Truth Today: Colossians 1:13

Here, Paul started expounding on the saint’s inheritance in the light for which we should be thanking God (Colossians 1:12). We have been rescued. Before our rescue, we were slaves to the ruler of the domain of the air, the ruler of the spirit that is now energizing the sons of disobedience (Ephesians 2:2). We were slaves to sin (Romans 6:17).

We would wake up, get married, find jobs, speak intelligibly, become rich, hold public positions, gain multiple degrees, even be upright citizens of society, do good deeds, and be religious and devoted; yet we were still in the dominion of darkness. This is why God had to send Peter to the house of Cornelius (Acts 10). Although Cornelius was an almsgiver and prayed regularly, he was still in under the power of darkness and needed to hear the message of Christ as the Savior who died for our sins.

The jailer asked Paul, "What must I do to be saved?" The response was to believe in the Lord Jesus (Acts 16:30-31). Is it that simple? Yes and no. Yes, because you cannot save yourself and the faith you have to be saved is a gift from God. No, because you cannot fake it; it is a gift from God.

How do I know if I have been saved and received the gift of salvation? The Holy Spirit will bear witness to your spirit that you are now a child of God (Romans 8:16). That witness cannot be concocted; it is the inward evidence.

But there is also outward evidence. This is why Peter said we should make every effort to be sure of our calling and election (2 Peter 1:10) and Paul said we should continue working out our salvation with awe and reverence (Philippians 2:12). If it has to be worked out, it means it is already inside you.

Ultimately, God knows those who are His; that is the unseen evidence according to 2 Timothy 2:19. That verse from Paul's writings says, everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from evil (2 Timothy 2:19). That is the outward evidence.

John warned of false brethren when he said, "They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us" (1 John 2:19). They seem to present outward evidence, but when you look inside, it is empty. The outside is just a show, like whitewashed tombs, beautiful on the outside but full of deadness on the inside (Matthew 23:27).

We are now in the kingdom of God's dear Son. We have peace with God through Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1), who bore the wrath of God on Himself on the tree so that we can take up residence with God, or rather, for God to take up residence with us (John 14:23).

Is it once saved, always saved? Yes. Do you lose your salvation when you sin? No. Can you do anything you want now that you are saved? No. Can you claim to be saved and joyfully commit sin? No. The one who has been fathered by God does not practice sin (1 John 3:9).

There is a new relationship to sin, and that is definitely not delight, but confession (1 John 1:9). The message of Christ is to repent (Mark 1:15). There has to be the foundation of repentance (Hebrews 6:1) and the fruit that proves repentance (Matthew 3:8).

In another place, Jesus said you need to change the tree to change its fruit (Matthew 12:33). The tree cannot change itself, in the same way, you cannot repent on your own; you need to be granted repentance (Acts 11:18). That is why two people may hear the same message of salvation: one is granted repentance, and the other remains unmoved.

What does it mean to come into the kingdom of God? It means we now have a new ruler. It is the kingdom of life, where we experience righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17). We have access to God. We get to approach the throne of grace (Hebrews 4:16) and draw near to God through the new and living way that Jesus inaugurated for us by His blood and through flesh (Hebrews 10:19-20).

Notice the past tense in the focus verse. We have been delivered, and we have been transffered. When do we come into the kingdom of God? Right away. We belong to Him now. That is why our response is thanksgiving (Colossians 1:12). That is why we rejoice in the Lord always (Philippians 4:4). That is why we rejoice because our names are written in heaven (Luke 10:20). What a privilege! We did not do anything to deserve it. Clearly, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).

We are saved by grace (Ephesians 2:8). Grace means God's favorable disposition towards us. That is the good news. That grace was displayed on the cross, where the Son of God took the wrath of God on our behalf (Romans 3:21-26). Grace is God saying to you what He said to Jesus, “in you I take great delight" (Matthew 3:17), because He became sin for us so that we would become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21).

God's favorable disposition was displayed as He offered up His Son on the cross. He suffered the loss of His Son to gain us as a people separated to Him from among the nations (1 Peter 2:9). Hallelujah.