Page Four:“Pleasing
God By Being Grateful” 09/23/2012
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Please extend your gratefulness to God today to include one more of God’s free gifts and watch how your spirit comes to a new level of pleasing the LORD.
First, are you grateful for what God has done to you? Second, are you grateful for what God has done for you? Now look down at verse thirteen. Colossians 1:13 “Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:…” First, your amazing inheritance; second, His amazing work on your behalf. There are two parts to the work of Christ that Paul says you must be grateful for; one, that He’s delivered you from the power of the dark kingdom; and two, He’s translated you into the dear kingdom; out of darkness and into dearness. These are two of the most wonderfully conspicuous contrasts in the entire universe. Once, formerly, you were a subject in the dark kingdom; the kingdom run by king Satan; the kingdom where sin and evil and disobedience still reigns to this day. And now? Now, because you are connected to Jesus Christ, you’ve been delivered from the power of darkness. What a glorious and wonderful thing. “Delivered.” What does it mean? “Delivered” means just a little more than delivered. It means saved. When God deals with a soul in forgiveness, He saves him from the kingdom of darkness. And it includes the idea of being set free. We had been trapped in a kingdom with no exit until Christ came along and opened the door for us. And deliverance also includes the idea of protection. So, when you read this term in your Bible, read it like this “saved, freed, and protected.” |
Do you remember the LORD’s Prayer where He teaches us to say “deliver us from evil”? That’s the exact same word.
It means “LORD, deliver, free, and protect me from the evil one.” Now, why be grateful? Because God in Christ has delivered and freed us from the dark kingdom and is now protecting us from his attacks. First, you’ve been delivered from the power of darkness. Second, you’ve been transported into the kingdom of His dear Son. This is actually a modern word; this word “translated.” Here’s what my Heritage Dictionary of the English Language says is the definition of translation. “translated” = 3. Aerospace “to move from one place to another in space by means of reaction power.”[Found in The Heritage Dictionary of the English Language page 1364]. You see, you’ve been transported; translated; moved by an invisible force from one sphere into another. The Greek word for translated here is meqistanw, which simply means “removed.” Do you remember the words of Paul when He was describing love? He said I Corinthians 13:2 “And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.” This is the exact same word. It’s meqistanw, which means “to move from one place to another place.” The first thing, then to be grateful for in what God has done for you is your deliverance from the kingdom of Satan. The second thing is translation. You’ve been moved out from that kingdom into the kingdom of God’s dear Son. And the attitudes the Father holds towards the Son He now holds towards you. All that the heart of God feels towards His Son He feels towards you. You’re in the kingdom of His dear Son. |