Are you sure you are qualified?

And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, ¹⁰ so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; ¹¹ being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; ¹² giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. ¹³ He has delivered 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.

Colossians 1:9-14

Recently I heard the story of my granddaughter, who is studying to become a Physician’s Assistant (PA). She has completed the academic portion of her studies and is now in the practical part of her training (the white coat training). One of the “exercises” she had to complete involved holding a beating human heart in her hands. The “patient” had been pronounced brain dead, but the body kept functioning with the aid of machines. I don’t know how to describe how I felt when I heard that story, but I am glad she will have the experience to qualify her as a Physician’s Assistant.

About fifty-five years ago, I worked as a plumber’s assistant on a plumbing repair truck. To hold the job, I had to join the pipefitter’s union and attend classes in the evening. Being a plumber is not as critical as being a physician’s assistant. But, if I need a plumber to work on my house, I want him to be qualified. A bad plumbing job can damage a house tremendously and cost thousands of dollars to repair.

In my examples above, one must put in lots of work and study to become qualified. That is what goes into being qualified. Our qualification depends on what we do to become qualified.

One of my previous Pastors often pointed out the difference between the indicative and the imperative passages of Scripture. The indicative passages tell what God did for us in Christ. The imperative passages deal with what we must do because of what God did in the indicative passages, what Christ did for us.

In Paul’s epistles, he follows a general pattern of first telling what Christ did for us (indicative) and then telling what we should do due to what Christ did for us. This order is essential. We are not capable of obeying the imperative unless we are recipients of the indicative of what Christ did for us.

Many believers struggle with a worldly mindset that tells them they are not qualified to be blessed because of their failures. We all have failings. Do we all walk around with our heads down, moaning about our failures? Do we all shy away from our Christian responsibilities because we don’t feel qualified based on our conduct? Do we not share the gospel with our friends, family, and neighbors because we don’t feel qualified? If that is you, let me set your mind at ease.

It is time to emphasize the indicative; look at what the Father has done for you.

Our text above is from one of Paul’s prayers for the believers at Colossae. At first, he prays for them to experience certain things, like the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding. He prays that they will be strengthened with all power, for endurance and patience with joy. Then comes the key phrase for us, “giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.”

How were you qualified to share in the inheritance of believers? Did you become qualified by attending church services or doing a certain amount of Bible study? Many see these things we do as rungs on a spiritual ladder. The more things we accomplish, the more mature or qualified we are. Were there other “things” that you did that qualified you? No. The Father qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints. The Father did it for you. You did nothing. It was the work of Christ ordained by the Father on your behalf. That is how you are qualified to share in the saints’ inheritance. We don’t have to work to be qualified to be loved by God and cared for by God. We don’t even have to work to be qualified to receive gifts from God. A gift is, by nature, free and not earned.

I don’t want to leave the wrong impression. There are some functions for which one has to be qualified. For example, there is a list of qualifications for those desiring to be elders or deacons. (1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1)

My point in this article is that we aren’t to struggle with feelings of inadequacy as a believer. The Father has qualified you.