april 20, 2025
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"From Darkness to Light: The Greatest Rescue Story Ever Told” (Colossians 1:13-14)
Colossians 1:13-14
13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
1) We were the target of heaven's invasion.
Jesus came to this world on a serious mission. He didn’t come just to experience first-hand what He had made. He didn’t come to set a good example for us to follow. He didn’t come to give us tips for successful living. He didn’t come make life a little better. He came to rescue us from the dominion of darkness.
Jesus said in Matthew 12:29 that no one can enter a strong man's house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man. Satan is quite strong, but he is no match for the power of God.
2) When Christ role, darkness lost its claim.
Christ’s resurrection took what appeared to be defeat when He died on the cross and turned it into the ultimate victory. It took both His death and His resurrection to rescue us from the dominion of darkness and bring us into the kingdom of the Son He loves.
The longer you live in darkness, the more you start thinking it's normal and perhaps the only option. There's great freedom in being delivered out of the darkness and into the light.
3) Christ alone has the strength to save and the grace to forgive.
The Greek word translated as “redemption” is a term that means a price has been paid for something. It’s often associated with the paying of a ransom. Jesus Himself said that He did not come to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a “ransom” for many.
Usually a ransom is paid to the bad guy who is holding someone hostage. The ransom that was paid to rescue us from the dominion of darkness wasn’t paid to the prince of darkness. God didn’t owe Satan anything. He paid the ransom to Himself. He paid the price required for the forgiveness of sins by sending Jesus to die in our place.
We can't rescue ourselves from the dominion of darkness, but Jesus can. The only thing that can change things is for God to give usa new heart and for the Holy Spirit to live inside us. And that only happens when we truly surrender our hearts and our lives to Jesus.
A Prayer to Trust in Jesus:
“God, thank you for loving me even though I’ve rebelled against You. I confess that I’m sinful. I’m so grateful that Jesus died on the cross to pay for all my sins. Right now I turn away from my sins and I turn to You. I’m putting my full trust in Jesus to rescue me from my sins. Thank you for forgiving me and washing me clean on the inside. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
