To be saved, is to confess with your mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord- (Yehoshua=Joshua+YHWH — YHWH is salvation) along with believing in your heart (our center, mind, will, intention) that God raised Him from the dead. This is salvation, salvation from being separated from God. This is what it means to be born again. If we have confessed and believed, then our spirit is reborn by the Spirit of God.
Our perception of the presence of the Spirit of God may seem to ebbs and flows. God’s presence can seem distant or God can take up our entire field of vision and our full attention. As followers of Christ, we all have all been blessed with words or ideas which draw our attention and desire toward God and assist us in surrendering our will to His.
I know several people, for whom Τετέλεσται – tetelestai, is just such a word. Jesus yelled out “tetelestai” when he yielded His Spirit on the cross. Tetelestai means “it is finish” or “it is paid.” When Christ yielded up His Spirit, He declared that He paid our penalty with His life.
I was in church tonight and tetelestai came up. After all, “It is finished” is central to the Easter message. After discussing tetelestai the message went to Colossians 2:13
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,”
My mind didn’t move on as fast, I was still on the custom of stamping a tax certificate paid. What if I lost the document? I am always loosing stuff. If I were a freed slave, I might have lost my manumission certificate. Seriously, I would be more comfortable if any document showing I had ever had a debt were obliterated or wiped clean. In Colossians 2:13, forgiveness is repeated, we are made to be alive with Christ. While everyone returned to 1st Corinthians 15, I looked at Colossians 2:14:
14 having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.
Why not proceed to 2:14 it fits so well. I began to look over the 2:14 and began to consider the language “canceled out the certificate of debt”. That is grace. I liked that, “canceled out”. I went to the interlinear to look a bit further about this “canceled” term.
ἐξαλείφω, exaleiphó, to wash, to wipe over or to obliterate. For me this became the picture of a wax tablet being smeared clear, a chalk board being washed clean. Needless to say, I had a new word. A word which assists my spirit in glorifying God and rejoicing in His presence.
If you do not follow Christ, confess and believe and He will help you in your remaining unbelief. If you are a follower of Christ, but do not have ideas, words, thoughts, or scriptures which makes your heart alive in Christ, read the Word and ask the Spirit’s grace and blessings will come.