There is a chunk of Colossians 2 I used to think went too far. I thought it was giving people a license to sin. It was just too much freedom. (I kind of felt that way about the entire book of Galatians too, if the truth be told.)

But reading through it today, I’m seeing something wonderful.

Let’s read together, with a few observations as we go. I promise, I’m not going to try to add to scripture, I just process verbally. Feel free to throughout the stuff that rubs you the wrong way. I won’t be mad. I promise.

When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh,

These transgressions were against the law God gave Moses. It was good. Every word inspired. But according to Romans 8:3 “it was weak” because it depended on us to keep it so it could not save us.

 He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions,

OK, we get this. We’re forgiven because Jesus died for our sins on the cross. Yes, yes, we all understand this.

Or do we?

Jesus is the Word of God. If we look at the Word of God, pre-gospel, we will find that a huge portion of that Word is either the law or men missing the mark and suffering the consequences. Every day, because of the law, we (men and women) were getting deeper in debt to the law. If it weren’t for the law, we might be able to have a relationship with God.

 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.

But there was actually more working against us than our own flesh in its losing battle to keep the law. The enemy and all his forces of darkness knew the law and knew man’s weakness. So he (they) wielded the law against us like a sword, like a hammer, breaking generation after generation.

So then, the cross had another effect. Not only did God forgive us, but by nailing the Law (His Word– AKA Jesus) to the cross He robbed our enemy of His greatest weapon, the law.

 When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him. – Colossians 2:13-15

What is there to say then except WOW (ok – there’s always HALLELUJAH!)

The law of God is intended to give you a glimpse of God’s nature. He displays His character through His ordinances. This word picture of God could never give us an understanding of God’s nature. The law and the prophets failed to reveal God in a way that could tranform us. Instead, it condemned us.

So…

God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. – Hebrews 1:1-3

And once He finally communicated His nature to us in a way we could comprehend, through the life of Jesus, He nailed His clearest and most precise image to the cross. His own Word, His own flesh and blood, to demonstrate that there is no longer anything keeping us from relationship with Him.

The law prevented us from knowing God, so God destroyed it. He took that wall down, once and for all.

It’s down. He took the law and nailed it to a bloody tree so that we can know Him.

It’s too much to fathom.

Give Him praise today, won’t you?

Thanks as always

Love you

Ben