A sermon idea based on Colossians 1:1-14.
We have been rescued!
Paul opens his letter to the church in Colossae with a prayer-wish. Paul expresses multiple intentions for his audience that center around having God’s wisdom and knowledge at work in their lives.
We have not ceased praying for you and asking…
that you may be filled…
that you may lead lives worthy of the Lord…
as you bear fruit…
as you grow in the knowledge of God…
May you be made strong…
may you be prepared…(verses 9-12)
And he closes his prayer-wish with a triumphant shout of praise:
He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
(verses 13-14)
I love it when Paul makes a bold declaration with a present tense verb about the finished work of Christ. Here, he is literally saying, Christ has completely and forever rescued us, once-and-for-all, never to be unrescued, and he has already and permanently transferred us into the kingdom…
This work of transformation and transference is completely finished, never to be undone. And the ramifications of what Christ has done for and in us are absolutely awe-inspiring:
- We have been rescued.
- We have been transferred into the kingdom.
- We now have (possess) redemption.
- We now have (possess) the forgiveness of sins.
If I were preaching this passage, I would comment on Paul’s prayer-wish, but I would focus the message mostly on those last two verses. I would list the irrevocable blessings of our redemption as Paul has listed them and then I would drive home a single point.
We now get to live in light of the settled fact that God has redeemed and rescued us and offered us forgiveness of our sins.
Are you living life as though you are still condemned? Defeated? Lost?
Good news! You get to turn and reverse course in light of the finished work of Christ. You get to walk in the freedom of redemption as a forever citizen of the kingdom of God! Or as John put it, you now get to “walk in the light, as he is in the light.” (John 1:7)
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