he put it, in Colossians 2:13-14:

And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.

If you owed a million dollars debt, and you have someone pay it for you, wouldn’t you love the person forever? Well, much more than this did Jesus do for us. He shed His Blood for you and removed your name from death to life. Isn’t this worth celebrating for as long as you live? When some people are released from prison, they are released on parole basis, and given strict rules to abide by. These rules, themselves, are another layer of restrictions and a new burden on the ex-convict. This is the reason why when some make mistakes that have the potential of taking them back to jail, they rather commit suicide. When the devil comes to tempt you to go back to the same miry clay from which you were delivered, wouldn’t you rather tell him to go back to hell first?

God has been so magnanimous to send Jesus to make Himself the only acceptable sacrifice for our sins. He was crucified in the most horrific or ways possible, and He willingly surrendered Himself for this purpose. Please don’t accept the lie of the devil as he constantly works to pull you back into prison. If you were to go back and die in your sins, you would have willingly handed yourself in for everlasting destruction. How can this be worth it in the end? If you have given your life to Christ, please remain in the freedom that He bought for you with His own Blood. If you are yet to surrender your life, do not forget that every minute you live outside of Christ is an absolute risk. Please surrender your life today, shouldn’t you do yourself this everlasting favor?

PLEASE ACT NOW:

If you are yet to give your life to Christ, you do not have a covenant with God and His promises do not apply to you. To come under these promises, please surrender your life to Christ today, by praying this prayer:

Lord I know that I am a sinner and I am unable to save myself. I am sorry for my sins and I pray that you please forgive me. I am aware that Your Son Jesus died for my sins and I accept Him as my Lord and savior. I surrender my life unto you from this moment. Please take control of my entire being and help me to be obedient to your Word, going forward. Thank you, Lord, for hearing me. I have prayed in Jesus’ name. Amen.

If you prayed the foregoing prayer, you have just been born again. Please find a Bible believing church in your area and ask to see the pastor. Let him or her know that you have just given your life to Christ and s/he will guide you on next steps in your journey as a child of God. The Lord bless you!

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