Pre-qualified and Approved!

12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light. 13 For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Colossian 1:12-14 NASB 

 

 How often have you received offers in your mailbox, or other phone informing you that you are pre-qualified for a line of credit or pre-approved for a lower rate? Usually, we throw these letters out with the other junk mail. Did you know God has an even better offer than any "savings and loan" type business can offer? 

 Man's offer of loans and better interest rates are based on achievement, personal assets, and credit ratings. In other words, based on the performance and proven ability to earn on the part of the client the preapproved offers are made. If you have a missed payment, if you have a blemish on your credit rating then no such offers will be made available. 

 When it comes to God He is not looking at man's performance before He offers them anything. If He did, none of us would personally qualify. No matter how disciplined, how self-controlled, or how much one has trained their human spirit, there is no one who can truly qualify to receive what only God can provide. 

 Even if we are seeing manifest blessings in our life, we must know and understand that is God's Love and great mercy being bestowed upon us. Am I saying we can't lay hold of God's promises by Faith? No, of course not. 

 I am saying that none of us in and of ourselves can earn or deserve what God provides. This is why an understanding of Grace is an essential aspect of the successful Christian life. Grace brings us all to an end of ourselves. 

 Grace brings an end to our efforts, our doings, our strivings, our disciplines, and our attempts to earn and achieve what God has promised and provided through Redemption. Grace reminds us that nothing we have achieved or attained is because of ourselves. It was all God's favor, His mercy, and His Love working for us, through us, and sometimes in spite of us. 

 This doesn't mean we live a passive life. This doesn't mean we lead a shiftless, lazy, lethargic, and idle life. This doesn't translate into a "do-nothing" life. What it does mean is we lead a "do-nothing-in order to-to receive-to inherit" all God has provided through Christ kind of life.

 When we accept Christ's free gift of new life and Righteousness we now have free access to all God's stuff. He has made available all things that pertain to life and godliness through Christ. What does through Christ or by Christ or in Christ even mean?

 It means whenever you need something or desire something, or ask for something it's as if Christ is asking. Therefore we are assured we have what we need or desire. We are in Him and When we pray in Jesus' name we are declaring that it is by Jesus we are coming and not in our own strength or performance.

 Greet Apelles, who is approved in Christ.  Romans 16:10a MEV

In Christ, we have been approved. We have free access to all God has provided for us. In fact, because of Christ we are actually pre-qualified and approved.

to the praise of the glory of His grace, in which He did make us accepted in the beloved, Ephesians 1:6 YLT 

To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherewith he hath made us freely accepted in his beloved. Ephesians 1:6 GNV

 to the praise of his glorious grace with which he has highly favored us in the Beloved. Ephesians 1:6 MOUNCE

 We are pre-qualified and approved to receive all God has promised and provided in this New Covenant. Because of the Finished Work of Redemption, all the qualifications to receive have already been met in Christ Jesus. All because of Jesus' work we are fully qualified to receive.

 The tradition of man declares we have to do something to earn or deserve or achieve the blessings and goodness of God. If you do enough good works, then God will bless you. If you abstain from sin and live uprightly at all times then you will qualify. 

If we could attain God's love and blessings through our works why did we need Jesus to die for us? If we can qualify for the blessings of the Lord based on our behavior and actions why do we need to ask in Jesus' name or even pray and believe? 

 When we realize we are already qualified and approved of God then we will lose all sense of the fear of punishment. We will lose all sense of fear and inferiority. We won't allow the enemy or religion to hold our faults and failures over our heads disqualifying ourselves from receiving from our Good Father.

In summation knowing we are prequalified and approved of God means we can come boldly to the throne of Grace and freely receive all God has procured and provided. It means we no longer need to feel like our misdeeds automatically disqualify us from receiving. It means we will be bolder in His presence and rejoice in His Finished work and celebrate perfect redemption. 

 

Image by OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay 

Are you Qualified to be Blessed?

 

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. Ephesians 1:3 NLT

 In this life, whenever we are applying for a new position at work, applying for a loan, or inquiring about admissions into a trade school or university, what is one of the first things we look for? We look to see what the qualifications are. We then assess ourselves, our achievements, and our skill sets and see if we meet the qualifications.

 When it comes to life in the Kingdom, we must understand how this Kingdom functions and operates. In the world system, achievements, accomplishments, attainments, and acquirements are what matter most. Is this the way God's system operates?

 According to most ministries, and churches, it appears the answer is yes. The religious tradition of man is always looking to "score points" with God. Whenever we see a promise in the Scripture, people generally look for some condition that must be first met in order to receive said promise. 

 Many do not rightly divide the Word of God, they look to the Old Covenant, mix the Old and New, and add stipulations and conditions to all God's promises. They see what God told Israel and try to place those same demands on the Church. The truth needs to be heralded for all the saints to hear. 

 Jesus has fulfilled the Old and all the promises of God are now yes and amen because of Him. There are no conditions to be met. We don't have to earn or achieve anything before we can lay hold of the promises of God. All God asks is that we simply believe and receive. 

 Belief is not a work. Believing is a response to information presented. God presents us with the Good News of Grace and all He purchased and provided for us and we simply respond with believing and readily accepting it. 

Are you qualified to receive the blessing?

 The Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ is Good News, not bad news. If we look and find any stipulations or works needed to receive take note that Jesus has already met those demands. Jesus paid the price in full. He has forever qualified those who believe to receive all God has provided.

12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light. 13 For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Colossian 1:12-14 NASB 

The Word is clear. The Word cannot lie. The Spirit and the Word agree. God has already qualified us in Christ Jesus to receive all the blessings and goodness of God.

 Tradition will argue and say no, only the faithful abound with blessings. So you need to be found faithful in order to be blessed. Still others would claim the Word said we must first hearken unto God, observe and do all He commands and then we will be blessed. 

 These are all Old Covenant stipulations and conditions in order to be blessed. Did the Cross not change anything? Was Jesus' perfect Redemptive work insufficient to fulfill all the obligations the Law and Old Covenant demanded? 

 Look at what God declared about Adam and Eve in Genesis 1. Really ponder and reflect on the dynamic of their relationship with God. What task did they need to complete before God blessed them? What exactly did they need to do enough of before they were qualified to be blessed? What action, spiritual disciplines, and good work did they need to be engaging in before they received God's blessing? 

 Tradition would respond, well that was in the Garden of Eden, that was when there was no sin, and they were in perfect standing with God, completely holy. Exactly right. The amazingly good news is because of Jesus, the Grace of God, we are in even better standing with God. How so? 

 Not only are we made holy once for all time, made the Righteousness of God in Christ, forgiven forever, but God Himself dwells within us. If we are in an even better relationship with God than Adam and Eve then how much more are we already qualified for all the blessings of God? What more can we do to add to Jesus' perfect work?

 Brothers and sisters in Christ, we are qualified to receive all the Goodness and Love of God because of Jesus. There is nothing else we need to do. We can't give enough, abstain from sin enough, and love others enough to qualify more for His love and blessings. Jesus' work was enough.

 In summation, we need to stop disqualifying ourselves from receiving all Jesus purchased and procured for us in His victorious work of Redemption. Jesus has paid the price in full. He paid our way totally and completely. Rejoice in that and freely receive it. 

Image by Tayeb MEZAHDIA from Pixabay 

Does God desire to bless and prosper us in this life?

And my God will supply your every need according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus Philippians 4:19 MOUNCE

Dear friend, I pray that you are prospering in every way and are in good health, just as your whole life is going well. 3 John 2 CSB

 God is a Good Father. God is a loving Father. God is a Father who cares about us. He loved us so much that He gave us His Son to procure our perfect once for all Redemption. 

 This perfect Love bestowed upon us reveals to us we have a heavenly Father. In light of this perfect love, the question then can be asked, does this love have an effect on the life that now is or just the one to come? Does God's love mean we can expect actual tangible blessings in this life?

 There are two extreme responses on this topic. The "prosperity gospel" extreme is one response. I wrote a whole article expounding this viewpoint. The prosperity gospel is in essence a karma-like view of life. Its end goal is extracting money from people to give to an organization or a person. Its claim is God tells us we can all be millionaires if we just give enough and live perfectly. This is not the Gospel.

 The other extreme view is that God is the cruel taskmaster and tyrannical despot in Heaven who puts sickness and suffering and poverty on people, especially His own children. Many churches and ministries teach this view. I have observed that some of the loudest proponents of this view are Calvinists.

 One thing about this view that is astounding to me is the utter hypocrisy of the loudest voices on this topic. One such minister has held a whole seminar against believers who believe in the Gifts of the Spirit for today. This minister speaks strongly against prosperity.

 Yet in all his railings against the idea that God prospers His people, he seems oblivious to his own net worth of $15 million and ownership of more than one home. I researched two other loud voices against prosperity and saw their net worth is above $500,000. It seems the rule of thumb for some is prosperity for me, but not for thee.

 We need to stick with the Word of God and stay centered on what He actually said and put our trust, hope, and Faith in that. We need to find out what God actually said and hold fast to that. We must avoid the religious traditions of man who paint the Father as harsh and uncaring. 

 So based upon the nature and character of God revealed in and through Christ Jesus, and the final authority of the Word of God the answer to the question I presented is yes. God does desire to bless and prosper and provide for His children in this life. Grace supplies, Love gives and Faith takes.

 He who did not spare · his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us · all things? Romans 8:32 MOUNCE

 Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? Romans 8:32 NLT

 If God has given us eternal life, forgiveness forever, Righteousness, and Eternal Security, all things that pertain to spiritual life and all things concerning eternity, why would He hold back on giving all things pertaining to life in the here and now? If He gave us the best, His Son, He will surely give us the rest. There is nothing God is withholding from His children, He is a Good and loving Father.

 You may look at the lack surrounding you and disagree. Just as when it comes to your Righteousness. you don't focus on your many failures or foul-ups. You focus on what Jesus accomplished and receive your Righteousness. So it is with provision. Look at what Grace supplies and make that your focus. 

 Focusing on Jesus brings unearned favor and wisdom and provision. He is for us and not against us. We need to really examine our thinking, our beliefs, and our understanding when it comes to blessings and provision and the Goodness of God.

 What do we as Christians truly believe our Father is like? Do we really believe He is a Good Father? It seems we can believe He can save our spirits and grant us assurance Heaven is our home but for everything else, it's either up to our performance, or we can have no assurance or confidence in Him intervening or answering prayers because He is uninterested in the needs/desires of this life.

 Think of it, God promised to Israel, under a covenant that is lesser than the New that He would prosper and heal and provide for them because He loved them and they kept His commandments. He declared He had pleasure in the prosperity of His servants. How much more would He have in His own children prospering?

 What so many are really saying is God's love will only provide salvation from sin and Hell. His Love doesn't cover, provide for, or give promise to any form of wholeness this side of Heaven. He is a God who only cares about you keeping the rules and going to Heaven. He is not interested in your bills being paid, savings, having shelter, clothing, sustenance, healthy bodies, access to transportation, protection from the elements and peace of mind.

 Just what kind of a God is our Father in Heaven? Does He withold provision and blessings to better us? Would He rather see us starving and suffering than blessed and overflowing? What kind of God did Jesus demonstrate?

 Jesus fed literal thousands. He didn't first ask the multitude if they kept all the commandments. He didn't first ask if they had any hidden resentment, bitterness, or unforgiveness. He didn't first ask them if they had sin in their lives, or if they needed to repent. He just loved them and provided for them.

 He provided for Peter's tax debt by means of a miracle. He found the money in the mouth of a fish. The first miracle of Jesus was a miracle of provision. This provision was merely a want not a neccessity or need. The wedding feast simply ran out wine. Jesus turned water to wine and satisfied the desire for more wine at a feast. No one turned to God because of this. He just met a physical want.

 Jesus supplied both needs and wants. He revealed a Good Father who cares for us. He demonstrated to a lost and hopeless world, a Father who so loves them He even takes care of the little things as well as major things in this life.

 In summation, we can boldly proclaim God our Father is a Good Father. He wants our absolute best. He desires to bless and provide for us. Not because we are good, or earned it, or achieved it, but simply because He loves us. We can trust in the Lord no matter the situations and circumstance. He is a Good Father and Loving Savior. 

 

Image by Peggy und Marco Lachmann-Anke from Pixabay