Paul Prays for the Colossian Believers to be Thankful
for Deliverance from Darkness and Eternal Forgiveness in Christ
Colossians
1:13-14 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us
into the kingdom of His dear Son: In whom we have redemption through His Blood,
even the forgiveness of sins: KJVNo doubt when Paul wrote these words that begin this verse 13, he was probably tearing up as his mind wandered back to the journey he was tasked to complete of imprisoning or even killing followers of Jesus Christ as he road along the Damascus Road to fulfill his orders from the Jewish High Priest, but he was delivered from his state of spiritual darkness, spiritual blindness, and spiritual death to serve a new High Priest (Hebrews 3:1-2), therefore, he writes to these believers in Colosse and to us these words I’m sure with tears streaming down his cheeks, “Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son:” (Colossians 1:13) (KJV). The English phrase ‘hath delivered’ is translated by one Greek word rhuomai which is a primary verb meaning to rescue from harm and evil; saving one from such danger. In other words, Paul surely at first did not understand what was happening to him when he was knocked off his horse or donkey or camel on the Damascus Road, but he later understood that he had been rescued from evil and so has every true believer in our Lord, Master, and Savior Jesus Christ been rescued from the evil one. The little English word ‘from’ is translated by the little Greek word ek and it is a primary preposition denoting origin (the point whence motion or action proceeds), from, out (of place, time or cause. The English word ‘power’ is translated by the Greek word exousia meaning in the sense of ability, that is, (subjectively) force, delegated influence, authority, jurisdiction, strength, and control. The English word ‘darkness’ is translated by the Greek word skotos meaning shadiness, that is, obscurity (literally or figuratively); error, blindness, and hatred.
In other words, God the Father through giving His Son as a sacrifice for sin has rescued us from or out of the place of the jurisdiction, authority, and influence and control of the devil’s hatred and errors and darkness, which is exactly where the Apostle Paul found himself (and we all do) before his spiritual eyes were opened to the light and truth of our Lord Jesus Christ. Paul (at that time Saul) was certain that he was worshipping Jehovah God truly and rightly denying that Christ was the Jewish Messiah (as most Jews still do today), but Saul become Paul after he encountered Christ that day going to Damascus and these words spoken by our Lord Jesus rang true to him, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” (John 8:12) (NKJV). The English phrase ‘hath translated’ is translated by the Greek words methistemi methistano meaning to transfer, that is, carry away, depose or (figuratively) exchange; - put out, remove, translate, turn away. In other words, after our conversion to Christ we are taken out of the kingdom of darkness and the devil and carried away into (indicating the point reached or entered of place), that being, the Kingdom of Christ or the Kingdom of the Son of God the Father’s Love as He declared when He spoke these words from Heaven, “And suddenly a voice came from Heaven, saying, ‘This is My Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.’” (Matthew 3:17) (NKJV), likewise all of us who are ’in Christ’ God the Father is also well pleased with us, for Christ sake. Note: “Power detains reluctant captives, a Kingdom cherishes willing subjects.” (John Wesley).
It was the Father’s plan and purpose to rescue unto Himself (through sacrificing the Son of His Love) many adopted sons and daughters (Ephesians 1:5-6) away from the devil’s control as our Lord Jesus Himself told the Apostle Paul directly after He saved him on the Road to Damascus with these words, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But rise and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you. I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.” (Acts 26:15-18) (NKJV). It is the Son of the Father’s Love where sinners find all that is good, true, pure, and holy and we cease to find anything good in ourselves and seek for Christ grace to make us over into what He would have us to be eternally, therefore, Paul declares that it is in Him (Christ), “In whom we have redemption through His Blood, even the forgiveness of sins:” (Colossians 1:14) (KJV). The little English phrase ‘we have’ used here by Paul is translated by one Greek word echo a primary verb meaning to hold such as possession, ability, contiguity, relation or condition). The English word redemption is translated by the Greek word apolutrosis which means (the act) ransom in full, that is, buying back or (specifically) Christian salvation: - deliverance, redemption. In other words, these Colossian believers and we believers today have been reclaimed from darkness and the devil by the payment of a ransom price, as we see in many situations of hostages taken and a ransom payment being made to their captures for their release.
In this spiritual case, we have been bought back from the usurper (the devil) who deceived Adam (the first man) and in so doing caused every human being after him to become a spiritual kidnapped victim of the devil, but praise God we have now been redeemed from our captivity and the payment price was the Blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ shed on Calvary as it is written, “Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.” (Hebrews 2:14-15) (NKJV) and also as it is written, “For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the Blood of Christ, who through the Eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.” (Hebrews 9:13-15) (NKJV). Through our Lord Jesus’ Blood Sacrifice for us we have forgiveness of all our sins past, present, and future as the Psalmist King David wrote with these words, “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no deceit.” (Psalms 32:1-2) (NKJV). Note: “The forgiveness of our sins is the sending away of our sins into oblivion, as far as the east is from the west.” (Clifford D. Tate, Sr.).
“Verse 13 emphatically tells all of us that every person ever born in human history (past, present, and future) are born a sinner and are in the kingdom of darkness, however, every child that dies before his/her age of accountability is then automatically translated from the kingdom of darkness into Christ Kingdom.” Clifford D. Tate, Sr.
“The voluntary passion of our Lord appeased the Father’s wrath, obtained pardon and acceptance for us, and, consequently, dissolved the dominion and power which Satan had over us through our sins. So, that forgiveness is the beginning of redemption, as the resurrection is the completion of it.” John Wesley
“It means, here, that they who are Christians have been transferred from one kingdom to another, as if a people were thus removed. They become subjects of a new kingdom, are under different laws, and belong to a different community. This change is made in regeneration, by which we pass from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light; from the empire of sin, ignorance, and misery, to one of holiness, knowledge, and happiness. No change, therefore, in a man’s life is so important as this; and no words can suitably express the gratitude which they should feel who are thus transferred from the empire of darkness to that of light.” Albert Barnes
“The essential and first element in this redemption is ‘the forgiveness of sins.’ Possibly some misconception of the nature of redemption may have been associated with the other errors which threatened the Colossian Church, and thus Paul may have been led to this emphatic declaration of its contents. Forgiveness, and not some mystic deliverance by initiation or otherwise from the captivity of flesh and matter, is redemption. There is more than forgiveness in it, but forgiveness lies on the threshold; and that not only the removal of legal penalties inflicted by a specific act, but the forgiveness of a Father. A sovereign pardons when he remits the sentence which law has pronounced. A Father forgives when the free flow of His love is unhindered by His child’s fault, and He may forgive and punish at the same moment. The truest ‘penalty’ of sin is that death which consists in separation from God; and the conceptions of judicial pardon and fatherly forgiveness unite when we think of the ‘remission of sins’ as being the removal of that separation, and the deliverance of heart and conscience from the burden of guilt and of a Father’s wrath.” Expositor’s Bible Commentary
If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...
Sincerely in Christ,
Clifford D. Tate, Sr.
Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…
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