Colossians 1:13-14 – He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

After one year of college, I transferred to a different school. I’ll leave nameless the school I started with as I quickly realized that this was not the place for me. So, I transferred to Minnesota State University in Moorhead, which back then was called Moorhead State University or just MSU. It was a great move. I loved that school and the city it was in. Thank goodness I could transfer out of the first place to somewhere so much better.

Our text tells us that God has transferred us out of the domain of darkness into the kingdom of His Son. Now that’s a transfer! Let’s think about the differences between our normal transfers in school or work versus what God has done for us by transferring us to the kingdom of His Son.

First of all, when you transfer from one school to another, or when you transfer from one department at work to another, you want your past work to come with you. No one is going to go to a new school and leave behind a year’s worth of class credit or go to a new department at work and start over at the lowest level. I’ll transfer, but I’m taking my past with me.

Isn’t it wonderful that when God transfers us into the kingdom of His Son, our past is left behind. We don’t want it to follow us. If it did come with us, it wouldn’t be a credit earned. We’re not bringing a 4.0 grade point average or an almost completed checklist of all that was required. But the good news is that God wipes out our past when He transfers us to His Son. He asks in essence: “Do you want a new start? Do you want to leave the past behind?” And we say, “Absolutely yes!”

Paul spoke of this transfer in Philippians 3 when he described all that he had accomplished before being a Christian. And though it was an impressive list, including being faultless in legalistic righteousness, Paul said this of his past: “But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord” (Philippians 3:7-8a).  Like Paul, we are more than glad to see our past disappear so that instead we can stand on the accomplishments of Jesus alone in our place.

So in this transfer to the kingdom of God’s Son, we have a new beginning. That’s one difference between our normal transfers and that which God does. The other difference we’ll see today is one of location. When you transfer schools or work departments, you have to move. You might like the first school’s location but to make the change, you can’t stay where you are.

How different with the transfer with the kingdom of God’s Son. We might have expected that we’d need to leave home and go to some strange place to find eternal life. But God’s transfer leaves us physically in the same place as always. You stay home but you’re transferred to the kingdom of God’s Son and thereby become an heir of eternal life. No college and no work in this world can make that claim. That means that the transfer is immediate. When we’ve heard the Gospel message of forgiveness and believe God’s promises, the gift of forgiveness has already come. It is as our Colossians text says, “He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” While we stay physically where we are, we’ve already been moved into His kingdom. And, as a mark of being in this kingdom of the Son, we have His signature gift: redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Over our adult lives, we move and transfer many times. Some moves are nearby and simple; others are distant and complicated. But the transfer into the kingdom of God’s Son is the most important. In this transfer, we leave behind the condemning past. Instead, we’re taken entirely, immediately, into the kingdom of God, having the redemption, which is the forgiveness of sins. That’s a transfer for the ages.  Amen.

WE PRAY: Heavenly Father, thank You for opening Your kingdom to us and bringing us into Your forgiveness, won entirely by Your Son. In His Name we pray, Amen.

This Daily Devotion was written by Rev. Dr. Daniel Paavola.

Don’t Be a Stumbling Block

When I was in middle school and high school, I remember hearing a lot about peer pressure. I learned to be aware when others were pressuring me to do things I knew weren’t right or that I wasn’t comfortable with. I also learned how important it was to respect other people’s boundaries, and not encourage them to participate in things they were uncomfortable with.

As we look at Paul’s writings, we recognize that he also cares about peer pressure and our actions as Christians toward others. Paul has a large heart and deep concern not only for those who know the Lord but also for the community as a whole, including those who are not living as Christians.

In 1 Corinthians 8:9, Paul writes, “Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block to the weak.” During the time of this letter, people were dealing with a dilemma when it came to  eating meat offered to idols, even those who didn’t practice sacrificing animals as a form of worship. Those who practiced their faith knew they had freedom through Jesus’ crucifixion to eat anything; however, eating the meat could have been a stumbling block or created an atmosphere of pressure for those who did not have the same faith.

As Christians, we are called to love and respect one another, even those who may disagree with us and have different beliefs. It is not out of law or duty that Paul says not to eat meat, but out of respect for our brothers and sisters, because we do not desire to lead them astray or put them in a position of guilt or shame in their lives.

In 21st century Western culture, I think it may be fair to say we don’t have the experience or pressure of eating meat of sacrificed animals, but we do have our own dilemmas we face every single day that not only affect us but the people around us.

One that comes to mind in my life is my relationship with alcohol. I have family members who have struggled with alcohol abuse in their lives and faced severe consequences for their actions. I celebrate with joy and love one family member who has more than 10 years of sobriety. Although this looks different for everyone and different situations, I am very aware of my alcohol intake around family members or friends who have struggled with alcohol abuse … not because I feel the same conviction but out of love and respect for my neighbor, because Paul tells us this love looks like not being a stumbling block for others.

Although my primary experience with not being a stumbling block relates to alcohol, it could be many other things for other people. For example, it could be screen time or even gambling. It’s not that these things are inherently wrong, but if someone in your life struggles with setting boundaries, loving them looks like not leading them into temptation.

I Know that Person

In Luke 24:49 (TLB) Jesus said, “And now I will send the Holy Spirit upon you, just as my Father promised.” Who is the Holy Spirit? God as Father? We comprehend that image. God as Jesus, the Son? That idea is manageable as well. But God as Spirit? That word itself is mystical.

One day, I read the words Jesus used to describe the Holy Spirit: comforter and friend. I know that Person. That was three decades ago. I no longer think of the Holy Spirit as “the Holy Who?” I now call him our Heaven-Sent Helper.  He is our champion, our advocate, our guide. He comforts and directs us. He indwells, transforms, sustains, and will someday deliver us into our heavenly home.

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