For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. (Colossians 1:13-14)
In the 1700s, a man named Nathan Cole lived out east. He was hard-working. Self-confident. A good guy. At least he thought he was, until he heard a pastor named George Whitfield preach. As he listened, Nathan realized something: He wasn’t a good guy. As God’s Word hit his heart, he wrote: “My old foundation was broken up, and I saw that my righteousness would not save me.” He added, “I was loaded with guilt of sin. I saw I was undone forever. I carried such a weight of sin in my chest and mind that it seemed to me as I should sink into the ground every step. Hell fire was almost always in my mind.” He was sinful, and he knew he deserved the fire of hell.
But God didn’t leave Nathan Cole there. As he continued to hear God’s Word, he heard the good news of Jesus. The gospel changed his life! He wrote, “I saw what free grace was. I saw how stubborn man was. I saw I was saved by Christ.” This is the gospel! “He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” While we were sinners, Jesus died for us. God has rescued us from darkness through Jesus!
Someone shared with me an old newspaper clipping. It had the title: “I am a Christian.” It said, “When I say that ‘I am a Christian,’ I am not shouting that ‘I am clean living.’ I’m whispering ‘I was lost, but now I’m found and forgiven.’ When I say ‘I am a Christian,’ I’m not trying to be strong. I’m professing that I’m weak and need His strength to carry on. When I say ‘I am a Christian,’ I’m not bragging of success. I’m admitting I have failed and need God to clean my mess. When I say ‘I am a Christian,’ I’m not holier than you. I’m just a sinner who received God’s good grace!”
Isn’t that the truth? For every single one of us, God “has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves.”
Dear God, as Nathan Cole realized, we all deserve the fire of hell for our sins. But in your grace, you rescued us from darkness through your Son Jesus. Help us to live today in your forgiveness. Amen.
Comments