Colossians 1:12-14 says, “…giving thanks to the father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (English Standard Version).
In the previous passage, Paul expressed his hope that the readers would be strengthened, empowered and enabled to endure with patience a and joy. He then gave them a reason to be joyful: the actions of the Father on their behalf.
The passage tells us that God the Father has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints. ἱκανώσαντι translated as “qualified” is interesting. According to Perschbacher[i] another meaning is “to make sufficient.” This is a powerful thing. God makes us sufficient to inherit with the saints. To be sufficient is to be enough, to be fully qualified with nothing lacking. He does not simply start the process of qualifying us and leave the rest to our own actions. No. He made us completely sufficient to inherit. There is nothing left for us to do but recognize the change wrought, and respond with loving praise, thanksgiving and obedience. We do not inherit our portion among the saints through any quality within ourselves or personal works (Eph 2:9), but through divine action making us qualified/sufficient. God changes us; we experience the change; God transforms; we are transformed. God is the actor; we are the recipients of the action.
Paul goes into more detail in the next portion when he speaks of our deliverance from the power/authority of darkness and our transfer into the kingdom of God’s beloved Son. Note that he does not use kingdom to refer to both realms. He speaks of the kingdom of the Son, but of the power of darkness. The power of darkness is not a legitimate ruler or kingdom. It is a usurpation of the rightful rule of God. In our sinful state, we were under the command and power of darkness—sin, depravity, etc. We were ruled by darkness itself, and by the darkness within us. But God removed us, he delivered us, from that dominion. Because of his actions, we have been transferred to the kingdom of the Son. Rather than being dominated by sin and wickedness, locked in darkness, we are not ruled by the Holy One of God, his beloved Son, the bringer of light and righteousness.
The last part of this passage helps us understand this qualifying action: in Christ, God forgave our sins, redeeming us (buying us back from the one to whom our sins had enslaved us). God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit work together to redeem you—purchasing you—with forgiveness of your sins, and a transfer from the dominion of darkness into the kingdom of light. It is their action which accomplishes this.
[i] Perschbacher, The New Analytical Greek Lexicon.