There is nothing quite like having something held over your head. The phrase “held over your head” is an idiom describing the constant reminder of the negative past. We all have mistakes, mishaps, and of course, sin. Constant reminders of our bad record. Did you know this is also the reason Jesus died for us? He died also to cancel the record established against us.
We read in Colossians 2.13–14, “And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us [canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands], and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross.” Here we see that there is only hope in the sacrificial death of Christ. Because the “handwriting of ordinances” or ‘record of our debt’ has been nailed to the cross of Christ. How foolish it is to think that our good deeds may one day outweigh our bad deeds. They were there, hanging over our head, and Jesus took it away.
When someone thinks though, that somehow their good could outweigh their bad, they are thinking pridefully arrogant. Even our so-called ‘good’ deeds are defective. Do we do allour good deeds in joyful dependence on God? Or do we do them with a view to making known His supreme worth? Which both are required, “…that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.” (1 Peter 4.11)
Doesn’t the Bible also say, “for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.” (Romans 14.23). It’s foolishness to think that our good deeds will outweigh our bad deeds before God. Without Christ-exalting faith, our ‘deeds’ signify nothing but rebellion. We were all spiritually dead in our sins (Ephesians 2.1-3). And we were cut off from God…dead! We are told, “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags…” (Isaiah 64.6a). Even our own life is temporary and meaningless because of our sin, “…and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.” (Isaiah 64.6b)
It’s not the way God saves. God has a totally different way of saving sinners than by weighing their deeds. If we are saved from the consequences of our bad deeds, it will not be because they weighed less than our good deeds. There is absolutely no hope in our deeds.
What does He do? There is no salvation by balancing the records. There is only salvation by canceling records, as Colossians 2.14 states (explanation added in brackets), “Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us [canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands], and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross.” The record of our bad deeds, including our defective good deeds, must be blotted out—not balanced. This is what Christ suffered and died to accomplish…a blotting out. It’s a list of what you’re guilt of. A record of your sin, like a list on parchment. A declaration of everything you have ever been guilty of before God. This includes thoughts, motives, and actions. Tell me the truth, is there a lot hanging over your head? Christ abolished those records through what Jesus did on the cross. The phrase, “blotting out”, is the greek word: ‘exaleiphó’. It means blotting out, wipe out, plaster over, and to cancel.Literally to wipe out the handwriting. This refers to the debtors record that the indebted person had against them. Who does this refer to? “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;” (Romans 3.23).
Did you catch that? All of us…all of humanity owes God an un-payable debt for violating His law. Therefore all areunder the sentence of death. As Romans 6.23 says clearly, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” These deeds are against us. It’s proof of our sinfulness. So Jesus, “…took it out of the way…” (Colossians 2.14c). He took the whole list out of the way, so it wouldn’t be seen as something owed to God. The only way to be released from the debt is for the deeds to be blotted with ink out of sight. Say you took the list, which I’m guessing is long, and blotting over each item on the list with a permanent marker. There is no way to see the underlying items anymore. It isn’t that you didn’t do it, it’s that they are blotted out. But He isn’t done. He then, “nailed to the cross”, a symbol of capital punishment. He murdered the list against us, with Himself, on the cross. Jesus Himself, “took it out of the way and nailed it to the cross”. Our sin? Yes! 2 Corinthians 5.21 says, “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”
The blotting of our record was…“nailed to the cross”…by Jesus. He became our sin record. He blotted it out by His own death, not with ink, but with His own blood! Parchment was not nailed to the cross—Christ was. So Christ became my record of deeds—He endured my record. And then removed it, “As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.” (Psalm 103.12).
He is my only hope. And faith in Him alone, is my only way to God. Oh, and by the way, this is the very thing we must tell others. That they have a record and it can be dealt with in an instant if they would only come to Him: “And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” (Revelation 22.17)