I Have Been Rescued!

Every year I try and pick a theme verse for the year, and this year the verse comes from the book of Colossians:

"For 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."  (Col. 1:13-14, NASB)

I got the privilege of preaching these verses on January 6, the first Sunday of the year.  I think that sometimes we here a sermon, or read a devotional, or read a passage of Scripture and we forget that we are to meditate on the Word of God.  We hear it, and it goes in one ear, rattles around for a day or two, and then it is gone.  I think that there are times when we need to just dwell on a passage of Scripture for a good long time.  This is the case with these verses. 

I have been rescued.  This is another one of those words that we use and really downplay when we use it.  We talk about being rescued from a meeting by a phone call.  We thank people for rescuing us from boredom or uncomfortable situations.  This is not the heart of the word.  The origin of the word is the idea of casting something off and discarding it.  In other words, we are completely casting off the danger that we find ourselves in.  The one thing that is consistent in the usage of the word is that we always need someone else to do the rescuing. 

I cannot cast off the darkness myself.  I cannot enter the Kingdom of God on my own.  I need the help of the Son of God.  I need his redemption, I need his forgiveness, I need His rescue. 

I also think it is worth noting that in this particular case we are talking about a finished work. Note that it does not say he is rescuing us as if the work of changing kingdoms is an ongoing and unfinished work.  If you are saved, you are rescued.  It is done.  You are now the citizen of a new kingdom and your citizenship cannot be revoked because it is bound to the one whose kingdom in which you now live!

These two thoughts - the fact that I have been rescued and the fact that in the providence of God it is a finished work are worth going over time and time again.  Perhaps we can start to re-frame how we look at the world and how we think of ourselves if we begin from the premise that God rescued us.  Or perhaps you need to consider that rescue is available through Jesus and place your faith and trust in Him today!