So, I’m memorizing Colossians this year. Every week, I add two verses and when I do, I spend a significant amount of time studying them to fully engage with the Scriptures’ meaning, not just memorize the words. I really loved what God had to say through this week’s verses and wanted to share it. Col. 2:14-15 ESV. (I will include verse 13 for context.)

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. 15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.

Beautiful, isn’t it?

So I looked up the meaning of “canceling” in the Greek, which is the word exaleipho. It means “to anoint or wash in every part; to wipe off, wipe away, to obliterate, erase, wipe out, blot out.” It is the same word in Revelation 7:17 and 21:4 which refers to God wiping away every tear in heaven. It is also used in Revelation 3:5 speaking of how the overcomer’s name will not be erased from the Lamb’s Book of Life.

The next phrase in the text, “record of debt,” is actually a compound word in the Greek, cheirographon. It comes from two root words: one meaning “hand” and the other meaning “to write.” Quite literally, the word means “handwriting.” This is the ONLY appearance of this Greek word in all of Scripture. I don’t know about you, but when I see the solo appearance of anything in Scripture, I take notice! We know Paul wrote 13, possibly 14 (Hebrews), books of the New Testament, and this is the only time he uses this word…interesting…

As I was meditating on this information and praying through it, God spoke to my heart in an incredible way. He gave me a picture (in my mind’s eye, spiritually-speaking) of a huge dry-erase white board. Get the picture in your mind. Remember how the phrase “record of debt” means handwriting? The Spirit taught me that I write my own sin, my own record of debt. I write it in my own handwriting. I can’t blame my sin on anyone else. I can’t blame my family for my bad attitude or behavior. I can’t blame my actions on my past. I can’t blame my sin on my circumstances. I can’t blame…(fill in the blank). My sin is–just that–mine. Well, in the Lord’s picture I was just writing my sin on the white board, over and over and over again.

BUT PRAISE GOD for the word “canceling”!! He took a giant ERASER and WIPED AWAY my sin…with the same powerfully gentle hand that wipes away every tear from every cheek in heaven. All of MY sin that I wrote on that giant board was gone, canceled, erased.

That wasn’t all though. The last part of verse 14 says, “This he set aside, nailing it to cross.” The phrase “set aside” is the Greek word airo, which means “to raise up, elevate, lift up; to take upon one’s self that which has been raised up; to bear what has been raised; to take away from another what is his.” The most glorious part of the Lord’s picture was Jesus lifting up that giant dry erase board and nailing it to the cross, too high for me to reach anymore. He took it away from me–that which was mine. He raised it up and nailed it to that old rugged cross, never to be written on again…

How blessed He is…

I am not sure if I clearly communicated to you what a magnificent picture/lesson the Lord gave me…but maybe it was just for me. I’m ok with that.