Colossians 1:13-14
He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
This is such an incredible picture. Our redemption is the forgiveness of our sins, and is found in the kingdom of Jesus Christ, which stands in contrast to the power of darkness in which we were enslaved. The way it looks in my mind is like a map from Lord of the Rings, in which part of the map is covered by a wave of darkness, and part of the map is covered by brilliant light and color. We were for a long time trapped under that darkness, being trapped in its ways, its thoughts, its attitudes. Now that entrapment has been lifted, Jesus came into the darkness and kicked its butt so that it rescinded from where I was. At that point he grabbed me and carried me over to his kingdom where I now live in freedom.
The difficulty comes now that I live in a place of freedom because my mind is filled with the habits and thought patterns of darkness. Although I now live in a kingdom where light surrounds me, it is still a process in which light is filling me. I heard salvation explained like this: I was saved (from the penalty of sin), I am being saved (from the power of sin in me) and I will be saved (from the presence of sin around me).
While I lived under the power of darkness I remained under the penalty of that darkness, that is, I lived deserving death for living a life apart from God. But now that penalty has been removed, and I live in the freedom of the light and the kingdom of Jesus Christ. How incredible it is that the very Son of God has rescued me.
Thank you, Jesus, for rescuing me.
Without you I would have no hope for salvation.
I recognize that I am still being saved from the power of sin in my life.
I ask only for continued grace in this process.
I know you are faithful, I know you are patient, Thank you.
You are my God, my Savior, my Lord.
I owe you my life.