Rescue Me.

Rescue Me.

Colossians 1:13-14AMP

Our identity is meant to be entirely focused in Christ Jesus, and Christ Jesus alone. Any identity outside of the Lord Jesus Christ promotes shipwreck.

Our identity is not determined by our intelligence. It is not determined by our heritage, or ancestry. It is not determined by our present location, nor by how much or how little we have in the bank. It’s not in our retirement accounts, or in our real estate assets. It is not even determined by our gender or our race. (Below spells out your ID).

Colossians 1:13-14AMP For He has rescued us and has drawn us to Himself from the dominion of darkness, and has transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption [because of His sacrifice, resulting in] the forgiveness of our sins [and the cancellation of sins’ penalty].

In ‘whom’ we have redemption... In, Jesus.

Think about this, God rescues us, He draws us out of darkness. He brought us to Himself. Light expelled darkness. While all along, God transfers us to the Kingdom of His beloved Son, (Jesus). Presently, We have redemption. Our sins forgiven, sins penalty canceled.

Think for a moment, For God to rescue us implies that we cannot rescue ourselves. “The powerful enemy over the realm of darkness, and our spiritual blindness combine to render us spiritually helpless to pull off our own rescue.”

In fact, until the Lord opens our eyes, we don’t even know that we need rescuing. P.H

2 Corinthians 4:3-4KJV But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: 4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

Millions bow to some little god. Millions bow to inferior. The god of this world blinds the minds of those who believe not.

Verse 4, Paul states, for if they believed, the glorious gospel shall shine upon them.

Again, Colossians 1:13-14TM God rescued us from dead-end alleys and dark dungeons. He’s set us up in the kingdom of the Son he loves so much, the Son who got us out of the pit we were in, got rid of the sins we were doomed to keep repeating.

Let me set this up- Saul of Tarsus was sent to persecute Christians, and persecute he did. While on one of these expeditions Saul experienced conversion. He was stricken by God, fell off his horse while Jesus cries,"Saul. Saul, why persecute Me?” Saul replied, "Who are you Lord?”

His name would soon change to Paul. Paul would rehearse this experience everywhere he went.

Time and time again, Paul would tell his story. Guess what? You have a story.

Act 26:1, Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.”

Acts 26:17-18NLT And I will rescue you from both your own people and the Gentiles. Yes, I am sending you to the Gentiles 18 to open their eyes, so they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God. Then they will receive forgiveness for their sins and be given a place among God’s people, who are set apart by faith in Me.’

“God’s looking to open minds and eyes. He’s wanting people to turn. (Do an about face.)” P.H

The modern terrorist movement has given us a graphic picture of what it means to be under the authority of darkness. When terrorists kidnap a victim, they usually take their victim blindfolded to a location where he or she is totally lost, so that if they escaped, they wouldn’t know which way to run. These terrorist sometimes keep their victim blindfolded for days, chained to a wall in some bare room.

This can trigger a weird psychological condition known as the ‘Stockholm syndrome,' is coping mechanism to a captive or abusive situation. People develop positive feelings toward their captors or abusers over time. This condition applies to situations including child abuse, coach-athlete abuse, relationship abuse and sex trafficking.

For many of us, we seem to have a spiritual Stockholm syndrome. It’s almost as if we begin to defend the terrorist with our thoughts and words. We should be fed-up with rage.

Isaiah 64:6NLT We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags. Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall, and our sins sweep us away like the wind.

Jesus shows no mercy to this low-life-lier-loser.

Illustration- Show some filthy rags.

Once more, Colossians 1:13-14TPT He has rescued us completely from the tyrannical rule of darkness and has translated us into the kingdom realm of his beloved Son.14 For in the Son all our sins are canceled and we have the release of redemption through His very blood.