Holy and Blameless
Those around us long to be holy and blameless. However, through the reconciliation of us in Jesus, we can be holy and blameless before the Father.
“And although you were previously alienated and hostile in attitude, engaged in evil deeds, yet Jesus has now reconciled you in His body of flesh through death, in order to present you before [God] holy and blameless and beyond reproach “
Let’s double click on this thought.
Jesus reconciles you. To what extent?
To present you…
Holy = Set apart for God’s specific purpose.
Blameless = A sacrifice without spot or blemish.
Beyond Reproach = Cannot be called to account.
No matter what you’ve done, when you believe in Jesus as your replacement as the sacrifice for your sins, the Father sees you as holy, blameless and beyond reproach.
The people around you deeply desire to be set apart, without blemish and to never be called to account.
We want to be a special snowflake! Unique to everyone else. And in God, we are! He gifts us a uniqueness to be used in his Kingdom to make him visible and bring others to him.
The mother who marches up to the teacher when there is a blemish on their kid’s record to right the “wrong,” shows we long to not have a blemish against us.
We go to great lengths to live however we want without consequence or to be called into account. These great lengths prove we have something deep down inside of us that cry out to never be called to account for our actions.
When Jesus reconciles you to the Father, all of this is true in his presence. Yes, on this earth, we do face earthly consequences. However, before his throne, in which you have access to now, the Father views you as holy, blameless and without reproach.
When you minister to others, you minister from an identity of holiness, blamelessness and being above reproach. This gives you a secure identity the world can never give.
And gives you a competitive advantage with your peers. They long for what you have. And because of God in you, you have the ability to give them the gift of reconciliation. This is why Paul rejoiced in his suffering and sacrifice for the Colossian church.
And this is why we can rejoice in our sacrifice for others.