03 - Rescued And Reconciled 2009
The Colossal Christ Of Colossians 2009 • Sermon • Submitted
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“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.”—1:13, 14
We’ve seen several of the “He is” passages. Now let’s look at what “HE HAS DONE” for us.
The first “He has” passage is in verse 13.
He has:
Rescued us
Rhoumai (rhoo'-om-ahee) to be drawn out of…
Picture a man stuck in the middle of a raging river. He is doomed. Suddenly, a helicopter appears. A rescuer is lowered to the man who is quickly taken hold of and lifted out of certain death. There you have “rescued.”
Paul talked to Timothy about his “persecutions, and sufferings: those things that happened to me at Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra. I endured those persecutions. Out of them all the Lord delivered me (drew me out).”—2 Tim. 3:1
The verb tense means that He has rescued us while we are still in this world.
This is not talking about being rescued and taken to heaven, but rescued…
From the “power, authority and jurisdiction of the darkness that is in this world” while we are still here.
“…he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness…”
Once we come to Christ as Savior, we are rescued from the rule or the authority of darkness. Darkness no longer has legal jurisdiction over us!
Once again, imagine that a visiting dignitary from China were to knock on your door and demand you return with him to China to serve in his household. Your response would be, “You have no jurisdiction over me!
This is America. You can’t tell me what to do for you have no authority here. This is not your country.”
The truth is that you are now owned by Christ and are a citizen of the Kingdom of God. When Satan comes knocking and demands that you serve him, the answer is, “You have no jurisdiction over me. You’ve lost your legal right to me. I am no longer yours!”
“The Darkness” Paul mentions is no small thing. It is a Tyrant darkness, a darkness of tyranny. It is horrible and monstrous. It holds all men in its authority, and all are powerless to escape.
The Apostle John wrote about this and said, “We know [positively] that we are of God, and the whole world [around us] is under the power of the evil one.”—1 John 5:19
The only way a rescue can take place from this fearsome darkness is if the rescuer is stronger than that which binds those in need of rescuing.
Jesus said, “But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you. Or else how can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house.”
Jesus is saying that He alone is stronger than the strongman, the devil. And He alone can bind him and spoil his work in the life of the one needing rescue.
This is why Paul wrote in Romans 6, “For sin shall not have dominion over you: for you are not under the law, but under grace…
You were the servants of sin, but you have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, you became the servants of righteousness.”
We Christians have been drawn out of the dominion of the present darkness, and are called to bear fruit, to be involved in works that glorify God, and to live lives free from the shackles of bondage…
This is what it means to be rescued!
And how did this amazing rescue happen?
“…in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
Redemption: apo-lu’trosis
Apo’ “before”
Lutron “A ransom price”
This powerful word means “A before-paid ransom, or a ransom paid in advance”
We were on the slave block, bound in sin, serving Satan, lost and without hope. But “But God shows and clearly proves His [own] love for us by the fact that while we were still sinners, Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One) died for us (paid the ransom necessary for our redemption) by shedding His blood).”—Ro. 5:8
We have been drawn out of the jurisdiction of this present darkness by the before-paid ransom of the blood of Christ.
Now, go and bear fruit to His Glory!