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Fully Delivered

"He has delivered us from the domain of darkness"
(Colossians 1:13a)
Matthew Henry gets us to the point quickly :
[Jesus] has saved us from the dominion of sin, which is darkness (1 John. 1:6), from the dominion of Satan, who is the prince of darkness (Ephesians 6:12), and from the damnation of hell, which is utter darkness (Matthew. 25:30)
This deliverance" is not merely cosmetic. It is the ultimate rescue operation. The word "delivered" literally means deliverance from danger. What is the danger we face if are under the domain of darkness?

It is certainly the danger of the enslavement under dark Satanic powers. Before we were followers of Jesus our all lives worshipped Satan. Like hostages suffering from Stockholm syndrome we honoured Satan with sin and all kinds of shameful deeds of darkness. Demons and other satanic powers were our masters, even if we were unaware.

But it was much worse. The bigger danger we faced is that we were under the wrath and judgement of God. Lost in our eternal state of damnation we faced an angry God against us. It is a fearful thing to be in the hands of an angry God. Because God is a consuming fire! Like a man seating on time bomb waiting to explode with no rescuer in sight, we could not deliver ourselves from the guilt and penalty of sin!

And then entered our heavenly champion - Jesus our Christus Victor. He lived a sinless life, died on a brutal and shameful death on the cross and rose victoriously to life from the dead. Through that he rescued all who follow him from death, sin, hell and Satan!

That means then that in Christ we are perfectly secure from the devil's dominion. Lucifer may cause us trouble from time to time, but he can't harm. We are held secure from his power and slavery.

Because of Jesus all who are truly his can now sing with Charles Wesley :

Death, hell, and sin are now subdued;
All grace is now to sinners given;
And lo, I plead the atoning blood,
And in Thy right I claim Thy Heaven!

Copyright © Chola Mukanga 2013
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