“He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.” Colossians 1:13-14 (read Col. 1:1-14)

The opening of Paul’s letter to the believers in Colosse is a beautiful reminder of what God has done for us and who we are in Christ. It begins with a recognition of the Colossians’ faith, love, and hope, which came as a result of hearing the truth of the Gospel (Colossians 1:4-6).

This leads Paul into a powerful prayer for the Colossian believers — a prayer that should be our daily petition for ourselves and other believers (Colossians 1:9-12). He prays for them to be “filled with the knowledge of His will” so they can “walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God” (Colossians 1:9-10). The Christian life, according to Paul, is one of continuous growth, fruitfulness, and deeper knowledge of God.

But the crescendo of this passage is in verses 13 and 14, where Paul defines the foundational work of God in our lives:

• Divine Deliverance — “He has delivered us from the power of darkness…” (Colossians 1:13a). Before we knew Christ and trusted in Him and His atoning sacrifice, we were under the dominion of sin and spiritual darkness. God, in His mercy, has rescued us from that bondage.

• Royal Relocation — “…and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love…” (Colossians 1:13b). We were not just saved from something; we were saved to something. We have been moved from the realm of spiritual darkness and death into the kingdom and reign of Christ, the Son of God’s love. This is a positional truth — it’s who we now are, children of God through faith in Christ Jesus (cf. Gal. 3:26-29).

• Perfect Pardon — “in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.” (Colossians 1:14). The entire transaction — our deliverance and our relocation — was paid for by Christ’s sacrifice. We are redeemed, which means we were purchased and bought back with Christ’s shed blood. And, through faith in Christ, our sins are now forgiven and we are conveyed into His eternal kingdom.

Think about that for a moment: You have been redeemed from the rule of sin and death by the shedding of the holy and precious blood of Christ for our sins. And through faith in Christ’s atonement, you are now pardoned and set free and a part of Christ’s kingdom (cf. 1 Peter 1:17-21). This is not just a future hope; it is a present reality for every believer.

The challenges of daily life can sometimes obscure this magnificent reality. We may feel the pull of old habits or the weight of past mistakes. Yet, Paul’s prayer reminds us that because of this deliverance, we can now seek to be “filled with the knowledge of His will” (Colossians 1:9) and walk in a life that is “fully pleasing Him” (Colossians 1:10).

Let the realization of your deliverance define your identity, your relocation guide your actions, and your redemption fuel your gratitude.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, we thank You for the incredible work of salvation. Thank You for delivering us from the power of darkness and transferring us into the kingdom of Your Son’s love. We praise You for the redemption and forgiveness we have through faith in Christ’s shed blood. Fill us with the knowledge of Your will, that we may walk worthy of You, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in our knowledge of You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

[Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.]