having canceled the debt ascribed to us in the decrees that stood against us. He took it away, nailing it to the cross!wiping out the handwriting in ordinances which was against us. He has taken it out of the way, nailing it to the cross.Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;having blotted out the bond written in ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us: and he hath taken it out of the way, nailing it to the cross;
3 sermons cite this verse
… washed with Christ's blood? Well, to be washed with Christ's blood means that our sins are wiped away. Again, if you look back at Colossians chapter 2 verse 14, you can see there the line drawn between our baptism into Christ and his canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. To be baptized into Christ means to enjoy his benefits, and the first one that the catechism would have us focus on is this clean record, this purification of our sins, the stain wiped away and nailed to the cross, covered up in the blood of Christ. Jesus offered his own life so that our particular sins would be forgiven and that their stain on our record would be wiped away forever. Nothing less than this cleansing, this perfect cleansing, is the condition for entrance into the presence of the living and true God. Christ's covering and cleansing of your sins initiates your union with him, your membership in his family. As Pastor Kevin mentioned this morning, for those who are not in Christ, for those who are still slaves to sin. We live under the dominion of sin. That is the banner that waves above the life of the sinner. That is the flag that flies on their front porch. That is the commanding officer that they submit to. But when Christ cleanses you of your sin, he erases its record in your past, and he gives you a new banner to wave. …
for instance that great doctrine of the believers union with Christ that hangs all over these truths regarding our salvation we have been chosen in Christ and we have been raised to new life in Christ moreover Paul says in verse 6 that God raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. In his commentary on Ephesians, Sinclair Ferguson points to this remarkable reality of being raised up from spiritual death to be seated with Christ. And he points to where Christ is. Where is Christ now? he is ascended he is enthroned he is seated in the place of victory in the place of honor in the place of reigning and where are we? we are with him that is God has already seated us with him you think of someone who invites you to a sporting event I got some tickets to the game you want to come sure I'll go and think of how your disposition changes when they say and by the way these are my box seats you know then all of a sudden everything changes right so game on I mean I was going to the cheap seats but hey I'm going to be in the box seats and you call your friends and you start bragging again to them to make them jealous hey I'm going to be in box seats at this great game. And so there you are. …
1. Consider the weak and seemingly despicable means and weapons that God employs to overthrow Satan. Christ poured the greater contempt upon Satan in the victory that he obtained over him, by reason of the means of his preparing himself for it, and the weapons he hath used. Christ chooses to encounter Satan in the human nature, in a poor, frail, afflicted state. He did as David did. David when going against the Philistine refused Saul’s armour, a helmet of brass, a coat of mail, and his sword. No, he puts them all off. Goliah comes mightily armed against David, with a helmet of brass upon his head, a coat of mail weighing five thousand shekels of brass, greaves of brass upon his legs, and a target of brass between his shoulders; a spear, whose staff was like a weaver’s beam; and the spear’s head weighing six hundred shekels of iron. And besides all this, he had one bearing a shield before him. But David takes nothing but a staff in his hand, and a shepherd’s bag and a sling; and he goes against the Philistine. So the weapons that Christ made use of were his poverty, afflictions and reproaches, sufferings and death. His principal weapon was his cross: the instrument of his own reproachful death. These were seemingly weak and despicable instruments, to wield against such a giant as Satan. And doubtless the devil disdained them as much as Goliah did David’s staves and sling. But with such weapons as these has Christ in a human, weak, mortal nature overthrown and baffled all the craft of hell. …