And you, who were dead in your trespasses...God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. Colossians 2:13-14
As I continue my preparation to lead worship at the Gardens and The Lodge on Sunday 30MAR (pausing on my study of the last four books of the OT using the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary volume), I march forward in my use of DesiringGod.com's 40-day devotional Fifty Reasons Why Jesus Came to Die. This morning I read reason #7: To Cancel the Legal Demands of the Law Against Us. While scripture does not specifically mention the number of commands in the Old Testament law, it is estimated this number to be 613, contained in the Pentateuch. As someone who was raised Jewish, I never felt a personal relationship to God, something I definitely feel with Jesus Christ. For me, being Jewish represented more of a cold and distant reality, which the Old Testament law amounts to when you consider the sheer volume of commands. As a Christian, I am keenly aware of how no amount self-driven obedience will bring about my salvation - this is purely a gift and an undeserved one. The devotion starts by sharing how it is "a folly it is to think that our good deeds may one day outweigh our bad deeds." John Piper provides two reasons: (1) it's not true (see also Romans 14:23, 3:19); (2) God does not save by considering the balance of our good vs bad works - He saves by grace alone. Piper shares: "[t]here is no salvation by balancing the records. There is only salvation by canceling records. The record of our bad deeds (including our defective good deeds), along with the just penalties that each deserves, must be blotted out—not balanced. This is what Christ suffered and died to accomplish." We are urged to consider Jesus as our ONLY hope and the ONLY way to Jesus is through faith (see John 14:6).
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My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who loves me, and who is full of grace and compassion for me...saving me while dead in sin. Thank You Jesus! I am not deserving of such incredible grace, mercy and compassion. My sin is great and it continues...daily. Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You. Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me. Help me grow in my faith. Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength. Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo. Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior. Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin. Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others. Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.
