Colossians 1:22-23, “And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He reconciled in his body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and blameless, and above reproach in His sight – if you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, become a minister.
When we accepted Christ as a believer, we had a complete change of status that affected our minds and our behavior because we were no longer alienated from God, which is called reconciliation. 2 Corinthians 5:17-19 states, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come. The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.” So, our new status then became Christ’s ambassador, of God’s grace and goodness being on display in our lives. Because the barrier has been removed, for believers, we then have peace. But Satan’s weapons of temptations of guilt, shame, frustration, and failure, try to steal, kill, and destroy that God given peace in our lives. Satan is the accuser. God is not, we are holy and blameless and above reproach in His sight (Colossians 1:22). How we trust in God in response is the question and dilemma. Don’t dwell on past mistakes and sins. Dwell on your new position in Christ. Do you realize this gives one victory over depression and criticism?
How would you rate yourself on perseverance in your trust in God? Do any of these situations fit you right now?
- Pain and suffering.
- Grief in a loss of something or someone.
- Contentment – lack of contentment.
- Unfulfilled expectation(s).
- At a crossroads in life.
- Unsure of the future.
- Someone broke a promise to you.
“God is responsible for the consequences of our obedience, WE are responsible for the consequences of our disobedience.” Charles Stanley.
We must persevere since we, as believers, have been reconciled to God in living holy, blameless, and above reproach in living out godly character despite our circumstances. How do you do that when receiving a significant disappointment? How does one live “above reproach in His sight” when treated unjustly, wronged, and overlooked, as those times do happen? You trust in God, one day at a time and one moment at a time with endurance in your perseverance. I have Romans 15:4 highlighted in yellow in my Bible which states, “For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”
As Paul said in Colossians 1, “continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel.” Persevere a little longer. Remember your status in Christ. I don’t have all the answers, but I know the planner – majestic God. Have Jesus Christ be the central focus – talk to Him. Focus on your relationship with God. He knows your needs. He is faithful. His Word will reassure you and give you the right perspective. That is how to trust in God of which I am still learning to do more and more.
Listen to Rebecca St. James, The Battle is the Lords (Official Lyric Video).