November 1, 2014 BEYOND REPROACH
Colossians 1:22-23: “..yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister.” We sometime may forget that through the death of Jesus we are “blameless and beyond reproach.” We have for many years heard about our sin nature and we tend to remember our sins of the past, and perhaps the present, so we have difficulty in grasping the fact that we are indeed “blameless and beyond reproach”. We are not only blameless, but also “beyond reproach”. In my mind, being “beyond reproach” goes beyond being blameless-an awesome truth to realize. HOWE VER, there is a “if”, or proof, presented in this verse that may be difficult for some to receive if grace is misunderstood. “If” we continue in the faith, steadfast and not moved away from the gospel, we are “blameless and beyond reproach.” God has made it such that we have a part in working with Him in our salvation. In Philippians 2:12-13 we read: “So then my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.” We put ourselves in dangerous territory if we take our salvation lightly or if we are not working with God in working out our salvation. We must remember that God Himself is IN us calling us to work for HIS good pleasure. Our salvation is so much more than a ticket to heaven; it is a day to day working out what God is working in us. Once we grasp this fact-that God is working in us daily-we will do the things that please Him and we will indeed be blameless and beyond reproach. We do not do what we do in effort to win God’s approval; we do what we do BECAUSE God has called us and He is at work in us and we do His works because it pleases Him. If and when we find ourselves drifting, discouraged, without passion, etc. we must awaken ourselves to the fact that God is in us working and if we are not giving expression to His work in us we are not in a good place and repentance is in order. Let us remember that God has called us and is working in us because He loves us, even to the point of sending His Son to die in our place.
1 John 3:22-24: “and whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight. And this is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us. And the one who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And we know by this that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.
Blessings,
Buddy
Colossians 1:22-23: “..yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister.” We sometime may forget that through the death of Jesus we are “blameless and beyond reproach.” We have for many years heard about our sin nature and we tend to remember our sins of the past, and perhaps the present, so we have difficulty in grasping the fact that we are indeed “blameless and beyond reproach”. We are not only blameless, but also “beyond reproach”. In my mind, being “beyond reproach” goes beyond being blameless-an awesome truth to realize. HOWE VER, there is a “if”, or proof, presented in this verse that may be difficult for some to receive if grace is misunderstood. “If” we continue in the faith, steadfast and not moved away from the gospel, we are “blameless and beyond reproach.” God has made it such that we have a part in working with Him in our salvation. In Philippians 2:12-13 we read: “So then my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.” We put ourselves in dangerous territory if we take our salvation lightly or if we are not working with God in working out our salvation. We must remember that God Himself is IN us calling us to work for HIS good pleasure. Our salvation is so much more than a ticket to heaven; it is a day to day working out what God is working in us. Once we grasp this fact-that God is working in us daily-we will do the things that please Him and we will indeed be blameless and beyond reproach. We do not do what we do in effort to win God’s approval; we do what we do BECAUSE God has called us and He is at work in us and we do His works because it pleases Him. If and when we find ourselves drifting, discouraged, without passion, etc. we must awaken ourselves to the fact that God is in us working and if we are not giving expression to His work in us we are not in a good place and repentance is in order. Let us remember that God has called us and is working in us because He loves us, even to the point of sending His Son to die in our place.
1 John 3:22-24: “and whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight. And this is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us. And the one who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And we know by this that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.
Blessings,
Buddy
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