Romans 5:8-11 NKJV
(8) But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
(9) Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.
(10) For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.
(11) And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.
While we were God's enemies, God reconciled us to Himself. Like I said, plainly stated truth. But this is one of those truths that will change your life if you can simply believe what the Bible says.
While we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son. And through His Son Jesus Christ, we receive that reconciliation.
Here's one of those life changing truths:
Even before we were born again, God stopped counting our sins against us.
“When we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son . . .”.
“Not imputing their trespasses against then”.
Paul explained this to the believers in Colossae,
Colossians 2:13-14 NKJV
(13) 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,
(14) 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.
Let me read this from the English Standard Version:
Colossians 2:13-14 ESV
(13) And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses,
(14) by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.
The word “Handwriting”, in the Greek, Cheirographon, as it turns out had a very specific meaning.
In 1896, archeologists began the excavation of Oxyrhynchus, in Egypt. Or more specifically, the local landfill dump. Among other things, they found 1000's of papyri, giving a rather full picture of the society of the 3rd largest city in Egypt during the times of the Apostles. This is where we learned that “Tetelestai” - “It is finished” - was written across a certificate of debt when it was “paid in full”. And this is where we learned that those certificates of debt were called a “cheirogrphon” - handwriting.
We see this in Paul's letter to Philemon,
Philemon 1:18-19 NKJV
(18) But if he has wronged you or owes anything, put that on my account.
(19) I, Paul, am writing with my own hand. I will repay--not to mention to you that you owe me even your own self besides.
That was the custom. If I wrote in my onw hand that I owed you something, that “handwriting” was your legal proof of my indebtedness. And when I paid you, you would write across it, Tetelestai, and that was my legal proof of the discharge of that debt.
It is Finished.
(8) But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
(9) Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.
(10) For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.
(11) And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.
While we were God's enemies, God reconciled us to Himself. Like I said, plainly stated truth. But this is one of those truths that will change your life if you can simply believe what the Bible says.
While we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son. And through His Son Jesus Christ, we receive that reconciliation.
Here's one of those life changing truths:
Even before we were born again, God stopped counting our sins against us.
“When we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son . . .”.
“Not imputing their trespasses against then”.
Paul explained this to the believers in Colossae,
Colossians 2:13-14 NKJV
(13) 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,
(14) 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.
Let me read this from the English Standard Version:
Colossians 2:13-14 ESV
(13) And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses,
(14) by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.
The word “Handwriting”, in the Greek, Cheirographon, as it turns out had a very specific meaning.
In 1896, archeologists began the excavation of Oxyrhynchus, in Egypt. Or more specifically, the local landfill dump. Among other things, they found 1000's of papyri, giving a rather full picture of the society of the 3rd largest city in Egypt during the times of the Apostles. This is where we learned that “Tetelestai” - “It is finished” - was written across a certificate of debt when it was “paid in full”. And this is where we learned that those certificates of debt were called a “cheirogrphon” - handwriting.
We see this in Paul's letter to Philemon,
Philemon 1:18-19 NKJV
(18) But if he has wronged you or owes anything, put that on my account.
(19) I, Paul, am writing with my own hand. I will repay--not to mention to you that you owe me even your own self besides.
That was the custom. If I wrote in my onw hand that I owed you something, that “handwriting” was your legal proof of my indebtedness. And when I paid you, you would write across it, Tetelestai, and that was my legal proof of the discharge of that debt.
It is Finished.