Colossians 1:12-14
“..giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. 13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, 14 in whom we have redemption 4through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.”
I am going to cover these three verses as if they were one because they all tie together and describe one thing: Christ’s atoning death on the cross.
The first thing to note is that it says were “qualified” to be “partakers of the inheritance.” We have already discussed the inheritance in a previous lesson but as a reminder here are the verses that explain what this inheritance is:
1 Peter 1:4 “to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you”
2 Tim 4:8 “Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.
So how were we qualified?
This word for “qualified” in the New King James Version replaced the phrase “hath made us meet” from the King James Version and in the Greek means make sufficient, render fit and to equip one with adequate power to perform duties of one.
Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross was the qualifying act that made us sufficient and rendered us fit to enter into the presence of God. Understand that before you come to Christ, you are at war with God whether you know it or not.
Romans 5:10-For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.
The key word there is “enemies.” Romans 5:10 is a perfect compliment to our verses this week because it emphasizes what Christ did for us but moreover, what condition we were in before the cross.
Verse 13 is better translated in the NIV because the words used more accurately represent the Greek words - Col 1:13 “ For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves” (NIV)
Since we could not deliver ourselves from the guilt and penalty that sin brings, Jesus had to come because He could and did deliver us. The penalty from sin is eternal separation from God forever. That is what we were facing!
But we were not just delivered from an eternity apart from God, we were delivered from the power of Satan! Jesus did not set us free with no where to go, He rescued us from Satan’s grasp and brought us to the bosom of God.
The phrase "His dear Son" >/b>has be translated “the Son of His love.” This should remind us that His kingdom is a kingdom of love as well as a kingdom of light.
1 John 1:5-7 “This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.”
The problem is that even though we have been rescued from darkness, some still want to hide and live in darkness with their sin. As long as you stay in the darkness and continue a lifestyle of sin, you still not be in fellowship with God. We must walk in the light of Christ and with Christ. Only then are we cleansed from our sin.
For homework, read John 15:1-11 as it teaches about abiding in Jesus, the true vine.
Till next time…
Have a Blessed week!
