"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
“And you, being dead in your sins”
This is the story of all believers in Jesus Christ. In the past we were dead in our sins. Notice, we were not weak or sickly, we were dead.
“Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord,” (Romans 6:11).
“Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;),” (Ephesians 2:5).
We had physical life but were morally and spiritually dead. As a dead body can do nothing to free itself of the grave, there was nothing that we could do to change the sinful state we were in. We were dead in our sin, hopeless without Christ.
“And the uncircumcision of your flesh,”
Paul is writing to Gentiles, those who were outside of the nation of Israel. We were not only dead, but we were estranged from God, heathen, outside of the people who He was working through. As Gentiles we lived a godless lifestyle, devoid of any relationship with the Holy God. We lived only according to our fleshly (carnal) natures.
“Hath he quickened together with him,”
When we were totally without help and hope, Jesus Christ stepped into our lives. He has given us life in Him!
“Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead,” (Colossians 2:12).
“The words ‘hath he quickened’ mean, hath he made alive, or made to live….”1 (Barnes)
“For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will,” (John 5:21).
“(As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were,” (Romans 4:17).
“Quickened together with Him.” Jesus was raised from the dead, we were raised “with Him,” and because He lives we have life also.
“Having forgiven you all trespasses.”
As the Lord made us alive, He also forgave us! And He forgave us “all our trespasses.”
He has given me life and forgiveness! Praise Him!
1. Albert Barnes, Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible, the electronic version in eSword.