Christianity is more than an addition to your life. Following Jesus is not just something you add on to everything else you already have.
Often, we think of things like forgiveness of sins, eternal life, and escaping from hell as the ultimate goal of Christianity. While those are incredible benefits of salvation, the Father sent His Son for so much more than that.
In Christ, we have been delivered from the domain of darkness. We have been set free from the rule and reign of sin in our lives. Satan no longer has dominion over us. Fear is no longer our master. We have been forgiven, and our past is washed away. But not only have we been delivered from something. We have been delivered to something.
But not only have we been delivered from something. We have been delivered to something.
Jesus Christ came to make us completely new, to give us a brand new identity in Him. Paul writes in this verse that God "transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son." This is not just an addition to your life. This is not just a Sunday routine you inherit. This is not just a future in heaven when you leave this earth.
Christianity redefines everything about you. To become a Christian is to become a part of the kingdom of God. Following Jesus is an all of life transformation. King Jesus becomes the ruler over your heart and over every sphere of your existence.
And that's where the power of following Jesus is. When we understand that every second of our lives, we are the redeemed people of God and are now a part of His glorious kingdom, it changes the way we live. It changes the way we look at our jobs. It changes the way we look at our marriages. It changes how we treat people. It changes how we see the world.
Why? Because this identity awakens in us a love for the King above everything else in this world. That is truly what is means to be transferred to this kingdom. Our deepest loyalty and affection are no longer toward this world or the things in this world. Rather, it's all about Jesus.
The Father didn't send the Son so that you could add Him to your life. He sent the Son so He could become your life. That is the life you were created for. That's the gift of Christmas.
