When most people think of July, they often think of our freedom as a Nation. We declared our independence on July 4, 1776. That was a long time ago, but we must never forget that at one time our nation wasn’t free. We were under the control of the British.
As a believer we need to understand that at one time in our life, we too were under the control of someone else; our enemy the devil. We need to examine God’s word to see for ourselves what Jesus has done for us.
Colossians 1:12 (NASB)
12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.
God Himself did what He needed to do on our behalf in order that every believer can know that they have been set free. I want you to notice that this verse says that God HAS qualified us to share in the inheritance.
Isn’t that awesome? God did all the work for us. So many well-meaning Christians are trying to do something on their own to get our Heavenly Father into the notion so they can get into a position to have Him answer their prayers or bless them. He already took care of that for us.
So many believers think that it’s up to them to do whatever it might take for God to smile upon them. If we try to do it, it means we don’t believe that God has done what He said in His word. We have to be careful that we don’t fall into the traditions of men. Man thinks he can do things to get into the good graces of God. Jesus has already taken care of that way before any of us ever came on the scene. Just relax and take God at His word.
What else can we give God thanks for?
Colossians 2:13 (NASB)
13 And when you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions,
I love this passage of scripture. We have been forgiven of all our sins.
Colossians 2:14 (NASB)
14 having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees (charges) against us and which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.
Verse 14 says, “Having canceled”, not going to cancel out the certificate of debt.
Colossians 2:14 (NLT)
14 He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross.
Isn’t that awesome? We need to continually confess this, because it’s true. We have so much to be thankful for. The charges that were against us have been removed from us forever. They were left at the cross, and they are still there; never again to held against us. If you can’t praise God for that, you need to read those scriptures over and over until you see that you have been set free from all the charges that were against you.
Colossians 2:15 (NASB)
15 When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him.
Then God disarmed the rulers and authorities of their power. He stripped them of their authority over us forever.
Let’s go over some of the things we can give thanks for, and truths that are in our lives.
- God has qualified each of His kids to be able to enjoy the inheritance given to every believer.
- We have been accepted into the body of Christ, through Jesus.
- We have been justified as a free gift. All we have to do is accept it and enjoy it.
- We have redemption, the release, being set free by the payment of the blood of Christ.
- We have been forgiven of all our sins.
- God made us alive with Christ.
- God canceled all the charges that were against us. They are no longer there.
- God disarmed, which means he took the devil’s weapons and condemnation away from him. The devil has nothing on us anymore and no power over us anymore.
Go over these scriptures, and the more you see them and confess them, the more they will begin to make you shout, for they are the truth of what Jesus has done for you and me.