“Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:” (Col 1:13-14; KJV).

Jesus told Nicodemus the Pharisee that he needed to be born again; he needed a spiritual rebirth or salvation as we often refer to it (John 3:3-5). Salvation only comes through Jesus (Acts 3:12). We know that if we believe in Christ and ask him into our life as Lord and Savior; confess him as Lord with our mouths, we will be saved (Rom 10:9-10).

However, going back to our text above, we need to get into the bible and see just what happened when we were saved. We need to be discipled in a bible believing church and grow in all God has for us. Our text gives us a small glimpse of what God has for us as Christians. It says we have been taken out from under the devil’s power and control and placed in Gods kingdom of light. Satan may still try to tempt and trip us but as we keep our eyes on Jesus, on the word of God, we can walk in the victory we have in Christ.

In our verse above we are also told that we have redemption. The bible says we have been redeemed from the curse of the law (Gal 3:13). Redeemed means to be bought at a price; the price was Jesus’ death on that cross. The curses of the law are listed in Deuteronomy 28 and can be summarized as poverty, sickness and spiritual death. In Galatians 3:13 we are told that we are redeemed to receive the blessings of God.

Our original text above also tells us that we have been forgiven. We are forgiven freely by God’s grace from sins past present and future. In fact, our sins have been cast as far from us as the east in from the west (Ps 103:12). Satan may try to remind us of bad things we have done but we need to remind him of God’s love and forgiveness for us.

There is so much we have in salvation; we have just mentioned a few points here. Dig into your bible and discover God’s love and blessings for you. His promises are all yes and amen (2 Cor 1:20).

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Sometimes it is useful for us to stop and think about all Jesus went through during his arrest and crucifixion (Isa 52:14-53:12; Matt 26:47-27:56; Mark 14:43-15:41; Luke 22:47-23:49; John 18:1-19:37). He was abandoned and rejected by men, arrested, bound, blasphemed and given no fair trial. He was slapped, beaten, spat upon, mocked and treated with contempt. Our Jesus was scourged, with flesh torn from his back, his blood shed and his head pierced with thorns. Finally, he was stripped, nailed to a cross and pierced with a Roman spear, blood and water flowed out!

But for Jesus the greatest agony was caused by two things: (1) becoming sin for us; bearing our sins, and paying the price for our sins. Our sins marred his face almost beyond recognition (Isa 52:14). (2) Being separated from his Father by sin. Jesu cried out: “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me” (Mark 15:34; KJV)?  

Through his death, suffering and resurrection he won for us forgiveness (Col 1:14), salvation (John 3:16), healing (1 Peter 2:24), right standing with God (Rom 5:17), eternal life now and in heaven (John 3:16) and so much more.

Jesus defeated satan and stripped him of all power and authority (Col 2:15). Satan no longer has any authority in our lives as Christians. We can walk in that victory (1 Cor 15:57) and the abundant life (John 10:10) that Jesus won for us if we chose to repent of sin and ask him in to our lives as Lord and Savior (Rom 10:9-10). Think on these things and let your life be changed.

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In the parable of the ten virgins (Matt 25:1-13) the virgins or bridesmaids waited for the arrival of the bridegroom, which in that tradition of marriage, could have happened at any time day or night. All ten had lamps lit but only five had extra oil in case the wait was long and the bridegroom came at night. When the bridegroom did come it was at night and the foolish virgins’ lamps sputtered as they were short of oil.

In this parable, Christ is the bridegroom returning for his church, his people, at his second coming. The foolish virgins were not prepared, they were like people that have not made Jesus their Lord and savior. The wise virgins had brought extra oil and were prepared; like people that have received Jesus as Lord and savior and are spiritually prepared to meet Christ at his second coming.

The wise virgins went in with the bridegroom to the wedding feast, just as spiritually prepared Christians will enter eternal life in heaven at Christ’s second coming.

The foolish virgins went looking at night for oil, just as spiritually unprepared people may search for the way to become a Christian at Christ’s second coming. When the foolish virgins returned with oil, the door of the wedding feast was closed and they could not enter. In fact, the bridegroom said to the unwise virgins: “I know you not” (KJV).

When Jesus returns, and he will, it will be too late to ask him into your life as Lord and savior. There are many, even in churches that see the light of Jesus but they do not know him. Have you repented of sin and asked Jesus into your life to be your Lord and savior and to give you the eternal life God has for you?

Be like a wise virgin, ask Jesus into your life now and make sure you have the light and are spiritually prepared to meet him when he comes back for his church.

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Do you have children that have not accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior or who have turned away from God? Nothing can be more heartbreaking than raising your children in a Christian home but then see them rebel against what they were taught. However, it does not have to be that way forever, because God has some promises concerning our children.

In Isaiah 43:6 (KJV) it says: "I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth." Isaiah 60:4 is a very similar verse. If God did this for his children, the people of Israel, he can bring our children back into fellowship with him.

In the New Testament Paul and Silas told the prison jailer that he could be saved along with his whole household. (Acts 16:31). In Proverbs 22:6 it is written: “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it”.   These are all promises that we can stand on; but this requires faith as well as patience and much prayer.

We know that the promises of God are: "yea, and in him A’-men" (2 Cor. 1:20). God is faithful to his word. In Isaiah 59:21 we are told that God's words’ will not leave our mouths nor of the mouths of our descendants or our descendants’ descendants. Now that's a promise.

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In Exodus, the nineteenth chapter, the people of Israel were to see their God at mount Sinai. The awesome might and presence of God was heralded by thunder and lightning, thick clouds and a loud trumpet (V16). The Lord descended in fire and smoke, causing the mountain to quake (V18) and God spoke (V19). In all of this, one thing struck me in verse 23; the people were separated from God, only Moses came into Gods presence as their mediator.

This gulf between God and man was only broken by Christ’s sacrifice on the cross (Heb 10:19-20). As he died the veil in the temple was torn from top to bottom (Matt 27:51), by Gods hand, signifying that we were no longer separated from his presence. As Christians, in our new relationship with Jesus Christ, we now have direct access to God, to his throne room and his very presence (Heb 4:16). We can come boldly into the throne room of grace.

Christ dwells in us as the Father dwells in Christ (John 17:23). We are Children of God the Father (1John 3:2); we can ask the Father anything in Jesus name as long as it is according to his will (1John 5:14-15). This is the kind of intimate relationship that we have with the God of Mount Sinai. Think about that!

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