Colossians 1:12-14
…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 we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
I was on a Zoom video call a few years back with members of my family and “Aunt Barb” (our great aunt) who would be departing this world in the next week or so to meet her Savior face-to-face. It was an amazing experience. Barb has been walking with the Lord for over half a century and with one foot in Heaven, her choice of words to share with each of us was like receiving a direct call from God…a heavenly reminder. She wanted to make sure we knew how much she loved us and had cherished all of our time together at Lake Lure in North Carolina…but more than anything else, she was praising the Lord Jesus and pointing us Heavenward. It was—for lack of a better word—magical.
Aunt Barb was expressing a deep and abiding thankfulness as the Lord ministered to her heart, mind, and spirit in her last days before they met in person…just like Paul was always reminding Believers to do during his last season on earth. So, let’s spend a few moments together to join Paul and Aunt Barb in giving “thanks to the Father” for all He has done for us and in us!
WOW! God has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints! An inheritance is usually reserved for the members of the deceased person’s family, so without Christ, none of us would be “in the family” of God because of our sin. Did we dig our way out of that hole? Did we buy our way out? Work our way out? NO! God did all the work through the life, death, and resurrection of His Son! He qualified us to share in an eternal inheritance that we could make no claim to. He adopted us into His family, and not only that…He wrote us into his “will” because he wanted to give us an inheritance of untold and unimaginable worth! WOW!!!
On the flip side, God delivered us from the domain of darkness. Do you even recall what that was like? For some, it was a place of desperation as the circumstances of life were drowning them in pain and hopelessness. For others, it was a lifestyle of indulgence—chasing money, sex, and power—that always left them hollow and wanting. No way out. No way up. No ultimate peace and no lasting joy. Additionally, every single Christian was at one time a slave of Satan…an abusive anti-father that takes sickening delight in seeing God’s special creation suffer and fail and eventually…join him in hell. God rescued you from the horrible master and that horrible fate!
And so…there is much to be thankful for, is there not? In the basics of the Gospel, as Paul has laid out in today’s passage, there is fullness of joy (Ps. 16:11) and hope eternal. It is locked and loaded. It is a “done deal.” British Bible teacher and lecturer David Pawson says, “I have talked to the most devout Muslims who pray five times a day, have journeyed to Mecca, have fasted during Ramadan, and are more devout than many Christians. But when I ask, ‘Do you know if your sins are forgiven?’ they’ve said, ‘We don’t. We just have to hope for the best.'” Well friend, if you are in Christ, like Paul was…like my Aunt Barb was…then you don’t have to “hope for the best.” You have already received it, and your eternal inheritance awaits your arrival.
Note: If you get there before I do, be sure to say “Hello” to my Aunt Barb—you will be glad you did!
