Dealing with Blemishes

For the last couple of weeks I have been thinking about my conversion to Christ. I am not talking about the story of my start to the Christian faith. I am talking about the total transformation of my life into God’s image. It might seem strange to you (quite frankly, it seems strange to me, too), but I have been sensing the Spirit asking me, “So Scott, how’s it going with your conversion?”

The question pops up at random times. I am not necessarily doing anything overtly spiritual – just picking up items at the store or driving down the road in the transit of life. Yet, the question keeps popping up, “Scott, how’s it going with your conversion?”

Today I read these words from Paul’s letter to the Colossians:

Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. 22 But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— 23 if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel.

Again the question came to me, “Scott, how’s it going with your conversion?” As I read these words again, it hit me that I think I am more comfortable living as an alien to God than I am as living as one reconciled to him. Don’t get me wrong, I love the fact that I am reconciled to God through Christ, but I am not sure that I completely understand how to live “holy... without blemish and free from accusation.” Somehow my blemishes still show up and the accusations continue to fly at me. The encouragement that Paul gives to the Colossians is “if you continue in your faith.”

I think this is what the Spirit is trying to get at in the question that keeps popping up. “Are you continuing in your faith, or are you letting the gospel be uprooted in your life by all the accusations?”

It may seem strange, but what if we said to each other, “How is it going with your conversion,” rather than simply, “How’s it going,” when we greeted each other? In a small way, could this be a helpful way to remind each other of the power of God’s reconciling grace in our lives?

Pray with me that the Spirit would mark our community by the gospel – holy, without blemish and free from accusation.