“For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” (Colossians 1:13-14)

We have all heard pastors use the phrase “by the power and glory of our Lord and Savior” many times. And most likely, many who are reading this nugget have said these words as well in your times of prayer. But why do we say these things, and how did we come to attribute these words to our Heavenly Father? Today’s verse from Paul to the Colossians gives us a perfectly valid and authentic answer to those questions. God has rescued us! Only God could have the means and power to do so. God is the ultimate authority, and as such, He is just and fair. God knew that we, His beloved creation, could never save ourselves. So through His grace and mercy He delivered us from our own sin. God provided the true light of the world, His Son Jesus, to conquer sin and remove us from the darkness that holds our flesh captive. We glorify God for doing all of this out of love. We glorify God and recognize Him as the King of kings. “I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne” (Isaiah 6:1). God is the author of life, as the entirety of space and time as we know it has been signed with His signature. And this almighty and powerful God has paved the way, through Jesus’ sacrifice, for us to stand with Him for all eternity. The curtain is torn and the kingdom of God is now accessible to His faithful servants. God has put His plan into action, we who have repented and believe, have been saved – our sins have been forgiven. So from the writings of the Apostle Paul, we can clearly testify that God holds the power and the glory – and He is our glorious, loving, forgiving, merciful…Savior.