Living As A Citizen Of The Kingdom of Light. Colossians 1:12-14
“13) For He delivered us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, 14) in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” Colossians 1:13-14
What Jesus accomplished for us in salvation is profound. The English words of “delivered” or “rescued” do not come close to capturing the meaning of the Greek word “rhuomai”. It literally denotes “to draw with force or violence, to drag, pull, deliver or draw away from danger or calamity and liberate.”
Satan and the kingdom of darkness wants to steal, kill and destroy. (John 10:10) He is bent on spreading misery, suffering, pain, violence, trauma and destruction. He revels in it. Evil has no boundaries, limits or rules in destroying lives. Sinful bondage is deviating in this life, but the eternal suffering is beyond human comprehension.
Between His death and resurrection, Jesus literally wrestled the keys of death away from the devil by force. He wrestles the redeemed away from the kingdom of darkness with the same force and resolve.
This text in Colossians 1:13 proclaims that Jesus saved us not only from the consequence of our sin, but also from the ravishes and evil intent of the kingdom of darkness. He transfers us from darkness to light, from hate to love, from war to peace, from evil to good, from affliction to edification, from sickness to health, from confusion to a sound mind, from deception to truth, from the deeds of the flesh to the fruit of the Spirit, from the devil to the Savior. Salvation is about far more than what awaits us in eternity, it is about a radically different place and Master in this life. The word “transferred” means we had a “change of place.”
One of Satan’s relentless attacks on Christians relates to ongoing guilt and condemnation. Revelation 12:10 calls him “the accuser of the brethren.” He wants to render people emotionally depressed and miserable. According to Colossians 1:14, when we understand redemption and forgiveness, Satan’s whole scheme is defused. Our sins are forgiven and our conscience can be wiped clean by the Holy Spirit because Jesus paid for our sins in full. No sin debt remains.
But there is a catch. Each Christian needs to embrace their liberation and freedom in Christ. It is like God giving the children of Israel the promised land. They had to go in and take possession of the land. So we need to lay aside the deeds of the flesh and take possession of everything that belongs to us in Christ.
Christians who continue to live in bondage have not embraced truth or claimed their inheritance as citizens of the kingdom of light. They choose to live in compromise, deception, sin and defeat. Jesus has already done everything to set them free, but they refuse to make Him Master and Lord of their life.
One of the challenges encountered by Israel taking the Promised was believing that their God was up to the task. The giants were so big that for many it made their God look small. They needed to expand their view of God.
The same is true today. We will never experience kingdom life in greater measures than out view of Jesus Christ. So guess what Paul does in the next several verses? He reviews the identity, person and work of Jesus Christ. As you comprehend these verses, suddenly the god of this world becomes very small.
Daily Bible Commentary By Terry Baxter: Cofounder of GoServ Global
