Have you ever been rescued from a dangerous situation? If so, then you know the relief and gratitude that you’ve experienced from being delivered from danger. God has performed one of the greatest rescue missions in history; however, many Christians do not realize the significance of this transaction. We must realize that Satan will do everything he can to keep us from realizing what God has done on our behalf. As the Apostle Paul prayed for spiritual enlightenment for the Colossians, he concluded his prayer with this declaration:

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. (Colossians 1:13-14)

The word rescue represents the magnitude of the danger from which we’ve been delivered. In the New Testament this word is associated with God as the Deliverer of His people and we are the object of His deliverance. Do you realize the significance of God’s great rescue mission? We were in darkness, without hope, and in bondage to our sin. God however, in His great love, sent forth His Son not only to deliver us from darkness, but to bring us into His family:

But when the fullness of the time came, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons and daughters. (Galatians 4:4-5)

Redemption is the payment of a ransom to bring about freedom. Paul was reiterating Jesus’ declaration of our deliverance from judgment and entrance into freedom:

Truly, truly, I say to you, the one who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life. (John 5:24)

In the book of Romans, Paul described not only the implications of this transfer from death to life, but also the benefits of our deliverance from our old master and gaining a new master:

But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were entrusted, and after being freed from sin, you became slaves to righteousness. (Romans 6:17-18)

God’s great rescue means that you’ve been set free from the bondage of sin. As Paul described the kingdom of God, we see the Kingdom is more than the observance of various ordinances and practices, but it involves a spiritual enlightenment and obedience from the heart:

for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. (Romans 14:17)

May we reflect upon these powerful truths – that we’ve been rescued, redeemed, and restored to a relationship with God. Rejoice in your citizenship as a child in the Kingdom of God.

Rick Higgins

Associate Pastor – Discipleship.  The Church at LifePark