Colossians 1.13-14
“He has delivered us from the dominion of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”
Redemption in Christ means that we are delivered from the bondage of Satan’s kingdom and transferred to the forgiveness and freedom of God’s kingdom. Despite the tragedy of the fall, God had a plan to reclaim his creation and reconcile himself to mankind. He sent Jesus into the broken world and into the midst of the broken people. Jesus came to redeem us from sin and to restore the moral, functional, and relational dimensions of the image of God that we lost at the fall, thereby liberating and empowering us to once again fulfill our purpose as stewards and agents of God’s kingdom.
The great message of the gospel is that Jesus came to restore in us the life that we lost at the Fall. Jesus came to re-make us into the people that God created us to be in the first place. Jesus came to restore the image of God in us. This means that new life in Christ isn’t actually “new”; it is restoration of the life that God originally intended for us. In Christ, we get back the life that was lost in Genesis 3.
Let me state it another way: Jesus came to redeem us from sin, reconcile us to God, and restore the image of God in us so that we can once again fulfill the Prime Directive to have dominion on planet earth in a manner worthy of the character and kingdom of God. When we repent of our sin and receive forgiveness in Christ, we are regenerated. We are moved from a condition of death to a condition of life.
However, the critical message here is that in Christ we not only receive the blessings of the kingdom, we also receive the responsibility of being stewards of the kingdom. Remember: salvation isn’t the goal. Salvation is the means by which we are reconciled and re-connected to God so that we can fulfill the purpose for which we were created. (John 3.16; John 5.24; 2 Cor. 5.21)
Transformation: Kingdom at work in the world. Life lived and work done.
“We exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to lead a life worthy of God, who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.” (I Thessalonians 2.12-13)
When we are saved, the rule of God is restored in us and through us. God does something for us in order to do something in us in order to do something through us. Therefore, it is very important that Christians live and work in a way that reflects the love and lordship of Jesus. (John 8.32; Gal. 1.3-4; I Peter 2.9-10)
We rejoice in our salvation, but we must not neglect to fully engage with what he seeks to do in us and through us. We must respond with faithful obedience to the great gift of salvation.
Agents of Transformation
The most important worship hymn you sing is the work you do every day. As heirs of the kingdom of God, it is our responsibility to be stewards who wisely and diligently manage the Master’s estate. That is the central focus of God’s purpose and strategy for us.
It is imperative that we live and work every day with that purpose — the Prime Directive — in mind. God is the creator and owner of planet earth, and he is the sovereign of his kingdom. God is the owner and master of the estate. Through Christ we are heirs who inherit the blessing of the estate, and we also inherit the responsibility of being stewards over the estate. The estate doesn’t belong to us; it belongs to the Master. We are stewards, and as such it is our responsibility to oversee the estate and manage it according the standards of the Master.
Being a faithful steward and servant of God means that we work diligently and exercise wisdom. Is this not what any master would expect from the stewards that he appoints to manage his household? Is this not what any father would expect of his children who inherit his estate? The Lord created us to have dominion over the planet, and to accomplish that requires relentless effort and wisdom. This is especially true since the world was damaged by the fall.
Many Christians seem to have forgotten the Prime Directive, and therefore have forgotten that being a servant means doing work. Lots of work. When Jesus described his second coming to the disciples, note the metaphor he used. “And the Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom his master will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes.” (Luke 12.42-43)
A servant who doesn’t work hard is of little use to the master. Same for a servant who makes unwise decisions.
It is very unfortunate that so many Christians believe the primary purpose of the Christian life is to be saved and happy. The truth is that the primary purpose the Christian life is to serve the Master, do the work to which the Master calls us, and walk in wisdom. We could say it this way: God calls us to be disciplined in our behavior, diligent in our work, and discerning in our beliefs and decisions.
This high calling is beautifully captured in three brief passages in the book of Ephesians:
“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2.10)
“I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called.” (Ephesians 4:1)
“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.” (Ephesians 5.15-16)
Some Christians protest against this message. They push back by saying, “No, the Christian life is about grace. It’s not about effort or work. God doesn’t want us to strive, he wants us to believe and have faith. The key to the Christian life is to let go and let God.” This kind of theology is seriously misguided, and it wrongly puts faith and effort in opposition to each other. Scripture is quite clear: trust God and do the work. Jesus said it in the Upper Room: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”
Be a steward of the kingdom today. The most important hymn you sing is the work you do every day. Trust God and do the work.
One of the unique things about the presence of the kingdom is that Jesus re-established the kingdom of God without eliminating the present evil age. Jesus instituted the kingdom of God in the midst of the kingdom of Satan. Therefore, we are engaged in a battle, a cosmic struggle. We are embroiled in a war between the two kingdoms. (2 Cor.10.3-5: Eph. 6.10-18)
