Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Colossians 1:12

"giving thanks unto the Father, who made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light;" — Colossians 1:12 (ASV)

(4) The crowning virtue of the worthy Christian life is “giving thanks.” One reason for gratitude to God is that he has “qualified” believers “to share in the inheritance of the saints.” In themselves believers have no fitness for sharing in the heritage of God’s people. They can experience this only as God qualifies them for such a privilege. This God has done for the Colossians and does for any believer at the time of his or her conversion.

To “share in” the inheritance of the saints is to have a portion of the heritage belonging to God’s people. There is an obvious allusion to the inheritance of ancient Israel in the Promised Land and the share of the inheritance each Israelite had. Christians, as the new people of God, also have an inheritance, and each believer has a share allotted to him or her.

“In the kingdom of light” seems to mark the inheritance as future and heavenly. But the following verse affirms that Christians have already been rescued from the dominion of darkness and are even now in the kingdom of God’s Son. The kingdom of God is all around us—in our homes, our families, our businesses—in sum, in everything that makes up our lives.