The Life of Faith and Salvation as God's Gift

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

Philippians 3 · chapter mention

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

Luke 9 · chapter mention

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

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

you

are

the

God

who

is

moved