“This includes you who were once far away from God. You were His enemy, separated from Him by your evil thoughts and actions. But now God has reconciled you to Himself through the death of Jesus in His physical body. As a result, God has brought you into His own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before Him without a single fault.”
Colossians 1:21-22
One morning, a mother went to wake up her son. She said, "Son, it is time to wake up. It is Monday morning and it’s time to go to school." The son did not want to get up and did not want to go. The mother insisted that he get up. He said, "I do not want to go to school." She asked, "Why don’t you want to go to school?" He said, "Ah, the teacher and the kids don’t like me. Nobody likes me." She said, "Son you have to go to school."He asked, "Well, why do I have to go to school?" She said, "Number 1, you have to be there at 8:30am and it is already 7:30am. If you do not get up now, you are going to be late. Number 2, you are the Principal."Sometimes we forget who we are and we have to be reminded. Never forget, who we are should always impact what we do.Paul describes our spiritual condition outside of Christ as alienated and hostile in our minds. Many of us may have experienced hurt, bitterness and barriers that arise from being alienated from others. However, with God this alienation is exponentially worse - it has left us completely and totally separated from God. Our sin and His wrath are insurmountable obstacles. In our natural sinful condition we are spiritually dead, and left in a hopeless and helpless condition. We are dead men walking!Then Paul interjects some of the most powerful and beautiful words in Scripture . . .“But now” God has reconciled us.”Your past does not have the last word on you because Christ intervenes and changes our present status to reconciled to God through Christ. God reached down, put His finger on you and said “You are Mine.” Listen up! You have been bought, purchased, redeemed, appointed, plucked, picked, and set apart. You are “holy and blameless, without a single fault.” The moment you said yes to Christ and invited Him into your life by faith, you were declared “NOT GUILTY” by God of every past, present and future sin you’ve committed or ever will commit. You’ve been set free from the power of sin and death—and made spiritually alive, IN CHRIST! What amazing truth! What amazing grace! Be WHO you are in Christ! You are His Child—and nothing can separate you from God. Nothing! (Romans 8:39-39).Never forget: Your salvation is by “Grace Alone,” through “Faith Alone,” in “Christ Alone.” Period! When God now looks at you He only sees His Son, Jesus Christ. You are a blood-bought child of the Living God.Live Sent!Be Worth Being,KevinSUBSCRIBE TO "OVER THE HUMP" DEVOTIONALKevin Burrell has worked in professional baseball as both a player and MLB scout for the past 40 years, and currently serves as an area scouting supervisor. Kevin was drafted in the 1st round of the 1981 free agent amateur draft (25th selection overall), and played ten years of professional baseball with four different organizations. He and his wife, Valerie, live in Sharpsburg, Ga.
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