Colossians 1:12-15by Dr. Grant C. RichisonTo: Colossians Main Menu To: Grace Notes Home Page Colossians 1:12"giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light."This verse begins another phase of Paul's prayer. First Paul prays that God would intervene for the Colossians, now he demonstrates his appreciation for what they already have in Christ. There is a great distinction between what we need and what we have in Christ. It is a great pity if we do not understand this distinction. ---------- "giving thanks to the Father" Thankfulness is the fourth effect of entering God's will (1 Thes. 5:18; Phil. 4:6). Note the other times Paul asks the Colossians to be thankful (3:15-17; 4:2). We give thanks to the Father because he is the source of our privileges in Christ. God's grace is already provided for every believer by Christ. The word "grace" is at the root of the Greek word for "thanks." If we enjoy the benefits of the inheritance, God should receive the glory for supplying it. Gratitude is appreciation for God's provisions. Thanksgiving is a trait of a believer alive to God's grace. Thanksgiving is a process. God does not want us to give thanks once and then cease. We are to give thanks at all times (I Thes 5:18). Note that thanksgiving is directed to the Father. The Son and the Spirit are mediators. Thanksgiving is never directed to them. If we know which department to place our requisition we will receive our answer sooner. If we know who to address we will get an answer sooner. We pray to the Father through the Son in the Holy Spirit. PRINCIPLE: If we orient to the grace of God (God's provisions) we can give thanks in every heartache or adverse circumstance. APPLICATION: Thanks in difficulty and trial means we are oriented to the plan of God for our lives. This means we orient to the eternal and not the temporal. Biblical thanksgiving always has a sufficient reason or content for the thanks. It is more than an emotional outburst. ---------- "who has qualified us" There are two reasons why we are to give thanks: 1. We were made sufficient for our eternal inheritance. 2. We were delivered from the Satanic realm (v.13). The first content of thanks is that God qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints. We are not fit in and of ourselves for heaven. We are "qualified" because God qualified us in Christ at the moment of salvation. This qualification comes from our status quo with Christ (positional truth). We qualify because we are one with Christ. Note that God is the one doing the qualifying. The reason we give thanks is that God made us sufficient, not deserving (II Cor 2:16; 3:6) II Tim. 2:21, "Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work." We are fit positionally before God eternally by our salvation in Christ, however, we may not be fit for the master's use even though we are fit for heaven. We are fit for heaven because the blood of Christ cleansed us from sin but we may not be clean vessels. God will by-pass the unclean saint and use someone with less training, giftedness or skill. PRINCIPLE: We are eternally fit for heaven the moment we receive Christ but we are not necessarily fit for service. APPLICATION: We are as eternally fit for heaven one second after we receive Christ as we ever will be. No amount of spirituality or witnessing will make us any more fit for heaven. Fitness for heaven depends upon the finished work of Christ, not on our work for Christ. Because of the incomparable work of Christ on the cross, the believing sinner stands perfect in the sight of God (Eph. 1:6; II Cor 5:21). God puts into the believer, the split second he comes to know Christ, God's own righteousness. We cannot add to or subtract from our exalted, eternal, unalterable position in Christ. This is true of every born again believer no matter the quality of his life. ---------- "to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light" The word "partakers" means to share. Christians are partners with Christ. Christ is the heir of God (Heb. 1:2). Heirship is based on sonship (Rom. 8:16,17). All those who unite with Christ share his inheritance (Eph. 1:11). We are accepted in the Beloved One (Eph. 1:6). Salvation qualifies us to inherit God's kingdom. We are joint-heirs with Christ, "The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs-heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together" (Rom. 8:16,17). What does it mean to possess a joint-heirship with Christ? When a couple opens a joint account in the bank, they both have access to the entire account. In the human account it is whoever gets there first gets the money! In the divine account both access the account equally. This does not mean that half of it is the Lord's and half mine. We share in the inheritance of the saints. A "saint" is a person who has entered into union with Christ eternally. This is a person set apart unto God forever. The moment we are born again we become a saint. It will take time to take on the characteristics of a saint. We need to be taught how to grow spiritually. It takes times to grow in grace. We may not be very saintly, but we are a saint. As we grow, we become more saintly. The "light" is the spiritual sphere into which the Lord transformed us from the authority of darkness (Eph 6:12). God took us out from under the authority of Satan and his rebel kingdom and placed us under the sovereignty of King Jesus. "Light" refers to God's presence in heaven. God's glory is his manifest presence (I Tim. 6:16). PRINCIPLE: We share in the heirship of Christ. APPLICATION: Do you realize how rich you are spiritually? The more we examine our spiritual inheritance the more we realize how rich we are. We may live in a spiritual slum district whereas we could live in a spiritually in the best part of town. What a pity to live beneath our spiritual privileges! We live like a pauper when we are a millionaire. Faith makes tangible what is invisible to the naked eye. Colossians 1:13"He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love"Having given thanks for the inheritance for which the Father qualified believers, Paul now moves his thanks toward the believer's rescue from the satanic realm. ---------- "He has delivered us from the power of darkness" The words "delivered" and "conveyed" relate to the themes of the Old Testament. We were delivered from Satan's kingdom, a kingdom of darkness (Eph 6:12) by placing our faith in the cross. God calls Satan's kingdom utter darkness (Mt. 25:30) We are called out of darkness (I Pet. 2:9). "Darkness" is more than the absence of light; it is the opposite of light. Darkness is not only without God; it is against God. We have been delivered from rebellion against God. The word "delivered" means we were delivered at a point in the past -- our conversion. This deliverance is absolutely finished. There is no progress in this rescue. It is an event. This is a spiritual rescue greater than the deliverance of Israel from Egypt. The word "power" is authoritative power. God rescues us from the authority of Satan. We are no longer under his evil rule. Darkness has no more authority over us. Satan's authority has been broken. We do not have to obey him any longer. The world is becoming more vicious and cruel every day. "Power" here probably means jurisdiction. We are no longer under the jurisdiction of Satan. We are out from under the tyranny of Satan. PRINCIPLE: The believer is rescued from the kingdom of Satan and placed into "the kingdom of the Son of His love" permanently. APPLICATION: We need to be reminded that we cannot become dislodged from the kingdom of Christ. We can also forget that we belong to another kingdom than this world system. All the power of Satan cannot remove us from that kingdom. We irrevocably belong to God's kingdom. We have been permanently transferred from Satan's kingdom to Christ's kingdom. We are under a brand new authority. The only thing left for Satan is to try to fool us that we belong to his kingdom. It is easy to get our eyes off what God has done for us in Christ. We subjectively get our eyes on people or other things and not on the objectivity of truth. Paul presents the negative side of who rules us in the first half of the verse now he turns to the positive side. There is no middle ground between the diabolical kingdom of Satan and the divine kingdom of God. We are either in one kingdom or the other. There is no progression between the two kingdoms. God conveys us into his kingdom instantaneously and immediately. ---------- "and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love" The word "conveyed" means to move a large body of people into another dominion. It was the custom of a victorious army to move a defeated population to another country. Israel was moved to the Mesopotamian valley in the Babylonian captivity. Here Christ moves people from the dominion of Satan to his own dominion. The believer not only is dislocated from Satan's kingdom but put into an entirely new kingdom. God is not trying to convey us into his kingdom; he has already done it. We have been apprehended by Christ. The phrase "the kingdom of the Son of His love" is unique in the New Testament. The normal expression relates the kingdom to the Father. This is not the millennial kingdom of Christ but the kingdom of which the Father has entrusted to him until his millennial kingdom. In the end Jesus will give the kingdom to the Father in any case (I Cor 15:24-28). Jesus took us out of one sphere and placed us into another. He put us into a new status quo before God. We are now members of the universal church. We are now light in the Lord (Eph. 5:8). We have been called out of darkness into his marvelous light (I Pet 2:9). There is no one big enough, no Devil or demon, who can eject us from that kingdom. We have been conveyed into God's kingdom. Many of us labor under the delusion that no one loves us. That is because we have not come to the understanding that God loves us unconditionally, just as we are. PRINCIPLE: We need to know how rich we are before we know what kind of accommodations we can afford. APPLICATION: Why should we drive a Chevrolet when we can afford a Cadillac? If we do not know what we are worth, we live below God's provisions for us. We assume that all cars drive like a Chevy. We live our Christian life on a bumpy road rather than on the smooth road of God's grace. Once we ride a Cadillac we know the difference. Once we live in grace we will know the difference. We will think that they repaired all the roads! It is important to examine our spiritual bank book. Many never look at their spiritual account by examining the Word of God. If God has put wealth to our account, it will dishonor him if we do not use it. Colossians 1:14"in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sin."This verse expresses one of our eternal positions before God. Our salvation consists of two things in this passage: redemption and forgiveness. Sin sold us out and therefore enslaved us. If we are to be redeemed, we must be redeemed from sin. God does this by forgiveness through the blood of Christ. ---------- "in whom we have redemption" "Redemption" means to rescue by ransom. This is the strongest word for redemption in the Bible. This particular word for redemption means to buy back as a slave from captivity. Figuratively, it means to release from sin by payment of a ransom (Eph. 1:7,14; 4:30; Rom. 8:23; Heb 9:15; Lk. 21:28). God procures our liberty by payment of a ransom. That ransom was the blood of Christ. Because this term for redemption is intensive (redeem from), it indicates the completeness of our redemption. No subsequent slavery can follow. We use the word redeem in association with pawn brokers. If we pawn our ring then later want it back, we must redeem it from the broker. To redeem the ring we must pay a price with interest. In the case of our salvation it was Jesus who paid the price (Mark 10:45; Acts 20:28; I Cor. 6:20; I Tim. 2:5,6; II Pet. 2:1). ---------- "through His blood" Ephesians 1:7 sets forth the same truth although it adds "through His blood." Some manuscripts add that phrase here as well. Redemption is not through moral teaching, ethics or right living. It is through the sacrificial death of Christ. We are not redeemed by the laws of the Old Testament but by the shedding of the blood of Christ (Rev. 5:9). ---------- "the forgiveness of sin" "Forgiveness" means "remission" by Christ who paid the price on the cross (Rom. 3:24-26). God has remitted the price to be paid because of our sin. The word "forgiveness" means release from captivity. God releases us from the bondage of the penalty of sin. We are pardoned; our sin is canceled by the death of Christ. Our sin will not be mentioned against us anymore. Our sin is dismissed and discharged. We are set free. PRINCIPLE: We were held in the grip of the penalty of sin but Jesus released us from our sin by his shed blood. APPLICATION: Most people do not realize that God forgives sins once for all. For those who place their faith in the blood of Christ their sins are gone forever. They stand forgiven eternally. All our sins, whether past, present or future are forever forgiven. The slate is wiped clean (Matt. 26:28; Acts 5:31; 10:43; 13:38,39; I Jn. 2:1,2). Have you come to realize that Jesus Christ can separate you from your sins forever? His death paid personally for your sin (Heb. 1:3). If you accept that fact for yourself by faith, your sins are eternally forgiven in God's eyes (Rom. 4:8). Colossians 1:15"He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation."We come to a grand and lofty section of Colossians. The Holy Spirit presents the Son of God in all his towering preeminence. Verses 15-20 presents the glory of Christ. Jesus is unique in seven distinct ways. These distinctives qualify him to have the supremacy (v.18). In seven strokes the Holy Spirit sets forth the imposing superiority of the Son of God: 1. The image of God This is why he is King Jesus, the sovereign King of the world. ---------- "He is the image of the invisible God" First, Christ is the image of the invisible God. "Image" is means more than that Jesus is like God; he is the representative and manifestation of God. "Image" denotes not only the image but pattern, the original which sets forth likeness or resemblance of God. Jesus represents the Father like picture of a president on a dollar bill (Heb. 1:3). If we have seen Jesus, we have seen the Father (John 1:14;14:9). He is not made in the image of God as man is made in the image of God. He is the "express image" of God (Heb 1:3). Since he is God he reflects all that God is. The "Son" is the exact image, not the derived image of God. He does not merely resemble but represents God (Rom 8:29; I Cor. 15:29). He has all the essence of deity. He is sovereign, eternal life, omniscience, omnipotence, immutability, etc. He is God himself (II Cor. 4:4). The Son is essentially and eternally the image of God. We see God best in the person of Christ. He is the highest form of special revelation. We see God in Christ like we see images from the rays of light. The Son is the revealer of God. His image is that of the "invisible God." The Son is the only person of the trinity that is manifest to man (John 1:18; 6:46; I Tim 6:16; I John 4:12). He is the revealer of the trinity. God is perfectly seen in Christ. "Image" implies a prototype of which it is a copy. As a Son to the Father he is an exact derived reproduction of God (Heb 1:3; Phil 2:6). The next verse demonstrates that Paul is speaking of the Son as prior to all creation. PRINCIPLE: Jesus is all of God that we will ever see (John 10:30; 14:9; Col. 2:9). APPLICATION: The Lord Jesus is the great, grand and glorious theme of Scripture. He is both the center and circumference of the Word of God. The Old Testament predicted his coming, the gospels announced that he came, the remaining Scriptures predict his coming again. Delete the Lord Jesus from the Bible and you have a theme without a plot, music without harmony and a car without a motor. In this passage Jesus is set forth in all his towering superiority. Jesus stands set apart from David, Solomon, John, Peter and Paul. He is incomparable to any human being. He is far removed from a simple human being. To put Jesus on the same level with men infuriates God, "And a cloud came and overshadowed them; and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!" (Mark 9:7). Peter, James and John had just made a comparison of Jesus with Moses and Elijah. The Son is absolutely unique and shares his glory with no man. Are you beginning to realize how wonderful the Lord is? The second description of Christ in this verse is his relationship to creation -- he is the "Firstborn over all creation." ---------- "the firstborn over all creation" This is not a statement about the creation of Jesus Christ because he cannot create himself. He is not a creature. He created all things (John 1:3; Heb. 1:2,3). He came from eternity. He is everlasting (Prov. 8:23-26). "Firstborn" indicates his dominion over all things. The firstborn in Israel had the right to rule. Jesus has the right to rule because of his rank over all creation. He is the sovereign God of creation. The word "firstborn" has nothing to do with the first Christmas. Nowhere does the Bible teach that Jesus began at Bethlehem. His physical being began there but not his person. The Bible does teach that he was from everlasting (Micah 5:2; Isa. 9:2). The child is born but the Son is given. He existed before creation (John 1:1-3,14). This passage is not talking about his birth as a creature but his existence as God himself. "Firstborn" means he is first in priority over creation. Since he preceded creation, he is sovereign over it. There is implied sovereignty in this word. The Old Testament used "firstborn" to designate the Messiah (Ps. 89:27). Jesus is both prior to creation (time) and sovereign over all creation (rank). The eternal relationship of the Son with the Father is in view here. Jesus is first in priority (preeminent over creation) and he is also produced creation. Five times the Lord is called "the firstborn" (1:15,18; Rom. 8:29; Heb. 1:6; Rev. 1:5). In 1:18 he is the "firstborn" from the dead; this is his resurrection. He was the first to rise from the dead. He is the firstborn of a brand new creation. Because he rose from the dead all those who put their trust in him will rise from the dead as well. His resurrection launched a brand new society; a new breed of people began with his resurrection. Note that word "all" again. There is nothing that the Son is not sovereign over in all creation. PRINCIPLE: Jesus has no rivals; he is unchallenged in preeminence and priority. APPLICATION: Do you acknowledge the preeminence and priority of Jesus Christ in your every day decisions? Copyright © 1995, Dr. Grant Richison. All rights reserved. There is no charge for Grace Notes Materials. You can help further this work by your prayer and by sending a contribution to: Grace Notes% Warren Doud wdoud@bga.com1705 Aggie Lane Austin, Texas 78757 Grace Notes Web site: http://www.realtime.net/~wdoud/ Anonymous FTP site: ftp://ftp.bga.com/vendors/wdoud/ Grace Notes is a ministry of Village Missions International. |
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