From the Domain of Darkness
Jessalyn Hutto
“He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son..”
When a person places their trust in the Lord Jesus' sacrifice on their behalf an incredible thing occurs. The Bible tells us that they are instantly and irrevocably transferred from one kingdom into another.
One kingdom-the place we are all born into-is characterized by utter darkness.
It is cruelly ruled by the "prince of the power of the air" (Eph. 2:2) whose character, Jesus said, is innately deceptive and murderous (John 8:44). This "prince" is leading a kingdom of blind slaves-who are shackled to him by their own sin-into the very pit of Hell.
And we all, before placing our trust in Jesus' substitutionary death on our behalf, willingly followed him, pledging our allegiance to his kingdom of death (Eph. 2:2).
We were completely and utterly blind to our desperate state (2 Cor. 4:4), like cows being led to the slaughter.
But.
The one who spoke the first brilliant rays of light into existence-the one who brought something beautiful out of nothing at all--is able to break through that terrible darkness (2 Cor. 4:6).
In one magnificent moment, when a person repents of their sins and places their trust in Jesus for salvation, the kingdom of God rips through the dark casket they've been lying dead in and breaths life into their lungs!
Yes, the God who died on a cross over 2,000 years ago to ransom a people for his own possession, breaks the heavy chains of sin and guilt that shackle men and women to certain damnation each and every day. As he removes the scales from the eyes of the blind, they see him as the God and Savior he truly is. He immediately embraces them as blood-bought brothers and sisters and qualifies them to be members of his kingdom-a kingdom ruled by truth and love (1 John 3:14).
This is my story.
This is the story of every single person who believes that Jesus died to save them from their sins.
We are those who have been delivered out of darkness and transferred into the light.
It isn't something that is yet to occur, it has already happened.
Right now, in this very moment, we are citizens of God's glorious kingdom.
And yet here we are, walking around in our sin-infested bodies, in a sin-broken world. We see death and destruction all around us. We see the handiwork of our former ruler in our families, in our country, and in our world.
We see darkness.
Lots and lots of darkness.
The kingdom of light is alive in our hearts, but is at the same time yet to be revealed in the physical world. In these moments-these small moments before eternity-we are called to have faith in a spiritual kingdom where our Savior reigns. We are called to live as citizens of that world while walking about in this dark one.
How blessed we are to have our eyes open to the heavenly beauties of the the kingdom of God while being surrounded by such evil! How privileged we are to experience the love of the good and kind King who cares for us and lavishes his grace upon us in every moment.
We were not worthy of the light, but he gave it.
May we cling to it today; may we be filled with it today; and may we allow it to shine through us today, so that others may be beckoned to follow this glorious light.
“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”