What does Colossians 1:14 mean?

This brief verse concludes Paul's prayer for the Colossians Christians. Verse 13 explained that God has rescued believers in Christ from sin. This phrase used a Greek word meaning "delivered," or even "translated." God radically changes our status, completely removing the eternal penalty of sin from those who have faith in Christ. This verse concludes that thought, with a reminder of what Jesus has done: He has provided redemption. Redemption is a theme of both the Old and New Testament, from the redemption of the Passover Lamb to the redemption of Christ on the cross. Through His sacrifice, Jesus provided a means for us to be forgiven for our sin.

This forgiveness of sin is at the heart of the gospel message (Matthew 26:28; Mark 1:4; Luke 3:3; 24:47). The earliest gospel preaching emphasized Jesus offering forgiveness of sins (Acts 5:31; 10:43; 13:38; 26:18). Hebrews 9:22 reminds us that "without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins." Christ's shed blood offers forgiveness to all who believe in Him (John 3:16).