When someone becomes a Christian more often than not they will attend a discipleship class. This class is an important part of their new journey and will contain lots of new understanding on who God is and how we should journey as a Christian in this life. However there is a lifetime of discipleship/learning to be had so that we continue to follow Him.
The Apostle writes to the Colossian people because they are in danger from false teachers who are teaching that Jesus was just one of many gods to follow. He was not the only way. Paul tackles this through his letter. He begins by saying he is praying for their discipleship.
Over the last few days I have thought about the following within these blogs:-
Make Him proud (live well); Expect He will succeed through you; Grow to know Him; Last the long haul; Be thankful that He qualifies to be a disciple. The 6th is found in this verse, “For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves” (Colossians 1:13)
This word ‘rescued’ is a past completed act. It is the work of Christ on the cross. We were under the rule of darkness but now we have been brought under the rule of Jesus who God loves. Not only that God loved His Son, Jesus, but that Jesus, the Son, shows us how much God loves us.
The Apostle Peter used the same word (in 2 Peter 2:7-9) to say just as God rescued Lot then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials.
All around the world, right now, maybe for you, there is a cry for rescue.
You are not immune, the evil taunting voices of torment and the attacks of every kind can settle on you as a darkness. Sometimes the Lord delivers us from this desperate place and at other times He delivers us within them.
From the pulpit to the pew darkness descends from nowhere and perspective can be easily lost with irrational thoughts and the results can be devastating. Friends can walk away not knowing what to say nor having the patience to wait. It is an awkwardness that doesn’t sit well with the victorious Christian life. But it is there.
The disciple has been rescued but will continually need rescuing in this life. The Kingdom is the safe place. “Rescue me to your Kingdom reign, Jesus!”
I have sat with the most beautiful people who were rescued from the most evil of places. It is where I am most comfortable and where I am home.
Tanzeela, now a teenager whose life up to 10 years of age was pitiful, begging on the streets of an anti-Christian nation. Her family are all drug addicts. But this girl is now rescued and safe.
Hassan, now an adult, but I met him as a 15 year old boy who loved football and Chelsea! He saw his parents gunned down and he was taken as a child-soldier. Drugged and brain-washed he was taught how to use a gun and he used it every day in his darkened world. After 3 years, 6 months and 21 days he was rescued.
Mukamunana, a woman who was raped multiple times in a civil/tribal war wrote me a letter, “I don’t figure out how one can be hunted like an animal until the hunter expresses their hatred.” But she was rescued and is rebuilding her life.
When I need rescuing I am reminded of my friends. What He did for them He can do for me.
When I need rescuing I am reminded of Christ and how He has done that rescue already so that I need to step into that once again.
I don’t know what you might be going through but if you need lifting up from your painful circumstance, if you need drawing closer to the Lord, if you need rescuing then He who rescued you will continue to rescue you from your trial. Call to Him now.
Disciples know they are rescued and know they need rescuing.
Oh and one final thought. If you see someone who is drowning and needs rescuing, dont walk on, dont turn away, rescue them! You might be in the same situation one day.
Missions Paul 