And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath He quickened together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses. Colossians 2:13
We have all seen ‘No Trespassing’ signs on property where the owner did not want any unauthorized people to be. So we know what trespassing is; it’s going somewhere against the owner’s wishes. There can be consequences for trespassers. We may also have seen signs that proclaimed ‘Trespassers Will be Prosecuted’. Remember how our first parents were warned against trespassing and informed of the consequences if they did. They trespassed by eating of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. And they paid the price. Their descendants are still paying the price today. And we are paying for all of the other trespasses that we have committed. That is why today’s text is a big deal as it speaks of having all of our trespasses forgiven.
Some will tell us that our salvation provides forgiveness of sins up to the point of our conversion. But beyond that, they tell us, we must live up to a certain standard to maintain our salvation. Otherwise, they say, we will be punished for our sins. How can that be, if all my trespasses are forgiven? There is no condition cited in our text whereby only pre-conversion trespasses are included in the forgiveness. All means all, past, present, and future. And if they are all forgiven, God can never punish me for them. Never. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, Who is even at the right hand of God, Who also maketh intercession for us (Romans 8:34). This tells us that not only has God forgiven our sins, but also that Christ pleads our case before God when the enemy accuses us of trespasses. That is eternal security.
But if all of our sins are forever forgiven, why are we as Christians instructed to confess our sins, as we have in 1 John 1:9: If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness? This instruction is clearly given to saints and not to the unsaved. In this case, the apostle is describing family forgiveness, not judicial forgiveness. As our judge, God is satisfied forever. As our Father, He is often offended at His children’s trespasses and disobediences. Just as a loving earthly parent must often rebuke and chastise an unruly child, so must our loving Heavenly Father often bring correction into the life of His children. In this case forgiveness restores the happy fellowship that God wants to enjoy with each of His own. That fellowship will be sweet only as we are cleansed from all unrighteousness.
Thank God for our forgiveness of trespasses! Thank God it is forever! Thank God it includes today! – Jim MacIntosh