'Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault. ' Colossians 1:22
Have you ever heard the term “analysis paralysis”? Just in case you haven’t, it means analyzing a problem so thoroughly that you never make a decision. I can fall into this trap. In my attempt to make the best possible decision I try to make sure that I have examined all possible decisions. “ALL possible decisions” isn’t really the best way to go, is it? Could it be possible that pondering all the possibilities isn’t about deciding at all? Could it be that analyzing all angles is really an avoidance tactic? A way to stall actually deciding? Um…maybe…I’ll have to ponder that.
Fear of making a mistake has been one of the issues that has often paralyzed me. For most of my life I wasn’t aware of it, but I would say that fear of making a mistake is probably my number one fear. The only problem is that there is no way to avoid making mistakes. It’s part of the human experience, part of living in a fallen, imperfect world. You and I will make mistakes and we can’t let that fear be the controlling factor in our lives.
So, what do we do about it? How do we get past fear of making mistakes? How do we overcome the lie that making a mistake is an indication that we are not worthy of love? We remember that in Jesus we are faultless.
Yes! Faultless!
Brought into God’s own presence. Jesus’ sacrifice reconciled me to God and reconciliation brought me into God’s presence. “His own presence.” (Colossians 1:22) Think about that for a moment. Because of what Jesus did on the cross you and I can walk right into the throne room where God the King is seated. We have access to the King of the universe! Wherever we are and whenever we need Him, our Father God is accessible to us. We are in His presence, even if we are not aware of Him. How amazing!
The best place to be is in God’s presence, don’t you think? In His presence is fullness of joy (Psalm 16:11). In His presence is wisdom and power (1 Corinthians 1:3; Ephesians 1:19-20). In His presence is peace (John 16:33). When God brings me into His presence, He brings me to the banquet table (Psalm 23:5). Everything I could need or want is on the table. All I have to do is partake. I’ll be fortified and satisfied. Strengthened for every challenge. In His presence is all that I need.
Holy and blameless. Reconciliation made me holy, set apart for God’s purposes. Reconciliation made me blameless, without any blame, clean, sinless.
Because God is holy no sin can stand in His presence. Being brought into His presence is evidence that you and I are washed clean. Every mistake, every failure, every bad choice has been washed away through Christ’s sacrifice. I can’t do that on my own. I can’t shower away all my mess-ups. There is no soap for that. But God’s presence, Jesus’ blood poured out at the cross, takes care of it all. Holy means clean, but it also means set apart for God’s purpose.
What Jesus did through His sacrificial death was enough to completely restore my relationship with God. Because of that I can be more than I imagine. I am set apart for God and stand unashamed in His very presence. I am cleansed of all sin, all that went before, all that now is and all that will be. No sin can prevent me from participating in God’s presence. I carry no fault with me into God’s presence. The blood of Christ has washed away every fault.
I know who I am without Him. I know my weaknesses and failures, my pride, my selfishness, my fear, my inadequacies. Yet, in Christ, because of Christ, I can unashamedly walk in confidence and pursue God’s purposes for my life. He enables me to receive what I need. Not on my own merits, but on His. Not self-confidence, but God-confidence. Do you need to feel empowered? Remember that you are chosen by God, washed clean by Jesus, and set apart by God for His own purposes!
Faultless. Reconciliation made me faultless. No faults. Really? What does it mean to be faultless?
We tend to focus on our faults. Even if we are verbally praising ourselves and quoting our resume, it’s often because we feel inadequate and insecure. But through reconciliation you are without fault. Really! Your faults and mine don’t count anymore. You are what you need to be. You have what you need to have. Reach out and take it. You may be aware of your faults, but in the Father’s eyes you don’t have any because of Christ’s death. He paid the price for my faults and yours. When I received that payment and became reconciled to God, all those faults – every one – were washed away. Washed away. They exist, but they no longer have any power. The blood of Christ neutralizes every fault.
Dear Friend, you have decisions to make and a destiny to keep. God is calling you forward into His presence. He has set you apart and washed away every, every reason for blame. He has cleared the path and cleaned you up, preparing you for what He’s created you for. He’s done all the hard work. All you need to do is reach out in faith and receive it.
You are faultless. That is who you are.
Key Thought: Christ’s death cleared every fault so that I can stand in God’s presence and be who He’s called me to be.
A Scripture to Consider: 'Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault. ' Colossians 1:22
A YES Challenge: Take a clean sheet of paper and list all the faults, failures, fears, and anxieties that you experience. Lay your hand on the sheet and declare that in Christ you are faultless. Then prayerfully surrender each item on that list to God.
Prayer: Lord, You know all the ways that I struggle, every fault, every failure, every fear, every sin. You know all about me and yet You have done what is necessary to bring me into Your presence where I find all that I need to thrive in life. I submit all my faults to You and receive Your presence in every weakness. Amen.