Jesus Christ the Light Colossians 1:12-23

Introduction:    To the Colossians it was important to know who Christ really was. It is equally important to each of us. Paul writing to the Colossians in the opening of this Epistle (letter) addresses the important question of who is Christ.

           I explained in the first message of this series of messages that the false teaching in Colosse was syncretistic (sin-cret-is-tic) Oriental mysticism, Jewish legalism, Greek philosophy and added it to "Christianity." Syncretism is trying to put things together that are irreconcilable. None of these philosophies of men are compatible with God's word.

1. Oriental mysticism teaches man's is spirit which can become "one with the Universe" or reach "karma." A man can mediate until he blue in the face...it will not change his carnal nature or the fact he is a lost sinner.

2. Jewish Legalism teaches a man can "merit" or "earn" his salvation by doing good works or keeping the Law. In other words doing religious acts or ritual will cause God favor. However, all men are sinners. It is God who controls heaven and it is a perfect place. A man could spend his life doing good deeds and outwardly being a great person, but inside he is still a lost sinner. One sin committed means we are a sinner. We need a Savior to save us, because we cannot save ourselves. A man can join every church in town, be baptized until he looks like a prune, work night and day all his live doing good deeds, do every religious rite and ceremony on earth and still die in his sin and go to the Devil's hell.

3. Greek philosophy has many forms by basically material things are evil and spiritual things are good. Denial the physical or material world and you move toward a higher form of existence. You do this by self-denial and meditation through some spiritual experience. A man can deny himself until it kills him, but he will be no better off spiritually or in his relationship to God. It is a popular view in many cultures that the material world is evil. If a person denies himself physically or makes himself suffer physically he will be gaining power of his material being and that will make him more spiritual.

          Paul thanks God for His plan of Salvation, through Jesus Christ.

I. God Plan of Salvation makes the Sinner a Partaker of the Inheritance of Light.
A. What is the Inheritance of Light.
1. Luke 1:78-79 says, "Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace." The word "dayspring" refers to the rising of the sun.

2. When sin entered the world, it was plunged into darkness. God walked in the garden with Adam and Eve, but because of sin, God withdrew and darkness came upon man and the whole world as it received the curse of sin. Romans 6:23, says "the wages of sin is death" in other words...sin begins destruction.

3. They is no hope in darkness. Yet, When God can to the earth and Incarnate in the Lord Jesus Christ...lighted entered the world. Because of God wonderful mercy and grace, the source of light itself rose on high and visited this world.

4. That light which was Jesus Christ came to sinners in darkness and the shadow of death to guide our feet to the way of peace.

B. Jesus declared that He was the Light. John 8:12, " ¶ Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life."

C. Those who believe and who receive Jesus Christ as their Savior, become partakes of Jesus Himself.

II. God's plan Means that those who Partake of Light are Delivered from the Power of Darkness.
A. John 1:4, says, "In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not."
1. John 3:19, states, " And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil."

2. 1 Cor. 2:14, tells us that the natural man does not receive the things of God, they are foolishness to him and he cannot understand them because one must be spiritual to understand spiritual things.

3. Romans 8:7. "Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be."

B. The power of darkness is to blind one to the truth.

The Colossians because they had believed in Jesus Christ had been delivered from the power of darkness.

III. Believers are "Translated" into the Kingdom of Christ.
A. The word "translated" means the believer has been changed in the sense of remove one from their present place to another.
1. The place the believer is placed in is the Kingdom of God's Son, Jesus Christ.

2. When God's truth is received, the darkness of living without Christ is driving away and the believer becomes a part of a new world, the Kingdom of Jesus Christ.

3. Psa. 145:13 "Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations."

B. This world will not last. Everyday it moves closer to its destruction.
1. The Bible tells us that the next prophetic event in history will be the rapture of the church.

2. Following the rapture, when all believers will be taken up to heaven to be with the Lord, will come a great seven year period of destruction on the earth called the Great Tribulation.

3. At the end of the Tribulation the Lord Jesus will come to the earth, remove all the lost and then begin a 1000 year reign of peace and great prosperity on earth.

C. Because believers are saved and are a part of God's kingdom, they will not go through the Tribulation, and will return to the earth with Him at the Second Coming.
1. The believer will be a part of the Millennial reign of Christ.

2. As a part of Christ's kingdom will serve the Lord in this 1000 years.

3. At the end of the 1000 years, believers will have a place in the New Jerusalem and the New earth that God will create.

4. Sadly, those that are not part of Christ's kingdom will be first in Hades, or Hell until the Great White Throne judgment of Rev. 20:11-15. They will spend eternity in the tormenting flames of the Lake of Fire.

IV. Believers have Forgiven of Sins through the Blood of Jesus Christ. Col. 1:14.
A. On the Cross...Christ suffered and died for the sins of the world.
1. He shed His blood as an atonement or payment for our sins.

2. He died and rose again that sinful men might have the opportunity to be a part of His kingdom.

B. When a person believes and accepts Jesus Christ as their Savior God forgives their sins.

V. Believers are Saved, Receive eternal life because of who they place their faith in. Col. 1:15-20
A. Who is the Image of the invisible God. V15.

Jesus Christ is God incarnate in flesh. He can save and offer forgiveness because of who He is.

B. Jesus Christ created the heaven and the earth.

1. Whether seen or unseen, all thrones, or dominions, principalities, powers he made them all.

2. Note they were made for Him.

C. All things in Him consist. It means that in Him all things are held together. It is His power that holds the Universe together.

B. Christ is head of the body, the church. Christ is the head of every body or assembly of believers.

1. This makes a NT church, and we as Baptist unique in the world. We not only give this lip service, we live by it.

2. Our first distinctive of our faith is that our sole rule and authority for our faith and practice is the New Testament. John 1:1, says that "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.

3. As NT believers we brand ourselves together following Christ as our Savior and God. We reject all man made religious institution, and all the religious traditions of man and give Christ worship and serve at have first place in our lives and in our church.

C. The reason the true NT church exists is to honor the Lord Jesus Christ and follow him.
1. No church that does not put Christ first in all things is being obedient and honoring Christ.

2. No believer who puts anything before Christ in any part of his life is doing God's will. We first "Seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all the things shall be added."

VI. Believers are No Longer the Enemies of Christ. Col. 1:21
A. We have all heard the saying, "If you are not for me, you are against me." This is truth of each person on earth.
1. To be a believer is to be a child of God part of God's family.

2. To be lost, an unbeliever, means to be alienated from God and His enemy.

3. Alienated means separated from. An unbeliever is separated from God Himself who is the only source of eternal life.

4. To be an enemy means to oppose God. A unbeliever may not think he is opposing God, but he is created by God and God has a purpose for his life.

a. First God wills a person to believe and be saved
b. Second God will that person live his life for God.
c. To not accept God, is to oppose His will and plan for one's life and thus becomes an enemy of God.

5. God's will for every parent is to raise their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. The unbeliever opposes God and cannot raise their child to know and love God.

6. The unbeliever is God's enemy is promoting unbelief in that they are an example of failure...and influence others not to be saved.

VII. The Believer is Reconciled. Col. 1:21.

          To be reconciled means to be together. To be in harmony with God's will and purpose. The believer is positionally able to please God, to have peace in his life and to have the sure hope of heaven.

VIII. The Evidence of True Belief is that One Obeys the Lord.
A. So many claim to be Christians whose lives fail the test of this verse.

B. "If you continue." This verse deal with assurance of salvation. Some ignorantly teach this verse teaches losing salvation.

1. Note it says that all the promises in the early verse apply only to those who continue in the faith.

2. 1 John 2:19, speaks about those who claim to be saved and you go away and do not follow Christ. John says people leave because they were never apart of us, meaning born again believers.

3. Believers will endure. They may fail, the might slip into sin or disobedience, but God will go after them and they will in time return or God will take their life as 1 Cor. 11:30, 1 John 5:16, teaches. Those that do not return...were never saved.

C. The Modern Apostate preachers and churches tell their congregations that all is well....everyone will be saved, just be a good person and you will make it. However, only to the true believer does God make this promises.

Conclusion:
1. God's plan for winning souls is in verse 23. Paul says we are to preach the Gospel to everyone under heaven.

2. Paul is commending the Colossians because when they heard they believed.

3. The great tragedy is that many hear, and many reject the Gospel. God tells each of us that we are sinners. He tells us that to let us know the reality of our relationship with Him. The lost man is alienated and the enemy of God. God tells us this that we might understand that Jesus Christ our God and Savior suffered and died for our sins. When we believe...we are forgiven, given eternal life and become the child of God....a part of His everlasting kingdom.

4. If you have up to this day never truly believed and put your trust in Jesus Christ...would you not do it today...right now. Bow you head...tell the Lord you now believe and ask Him to forgive your sins. In the moment you do...you will be saved.



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