#DailyDevotion Jesus Paid The Ransom To Set You Free
Col. 113He rescued us from the tyranny of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son He loves, 14who paid the ransom to forgive our sins and set us free.
On good days, who thinks we live under the tyranny of darkness? You get a slow news cycle and it’s like, “Well everything is wonderful and who can complain.” On a more busy news cycle, which means there is plenty of bad news we are more like, “Ok God, when are you going to clean up this mess.” You might even think the end of the world must be getting pretty close (you would be right for the Last Day is fast approaching). But you probably don’t give it much thought as a Christian, particularly if you have been so blessed to be raised in a Christian home you may not realized that you have been rescued from the tyranny of darkness and been transferred into the kingdom of the Son. But such is really the case. If you haven’t been a Christian all your life and have been a slave to your passions and been subjected the lives of those who continually live in sin, then perhaps you have a greater understanding of the darkness you have been delivered from having now entered the light.
The occult often posits Satan or Lucifer as a great light bringer, indeed Lucifer means the bringer or light, and perhaps that was his original job. But he rebelled against God and instead became the bringer of darkness. The so-called freedom and light he brings to mankind is indeed bondage to sin and the fear of death. The light he supposedly brings is darkness, a hiding of the true nature of God. He makes himself to be and angel of light and God the greatest devil there had ever been. But every evil brought into the world and every bit of darkness, every addiction, every broken life, every death is a result of Satan, Lucifer deceiving Eve and Adam joining in Satan’s rebellion against God.
Most if not all the troubles in our lives come about from the darkness we live in following the ways of Me, Myself, and I, an unholy trinity. Ultimately, no matter how much natural affection and love we have for those around us, unless we have the Holy Spirit dwelling in us that is what drives most of our decisions and what gets us into trouble. So as Paul says in his letter to the Ephesians, “we were dead in trespasses and sins.”
Jesus however has transferred us into his kingdom, the kingdom of light. He has freed us from the bondage of self. He has freed us from the bondage of sin and the fear of death. He has done this by paying the ransom price to forgive us our sins and set us free. This has come at a great price to himself and the Father of lights. For in order to free us and transfer us into his kingdom, the Father sent his son Jesus Christ into the world, with a great love for us, to pay the price for our sin and the sin of the world. The bondage and the death that was ours Jesus took upon himself as he was arrested, tried and crucified on the cross. This demonstrated to us the great love the Father has toward us. God is not evil but good. We may not understand how and particulars of why he is doing things, but we can be certain in Jesus Christ crucified that his love for us must be very great to have his son suffer for us, as us to free us from the darkness and bondage to Satan, sin and death and deliver us into the kingdom of his son.
Now in the cross we can truly see the light of God. Through it we become partakers of Jesus’ kingdom. On it with Christ in holy baptism we are crucified, dead and buried with Christ and risen, born as Children of the Heavenly Father who gives us the Holy Spirit that our hearts, minds, desires, thoughts and the like may be according to his will and we may walk in newness of life. Should we fall because of the weakness of the flesh we can always remember God’s great act for us in baptism, go to absolution, receive Christ’s body and blood and be restored. That is living in his kingdom.
Heavenly Father, you have shown us your great love by sending your son Jesus to pay the ransom to forgive our sins and set us free. Grant us your Spirit always that we may live and walk in your light unto life everlasting. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.