Colossians - A Prison epistle written by the apostle Paul. Paul was dealing with heresy in the church. Although the Colossian heresy contained many diverse elements, at its core was a denial of the sufficiency of Christ for salvation. Not surprisingly, the sufficiency of Christ becomes the theme of Colossians. Colossians is essentially making a really BIG DEAL about Jesus.
That theme "the sufficiency of Christ" can be summed up in the words of Colossians 3:11: “Christ is all and in all.” He is God (2:9); Creator (1:16);Savior (1:20; 2:13–14); and Head of the church (1:18). It was Paul’s desire in writing Colossians that we (and the readers then) would realize that Christ has “come to have first place in everything” (1:18).
Verse 1-8
Paul opens up with his standard greeting - then he goes on to say - Thanks to God (Vs 3 We always thank God) for the fruits he has heard of (1) their faith in Christ, (2) their love for all the saints in Colossae (3) their hope that is stored up in heaven for them that they are trusting in and (4) the power and truth of the gospel that is bearing fruit in their lives and all over the world. Thanks be to God Paul says.
Giving thanks is a recurring theme in Paul’s letters. Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ (Ephesians 5:20). In everything give thanks (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Thankfulness is the sweet duty of grateful and redeemed hearts. His blessings to us are continuous and unspeakable. Our thankfulness ought to be constant. The fire on the altar should never be quenched. What a shame that our gratitude many times is so grudging and scarce.
We value our privileges so little. We need to think of them much more. Thankfulness is one element of worship common to earth and heaven, to angels and to us. They sing, Bless ye the Lord, all ye his hosts (Psalm 103:21). Redeemed men have an even better reason to join in the chorus and answer, Bless the Lord, O my soul. PRAISE GOD.
"And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. 11 May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, 12 giving thanks to the Father."
What Christians Should be Most Thankful For:
- Paul here in response to the thanksgiving that he proclaims for his brothers and sisters in Colossae (Vs 1-8) - (Vs 9-12) he intercedes and prays for them.
- Paul is praying in response to being thankful for what he knows is going on in his brother and sisters lives and prays for more of the same.
- He basically is praying for the discernment of God's will and then that they would be given the power of God to do it with endurance, long-suffering with joy
- He was Petitioning God that He would fill them with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding
- With Purpose of being filled - as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him
- And that it would Produce - bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience, and joyfully give thanks to the Father.
Note the requests he makes: (1) that they might know His will; (2) that they would walk so as to please God; (3) that they would work to bear fruit; (4) that they would understand the Word better; and (5) that they would know His glorious power.
Now that is what I want people to pray for me and what I should be praying for you!
JOYFULLY - GIVING THANKS in Vs 12 really goes backwards or forwards.
In verses (9-11) Paul's requested some things to be done, and now as he transitions to thanking God for what He has already done (12-14).
We come to our text this morning - Colossians 1:12-14
What are you most thankful for?
Colossians 1:12-14, "Giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. 13 He has 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."
Five words here in three verses: Qualified, Delivered, Transferred, Redemption and Forgiveness.
In the book of Colossians in 1:12-14 Paul uses to transition from speaking on our redemption as believers to verses 15-20 to a larger section that talks about the redeemer Himself. The redeemer behind the redemption. (Our study on Sunday nights in Hebrews will have a lot to say about this).
What are you most thankful for? "What SHOULD Make Christians Most Thankful?"
2 Corinthians 5:17-18 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation;
Here Paul is making the case - Don't you understand what has happened to you? You have been changed.
Your station in life has been changed. v. 12
We Are A Prepared People; we are told to give thanks to the Father, "who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light".
The phrase “who has qualified you” simply means that we by God grace and mercy are able to participate in His inheritance with those saints who have already been promoted to glory.
So the first of the five words we will look at this morning:
Qualified
When we came into this world, we were anything but qualified to participate in anything related to God the Father. Made fit for the inheritance.
Qualified - The Greek word means "to make sufficient," "to empower," or "to authorize." God qualifies us only through the finished work of the Savior. It means "equip one with adequate power to perform duties". This is the key to the sanctification process.
Think about it. You were unqualified (for the inheritance).
- We WERE Dead in our Sins
Ephesians 2:1-3, "And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience-- 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind."
- We WERE Separated from God by our Sins Isaiah 59:2, "But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear."
- We WERE Children of the Devil John 8:44, "You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies."
- We WERE Doomed to Hell 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9, "In flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might." That is a sad state of affairs, but it is where all people find themselves by virtue of their natural birth. But, thanks be to God, as Paul said in verse 12; when we were born again, everything that was wrong with us was made right by the Lord! (His work in us).
- He Gave Us His Life Ephesians 2:5-6, "Even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ--by grace you have been saved-- 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus."
- He Reconciled Us To Himself Romans 6:5-10, "For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. 7 For one who has died has been set free from sin. 8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. 10 For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God."
- He Adopted Us Into His Family John 1:12, "But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God." Romans 8:15, "For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, 'Abba! Father!'"
- He Set Us On The Road To Heaven John 14:1-3, "Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also."
All of this happens when a sinner is born again. At the instant a lost sinner trusts Jesus for his soul’s salvation, that sinner becomes a saint of God. He is literally a “new creature”. He is “born again.” He receives a fresh start. Everything changes!
We call this wonderful gift Justification. It simply refers to the act of God declaring a sinner to be right with God. Justification is God’s gracious gift to every repenting believing sinner, Romans 5:1,9.
That is what God meant when He said that He had qualified us. No wonder Paul told his readers to give thanks to God!
How do you earn an inheritance? You receive it! Right!
We Are A Privileged People – The Bible mentions an “inheritance.”
Because we are now in the family of God, we are heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ, Romans 8:17. We are privileged (Qualified) to partake in truly wonderful blessings.
Paul said it this way: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places,” Ephesians 1:3.
Just take a moment to reflect on some of the wonderful possessions that are ours just because we are saved by His grace: Our Inheritance! Because WE ARE QUALIFIED!
- We Are Heirs Of Eternal Life Titus 3:7, “So that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”
- We Are Heirs Of Salvation Hebrews 1:14, “Are they not all ministering spirits set out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?”
- We Are Heirs Of The Promises Made To Abraham Galatians 3:29, “And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise.” (Ill. Rom. 4:13)
- We Are Heirs Of Glory Romans 8:17, “And if children, then heirs--heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.”
- We Are Heirs Of The Eternal Inheritance Hebrews 9:15, “Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.”
The list of the things we are heirs to could literally go on and on. But, these few blessings are enough for us to know that we are a chosen and privileged people.
Here’s the deal, God loved us; Jesus died for us; the Holy Spirit drew us; and God saved us by His grace. We did nothing and we deserved nothing, yet He gives us everything when we come to Jesus for salvation! Our station in life has been dramatically changed!
Aren't you THANKFUL?
Anything we have we owe to Him and to the power of His saving grace. I am saved today, not because I earned it, deserve it or purchased it; but because He loved me and saved me by grace, Ephesians 2:8-9. Therefore, to Him be all the glory for what I have today!
Your Status in Life has been Changed v. 13a, "He has delivered us from the domain of darkness."
Delivered
DELIVERED - comes from a greek word that means to "to draw to one's self", "to rescue", to deliver". We must see that RIGHT NOW we have been drawn to God, rescued, delivered from our state of sin. No doubt we may struggle with sin in our lives, we ALL do. However, Jesus on the cross paid for sins, past, present and future. God back and read that last line. We sometimes just forget what that represents - " He has delivered us from the domain of darkness"
A. The Reality Of Our Lost Condition – In man’s lost condition, he is under “the power (or domain) of darkness.” That is, he is held captive by a cruel master, who wants nothing less that the soul’s eternal captivity in death, darkness, sin and hell.
The word “power” has the idea of “authority or jurisdiction.” This horrible condition is described in detail in Ephesians 2:1-3. Lost men and women are not in control of their own destinies.
They are lead about by the whim of Satan. As a result, the people trapped in this bondage give their lives to the pursuit of sin and evil deeds, Galatians 5:19-21; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; Ephesians 4:17-19.
You see, lost people do what they do because they are what they are! (I know - I was one) They are trapped in their sins and they carry out the will of their master the devil. Theirs is a hopeless and helpless condition! (BUT GOD) By the way, regardless of where we may be in our spiritual walk today; there was a time when we YOU were also trapped in a desperate and lost condition.
1 Corinthians 6:11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
B. The Reality Of Our Liberated Condition – Against a backdrop of such horror, Paul declares a glorious truth: he tells us that we have been “delivered” from that awful bondage! When God saved us by His mighty grace, He broke the bonds that held us and forever set us free! The very word “deliver” tells the tale. It means, “to draw to oneself; to rescue; to deliver.” That is just what the Lord Jesus did for us when He saved us by His grace. He reached into our lost situation and drew us to Himself. He rescued us by His power and He delivered us from our darkness, our bondage, our sentence and our sin. He set us free!
When God rescued (DELIVERED) us from darkness, several great things took place.
Let me remind you of a few.
- We Are Instantly Delivered. What Jesus did for us was not a gradual thing. One moment, we were hell bound sinners, the next; we are children of God! Salvation is not a process, it is an instantaneous event! Sanctification is a process and if you are saved this morning - you are in that process.
- We Are Powerfully Delivered. It is described as a “new birth,” John 3:3, 7. At the instant of salvation, we are made “new creatures,” 2 Cor. 5:17. The power of the enemy is forever broken and we are set free! Like a mighty Hero, Jesus entered the dungeon of our sin, incapacitated the enemy and set us free, Luke 4:18; John 8:32.
- We Are Eternally Delivered. What Jesus does for His people is not a temporary fix; it is an eternal solution. The Bible is clear about this matter. When Jesus Christ saves a soul, He does it for good, 1 Peter 1:5; John 10:28; John 6:37.
So God has QUALIFIED us and DELIVERED us (Our station and status has changed)
These 2 - God has QUALIFIED us and DELIVERED us are enough but Paul goes on
OUR STANDING IN LIFE HAS BEEN CHANGED v. 13b-14
Vs 13-14 He has 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.
Transfered
A. We Have A New Realm From one kingdom (the domain of darkness) to another kingdom (the kingdom of the Fathers beloved son) The Bible says that we have been “transferred.” This world means “to transfer; to move from one place to another.”
God has removed us from His hand of judgment through Jesus Christ/ We must understand this - our hearts are transferred - a wellspring of life.
As Brother Harold at Westside Baptist used to preach we have been moved (TRANSFERRED) from the "sphere of sin" to the "sphere of salvation".
- In the natural world, there is no such translation from one kingdom into another. A vegetable never becomes an animal.
- A mineral cannot be transferred into the kingdom of plants.
There are certain boundaries set in the natural world that are impossible to cross.
But, in the spiritual realm, God, by His mighty, saving power is able to take an old sinner and transfer him from the kingdom of death and darkness into the kingdom of light and life, John 5:24.
He literally moves us (transfers us) from one spiritual realm to another by His great grace.
We have been taken out TRANSFERRED of the jurisdiction of darkness and placed into the Kingdom of the Son of His love.
There's some tremendous responsibility connected with that I think. As children of the Kingdom we should rightly represent the King, don't you think? I think we should.
Are we displaying the superiority of a life lived in God? Do people see us as different? Are we displaying the superiority of a life lived in God?
B. We Have A New Ruler – Before, we are under the domain of the devil. He did not care for us in the least. All he wants is to dishonor the Name of the Lord. He wants every one of his subjects to live their lives in darkness and eventually drop off into Hell. He could care less about our peace, our joy, our well being or our salvation. But, when we came to Jesus and were saved by His grace, we entered into His kingdom. When we did, we came under the dominion of One Who loves us more than life itself. He gives us everything the old master. The devil would not give and could not give his subjects. Jesus gives us eternal life, hope, salvation, peace and joy. He loves us; He cares about us; He is ever with us; and He carries us in His heart, Matthew 11:28; 1 Peter 5:7.
TRANSFERRED - This change is made in regeneration, by which we pass from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light; from the empire of sin, ignorance, and misery, to one of holiness, knowledge, and happiness.
No change, therefore, in a man’s life is so important as this; and no words can suitably express the gratitude which they should feel who are thus transferred from the empire of darkness to that of light.
QUALIFIED us and DELIVERED, TRANSFERRED
How was all of this possible?
How was it that we could ever, ever receive an inheritance?
That we could ever be delivered?
That we could ever be transferred into His Kingdom?
Only one way
Vs 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
Redemption and Forgiveness
For the first 3 words to be applied - We had to be redeemed and have our sins forgiven.
The thing that stands between us and God is sin.
Redemption is the forgiveness of sin and the drawing us to Himself.
" in whom " talking about the "beloved son" here in verse 14 of course means Jesus!
When God put Christ on the cross, and He bore your sin and He bore my sin, the penalty was paid and God had paid the price to redeem us back. And because of that, He could QUALIFY us for our inheritance, DELIVER us and TRANSFER, us into His Kingdom.
REDEMPTION through His blood – The Greek word means "to deliver by payment of a ransom," and was used of freeing slaves from bondage. Here it refers to Christ freeing believing sinners from slavery to sin. We have been purchased out of the slavery of our sins and brought into the family of God by grace.
REDEMPTION - Webster's 1828 dictionary gives this definition: "In theology, the purchase of God's favor by the death and sufferings of Christ; the ransom or deliverance of sinners from the bondage of sin and the penalties of God's violated law by the atonement of Christ." Have you been redeemed by the blood of the lamb?
Charles Spurgeon in a sermon many years ago said " The doctrine of Redemption is one of the most important doctrines of the system of faith. A mistake on this point will inevitably lead to a mistake through the entire system of our belief."
Redemption AND FORGIVENESS of sins – The Greek word REALLY is a composite of two words that mean "to pardon" or "to grant remission of a penalty." It means to "release from bondage or imprisonment". We are talking about DIVINE Forgiveness.
Colossians 1:14, "In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: his beloved Son."
Ephesians 1:7, "In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace."
This is an amazing thing. We are released from bondage or imprisonment. This ought to blow our minds every time we think about it.
Every evil thing we ever did; every mark that stood against us, has been forever removed and washed away. FORGVIENESS - We are as clean in the eyes of God as if sin had never, is not now, or will ever be a part of our lives! (Psalm 103:12; Isaiah 38:17; 43:25; Jeremiah 50:20; Micah 7:19; 1 John 1:7)
Paul has given thanks for 5 wonderful truths.
If we are trusting Christ, God has QUALIFIED us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light. He has DELIVERED us from the power of darkness and has TRANSFERRED us into the kingdom of His dear Son. God has REDEEMED us through Christ and has FORGIVEN us our sins through His blood.
My believing friend, they are ours. Why don't you thank Him for them?
He Delivered us
He Transferred us
He Redeemed us
He Forgave us
How has the Father qualified us?
- He has rescued us from darkness to light.
- He has transferred us from slavery to sonship.
- He has redeemed us from condemnation to forgiveness.
These things are ours by His grace through faith. They are the product of the glorious changes for the better that He works out in the lives of each of His children. Thank God for these things! They are precious and they are priceless! They ought to make us praise His name and exalt Him while there is breathe in these bodies.
But, the question today is this: Has Jesus made this change in your life?Have you trusted Him for your soul’s salvation and have you experienced a change in your station, you status and your standing? Has Jesus made a difference in your life? If you have ever truly met Him, then He has.
If there has been no change in your life, then you haven’t met the Jesus of the Bible and if that is the case...you:
HAVE NOT BEEN - Qualified to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light.
HAVE NOT BEEN - Delivered from the power of darkness
HAVE NOT BEEN - Transferred into the kingdom of His dear Son.
HAVE NOT BEEN - Redeemed through Christ
HAVE NOT HAD YOUR SINS Forgiven through His blood
If you need to be saved, SEEK the Lord. You can come to Jesus and He will change you by His power. If there is a need to come before Him to thank Him for all that He has done, you can do that as well. Whatever the needs in your life may be today, there is one place and one Person to bring them too. If you will bring them to Him, He will change everything that needs to be changed today.
So what do we leave with this morning we can use in our lives and the lives of others?
Be Thankful.
Here are three things to be grateful for:
- The privileges we don't deserve. We have been qualified by God (not ourselves) "to share in the inheritance of the saints," in the resources available to all the saints. What are these? A Father's love, a Savior's presence, a family of brothers and sisters to support and uphold, a certain destiny of glory after death. Nothing can take these away from us. If we remember these we can rejoice in the midst of whatever comes. These are privileges we don't deserve for which we have been qualified by God.
- The perils from which we have been delivered: "He has rescued us from the domain of darkness." Oh, what that ought to awaken within our minds! Think of the terrible things that might have happened to you if you had never become a Christian. Did you ever think where you would be if Christ had not intervened in your life? Knowing my own heart, my own rebellious spirit and devil-may-care attitude, I think I'd either be dead or in jail! I almost made it anyhow! But we have all been delivered, as if by one of those SWAT teams that snatch a victim out of a dangerous situation. So the Lord Jesus has "rescued us from the domain of darkness," from increasing uncertainty about life and from groping after useless goals. He has delivered us from blindness and death.
- The pressures from which we have been freed: he has "translated (brought us) us into the kingdom of his dear Son." We have been freed from the feeling of being unwanted. That is one of the most devastating feelings any human can experience: the feeling that nobody cares, nobody wants us, nobody loves us. That is forever rendered untrue by the work of Jesus. He has brought us into his kingdom and, with him, we share the love of the Father.
Colossians 1:12-14, "Giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. 13 He has 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."
What great truths to be thankful for. I pray we (you) will bask in these great truths today this week and eternity.
If you are not a follower of Christ, then I say to you, you are hopelessly residing in the domain of darkness and this work of God is your only hope. You cannot qualify yourself. And no one else can qualify you. And no religion or religious system can qualify you.
It is only through the grace of God that you are forgiven, rescued, transferred and therefore, qualified. My words to you today are the same as John the Baptist and Jesus—“Repent for the kingdom of God is at hand”. Turn from your own desires, turn from trying to qualify yourself, because that is impossible. Turn to God.
Trust His work of qualification—that’s faith.
Thankfulness
John MacArthur, "A thankful heart is one of the primary identifying characteristics of a believer. It stands in stark contrast to pride, selfishness, and worry. And it helps fortify the believer's trust in the Lord and reliance of His provision, even in the toughest times. No matter how choppy the seas become, a believer's heart is buoyed by constant praise and gratefulness to the Lord".
No comments:
Post a Comment