If any man who has run the race with and for Christ and does not have the assurance of his place after death needs to get back at the foot of the cross and stay there until he is washed in the blood of the Lamb. He will need to be cleansed by the fire of the Holy Spirit. Then he has to confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Hallelujah, then he is on his way to confess that Jesus is the Saviour of all.
Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: Colossians1:13
Sometimes it can be difficult to believe that we are fully accepted by God. As Paul finishes his prayer to the Colossians, he celebrates this important truth. Paul affirms that it is not our efforts, but God “who has qualified you to share in the kingdom of his holy people” (verse 12). We have been qualified to share in this inheritance, not because we measured up to a particular standard or because we have fulfilled all the requirements but because of what God has done for us in Christ.
Paul echoes language from Israel’s deliverance from Egypt when he describes the salvation Christ achieved. Just as Israel was enslaved to a foreign kingdom and then redeemed through the mighty acts of God and brought to the Promised Land, we too have been redeemed from the “dominion of darkness” and “brought into the kingdom of the Son he loves” (verse 13).
Paul concludes his prayer by affirming these life-changing truths. We have been redeemed (verse 14). Imagine the joy a slave would have upon being released! That is the image here. This redemption is nothing less than the “forgiveness of sins” (verse 14). Sin, which once held us under its power, has now been broken. Nothing stands between us and God. No wonder Paul encourages the Colossians to give “joyful thanks to the Father” (v.erse 12).
Let us pray
Father, we come another day not with uncertainty, but with the assurance that You are the keeper of my soul and besides You, there is no other. Give us the confidence that knowing You as Lord and Saviour have given us a place in Your Kingdom. We can rest assured that our names are written in the register of life. Amen
