A2 Follow-up from Sunday night

Colossians 1:14

He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

God the Father sent Jesus His only begotten Son on a rescue mission.  Our limited understanding of the term redemption usually conjures up images of being purchased.  But Biblically it refers to Jesus’ rescue and restoration of His people. Born into darkness, Jesus came as the light of the World and brought life to those who believed on Him, rescuing us from death and darkness.  But he also restored us by transferring our citizenship into God’s Kingdom.  We were rescued from the domain of darkness and restored as citizens in  God’s Kingdom

Paul’s call to the Colossians, to trust only in the Gospel, and to not be moved away in their hearts to other things, should serve as a clarion call for us today.  Jesus was not just some random guy,

Col 1:15-19

“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.  For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.  And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.  And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.”

And we were not just pretty good people in need of a little help.

Col 1:21,22

And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him

This is the beauty and simplicity of the Gospel, Jesus the God-Man, The Preeminent One, gave Himself for us, a people hostile to Him in thought and deed.  He didn’t die for a people who wanted Him, but for a people that rejected Him.  Jesus freely gave himself for us outside of all conditions of love and faithfulness.  That is the beauty of the Free Offer of the Gospel to all.  It begins free and it stays free.  But that doesn’t mean it’s cheap grace.

Col 1:23

if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.

We are to continue to live in the richness’ of this free grace.  This is not something we get beyond eventually.  The Gospel is not a door to something better, it is always the best and nothing will ever surpass it.  Paul encourages us to “continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard.”  Because He knows if we treat Jesus like a ticket to get punched so we can get past St. Peter at the pearly gates then we will be found to not have really believed the Gospel at all.

I want to encourage the folks of Solomon’s Porch, and anyone else that reads this, to preach this glorious Gospel to their own hearts.  It is easy to get caught up in our own failures and begin to view the Gospel like it is the stuff other people need.  In other words, it’s easy to shift “from the hope of the Gospel” in our day to day life and trust in ourselves and our abilities to suppress our wills and force ourselves into submission.  Fall in love with the beauty and truth of the Gospel story.  Never move beyond it.  Believe and preach the Gospel to yourself well, and you will find that you won’t be able to help but share it with others.