THE KINGDOM OF LIGHT

“He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love” – Colossians 1:13

The Kingdom of God is the KINGDOM of LIGHT for “He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love” (Col.1:13). The domain of darkness under Satan’s control opposes the Kingdom of God’s dear Son – the Kingdom of Light. A kingdom is the Domain of a KING – “the King’s Domain”! Jesus Christ, the King (Lord) of this Kingdom is also the Light of the world and the Light of Life (Jh.8:12). The Kingdom of God is the spiritual realm over which God reigns as King, including the fulfilment of His Will on earth: “Your Kingdom come. Your Will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Mt.6:10).

From the time that Adam sinned against God in the Garden of Eden, darkness came into this world, and humanity became alienated from the life of God; completely cut off from the light of God. But by the reason of the Sacrifice of the Last Adam (1Cor.15:45), the moment a person proclaims Jesus Christ as Lord, he or she receives eternal life and wakes up in the Kingdom of light, in oneness with God! The pathway into God’s Kingdom is the New Birth. To enter into the Kingdom of Light one must be born twice, first as a natural human being, as we all are, but secondly as a spiritual being. Our first birth does not qualify us to enter, for entry is “not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” (Jh.1:13). For anyone to come into the light of God, have His life and nature, and become one with Him, he or she must be born again.

Redemption – through repentance and faith – is the process of translation from the kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of Light. This was facilitated by the Power of the shed Blood on Calvary’s Cross: “In whom we have redemption through His Blood, even the forgiveness of sins” (v.14). Jesus said, “…Unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (Jh.3:3). Until a person is born again, he or she is not a part of the life or light of the Kingdom, but abides in darkness. Jesus said, “Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN’” (Jh.3:7). Whoever is not born again abides in the domain of darkness, and can’t see God’s Kingdom, let alone enter into it or even understand it.

The Scripture doesn’t say we are waiting until heaven to move from darkness into light; we are already in the light. We have been conveyed, transferred and translated into the Kingdom of Christ, a present reality that should be experienced in all dimensions of our daily living. This world is undoubtedly a dark place where sin, wickedness, pain, and violence abound; but we are not left in darkness. With Christ living in us, the Bible teaching us, the indwelling Holy Spirit guiding us, and we encouraging and building one another up, the Kingdom of Light is ours to fully explore. Being born into God’s Kingdom means we’ve been brought out of sin, sickness, disease, depression, poverty, frustrations and everything associated with Satan and darkness, into God’s eternal glory – where we reign in life by grace, through righteousness.

Beloved, let us give “thanks unto the Father, who has made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light” (v.12). We are Citizens of His Kingdom: “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people; that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into HIS MARVELLOUS LIGHT” (1Pet.2:9).

We are God's peculiar people, called to live differently that the world, in thoughts, attitudes, values, words, and actions. Yes, we still live in this world and still face trials and temptations, but we are not of the world. Christ’s life, death, and resurrection conveyed us into His Kingdom of Light. We live and reign perpetually in that reality!