“giving thanks to the Father, who made us fit to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light;”

For all the spiritual blessing we enjoy as the people of God, we give God the ultimate praise and glory. We give thanks for our free and sure salvation that has been purchased for us by a Saviour’s blood through the death of Jesus on the cross at Calvary. Because of what he has opened for us, we are partakers of the glorious inheritance of the saints in light. It is not just a home in heaven, but we are actually made heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ to the throne of heaven and the eternal kingdom.

“The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God; and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ; if indeed we suffer with him, that we may also be glorified with him.”

Romans 8:16-17

We are made fit through Christ, through the imparting to us of His righteousness, for we have none of our own. He took or sins and paid for them, and has given us his own goodness so that we are made righteous, really righteous before a holy God. We rest under the wings of His protection and saving love.

Paul seeks to show the Christians at Colsse the full glory of the Saviour Jesus and what he has done for them. It is too easy to let this slip and to take the message and the provision for granted. We have an enemy who would seek to dull our view of the excellency that is Christ and to undermine our outlook on what He has done and what he means to us as Christian people. We have no inheritance apart from Him and no standing before the holy God, the Father.

The fatherly love of God has secured this blessing for us in Christ and looks on us as dearly beloved children. We are no longer children of wrath, but our adoption into the family of God, makes us rightful heirs to the kingdom and we will rule with Christ in that kingdom. The kingdom is all light and the light of God now shines on our hearts because of Jesus. We stay away from the kingdom of darkness and the unfruitful works of evil, and lift up our Saviour with thanksgiving always to the LORD.

“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light, for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness, and truth. Test and prove what pleases the Lord. Have no fellowship with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.“

Ephesians 5:8-11