Last week we examined Colossians 2:15, which states, “He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.”

It’s the perfect verse to accompany our series this month, where we examine a single word each week from James 2:13: “Mercy triumphs over judgment.”

You’ll notice both verses have “triumph” and “over,” so I want to return to Colossians 2:15 for our third word (“Over”) in this third week of our James 2:13 series.

Did you know that there’s a theological argument that floats around that believes the crucifixion was a momentary defeat? The logic goes that the devil temporarily won, evidenced by Jesus’s death on the cross, and so God had to scramble and quickly bail out that loss with the resurrection.

Let’s set the record straight: that is defective, heretical theology!

Paul argues in Colossians 2, and all of Scripture would validate, that the cross was God’s idea. It was intentional. It was not a temporary handover of power to the devil. It was not a momentary setback for redemption or a pause in God’s divine sovereignty.

“And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.” (Colossians 2:13-14)

God intentionally nailed your trespasses to the cross. God intentionally nailed the record of your debts to the cross. The devil did not nail Jesus to the cross. In fact, the cross is literally God mocking the devil, putting him to open shame!

God triumphed over the devil on the cross. Christ’s righteousness triumphed over your sin on the cross. Salvation triumphed over damnation on the cross. Freedom triumphed over slavery on the cross. Mercy triumphed over judgment on the cross.

Now, what does this mean for us today, right here, right now? There are many applications, but I want to leave you with just one and then encourage you with two classic hymns.

Here it is: If God intentionally forgave all your trespasses by nailing them to the cross, then you are free to let them go as well.

If God intentionally canceled the record of your debt by nailing it to the cross, then you are free to stop punishing yourself for the debts God has already canceled!

Now, this freedom is not the freedom of denial or rewriting your history. All of us have reasons for remorse and regret, and we’re all left with the sadness of what has been done and can’t be undone.

But it is the freedom of leaving your past behind. It’s the freedom to let mercy triumph over regret.

We no longer need to carry the burden of the past on our shoulders; it was nailed to the cross. So now, we are free to fully give ourselves to what God has called us to in the here and now: “Forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13-14).

Two classic hymns remind us of this truth so beautifully, and I would encourage you to listen to them both this week. The first is “Nothing but the Blood of Jesus” by Robert Lowry, who was a pastor in Philadelphia, the city where I live.

You probably have that one memorized, but sing it again. Remind yourself that the blood of Jesus has fully covered everything we look back on.

The second might not be as familiar, so I’m including the words below. It’s “My Faith Has Found a Resting Place” by Eliza Hewitt, and it repeats this refrain:

I need no other argument,
I need no other plea,
It is enough that Jesus died,
And that He died for me.

Are you paralyzed by your past? You need no other argument than Colossians 2:15 and James 2:13. Don’t let your past influence your present more than God’s grace. Celebrate that on the cross, mercy has given you the freedom to triumph over regret!

My Faith Has Found a Resting Place

My faith has found a resting place,
Not in device nor creed.
I trust the ever-living One;
His wounds for me shall plead.

Enough for me that Jesus saves,
This ends my fear and doubt;
A sinful soul I come to Him,
He’ll never cast me out.

My heart is leaning on the Word,
The written Word of God,
Salvation by my Savior’s name,
Salvation thro' his blood.

My Great Physician heals the sick,
The lost He came to save;
For me his precious blood he shed,
For me his life he gave.

Refrain:
I need no other argument,
I need no other plea,
It is enough that Jesus died,
And that he died for me.

A Prayer for Today: God, there are times when I let the mistakes I’ve made in the past color my perspective on the present and future. I can have trouble letting go of my former failures. I can allow regret to rule my heart instead of your mercy. Lord, help me to remember the beauty and power of the gospel in my life, and help me to live with the kind of confidence that all of my sin was nailed to the cross when you triumphantly died for me. The cross was your victory and it is my salvation. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Conversation Prompts for Children

  • What are some things that you regret doing or thinking about or saying in the past? Why do you think you might feel bad about those things? What do we know about Jesus dying on the cross and what that means for us?
  • What is regret? What is healthy regret? What do you think is unhealthy regret? Why do you think it’s so important for us as Christians to understand that we don’t need to live life in regret?
  • What is mercy? Why do you think God’s mercy is more powerful than our human regret? How can you and I live like that is 100% true every single day?

Reflection Questions

1. Explain in your own words why the cross wasn’t a defeat for God. Explain in your own words why the cross of Christ was the victory of victories. How was Christ’s victory on the cross your personal victory?

2. Why will God’s mercy always triumph over judgment . . . even your own judgment of yourself? In what ways have you been allowing your past failures to define your present reality? How does that fly in the face of God’s mercy that we know to be true?

3. What are the specific failures in your past that have gripped your heart and colored your present reality? What is stopping you from letting those failures go right now in light of the power and mercy of the cross of Christ?

4. Why is there no room for shame or regret in the Kingdom of God? How does his mercy directly attack your shame and regret? In what ways is God calling you to live differently right now in light of his mercy triumphing over your regret?