The Only One Who Can Qualify Us

I am in a book discussion group with Linda and Venus (a new Facebook friend from China) on D.A. Carson's work Praying With Paul:  A Call to Spiritual Reformation.  In Paul's opening lines to the church at Colossae, he tells them that they will share in a future inheritance because God has qualified them through the work of His Son, Jesus Christ.  (Colossians 1:12-14)

"...and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.  For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves,  in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins."

In my last blog I talked about how God sent people on journeys in the Old Testament.  Being willing to go where God told you to go was a test of faithfulness in the Old Testament.  In the New Testament, the journey to God / Christlikeness/Eternal life is likened to a race.  

In a track and field race there are qualifying heats.  If you don't get into a top position in your heat, you do not advance to the next race because you did not "qualify."

In our Kingdom race the only way to even make it to the starting line of the event is to "qualify" to run the race.  Because we are too impeded by sin to qualify, God has provided a qualifier for us and that qualifier is his son, Jesus.  Why is Jesus able to qualify us?  He is not impeded by sin; He never sinned.   We can appropriate that sinless life by embracing the life, death and resurrection of Jesus for our own life.  We do this by faith.  Once we do this, we are qualified for the race.

At this point we can step up to the starting line because we are qualified to race.  Only Jesus and those Jesus has qualified can stand at the starting line.  No faith in the work of Jesus, no qualification.  Period.

Sometimes people believe and trust Jesus and instead of stepping up to the starting line they sit in the bleachers or hang out in the infield. They assume qualifying is enough to win or finish a race! But alas, they never ran the race!  

Maybe you have trusted Christ but you did not realize there is more to the race then just getting qualified.

I urge you to get into the race.  Here are some great verses to encourage you to run full out for Jesus.  

I Corinthians 9:24-27

Galatians 2:2

Galatians 5:7

Philippians 2:16

Philippians 3:14

Hebrews 12:1-2

II Timothy 4:7-8

Jesus paid a big price to qualify us, so let's get running!  I leave you with my favorite section of the Bible, Hebrews 12:1-2

"Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."