by Rev Douglas Brauner

The Power to Be Transformed

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

“For [the Father] has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.” 
Colossians 1:13-14 New Living Translation

Why do we like fairy tales? Probably because they take us OUT of our mundane existence INTO a life of happily-every-afters.

• Pinocchio is changed from a wooden puppet into a real boy.
• True love changed the Beast into a prince and he lived happily ever after with Beauty.
• A frog is changed into a prince not when the princess kisses him, but after the frog had slept three nights on her pillow and then they “lived happily a great many years” (I know not the ending you remember).

Is Paul reciting a fairy tale, something that could not possibly happen but we dream of it anyway? Is it true that we can be “rescued…from the kingdom of darkness” and “transferred…into the Kingdom” of Jesus?

The kingdom of darkness is our present reality. We see the darkness all around and it takes up residence in us. We were born into this kingdom of darkness where people hate, steal and kill. It’s easy to lose hope.

However, what Paul writes is not a fairy tale. It’s what has happened to us through Jesus. His death is our death. His gift of life is our life. His death and resurrection have accomplished this transformation. Even though we still struggle with our puppet, beast and frog natures, our loving Father has worked this miracle.

We now belong to the Kingdom of Christ. He purchased our freedom by forgiving the darkness that we have brought into the world. His love for us, for you, is more than a fairy tale.

Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado