“Giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: who has rescued us from the authority of darkness and has transferred us into the Kingdom of His dear son: in whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins.” – (Colossians 1:12-14)
Redemption never leaves a person where they were. Can you imagine Israel remaining in Egypt as impoverished slaves while claiming to be redeemed by the blood of the Lamb? Redemption not only pays the ransom, but it also provides the power for our transfer out of the kingdom of darkness, slavery, and death, into the Kingdom of Light, Freedom, and Life.
This power-packed verse from Colossians gives us three results of our redemption that should fill each day we live with joy. First, by forgiving our sins, and giving us His righteousness, Jesus “qualified” us to share eternity with the heroes of the faith. Don’t believe the lie that we’re fine the way we are, and that confronting sin is hate-speech. Without forgiveness of sins, we are “disqualified” from eternal life.
The second result is that we have been rescued from the Devil’s authority over us. With a new nature of righteousness, sin has lost its appeal and power over us… “Count yourselves dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:11). Have you ever gone for a walk and found a dead animal, grabbed a stick, and poked it just to make sure it’s “dead indeed”? The Devil may send someone to probe you with a stick and rouse you to your old sins, but God says… “Count on it” that as surely as Christ is risen, He has imparted to you new life and new power over sin. Satan’s authority over you is gone. We have been transferred into the realm of righteous power, and our new Authority is Christ and His truth.
Thirdly, the moment we placed our faith in Christ, we were immediately transferred into His Kingdom. We are citizens of Heaven walking upon earth, knowing this world isn’t home. Our bodily transfer will be completed when the trumpet sounds.
We have so much to be thankful for each day - qualified, rescued, transferred! “Redeemed, how I love to proclaim it!”
Comments