Without a Single Fault!
“Now all glory to God, who is able to keep you from falling away and will bring you with great joy into His glorious presence without a single fault.”
Jude 24 (NLT)
This is one of the most glorious truths we must remind ourselves of daily! We all battle with discouragement and doubts. Our accuser often comes when we are struggling only to reinforce our insecurity and condemn us for our faults. Before long, we feel like dropping out. Then we read what seems to be too unbelievable to be true – that “God will bring (us) with great joy into His glorious presence without a single fault.” Without a single fault? Seriously? How will He do that? The next verse tells us, “… through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Jude 25 (NLT)
This is a righteousness that comes by faith. We are declared right with God, not on the basis of what we do, but on the basis of what Christ did for us! Because He took upon Himself all our sins at the cross, we can be forgiven and considered righteous through His sacrifice on our behalf! Clothed in His righteousness, God sees us without a single fault! How amazing is that!
His acceptance and love are not based on our performance but on our position in Christ! This will not only change how you see yourself, but it will change how you relate to others in the family of God. We must learn to see ourselves as God sees us in Christ. When we do, we will live in the freedom with which Christ has set us free, free to be all that God has called us to be and to do all that He has called us to do without the limitations of self-doubt, shame, or guilt! Colossians 1:21-22 (NLT) puts it like this, “This includes you who were once far away from God. You were His enemies, separated from Him by your evil thoughts and actions. 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.”
Let that sink in. Read it again slowly. It presents a whole new way of thinking and how you view yourself and others before God. Because it’s so easy to forget, the Bible adds this next verse, “But you must continue to believe this truth and stand firmly in it. Don’t drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the Good News.” Colossians 1:23 (NLT).
Remind yourself daily of the extraordinary way that God sees you in Christ! You are no longer the person you used to be! You are re-created in Christ! You now share His life, and His righteousness clothes you! You are a new person in Him! Even though you may fail and make mistakes, God sees you in Christ as holy and blameless, without a single fault! That is the Power of GRACE! Paul underscores that power to transform sinners into saints when he wrote to the Corinthian church, in 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 (NIV/Ampl) he told them, “… do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed clean (purified by a complete atonement for sin and made free from the guilt of sin), and you were consecrated (set apart, hallowed), and you were justified [pronounced righteous, by trusting] in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the [Holy] Spirit of our God.”
I love that phrase, “But you were washed clean (purified by a complete atonement for sin and made free from the guilt of sin)….” Believer’s Baptism illustrates that so well! There’s no other sacred symbol with so profound an experience as being washed clean in the waters of baptism, showing on the outside what Jesus Christ did in your heart when, by faith, you repented of your sin and received Him as your Savior and Lord! Now, in Christ, you are without a single fault!
If you have never received Christ and experienced the transforming power of grace, you can right now. The Bible says, “Each of you must repent of your sins, turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ to show that you have received forgiveness for your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Acts 2:38 (NLT) If you’ve turned to God and desire to take that next step of baptism, join us this weekend for our Fall Baptism Celebration at Woodlands Church following any of our weekend services. You can register now at wc.org/baptism and experience the refreshing joy of being washed clean!
Another important part of your daily devotional is spending time with God in prayer. The Woodlands Church Prayer Board lists prayer requests submitted by our members and provides a way to send them some encouragement by using a button on the page to let them know that you prayed for them. Whether you use the Prayer Board, or pray from your heart, the goal is to build the habit of incorporating prayer into your quiet time.
Need prayer yourself? Let us know by submitting a prayer request on the Woodlands Church Prayer Board.