Colossians 1:13–14 “He has delivered 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.”
Gratitude is one of those
abstract concepts that everyone can recognize when they see it but that few can
define precisely. The 1828 Webster’s dictionary defines the word “gratitude as:
“An emotion of the heart, excited by a
favor or benefit received; a sentiment of kindness or good will towards a
benefactor; thankfulness. Gratitude is an agreeable emotion, consisting in or
accompanied with good will to a benefactor, and a disposition to make a
suitable return of benefits or services, or when no return can be made, with a
desire to see the benefactor prosperous and happy. Gratitude is a virtue of the
highest excellence, as it implies a feeling and generous heart, and a proper
sense of duty. The love of God is the sublimest gratitude.” In this study
of Colossians chapter One that I am going through, they say that much could be
said about the proper definition of gratitude, but when we consider its place
in the Christian life, G.K. Chesterton’s words certainly bear repeating: “I
would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought; and that gratitude
is happiness doubled by wonder”.
“Happiness doubled by
wonder” is a marvelous way to phrase the proper response to what Jesus has done
for His people when we consider the fallen-in-sin abyss into which we were born
in this world. Building on his admonition to give thanks for the great
inheritance provided to us in Christ, the Apostle Paul describes what happens
to all those who put their faith in the Savior. By faith we appropriate the
work of Jesus that delivers us from the “domain of darkness” and chains of sin.
No matter how “good” we or our parents are, all of us are born into this world
as “children of Adam”, with original sin, cut off from blessed fellowship with
God — the purpose for which He made us. The Bible describes this condition of
being in Adam as being in a realm of chaos, darkness, evil, and judgment — a
dreadful state of misery wherein we were dead in wickedness. There is no escape
from this hopeless condition apart from “divine intervention”. Since nothing in
us could move the Lord to save us, the fact that He graciously acted to rescue
us anyway is a fact that is beyond comprehension and marvelous beyond words. The
dead in sin become alive in Christ! Once we realize how far from Him we actually
were before we knew Jesus, the only response we can give is, indeed, “happiness
doubled by wonder” in a attitude of gratitude.
Being rescued from the
kingdom of darkness, we have been transferred to the “kingdom of His beloved Son”
— the kingdom of light in which we have the forgiveness of sins. That is the gospel. This rescue
and transfer was the great event the prophets foresaw, the redemption out of
the darkness and exile of sin into which Israel, as a picture of all mankind in
Adam, had fallen despite having access to the Word of God - the holy Scriptures of the living Bible.
If
we are in Christ, we have been rescued from utter and hopeless darkness, and,
being children of light, have been empowered to walk in the light with the
indwelling Holy Spirit as our guide, in gratitude of our Savior and Lord.
Blessings in Christ
No comments:
Post a Comment