When the Lord called Paul to be an apostle, He said, “I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me” (Act 26:17-18). Jesus’ words tell us a lot about the state of the non-Christian and the Christian.
“Turn them from darkness to light”
If you are not a Christian, you are in darkness. Darkness is a symbol of sin and ignorance (Ephesians 5:11; 1 Thessalonians 5:4). If you are not a Christian, then you are living in darkness. By becoming a Christian, God will deliver you from the power of darkness and translate you into the kingdom of His Son (Colossians 1:13), and you will be light in the Lord where you can walk as children of light (Ephesians 5:8).
“From the power of Satan to God”
If you are not a Christian, you are under the power of Satan. Those who are not Christians are described as lying under the sway of the wicked one (1 John 5:19). By becoming a Christian, you will be surrendering your life to be a servant of God (Romans 6:22).
“That they may receive forgiveness of sins”
If you are not a Christian, you are unforgiven by God, still dead in your sins (Ephesians 2:1). Dead means separated, and you are separated from God by your sin (Isaiah 59:1-2). By becoming a Christian, you will receive forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38).
“Receive…an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me”
If you are not a Christian, you are without an inheritance. By becoming a Christian, you will become a child of God and thus an heir of God (Romans 8:17). By living faithfully unto death, you will receive the reward of the inheritance (Colossians 3:24) that is incorruptible and does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you (1 Peter 1:4).
If you are not a Christian, this is the condition you are in. It matters not who you are or what good you have done. There is only one way out of the darkness and away from the power of Satan. There is only one way for you to receive forgiveness of sins and to receive the inheritance. The way has been made ready by Christ. That way is to become a Christian by hearing and believing the gospel, repenting, confessing Jesus as Lord and Christ, the Son of God, and being baptized for the remission of your sins. -Larry Jones