Giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love. (Colossians 1:12-13)
The Apostle Paul prayed for the Christians in the ancient city of Colosse, and in his prayer he thanked God the Father for His work in their lives.
He thanked God the Father because He has qualified us to share in inheritance of the saints. It’s God who qualifies us through His mercy and grace. We don’t qualify ourselves by our good works or spiritual accomplishments.
When God calls His people into the light, He delivers them from the power of darkness: Christians have been delivered from Satan’s domain. Another place where this same phrase for power of darkness is used is in Luke 22:53, where Jesus spoke of the darkness surrounding His arrest and passion in the same terms. God and His people have spiritual enemies, and they have power. We need rescue from the power of darkness.
The power of darkness can be seen in its effects, and for those who have been delivered…from the power of darkness these effects should be less and less evident in the life.
- The power of darkness lulls us to sleep – we should be awake.
- The power of darkness is skilled at concealment – we should life open lives.
- The power of darkness afflicts and depresses man – we should have God’s joy.
- The power of darkness can fascinate us – we should be fascinated with the things of God.
- The power of darkness is a cover for evil – we should live in the light.
When God took us out from the power of darkness, He put us into the kingdom of the Son of His love. Paul used the word conveyed to describe this work. According to Barclay, the word we translate conveyed had a special significance in the ancient world. When one empire conquered another, the custom was to take the population of the defeated empire and transfer it completely to the conqueror’s land. It is in this sense that Paul says we have been conveyed into God’s kingdom. Everything we have and everything we are now belongs to Him.
Remember, in Jesus Christ you are delivered us from the power of darkness. Satan may tempt you, but you are not under his power. He may attack and we have to fight him, but we are not his slaves. He is not our ruler and has no rights over us. We are not obligated to obey Satan – we have been delivered from his power!
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David’s weekly devotional is also translated into German.
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