Today I want to look at a scripture that has been on my heart. Paul writes in his letter to the Colossians:
For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves. (Colossians 1:13)
Think about that for a moment. As Christians, as believers in Jesus Christ, having accepted him as our Lord and Savior we have been RESCUED.
We once were in a dark place, and God sent His Son to rescue us and bring us into the Kingdom of His Son.
Knowing this should be a game changer for each of us. However, we often make mental ascent only to this truth and we see no difference in the way we live our lives. Let’s take a look at a few more Scriptures that describe this light-filled transformation:
The people who walk in darkness will see a great light; those who live in a dark land. The light will shine on them. (Isaiah 9:2)
This is the verdict. Light has come into the world, but people loved the darkness instead of the light because their deeds were evil. (John 3:19)
Putting all of these scriptures together, we see God’s goal has always been to bring light into the darkness.
In the beginning, at creation, He spoke: “ Let there be light” and darkness gave way to the light. He established a people, His chosen people of Israel and brought them out of the darkness of Egypt. But His people often chose darkness so He sent His beloved Son to rescue them from their battle with sin. And even after Jesus came, people were drawn to the darkness as seen by their evil deeds.
So what are we to make of all this? As Christians, we are told that we are to be salt and light—that we have been transformed from darkness to light. This is our hope; the truth of His Word. Now we are no longer bound to the stress of making poor choices. We are free. Our responsibility is to live as free men, not as men bound to slavery.
After the abolition of slavery, some slaves chose to stay with their owners. They were afraid, not knowing how to live as a free person. No longer enslaved, they continued in slavery. This is often how we are. A people set free yet struggling with our new-found freedom.
Do you find yourself struggling to enjoy your life, wondering why you always feel held back? Do you wonder why life has become so difficult, perhaps without purpose or energy? It may be that you need a breakthrough. God is the Breaker who has all authority to enter every other kingdom and bring you into a place of freedom and liberty. He is inviting you to take back the land that the enemy has stolen from you.
If this describes you, I invite you to join me this September learning how we can walk in freedom; no longer slaves to sin but free to live the joyful life God has promised us. Our Making Space for God community will be studying the book of Isaiah. We will look at ways to access the freedom and comfort that God offers. If you are unable to join our live classes in Mount Pleasant SC, please join us via streaming. You can register for any of these options here.
Together we will break forth into the freedom!
The breaker goes up before them; they break out and pass through the gate and go out by it. (Micah 2:13)
