us and now once again we'll turn
our thoughts to the epistle of Paul to the Colossians the first
chapter and this evening we'll meditate on the 12th and the
13th verses so Colossians chapter 1 verses 12 and 13 giving thanks unto the Father
which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance
of the saints in light, who hath delivered us from the power of
darkness and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear
Son. Well, these were wonderful words
which the Apostle spoke to the church at Colossae, indeed, as
he addressed them, to the saints and faithful brethren in Christ
which are at Colossae. And what a wonderful thing if
such words are indeed addressed unto us even tonight. Because
these words follow on, of course, from the 11th verse, where the
apostle says, strengthened with all might, according to his glorious
power, unto all patience and long-suffering with joyfulness."
And therefore with that wonderful statement he then goes on to
say, giving thanks unto the Father who has blessed us with these
wonderful favours of strengthening us according to His glorious
power and unto all patience and long-suffering with joyfulness. including that also, he moves
on and says, which has made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance
of the saints in light. That is a wonderful prospect
for the whole Church of God. And to understand that our Father
in heaven makes us meet, makes us ready, makes us right, to
be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light. See,
we will live in the present world, a world of really relative darkness,
but in heaven there will be endless light. There's no night in heaven. And to think that by His grace
we shall be joined with such people we shall be partakers
of the inheritance of the saints in light. That wonderful inheritance
which is nothing that you and I merit or work for or can work
for. It is the free gift of our gracious
God. And to realise that this word
is so wonderfully true and how necessary it is with such a great
truth to come and be found giving thanks unto the Father. If we understand in our hearts
the real meaning of this great blessing to be an inheritance
of the saints in light. This is not given to everyone. This is not enjoyed by everyone.
but it is enjoyed by all those who are in glory now, and it
will be enjoyed by all those for whom the Saviour died, for
whom the Saviour died upon that cross at Calvary, for whom the
Saviour gave His, shed His precious blood in order that we might
have all our sins forgiven and taken away It matters not, really, how many
sins we have. Not that we would, of course,
desire to sin. But we may remember that when
the Lord was on the earth, he spoke a parable, and he spoke
about a creditor in Luke chapter 7, verse 41 and 42. And he said there was a certain
creditor which had two debtors, the one owed 500 pence, and the
other 50. And when they had nothing to
pay, well, that's like us today. We have nothing to pay. We cannot
pay our debt, that debt of sin. However small, however large,
you and I cannot pay it. And so what a good, wonderful
consideration it is to have such a statement as this. When they
had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. The Lord asked
them, tell me therefore, which of them will love him most? Well of course the answer was,
he that oweth the most would love the most. And what a blessing
it is then for us today to realise that the Lord hasn't changed
and he freely forgives. freely forgives all our sins,
our forever cast into the depth of the sea, to be remembered
no more, forever. And really it is, as the Blessed
Spirit leads us into the light of the glorious Gospel, that
we understand the wonderful work of the Saviour, the blessed death
of the Saviour, the wonderful resurrection of the Saviour and
ascension. And this is the God that we come
before tonight. And that God who has gone, as
he tells us in the Gospel of John and the 14th chapter, those
very beautiful verses which he speaks in the very beginning,
he says, let not your heart be troubled. Ye believe in God,
believe also in me. In my father's house are many
mansions. If it were not so, I would have
told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place
for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself, that
where I am, there ye may be also. that place where the Lord is,
where all his people will be and be partakers of that glorious
inheritance of the saints in light. All those who have been
redeemed with the precious blood of Christ. It's a wonderful and
glorious theme which we should never tire of. We should always
rejoice in. and meditate upon and seek earnestly
to have that blessed assurance that we are one of the saints
in light. That means the light of the Gospel
has shone into our hearts and reveals to us our sin, reveals
to us our need of a Saviour and directed us to the Lord Jesus
Christ in all his glorious sufficiency, and to rejoice, therefore, in
his finished work. Well, what a mercy for us tonight,
if we are made, meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints
in light. Everyone who is born again in
the Spirit, will be found in glory with the Saviour. And so
the Lord goes, the Apostle goes on to say, who hath delivered
us from the power of darkness and hath translated us into the
kingdom of his dear Son. We're born in darkness. We live in darkness until the
time when the Saviour comes and shines into our heart. Indeed, as we read together in
that chapter, in the Acts of the Apostles, as the Apostle
Paul recalls his conversion. It's wonderful, isn't it, to
read such an account. And he tells us what now his
theme was, the commission that God had given him, and that was
to open their eyes Yes, who, delivering thee from the people
and from the Gentiles unto whom thou hast sinned thee, to open
their eyes and to turn them from darkness to light and from the
power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness
of sins and inheritance among them which are sanctified by
faith that is in me." Well, the apostle knew these great truths
that the Lord has spoken to him, had been fulfilled in his life,
unworthy as he was. And he confesses very often how
unworthy he was. He wasn't confident in himself. He was confident in his God. And of course, we have to battle
with the power of darkness, the prince of darkness, who of course
is Satan himself. Yes, and what darkness that is. And we read moreover, the darkness
of sin, ignorance, and unbelief, which God's elect while in a
state of nature, are surrounded, and as it were, shut up and in
prison. That's where we are by nature.
Yes, we are in darkness, we're in prison, but what a mercy it
is. So, as we read, certainly, they
have not the least spark of true spiritual light and knowledge.
Naturally, we cannot produce a spark of light. What a blessing
it is if the Lord translates us then from that place of darkness
into the kingdom of His dear Son. What a change it is to be
translated and how clear it is if the Holy Spirit has shown
to us our dark condition, our lost condition, and then shown
us something of the glorious light of the Gospel. What a difference. What a translation. And nor may
we, therefore, tonight rejoice in what the Lord has done and
blessing for it. And remember, as this was written
to the Colossians, it's also written to the whole Church of
God to encourage them. And may we be encouraged tonight
as we may be able to examine ourselves and see that by the
grace of God, we've passed from darkness to light, from death
to life, giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet
to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light, who hath
delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated
us into the kingdom of his dear Son. Well, may God bless his
word to