Colossians 1:12-14 - Eminent Domain
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Introduction:
According to the Legal Information Institute, Eminent Domain refers to the power of the government to take private property and convert it into public use. The catch is, according to the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States - the government is only able to exercise this power if they provide just compensation to the property owners.
You may wonder why I bring this up today? I have even entitled today’s message aptly, Eminent Domain.
Brothers and sisters, if you are not a saved believer in Jesus Christ, you are by nature under the domain of darkness. All who are not in Christ are by nature slaves to sin and thus under the rule and reign of Satan. You are his personal property on earth. He is your earthly king. You may say, “I don’t even believe in God or Satan - I’m an atheist.” Or, “I’m just spiritual and don’t believe in an evil being called Satan.” Yet, just as not believing in the police won’t keep you from the consequences of a speeding violation - not believing in Satan doesn’t mean his authority over you isn’t just as real.
However, we are all offered a way out of this domain. Jesus Christ exercises the right of Eminent Domain over His creation. He has the power to redeem His children from the domain of darkness. And the exercising of this Eminent Domain required a just payment for our sin. He paid the ultimate payment for us. The just for the unjust. This payment was not to Satan, however. Satan has no authority over Jesus Christ. Satan only has temporary dominion over unbelievers on earth. His dominion will come to an end one day. He, along with all unbelievers, will be cast into the Lake of Fire for all eternity.
The actual payment required is to God. God is the One who demands justice to be served. God is a perfect God, and in His perfect righteousness He requires a just payment for sin. Jesus paid our debt. He bought us back from sin and has rescued us from the domain of darkness. He has absorbed the penalty for our sin - namely the wrath of God - by His death on the cross.
Join me as we learn more about this wonderful section of Scripture.
Colossians 1:12-14:
12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. 13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
Let us pray.
Prayer
Today we are going to discuss three things that Christ’s redemptive work accomplished. The first is:
I. Because of Christ’s Redemptive Work on the Cross… You Can Be Qualified(12)
I. Because of Christ’s Redemptive Work on the Cross… You Can Be Qualified(12)
giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.
Why does Paul encourage a thankful heart here?
If you recall the previous verses, 9-11, Paul started a prayer of supplication for the believers in Colossae. He has just finished praying for them to be filled with the knowledge of God’s will and to walk in manner worthy of the Lord. He has also prayed that they bear fruit and that they endure with patience and joy.
Through all of this they are to give thanks to God because they didn’t deserve or earn salvation. He wants them to know that even though they may suffer and need to patiently endure at times, it is God through Christ who has qualified them.
My friends, we need to remember this as well as we approach Christ.
This word qualify reminds me of Paul’s frequent metaphorical comparison to this life as a race.
7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.
Jesus Christ ran the qualifying race for us. We fall flat on our face as soon as the race begins. In fact that is the doctrine of original sin. We all are born into sin. Sin is our default nature. I imagine my life a lot like that guy who just can’t get started out of the block.
Or if I actually get started…I might end up like this!
Sometimes those hurdles sneak up on you in life!
giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.
Looking at verse 12 we see that Jesus Christ ran the perfect race and gives us His qualifying time - His perfect righteousness is imputed, or placed upon, us and we are given the blessing to share in an eternal inheritance with Christ and other saints who are believers.
I love that word qualified. The Greek word is hikanoō (heek-a-no-o) which means to render able, render worthy, make capable, and make sufficient. None of these definitions are anything we can do.
When considering the word qualified, we also see that the opposite of qualified has two distinct aspects.
According to theologian Sam Storms you can be:
Unqualified or
Disqualified
Being unqualified means that we are not able to do something because we haven’t attained the training yet. I was unqualified to be a physician until I attended medical school, went to residency, and took my boards.
Using this understanding we can try to create a works-based idea of salvation and righteousness which is not Biblical. Many believe if they work hard enough - like in my case of working hard to become a physician - that they can go from being unqualified to qualified to going to heaven.
However, when it comes to righteousness, we are actually not unqualified - we are disqualified! There is no hope for someone who is disqualified. They aren’t even allowed back in the race at all!
How do we know we are all by nature disqualified?
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
We all fall short. As we stated above - we are born into sin and can’t even get out of the starting block of life without ending up on our face!
Just like an Olympic athlete who is disqualified for using a banned substance, we are disqualified from eternal life because of sin. We have all sinned and we are automatically out of the race.
Because we fall short of God’s perfect standard, there is nothing that we can do to become qualified on our own. But praise God for Jesus Christ giving us His righteousness and qualifying us for eternal life through His redemption!
12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.
At the end of verse 12 we see what this qualifications brings out:
This qualification enables us as believers to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.
What is this inheritance? It is heaven. It is the blessed promise of eternal life with Jesus Christ for all eternity along with all other believers.
Understand that this inheritance is not just an avoidance of judgment. Although it is great news that we don’t have to go to Hell - this inheritance is one that is far beyond our dreams and imagination. It is an inheritance that is far more than we could ever gain on this side of eternity.
My friends, this inheritance is imperishable. It can never be removed from you once you receive the guarantee of this inheritance.
11 In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will,
As we see here, true believers have obtained the inheritance. The Greek here is in the present tense participle meaning God has chosen and sealed the believer with the Holy Spirit. The believer has been saved by grace through faith and not by works as we see in Ephesians 2:8-9.
In light of this we can understand that we are not qualified to obtain this inheritance by our own works.
Like we said earlier - Jesus Christ ran the race for us and has given us His qualifying time. Because of Christ’s redemptive work on the cross we can be qualified. Because of this work we can also be:
Scripture References: 2 Timothy 4:7-8; Romans 3:23; Ephesians 1:11, 2:8-9
II. Because of Christ’s Redemptive Work on the Cross… You Can Be Transferred(13)
II. Because of Christ’s Redemptive Work on the Cross… You Can Be Transferred(13)
He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,
We see what we were saved from in verse 13. We were rescued and delivered from the domain of darkness. This phrase refers to Satan and his area of power in this world. The word domain refers to one’s jurisdiction.
We see Jesus refer to this in Luke 22:53:
53 When I was with you day after day in the temple, you did not lay hands on me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness.”
Jesus has just been betrayed by Judas and is being arrested. He recognizes the domain of darkness that these evil men are a part of. They are controlled by their father - the Devil.
Paul expounds upon this further in Ephesians 6:12:
12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
There is a definitive dominion of darkness. This is not just an imaginary battle that is raging around us. There is a true spiritual warfare being fought all around us. And we will do well to acknowledge the dangers in this world and cling to our Savior.
However, one day this domain of darkness ruled by Satan will be completely removed forever. Those who remain a part of this domain of darkness - in other words - all of those who are not redeemed by Christ - will be cast into the lake of fire along with Satan.
However, those who have been delivered from this domain of darkness are immediately transferred to the kingdom of his beloved son upon saving faith in Christ Jesus. This transference refers to the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God has come and has been inaugurated upon Christ’s first coming but will be fully consummated upon Christ’s second coming. This means the Kingdom of God has come but not in the fullness of its power.
Christ’s future reign on earth at His second coming will be in unopposed glory for all eternity. His very presence will humble all. We see this articulated in a powerful way in Philippians:
10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
And His kingdom shall never end.
There is a word in verse 13 we must not miss as well.
13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,
This word transferred is extremely important. This Greek word is methistēmi (meth-east-i-nee) means to transfer, transplant, or cause to move from one place to another. It also can mean transform. This is a transformational transference. It refers to the act of being born again. The old has gone and the new has come. It isn’t an addition of something to your life. It is a complete transformation of your life!
It is like taking a dead seed that was in a dark, dry room and placing it in a moist soil with plenty of sun and nutrients. It is a new creation. It is completely transformed. The original seed is gone and the new creation has bloomed. There is no recognition or remembrance of the old seed. Only the new creation exists.
That is how salvation is. One is taken from death to life.
It is important to understand that the one who is darkness is unable to find his way. I am sure all of us have been in a pitch black room at some point in our life. Imagine a truly dark room with absolutely no light. And this room is endless without a way out. It is a hopeless place. It is a dangerous place as well. One may find themselves injured by others in the room or injured by things in the room. One may also find many in the room seem to know the way out of there. Just follow me they say. Yet, we are reminded of Jesus’ words in Luke 6:39:
39 He also told them a parable: “Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit?
This is what the domain of darkness is like. There is no hope for those who grapple about - trying to find a hold on anything that is tangible. As they grasp about for something to hold on to - unbeknownst to them - they might just be grabbing the tail of that slippery serpent. They may be grasping the hand of Satan himself.
My friends, anyone in the domain of darkness has no hope on their own. There is no self help book that they can read that will show them the way out. It is only by the drawing of the Lord Jesus and His transferring and transformational power that one may be set free and transferred into His glorious kingdom.
Flee from those who say they know the way to salvation but fail to mention Christ. Flee from those who say they know the way to salvation but add other things to Christ. We are saved by the work of Christ alone.
As the great hymn states, “In Christ alone, my hope is found.”
Because of Christ’s Redemptive Work on the Cross… You can be qualified, transferred, and you can be....
Scripture References: Luke 22:53, Ephesians 6:12, Philippians 2:10-11, Luke 6:39
III. Because of Christ’s Redemptive Work on the Cross… You Can Be Forgiven(14)
III. Because of Christ’s Redemptive Work on the Cross… You Can Be Forgiven(14)
in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
Again we see that it is through Christ’s work on the cross that we have redemption and forgiveness of sins.
These are two very important theological words.
The first here is redemption. The Greek word here is apolytrōsis (a-pall-ee-oo-tro-seese). This word means to deliver payment of a ransom.
Our sin deserved a just payment. Jesus paid that payment on the cross.
The result of this blessed redemption is forgiveness of sins. This Greek word aphesis (ah-pha-seese) can also mean to pardon, to release, cancellation, or dismissal.
Christ paid our ransom and redeemed us which has resulted in the forgiveness or cancellation or pardon of our sins. We have been released from the chains of sin. Our case has been dismissed on behalf of Christ’s redemptive work on the cross.
The fourth verse of the old hymn by Charles Wesley shows this great work of Christ in the life of a believer:
Long my imprisoned spirit lay
Fast bound in sin and nature's night;
Thine eye diffused a quick'ning ray,
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;
My chains fell off, my heart was free;
I rose, went forth and followed Thee.
We all were in the dungeon of the domain of darkness before coming to a saving knowledge of Christ. We were helpless and hopeless - shackled by sin. There was no way out. Yet Christ came for us. He broke our chains and we rose and followed him into the light.
I pray each of you have experienced that blessed freedom and liberty of Christ through salvation.
Yet even those of us who have experienced that wonderful freedom, I think we can still struggle with accepting the fact that we have been forgiven at times. There is a part of us that struggles to understand how we can be forgiven for all that we have done. The best of us, apart from Christ, is evil. How can God no longer hold our sins against us? He must be ready to pour His wrath on us at some point? Even after we are saved we still continue to sin and that must bring about an anger in the Lord right?
Listen to what God says:
25 “I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins.
12 as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
These two verses show the character of God. When He says He forgives you, you can take His Word for it. As far as the east is from the west - which is infinity - right my friends?
And He said He would blot out your transgressions and remember your sins no more.
I pray that you understand the freedom and liberty that is present for the one who trusts in the Lord.
Our world seems to think that being a Christian means that there is a heavy yoke of legalism that you must carry. Sadly, many Christians portray our faith and relationship with Christ that way. Yet the Bible portrays this in a much different light.
28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Jesus lets us know that it is not Him that places a burden on us - it is the world and sin. He is there, ready to lift that burden off of your back.
There absolutely are commands that the believer is to obey. We actually show Jesus our love for Him by obeying His commands as we see in John 14:15. Yet, the yoke of Christ is an easy yoke. He is gentle with us. He gently guides us and sanctifies us by strengthening and empowering us as believers.
We need to live in that freedom and liberty. Not using this grace as a license to sin (Romans 6:15). But we need to understand that we are all “in progress.” None of us have arrived at perfection. We are all experiencing and partaking in the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit in our lives - making us more like Christ day by day through His Word (2 Thessalonians 2:13), through trials (1 Thessalonians 4:3-7), and through others who sharpen us (Proverbs 27:17).
What Jesus desires is that we are seeking Him and learning from Him through His Word.
I pray that each of you have experienced the redemption and forgiveness of your sins. And I pray that each of you has experienced the freedom and liberty and peace that comes through salvation. We do not work for salvation. The redemptive price for our salvation was paid for by Christ on the cross. But instead we work through the power of Christ in us to obey His commands and follow His leading.
Scripture References: Isaiah 43:25, Psalm 103:12, Matthew 11:28-30, John 14:14, Romans 6:15, 2 Thessalonians 2:13, 1 Thessalonians 4:3-7, Proverbs 27:17
Conclusion:
Today we have discussed some extremely important results of Christ’s Redemptive work on the cross.
Because of Christ’s Redemptive Work on the Cross, You Can Be:
Qualified
Transferred
Forgiven
If you have never experienced the liberating forgiveness of Jesus Christ by repenting of your sins and placing your faith and trust in Jesus Christ alone for salvation, I would love to talk with you after the service.
If you have, but you struggle to walk in the freedom given to us by Christ, I would be happy to talk with you as well. His yoke is easy and burden in light. The work that we do for Christ is done only through the power of the Holy Spirit indwelling us. And His grace and power is always sufficient to cleanse you of all of your sins and to pick you back up when you fall and carry you along the path to eternal life. Rest in the forgiveness and redemption of the Savior.
Let us pray.
Prayer
If you would like to learn more about salvation through Jesus Christ or want to obey Jesus by obeying the first commandment of a believer in going through the waters of baptism - please let me know.
Have a blessed week.