Let's turn together now to Paul's letter to Colossians and chapter 1 and we're going to read at verse number 12.
! Colossians 1 at verse number 12.
Giving thanks to the Father who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.
He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,
in whom will redemption the forgiveness of sins.
And so on.
As we reflect on this letter and the purpose of its writing,
we can simply note that Paul was writing this letter to the church in Colossae from his imprisonment in Rome.
And he was doing so because of his love and care for them and because of his concern.
And as I read through into chapter 2, we recognize something of the concern that he had.
He speaks about philosophies and vain deceit.
He speaks about these things deluding you with plausible arguments.
So he was concerned that their life of devotion to Jesus Christ was under threat
because of the things that were being said and happening around them.
And when we reflect on that also and think of what he says in chapter 2 and verse 8 of being taken into captivity by these philosophies,
it reminds us that we are not immune to the influences of the world around us.
And we may ask ourselves today,
how much does what happens in the world around us affect us in our faith and affect us in our thinking?
And we might respond and say, it doesn't affect me at all.
But the reality is that it's impossible to live in such a world without being affected in some way by what is happening around us.
Perhaps the greatest and strongest movement that happens around us in our culture and our society is the movement of secularism,
which is designed to separate Christianity and religion from every area of life.
And one of the means of doing that is to remove the teachings of salvation and to, in a sense,
as some of the writers say, in a sense, put God into retirement so that he simply is not part of life.
And these are something of the challenges that we face in the world in which we live.
And as you read these words, we see the way in which Paul addresses that.
And he does so not by asking them to show what they have done.
He addresses it by showing what God has done.
And the only way for us to understand who we are today and what we are,
and the only way in which the anxiety and the fears of our faith, or even coming to faith, is going to be removed,
is if we have God's perspective on our salvation that transforms.
So as we want to think about today, I want to think of the life of faith and salvation as God's gift.
I want to think, first of all, of a gracious transformation.
God brings about change.
That's what we have in verse number 12,
giving thanks to the Father who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.
Here is one of the great challenges that we face in coming to faith and even in living by faith.
That we think we are not qualified.
We think we are not suitable.
We think we are not good enough.
We think we don't have the characteristics that make us the children of God.
And these very things stop us in coming to faith,
and it holds us back in the life of faith.
It's all about ourselves and what we are, and especially what we are not.
And when you think of what we are not,
then it paralyzes us on any kind of walk or journey with God.
What is the answer to that?
Paul's answer and God's answer is that it is God who qualifies us.
And that's what he is saying in these words.
God makes the Colossians suitable with the right character,
fit and ready for what he is going to describe.
He makes them appropriate and suitable people for a particular cause.
He has mentioned in verse 10 of walking in a man that's worthy of the Lord.
That is the outer characteristic of the life of faith.
But this is talking about who we are as the people of God
and what God himself has made us.
And we reflect on the wider teaching of the Bible,
and we understand that God has done that because of his grace.
That we are the unworthy ones.
We are not suitable or fitting.
And Paul himself describes himself as somebody who was unworthy to be called an apostle.
He knew that he wasn't the person.
He knew that because of who he was, he could not be.
And in fact, what he was disqualified him from being.
But now he recognizes that God qualified him and that God now qualifies them.
It's a reminder to them that their sufficiency, their suitability is always the work of God.
And today for us all, that is good news.
If you're anything like me, there will be many times in the working week
when you will face the truth about yourself
and you will begin to, there will be a process of unbelief
that gains energy through that thought process
and it robs you of any sense of peace and of the assurance of God.
And the only answer to that is for a window to open
so that what God thinks comes down,
that what the work of God, that God has completed,
that that will come home in power
and it transforms, it changes my outlook on myself,
it changes my view of God's grace
and to my view of the person of the Lord Jesus.
The heavenly perspective
that God as our Father does it for us.
And we should not spend our time
thinking as we so often do
and hearing as we so often hear
that we're not good enough,
that we're not ready because of a variety of reasons.
It's not your doing.
It's the doing of God our Father
and in a moment
He makes you suitable.
He gives you the right character
and the right standing.
And that right standing is
to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.
The light is the light of God's kingdom.
Jesus is the light of the world.
We were in darkness without salvation.
Now we are in the light of life.
In the promise of a new exodus
in the prophecy of Isaiah from chapter 42 onwards,
there is the saints of Jesus,
the servant of God,
being sent as a light to the Gentiles.
And there is a sense of those who are saved by God
brought into this existence of life and of light.
And that whole sense of inheritance
which was based so much geographically in the Old Testament
on Jerusalem where the temple was
and that whole promised land
now becomes the new heavens and the new earth
that God has promised.
It is where righteousness will reign.
It is where right relationships will be in place.
It is that new covenant
that God has promised to put into place
so that my inheritance
is now that eternal inheritance
into which Christ Himself has entered
and into which He will at last bring His people.
The inheritance of the saints in light.
In other words,
He has made us participants
in His own kingdom.
The saints, those who are set apart
as His own holy people,
set apart for His service.
And we may ask today,
how do I become a Christian?
We may ask today,
how can I know that I am one of the children of God?
And the answer is straightforward and simple.
God will make me a child of His own.
In a moment of His grace,
He will change me
and He will give me that right
to the inheritance,
not just of the people of God in this world,
but the final inheritance of the people of God
in the glory of the new heavens and the new earth,
that paradise restored and regained.
The grace of transformation.
The heavenly perspective
on who we are today.
Ought we not be still
and rejoice
that this is the Father that we have?
That He's not a Father that gives us
a long list of to-do things
and on completion of these to-do things
that then He will accept us into His kingdom.
He accepts us as we are.
He changes us.
And then He gives us the to-do list.
Then He gives us the life of service.
But our entrance into His kingdom
to be part of His people
is by His grace alone.
The gracious transformation.
Secondly,
there is a gracious transfer.
There's a from and there's a to.
There's a place where we were
and there's a place to which He has taken us.
And that's what we have in verse number 13.
He has delivered us
from the domain of darkness.
Our life outside of faith in Jesus Christ
is lived in the domain of darkness.
There is an authority working in that domain.
There is a power operative in that domain.
And it's a power that has huge influence
over your heart and your life and mine.
It is a domain where there is power.
It is the domain of darkness.
darkness.
And in that darkness,
we know that Satan reigns.
We know that he is the prince of this world.
We see from reading in Ephesians
that we do not wrestle with flesh and blood.
There is the sense of the cosmic powers
and the rulers of darkness.
It's a place
where we're under authority.
Where we're slaves of sin.
Where we live a life
that's disconnected from God.
A life that has lived
pleasing yourselves
and living in
the service of sin.
And it is fair to say
that that is where we will remain
unless God takes
the action
that will remove us from there.
And that's exactly what he is
saying to the cross
and he has done.
He has
delivered us
from the domain of darkness.
A deliverance that speaks to us
of the historical deliverance
of the people of God
from Egypt
in the book of Exodus.
That God is the one
who promised to bring you out
from the Egyptians.
That God is the one
who will deliver you
from slavery to them.
That God is the one
who will redeem you
with an outstretched arm
and will take you
and bring you
to be my own people.
The historical event
of the Exodus
in the life of the
children of Israel
becomes a spiritual experience
in the life of those
whom God is saving.
He is rescuing,
he is delivering,
he is taking out from
and he is bringing people
out of in order
to be in a place
of security.
and this is the very rescue,
deliverance
that we have need of.
It is
a freedom from
the power that dominates
in our lives.
and such is the
dominion of the authority
that reigns
in the sphere
of darkness
that today we can
be in that darkness
and not in the least
bit aware
that we are in it.
Contentment
in the domain
of darkness
is one of the
devil's
key influences
in life
that I can
settle my life
and live my life
unaware of
where I am
not realizing
that I am
in the place
of danger.
And
that is why
it takes
nothing less
than the intervention
of God
to take me
out from there.
I will never
leave that place
unless
God
does
something.
And God
our Father
that is exactly
what he does.
He intervenes
and he
transfers
us
to the
kingdom
of his
beloved
son.
It's not
as if
he takes
us
from darkness
and then
we are
in limbo
and then
at some
other point
in life
he places
us
into his
kingdom.
There is
no such
limbo
in the
journey
of a
sinner
from being
lost
to being
in God's
kingdom.
The
exodus
from the
place of
darkness
is in fact
the entrance
into the
kingdom of
God.
God
it's
deliverance
by
transfer
in that
moment
in that
instant.
It may
not seem
like that
in our
experience
when it
happens
but our
experience
is not
our
Bible.
The
word of
God
as it
speaks
into
life
that's
how we
understand
what
happens
deliverance.
And that's
what God
is saying
here.
He is
transferring
out of
darkness
into the
kingdom of
his dear
son.
And in
the Greek
world
that kind
of deliverance
would be
the action
of the
king.
The king
who is
transplanting
a people
group
from being
in one
place
to another
region.
taking
them out
of where
they were
and to
give them
the right
of citizenship
of living
in another
region.
And to
close
taking
them out
of being
under the
jurisdiction
of the
person
in one
region
to be
under the
jurisdiction
of the
person
in the
other
region.
It is
the work
of the
king.
And who
is our
king?
God our
father is
our
king.
But the
Lord Jesus
is the
king of
kings and
lord of
lords.
He is
the one
who takes
us out
from.
He is
the one
who leads
us and
brings us
into the
kingdom
that is
named
after
himself,
the
kingdom
of God's
beloved
son.
That
place
where
there is
the
powerful
dynamic
of
God
himself
reigning.
God
being over
everything
that happens
in the
kingdom.
God
acting
every day
in his
sovereign
power
in the
life of
his
people.
God
ruling
over
them
and God
reigning
over
them
and God
blessing
them
because of
his love
and his
grace
and because
of his
desire
for their
good.
From
darkness
into the
kingdom
of his
beloved
son.
And
a kingdom
so described
is
a kingdom
that
draws us
always back
to the
place
where
our
standing
in the
kingdom
of God
is because
of the
love of
God.
Because
of the
love of
God
in choosing
and in
electing.
Because of
the love
of God
in sending
his son.
And because
of the
love of
his son
in giving
himself.
It is
the kingdom
of his
dear son
belongs
to him.
It is
based on
his own
finished
work
as
person
and
work.
The
son
who
loved
lovingly
gave
himself
so that
we the
unloved
ones
and the
unloving
ones
would
become
the
loving
children
of
God.
All
because
of what
Jesus
has
done.
And
Paul
rightly
says
in
Philippians
chapter
3
and
speaking
of
his
own
struggles
and
speaking
of
the
sense
of
belonging
to
this
final
kingdom
knowing
that
he
hadn't
yet
arrived
there
but
knowing
that's
where
he
was
going
he
was
able
to
say
that
our
citizenship
is
already
in
heaven
the
place
from
which
we
expect
the
son
of
God
to
return
the
heavenly
perspective
that
we
are
already
citizens
of
the
kingdom
of
God
and
we
know
that
one
of
the
challenges
and
one
of
the
things
that
undermines
our
sense
of
assurance
in
God
is
the
sense
of
there
still
being
a
struggle
there
still
being
an
awareness
of
the
power
of
darkness
and
how
it
can
influence
our
lives
and
our
thinking
the
struggle
that
we
have
daily
because
of
the
sense
of
that
power
where
Paul
reminds
us
that
we
need
the
whole
armor
of
God
to be
able
to
stand
being
taken
out
of
the
domain
of
darkness
does
not
mean
that
we
lose
forever
any
sense
of
being
there
or
any
sense
of
its
influence
on
life
we
live
as
God's
people
constantly
facing
the
challenges
of a
dark
world
because
we
are
the
citizens
of
God's
kingdom
because
we
do
belong
to
God's
family
and
one
of
the
indications
of
our
belonging
so often
is
that
we
are
aware
!
soldiers
in a
battle
and
we
stand
firm
with
the
armour
that
God
gives
to
us
the
heavenly
perspective
that
we
are
already
citizens
of
God's
kingdom
and
thirdly
there
is
a
gracious
transaction
how
can
God
do
this
or
what
has
God
done
that
actually
underguards
everything
that
Paul
has
said
where
does
all
this
bring
us
it
brings
us
to
this
great
preposition
in
whom
at the
beginning
of verse
14
who
is
the
preposition
referring
to
it's
referring
to
God's
beloved
son
and
recognizing
that
all
that
we
have
as
the
children
of
God
is
bound
up
in
this
little
preposition
which
reminds
us
that
we
are
united
to
Christ
that
we
are
in
the
body
of
Christ
that
we
are
part
of
his
body
!
that
we
are
not
simply
those
who
walk
with
him
but
that
we
are
those
who
are
in
him
so
that
all
that
he
has
done
is
for
us
so
that
all
that
he
is
we
are
it's
more
than
simply
sharing
what
I've
got
with
others
it's
putting
me
in
that
place
where
all
my
rights
are
the
rights
that
he
has
and
where
the
inheritance
that
he
has
is
the
inheritance
that
I
have
in
him
and
nowhere
is
the
supremacy
that
Paul
goes on
to
speak
of
in
chapter
2
what
do
we
have
in
him
on
this
occasion
what
is
it
that
makes
the
big
difference
we
have
redemption
there
is
the
release
by
having
a
price
paid
the
son
of
man
came
to
serve
and
to
give
himself
his
life
a
ransom
for
many
the
cost
was
his
willing
self
sacrifice
his
death
on
the
cross
he
endured
he
suffered
the
wrath
of
God
he
paid
the
price
that
was
required
for
our
redemption
to
set
us
free
and
as
he
redeemed
his
people
from
Israel
with
an
outstretched
arm
and led
them
with
a
steadfast
love
we see
in the
cross
of
Jesus
that
he
secured
and
established
our
freedom
in his
death
and on the
mount of
transfiguration
in Luke
chapter
9
they
spoke
of
the
exodus
that
Jesus
was
going
to
accomplish
in
Jerusalem
his
cross
the
way
in
which
his
death
was
going
to
open
up
the
way
so
that
the
captives
are
set
free
so
those
in
prison
emerge
from
that
prison
and
so
they
enter
into
the
freedom
of
the
children
of
God
in
whom
we
have
redemption
today
if we
have
been
given
by the
grace
of
God
to
have
the
status
of
his
children
as
the
citizens
of
his
kingdom
if
we
have
been
transformed
to
make
a
suitable
for
his
kingdom
then
Christ
Jesus
his
passion
and
work
will
be
at
the
center
of
life
and
will
be
precious
to
the
extent
that
we
will
not
let
anything
come
between
us
and
him
that
we
will
strive
to
ensure
that
no
cloud
will
darken
our
appreciation
of
all
that
he
has
done
the
one
who
loved
me
and
gave
himself
for
me
greater
love
has
no
one
would
lay
down
his
life
for
his
friends
and
he
did
this
for
the
forgiveness
of
sin
for
the
removal
of
the
obstacle
between
ourselves
and
God
and
there
is
a
book
written
about
sinners
to be
regained
and
in
that
book
there
is
brought
to
our
attention
two
key
things
about
sin
and
I
spoke
at the
very
beginning
of
the
introduction
to
our
sermon
about
the
influence
of
our
culture
upon
our
thinking
as
the
children
of
God
and
the
first
of
these
is
that
because
God
has been
shut out
largely
of the
thinking
of
the
society
in which
we live
that
our
view
of
sin
has
changed
completely
and
we
now
see
sin
and
aware
of
sin
in
our
relationships
with
others
because
the
culture
has
disconnected
us
from
God
and
when
we
do
sin
it
leads
us
to
shame
before
others
and
so
it
should
but
it
stops
in
that
place
which
means
that
if I
sin
and
others
are
not
aware
of it
then
I'm
okay
nobody
knows
and
there's
no
shame
and
I
can
carry
on
my
sin
I
can
accommodate
sin
in
my
life
as
soon
as
I
shut
the
window
on
God
and
don't
let
his
light
shine
into
my
heart
we
can
fall
into
that
trap
and
we
can
be
influenced
to a
great
degree
by
what
is
happening
in
the
culture
around
us
but
what
brings
about
the
change
it
is
what
Paul
was
asking
for
here
it
is
that
sense
of
a
heavenly
perspective
on
our
whole
experience
in
this
world
and
as
soon
as
our
heavenly
perspective
of
sin
is
impressed
upon
our
hearts
then
introduces
something
that was
not there
before
and that
something
that it
introduces
is
guilt
before
a
holy
God
and
there is
a difference
a huge
difference
that
if I
can
shut
God
out
of
my
thinking
then
sin
changes
and
in
many
ways
sin
no
longer
exists
in
the
way
that
the
Bible
teaches
us
that
it
does
and
the
challenge
for you
and
for me
is
to
have
our
thinking
and
our
understanding
of
sin
based
upon
the
teaching
of
the
word
of
God
and
not
upon
what
society
is
trying
to
impress
upon
our
minds
and
that
becomes
a
challenge
in
our
everyday
living
but
it
also
becomes
a
challenge
under
the
preaching
of
the
gospel
because
today
if
my
sin
is
no
more
than
something
that
brings
me
shame
to
those
around
me
then
the
gospel
will
not
mean
a lot
to
me
but
if
my
sin
means
that
I'm
guilty
before
a
holy
God
then
the
gospel
is
alive
then
the
person
who
in
whom
we
have
redemption
is
really
precious
and
meaningful
!
He
becomes
the
center
focus
in
life
He
is
the
person
I
must
know
and
need
to
know
so
that
I
can
have
forgiveness
because
the
forgiveness
that
God
gives
is
to
set
in
motion
my
sin
in
such
a
way
that
I'm
no
longer
condemned
because
of it
but
that
I
am
set
free
by
His
saving
grace
God
away
and
the
prophet
Micah
speaks
about
our
sins
and
what
happens
to
our
sins
in
chapter
number
seven
that
you
cast
all
our
sins
into
the
depths
of
the
sea
Jesus
is
the
Lamb
of
God
who
takes
away
the
sin
of
the
world
let's
not
underestimate
sin
let's
not
be
deceived
into
accommodating
sin
let's
see
our
sin
the way
God
sees
it
a
heavenly
perspective
upon
sin
and
then
we
will
appreciate
the
heavenly
perspective
on
God's
grace
and
salvation
that
He
does
it
transforming
that
He
does
it
transferring
and
that
He
does
it
based
on
this
transaction
and
may
God
help
us
today
to
reflect
on
where
they
were
as
a
church
to
reflect
on
where
we
are
individually
and
personally
and
to
ensure
that
what
steers
our
understanding
is not
what
we
think
ourselves
it's
not
what
others
think
it's
what
God
says
and
what
God
thinks
and
how
God
judges
may
God
bless
his
word
let us
pray
most
gracious
God
we do
rejoice
in
you
are
the
God
who
is
moved
in
your
heart
to
save
a
people
for
yourself
in
the
mystery
of
the
freedom
of
your
eternal
will
you
have
purpose
to
save
us
we
marvel
that
you
made
such
a
choice
we
give
thanks
to
you
that
everything
that
happens
afterwards
is
based
upon
all
that
you
do
in
the
first
place
and
we
are
thankful
to
you
for
every
step
that
you
took
to
rescue
and
to
deliver
us
to
make
us
the
children
of
God
and
we
pray
that
you
bless
us
in
our
hearts
today
in
the
knowledge
that
we
are
your
children
not
because
of
what
we
have
done
but
entirely
because
of
what
you
have
done
hear
our
prayer and
accept
us
for
Jesus
sake
Amen
the
closing
psalm
is
psalm
28
in
the
Scottish
Psalter
it's
on
page
238
and
we're
singing
the
last
four
verses
of
the
psalm
28
at
verse
number
six
forever
blessed
be the
Lord
for
graciously
heard
the
voice
of
my
petitions
and
prayer
did
regard
number
six
to
the
end
of
the
psalm
and
the
tune
is
Marvin
forever
blessed
be
the
Lord
for
graciously
he
heard
the
voice
of
my
petition
and
with
years
did
we
are
the
Lord
my
strength
and
she
shield
heart
up
or
ended
we
lie
and
I
am
it
ends
my
heart
that
joy
makes
he
ring
and
with
my
song
I
him
and
strength
is
gone
alone
also
is
the
saving
strength
!
saving
strength
of
anointed
!
O
thine own
do
people
sin
bless
impenet
times
then
what
so
do
thou
feed
thine
for
forever
more
at
hand
after
indiction
I'll go to the main door
the
grace of the Lord Jesus Christ
the love of God the Father and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all now and forever more
Amen
thank you