Title: Grace of Redemption
Contents
13 He delivered us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of our sins.
1. Words that begin
If you overturn a game you've almost lost and win a dramatic comeback, everyone will be cheering and cheering with excitement. However, there are many church members who are not even touched by Jesus Christ, who has turned the lives of those trapped in the darkness of sin, death, and destruction, which cannot be compared with victory over victory, and made them live in the light of forgiveness of sins and eternal life. There are still many people who do not even know that Jesus Christ has changed a life of darkness into a life of light.
Among the Jews who are said to be God's chosen people, Paul, who was promising as a Pharisee or a rabbi, at one time did not even know the serious facts, but rather regarded Jesus as a sinner pretending to be Christ and severely persecuted Jesus and his followers. Although he was proficient in Hebrew and Greek thought, Paul, who severely persecuted the church of Jesus Christ due to his spiritual ignorance, went to Damascus to persecute, and encountered the resurrected Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus. After that, Paul lived the life of an apostle preaching Christ throughout his life.
2. From the Dominion of Darkness to the Kingdom of the Son
The apostle Paul said that God has delivered us from the power of darkness and has transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son.
“Darkness” is scotus (σκ?του?), meaning “spiritual ignorance”, “fall”, “suffering”, “death”, “destruction”, etc. In a word, darkness in the Bible can be said to be the characteristic and domain of Satan, or Satan's power. Therefore, darkness is also a characteristic of unsaved human beings who are ruled under the power of Satan.
Although humans refer to humans as “the lord of all things,” humans are ultimately unable to solve their own sins, suffering, old age, sickness, death, and destruction. Unless such satanic factors are ultimately resolved, it can only be concluded that all human beings are beings of darkness and that all life is a life of darkness. Even if you look at the records of the National Tax Service, that even some senior judges and prosecutors who are considered to be the best among human beings have evaded taxes by any means possible. This is true even if you look at the lies and hypocrisy, corruption and bribery, and the vague words and actions of high-ranking officials in various fields, including academia and politics. This is true even when you see people like you who do the same things that criticize and criticize the actions of others as if they were messengers of justice. This is true even if you look at the ruins and ambitions of some people in the religious world.
Anyone who has achieved great achievements in any field is no different. The same is true for a person who enjoys great wealth and fame, and wields great power. Successive tyrants, military leaders, or communist dictators have been followed by flattery and flattering men, but they are children of darkness who danced with swords of darkness and smelled bloody. In Romans 3:9 and below, we read, “What then? There is no one who does good, not even one.” All human beings apart from God, the Creator and Savior, are all beings of darkness, and all of their lives are living in darkness. Anyone who has even the slightest amount of food will have no objection to the assertion that human beings outside of the Lord Jesus, who is the way, the truth, and the life, are ‘dark’. All humans are conscious or unaware! All of us are living under the power of darkness.
It is God who delivered this poor man from the power of darkness and transferred him to the kingdom of his Son. The prophet Isaiah prophesied, “Behold, darkness will cover the earth, and darkness will cover all peoples, but the Lord will come upon you, and his glory will appear upon you.” Isaiah 60:2. God's work of salvation does not stop at delivering humans from darkness, but also transfers them to the kingdom of God, the kingdom of his only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. Now that we have been saved, we have become citizens of the kingdom of heaven under the absolute sovereignty of Jesus Christ, governed by love. Philippians 3:20 says, “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from there we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.”
3. The Blood of Jesus Christ, the Way of Salvation
Apostle Paul, who explained God's work of salvation from an outward perspective, explains, “In his Son we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
“Redemption” is apollytrosin (?πολ?τρωσιν), which means “release upon payment of compensation.” The word was used in the ancient world to buy from slaves or captives, or to set them free. Then, that we have been redeemed in the Son means that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was crucified and became a ransom sacrifice. 1 Corinthians 7:23 says, “You were bought with a price, and do not become slaves of men”; 1 Corinthians 6:20 says, “It was bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body.”
We must not forget, even for a moment, that a tremendous sacrifice that we could not even imagine was made on God's side until we obtain redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Jesus Christ, being equal with God, did not regard equality as something to be robbed, but, forsaking all the glory and glory of heaven, came in the form of a sinful man and gave His precious life as a sacrifice on the cross for our sins.
About 18 years ago, the elder who was the sole distributor of the commentaries I wrote said it would be good to get a recommendation from the bishop. So, 'Will the director do it for you? Could it be that I am being embarrassed?’ I went to see him, worrying. However, the bishop was very welcoming to me, and before I even spoke, he said, “The commentary books were very well written. I was very grateful to receive the recommendation letter from Director Kim.
Then, for us who lived in the darkness of sin and destruction because of sin, God did not spare even his only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, and gave his life to perfect the love of salvation, isn't it incomparable? We are all children of God who have been freed from sin, death, and destruction through the blood of Jesus Christ. We are all citizens of the kingdom of heaven who have been freed from the powers of ourselves, the world, and Satan in exchange for the blood of Jesus Christ. As children of God and citizens of heaven, I hope that we all radiate the light of love that will illuminate the darkness and darkness of our lives.
Let me tell you a true story.
When a Hong Kong businessman died of an incurable disease, he had to choose a successor to his huge business from among his three sons. He gave his three sons ten cents each to buy something that could fill an empty room. The eldest son bought a haystack and filled the empty room, and the second son bought cotton and filled the empty room. The third son bought bread for a hungry child, donated money to the church, and bought candles with the remaining 1 cent, filling the empty room with small candles.
Eventually, the third son was entrusted with a huge business.
4. Conclusion
Our Lord Jesus Christ gave up His equality with God and all the glory and glory of the kingdom of God to save us from the darkness of sin, death, and destruction, and even gave His precious life as a ransom sacrifice on the cross. As children of God who have been redeemed by the blood of the Lord and citizens of heaven, I hope that all of us will be the means of the Lord's love, who is the light that illuminates the darkness and darkness of our lives.
(Pungseong Methodist Church. Book: Complete New Testament Commentary Series/ Interpretation of difficult scriptures/ Prosperous prayer/ Salvation Before Jesus Came/ Salvation Before Jesus Came/ Understanding Paul’s Humanity/ Sermonbook 18. 426-3051)