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.
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through Him and for Him. And he is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be pre-eminent. Colossians 1:13-18
Being in a situation over which you have no control is depressing. It leaves you despondent and often distraught. Sin does this to us. We were born in sin and, on our own, we can do nothing about our condition.
Sin is a condition which puts us at odds with God. Yes, you, me and all humanity have a sinful nature. This nature manifests itself in the way we think, the words we say, and the things we do, which results in death and damnation.
However, St. Paul gives us the joyful assurances in the appointed text. He writes, “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.”
The domain of darkness from which we were rescued is the devil’s domain. Unfortunately, we do not have the ability or the power to free ourselves from the domain of Satan. God is the one who delivered us.
In Christ, our condition has changed from bad to best. God has rescued us from our state of hopelessness and brought us into a life with a wonderful future.
In this kingdom to which we have been transferred, we have been liberated. Yes, we have been liberated from the domain of darkness. That freedom we enjoy in the kingdom of light came at a cost.
Our Lord, and Savior, God’s beloved Son, humbled Himself to become a propitiation for us. “For our sake, He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. In Him, we have the gift of everlasting life.” 2 Corinthians 5:21
The apostle tells us that this Son of God is the image of the invisible God, the first born of all creation.
“For by Him, all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities – all things were created through Him and for Him.”
Being the first born of creation does not mean that he was created. It states that he is first among all things created, visible and invisible. Scripture tells us that humanity was created in the likeness of God, but Christ, instead, is the image of the invisible God. He was not created.
Christ is God Himself. John in his gospel calls Him the Word, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” John 1:1
No man sees the face of God and lives; however, in Christ, God is revealed to us. When Philip asked him to show them the Father, Jesus responded, “If you have seen me, you have seen the Father.”
Our Lord came to earth and lived as a man, suffered, and died to redeem us from our sins. He is the head of the church,
He is the first born from the dead. The grave could not hold him. He rose from the dead, so that all who believe in him will rise also. In the waters of baptism, we die to sin and rise a new creation in Christ. We are joined to Christ in the waters. That is how we are transported to the new kingdom.
We have no hand in this blessing from God. He is the prime mover and the one who, through His Holy Spirit, moves us to faith and causes us to believe in Jesus the Christ. And that belief, which comes from God, gives us life eternal. Amen
• Rev. Samuel M. Boodle, pastor of the Lutheran Church of Nassau, 119 John F. Kennedy Dr., P. O. Box N4794, phone 242-426-9084, webpage: www.nassaulutheranchurch.org.
