DEVOTION – DAY 368

Colossians 1:13-14 “Darkness To Light”

Colossians 1:13-14: “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.”

The Bible often describes the world as a dominion of darkness. It is true that the world we live in is a very dark place. It is a world where its wealth and resources are unequally distributed. As a result, many poor people go hungry whilst the rich waste their food without a second thought. It a world where there is discrimination based on sex, status, religion and race. It is world where people commit countless sins daily. But God loves us. He has rescued those that are His people from the dominion of darkness and brought them into the Kingdom of the Son. This means that followers of Jesus Christ have been rescued from darkness and are placed under the sovereignty and authority of Jesus Christ, God’s Son. How has God done this? God has delivered them and freed them from the penalty of sin by paying a ransom – that is what redemption means. The ransom was the substitutionary death of Jesus Christ on the cross. Jesus Christ died on the cross in the place of all sinners who believe and trust that He is their Lord and Savior.

A man was shocked when his doctor told him that he had cancer and that it was at an advanced stage. The doctors could not do much to heal him. He had tried to live a good life. He knew he was not perfect but he thought he was generally a good person. But he was not sure if he was going to heaven or hell when he died. He was worried. He turned to his idols. But they were silent and could not help him. Then, he was asked if he would like a Pastor to visit him and pray for him. He agreed to see the Pastor. The Pastor arrived and told him that only Jesus Christ could help him. The Pastor explained that everyone is a sinner. Sin separates everyone from God who is holy and hates sin. The Pastor explained that charitable acts, good deeds, and being a good person cannot get anyone into heaven. The only way was to believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross for the sins of mankind. All who call on Jesus as Lord and Savior will have their sins forgiven on the basis of Jesus’s death on the cross. The Pastor asked this man if he was ready to believe in Jesus Christ. This man said he was ready to repent and call on Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. When he did that, he felt a sense of peace in his heart. He felt assured that if he were to die, he would be with Jesus and it was a comforting thought for him to know. He had been brought from the dominion of darkness into the Kingdom of the Son.

Let us pray: Heavenly Father, thank you for your gift of salvation offered freely to all. We pray for the salvation of all our unbelieving friends and relatives that they will one day call upon the Lord Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. We humbly pray this in the Holy name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Questions

1. Who are the unbelievers in your circle of contacts? Will you pray for their salvation? Will you pray for wisdom and share the gospel with them?
2. What are some common reasons and excuses that unbelievers give in refusing to accept the gospel? How can you counteract their negative response? Discuss.
3. What does it mean to you when you are under the sovereignty and power of Jesus Christ? Discuss.