The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him in Colossians 1:12,
"...giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light."
Paul tells his readers he prays they will live their lives worthy of the Lord, to please him in every way, as the Lord has, among other things, "qualified" them to become members of "the kingdom of light". I love the way the NIV has translated this. It brings across an important truth in rich clarity. God is the one who has qualified us to become his own children!
How did he do this? A few verses later he says, "he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation..." Colossians 1:22. Here Paul proclaims the fulfillment of what was prophesied by Isaiah eight centuries earlier, "he [the Lord's servant, Jesus Christ] was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. " Isaiah 53:5-6.
All people have sinned and are unfit for entry into God's family. We are all unable to qualify ourselves to live with God in his kingdom. In his own mercy and kindness to us, he has made it possible for all to enter his kingdom. He has qualified us for this by providing the payment for our sins through the substitutionary death of his Son, Jesus Christ.
Since he is the one who has qualified us, all he asks from us is to embrace him in faith, to trust in him!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share your thoughts of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We'd love to hear from you!
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
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