WHAT GOD HAS DONE FOR MANKIND
READ COLOSSIANS 1:12-14
Our aim in this lesson is to grasp the great things God has done for us. When we attempt to count the total number of God's blessings, we discover there is no end. The songwriter Johnson Oatman Jr., expressed his gratitude for God's blessings when he wrote the song "Count Your Blessings." King David wrote in Psalm 40:5, "Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered."
Colossians 1:12-14 speaks about three things God has done for mankind, and when considered they are hard to imagine. If we diligently focus upon these three things, the depth of what God has done will explode in our lives for good. We will never be the same. What has God done for mankind?
1. God has given us an inheritance - vs. 12.
Colossians 1:12 - "Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light."
You have to be qualified to receive an inheritance. For those who have trusted Christ as their Savior, they have been made "meet to be partakers." The word "meet" means to be suited or fit. The qualification for receiving God's inheritance is salvation. You must be one of His children to be a partaker of this inheritance.
2. God has delivered us from the power of darkness and has transferred us into the kingdom of his dear Son - vs. 13.
Colossians 1:13 - "Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son."
Not only have we received an inheritance in His light, He, in so doing, has delivered us from the very power of darkness. That, of course, is the power of Satan and sin. Meanwhile, God has translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son. The word "translated" has the sense of being ‘transferred’ or ‘placed.’ In this case, we have been thus placed into the kingdom of His dear Son. Though the kingdom of God is yet to come, we have been made citizens thereof through His dear Son.
3. God has saved us and forgiven our sins - vs. 14.
Colossians 1:14 - "In whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins."
The greater truth of redemption is touched upon. It is the purchase of one out of bondage unto liberty. Here the purchase price (the ransom) is made clear. It is Christ's blood (See I Peter 1:18-19). Our redemption from the curse and bondage of sin has been predicated upon the shed blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. Moreover, His shed blood has formed the basis of “the forgiveness of sins.” Though the world will often readily admit that God can and will forgive sin, they routinely ignore how such forgiveness is predicated upon the shed blood of Jesus Christ.
Your Friend and HIS,
Pastor Abbott
MEDITATIONS
1. According to Colossians 1:12, who initiated the action of giving you an inheritance? What type of response should you give?
2. What thoughts come to your mind when you hear the word inheritance?
3. What is the difference between an earthly and a heavenly inheritance?
4. What is your role in freeing the lost from a life of darkness?
5. What kind of things can you do to bring Christ's light into other Christian relationships?
6. Do you believe that God has taken care of your future sins? What is your Scriptural basis for believing this?
7. What does Colossians 1:14 tell you about God's promise to forgive you of your sins?