Do I Qualify?

 

One of the things I remember when getting to apply for colleges was “do I have all the prerequisites?” Has 

everything I have done up to this point made me able to proceed with this potential program?

I grew up in a church background that was all about qualifying. Have I done everything perfectly so that I will 

merit God’s blessing and favor, will I be enough to be the best of the best Christians to be worthy of the highest 

forms of revelation that God could dish out. 

This of course leads to and breeds problems. 

I have heard numerous sermons throughout my life that were making sure we knew all about qualifying for our 

inheritance, doing everything to not miss out on the special promises of rewards and rulership that I could attain. 

Then my dad showed me this pesky little verse in Colossians. (this after being out of this context for a coupe years)

Colossians 1:12 NIV giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his 

holy people in the kingdom of light.

Wait…what is that!? 

The text (and the surrounding context makes it abundantly clear) that it is Christ who qualifies us. 

WE DON’T DO IT OURSELVES! This may seem really obvious, and it is. But for someone who 

was taught (intentionally or unintentionally) to have a spiritual superiority complex, and that I make myself 

qualify, this is earth shattering. 

This simple truth strikes at the core of the Gospel. Really this is the reason Jesus had to come. We are unable in 

and of ourselves, no matter how we try to qualify and make ourselves right before God. 

But there can also be a slightly more nefarious implication. In the background I am from somewhere that 

everything was about the special spiritual pedigree that we had because of the teaching. And in order to qualify 

for the special benefits we had to qualify by staying true. This then could be used as a cudgel to keep people in

 line with fear and trembling to obey what they are told. And why? To make sure that you qualify for the “special

blessings”

But this is all hay, wood and stubble. Yes, our allegiance to Christ is essential. We want to stand true to Him not 

matter what is going on around us. By not matter what, that is not what qualifies us. There is not spiritual pedigree 

or hierarchy that we can measure in this life for what is in eternity. And even if we could, it doesn’t matter because

whatever crown we have we will cast before King Jesus. Because no matter what we did, it was He who qualified

us first. 

 

So be encouraged and know that it is Christ who qualifies us. For salvation or anything else. He is one through 

His Holy Spirit that empowers us to be and live differently. When we put our allegiance in Him, that transforms 

us into the human He intended us to be. And that starts with Him qualifying us.