Colossians 2:11-15

Do you listen to Casting Crowns? They have a new song titled "East to West" that talks about someone battling sinful desires and the mistakes they make, and then trying to comprehend "just how far the east is from the west" and then mentioning that it is only as far as "one scarred hand to the other." The love and blood of Jesus truly covers our sins.

Jesus took our sin to the cross. The sin you have been forgiven from, but you can't seem to forget, is nailed to that cross. It's far away. Gone. If you are, at this moment, struggling with memories of a sinful past, of regrets and a returning sense of shame...know that Jesus covers that sin. Just look at our passage for this week!

Not only did Jesus die for our sins, and then raise from the dead victorious over the grave, but through His perfect sacrifice, our sins are atoned for. He has covered our sins with His perfect blood, paying the price for our weakness and bad choices. He's paid the bill in full; cleared the account we have tallied. Jesus, the Son of God, has "canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us and which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross." (Col 2:14)

Wow.

The magnitude of that thought would take an eternity to fathom. Praise God we will share eternity with Him!

He has taken away our sin, and in verse 13, it mentions that this was done while we were "dead in [our] transgressions" - not when we cleaned up enough to approach God, but when we were still a complete mess. It is a tremendous comfort to know that God provided a way out of our mess long before we knew we needed it - so that none of our works could provide what He has, through His mercy, provided freely for those who would repent and believe. Incredible really.As you go through your week, picture the worst sin of your past, or the worst sin of others, literally nailed to the cross. Left there, never to be re-claimed. Glory to God.

My question to you this week is simple. Do you live each day in light of this truth? Are you walking in victory knowing that while you were a sinner, Jesus died for you, and that your sin is truly nailed to that cross? If not, how can you make practical steps toward living in victory through Jesus Christ?