Tabor Baptist Church

Handwriting of Requirements

• The Father has wiped out the handwriting of requirements against us (v14)
• In Greek this means a certificate
• Certificates are important to us
• This certificate is not the kind you would want others to see - in fact you would want to hide it
• A certificate of indebtedness - the handwriting of requirements
• Like an IOU
• It would remain in there possession until you had cleared the debt
• We are all in debt to our creator
• We fail to honour and serve Him
• Britain is drowning in debt
• These debts pale into significance in comparison to the debt we owe to God
• This debt if left unattended keeps growing
• [Sin increases this debt]
• The debt is bigger each night than was at the morning
• We can do nothing to pay off this debt
• There are penalties for not paying off our financial debt
• There is a penalty we will have to pay to God by the date of our death or Christ's return (whichever comes first)
• We are ignorant of the debt that we have to pay to God
• The Spirit works to show us our debt
• It is difficult to live everyday knowing that we owe God an overwhelming debt that opens up to the penalty of death

Slate wiped Clean

• For those trusting in Christ, every black mark is wiped clean
• The debt has been dealt with
• God has wiped out this handwriting of requirements
• Not a trace left - all record of the debt removed
• God has done this for us through grace
• God has wiped the document clean
• We have a clean slate, our record has been expunged
• Our debt has been removed and in fact credited our account
• Not forgotten about (like the debt of Glamorgan Cricket Club)
• There was only one way in which the debt to God was paid - in the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross
• God "has taken it out of the way having nailed it to the cross" (v14)
• It was customary for the Romans to write the crimes above the accused
• God in effect nailed a placard to Jesus' cross - the sins of God's people
• (Not just the placard write by Pilate)
• Jesus paid our debt instead of us
• Example of Onesimus and Philemon
• Phil 1:18
• "It is Finished" - our debt is fully paid

Closing remarks

• Bring your debt to Christ
• No debt it too large for Him to clear
• Satan will remind us of our debt to God
• Look to Christ who made an end of all our sin
• God has spoken [with finality] on the matter
• Quote from hymn by Toplady