Post by Les on Aug 1, 2022 4:15:45 GMT -5
Entering God’s Kingdom.
In Colossians 1: 9-14 Paul wrote these wonderful words of encouragement to believers:
“9 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, 10 so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, 12 and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. 13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” (NIV)
These are very revealing verse’s describing the actions of our Heavenly Father in the lives of believers. It is by God’s Sovereign design that we have been rescued from the dominion of darkness and share in the inheritance of the saints. Saints are the set apart ones, that is, set apart from the world to share in God’s Kingdom of Light. It is our Heavenly Father who enables us to be eligible to share in the inheritance of the saints, which is the right to enter into God’s Kingdom. What is the qualification for entering The Kingdom? According to The Lord Jesus one must be born again:
“5 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” (John 3:5-8 NIV)
In verse 13 of our text we read: "For he has rescued us." To be rescued is to imply that one was in need of saving. I wonder how many of us would admit that there was a time in our lives when we were in need of rescuing? We were completely oblivious of our spiritual need until God’s Grace awakened us to our spiritual condition - sinners in need of redemption. The unveiling of the Redemptive work of God is accomplished through the Holy Spirit as promised by Jesus in John 16:13 when He said: "But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth." When we repent of our sin and accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we are redeemed and forgiven of our sins. We are born again and enter into God’s Kingdom which is the Kingdom of Light opposed to the kingdom of darkness prevalent in the world.
Today, let us give thanks for the knowledge of God’s Kingdom.
John Joseph Fox.
In Colossians 1: 9-14 Paul wrote these wonderful words of encouragement to believers:
“9 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, 10 so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, 12 and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. 13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” (NIV)
These are very revealing verse’s describing the actions of our Heavenly Father in the lives of believers. It is by God’s Sovereign design that we have been rescued from the dominion of darkness and share in the inheritance of the saints. Saints are the set apart ones, that is, set apart from the world to share in God’s Kingdom of Light. It is our Heavenly Father who enables us to be eligible to share in the inheritance of the saints, which is the right to enter into God’s Kingdom. What is the qualification for entering The Kingdom? According to The Lord Jesus one must be born again:
“5 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” (John 3:5-8 NIV)
In verse 13 of our text we read: "For he has rescued us." To be rescued is to imply that one was in need of saving. I wonder how many of us would admit that there was a time in our lives when we were in need of rescuing? We were completely oblivious of our spiritual need until God’s Grace awakened us to our spiritual condition - sinners in need of redemption. The unveiling of the Redemptive work of God is accomplished through the Holy Spirit as promised by Jesus in John 16:13 when He said: "But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth." When we repent of our sin and accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we are redeemed and forgiven of our sins. We are born again and enter into God’s Kingdom which is the Kingdom of Light opposed to the kingdom of darkness prevalent in the world.
Today, let us give thanks for the knowledge of God’s Kingdom.
John Joseph Fox.