Teaching summary
Pastors Leonard and Lori Rola teach that God, through the completed work of Jesus Christ, has reconciled believers to Himself and made them holy, blameless, and faultless in His sight. Christians do not earn this position through their own effort; they receive it by placing their faith in Jesus and continuing to believe the truth of the gospel. Believers have been delivered from darkness, brought into Christ’s kingdom, and qualified to share in their spiritual inheritance. Therefore, they should stand firmly in grace and reject every burden of guilt, shame, and condemnation.
Bible verses referenced
Colossians 1:12–14- “Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:”
Colossians 1:21–23- “And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;”
Matthew 6:10- “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.”
Teaching notes
Table of Contents
- A Gracious Gift and a Message from the Beach
- Reconciled, Holy, Blameless, and Faultless
- Why Paul Emphasized the Work of God
- The Danger of Legalism and Religious Mixture
- Pastor Lori’s Struggle to Believe God Loved Her
- Freedom from Guilt, Shame, and Condemnation
- Qualified to Share in the Inheritance
- Delivered from Darkness and Transferred into the Kingdom
- The Old Man Has Flatlined
- Continue to Believe and Stand Firm
- Keep Hearing the Truth
- Thanks for Supporting the Ministry
A Gracious Gift and a Message from the Beach
Pastor Leonard Rola opens the teaching alongside his wife, Pastor Lori Rola. They are speaking live from Murrells Inlet, near the beach in South Carolina. Pastor Leonard explains that God graciously gifted them with an all-expenses-paid week at a beach condominium.
Immediately outside their doors is a swimming pool, and the ocean is only a short walk away. They have enjoyed the beautiful community, the pool, the ocean, the water, and the local restaurants. Pastor Leonard expresses heartfelt gratitude to God and to Mike and Susan for blessing them with the opportunity.
Mike had been asking Pastor Leonard for approximately five years whether he would like to visit. For reasons Leonard could not entirely explain, he finally accepted the invitation that year. He believes the Lord knew that he particularly needed the time away during that season. He and Pastor Lori describe the experience as beautiful and amazing and thank Mike and Susan from the bottom of their hearts.
The pastors then explain that they want to spend a little time adding to the message shared on the previous Sunday. Pastor Lori begins by reading the central passage from Colossians. Although she reads from the New Living Translation during the video, the complete King James Version wording is:
Colossians 1:21–23- “And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister.”
This passage includes people who were once far away from God. They had been alienated from Him and were enemies in their minds because of wicked works. Yet God reconciled them to Himself through the death of Jesus in His physical body. The result is astonishing: God brings believers into His presence as holy, blameless, and without fault in His sight. Paul then instructs believers to continue in faith, remain grounded and settled, and refuse to be moved away from the hope found in the gospel.
Reconciled, Holy, Blameless, and Faultless
Pastor Leonard calls this an amazing portion of Scripture. He explains that Paul, here and in many other places, makes it clear that the great salvation believers have received is entirely a work of God. This salvation includes forgiveness, redemption, provision, healing, and wholeness. These blessings do not originate in human work or personal achievement. They are the work of God.
Pastor Leonard focuses special attention on the words used to describe a believer’s position before God: holy, blameless, and without fault. He reminds the audience that the Greek meanings of these words were discussed in the previous Sunday’s message and encourages everyone to return to that teaching.
The central truth remains unmistakable:
Colossians 1:21–23- “And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister.”
God reconciled the believer. God made the believer holy. God made the believer blameless. God made it possible for the believer to enter His direct presence without fault.
Pastor Leonard addresses believers as saints and holy ones and asks why it was so important for Paul to emphasize these truths. The answer is found in the threat that Paul knew would continually confront the Church: legalism.
Why Paul Emphasized the Work of God
Paul repeatedly emphasized that salvation is God’s work because he understood how quickly people could be tempted to place the responsibility back upon themselves.
According to Pastor Leonard, Paul wanted believers to know who performed the work. It was God who reconciled them. God made them holy. It was God who made them blameless. God enabled them to stand before Him without fault.
Colossians 1:21–23- “And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;”
These things were accomplished through the death of Jesus Christ, not through a believer’s religious labor. Jesus did the work necessary to reconcile humanity to God and present believers holy, unblameable, and unreproveable in His sight.
Pastor Leonard stresses that this distinction is vitally important. If believers think their standing with God depends upon their own effort, they will inevitably live beneath the burden of uncertainty. They will continually wonder whether they have done enough, worked hard enough, or corrected themselves sufficiently.
Paul’s words direct attention away from human performance and toward the completed work of Christ.
The Danger of Legalism and Religious Mixture
Pastor Leonard explains that Paul knew legalism would always be on the horizon. The covenant of law had been fulfilled and done away with, and believers now lived under the covenant of grace. Nevertheless, Paul knew that Judaizers and religious teachers would continually try to introduce a mixture of law and grace. That mixture often begins with statements such as, “God is good, and grace is awesome, but you still have to…” The qualifying phrase places the responsibility for making the covenant work back upon the believer.
Pastor Leonard explains that it does not matter whether something is labeled law or grace if human performance remains part of the equation. If making the covenant work ultimately depends upon people, then the new covenant would have the same fault as the covenant it replaced. That fault would be humanity.
God has removed the religious “buts.” He has removed the idea that believers must make themselves acceptable by working, toiling, or completing some additional requirement. This is why Paul points believers back to what God accomplished through Jesus:
Colossians 1:21–23- “And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister.”
Despite the completeness of Christ’s work, many people remain chained by guilt, shame, and condemnation. Pastor Leonard explains that this happens because they have not internalized the truth of their position in Christ or stood firmly in it.
Pastor Lori’s Struggle to Believe God Loved Her
Pastor Lori shares what made this truth difficult for her personally. When she heard that God had brought her into His presence and made her holy, blameless, and without fault, she found it difficult to believe.
Colossians 1:21–23- “And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister.”
The idea that she was holy, blameless, faultless, and flawless before God seemed almost unbelievable. Her struggle was rooted in whether she could believe that God loved her that much. She felt as though she needed to do something to earn that standing. Her thoughts told her that God could not possibly see her in such a perfect position without requiring her to accomplish something first.
She eventually understood that there was nothing she could do to earn it. God loved her so much that He accomplished it for her. She did not achieve the position of being holy, blameless, and faultless through her own actions.
When Pastor Leonard asks what she had to do to achieve that position before God, Pastor Lori answers, “Nothing.” She had to believe it. She had to place her faith in Jesus Christ. That realization brought her back to the simplicity of the gospel. Her position before God rested upon Jesus rather than upon her ability to earn God’s love.
Freedom from Guilt, Shame, and Condemnation
Pastor Leonard tells the audience how important it is to understand and take hold of this truth. God does not want His people riddled with guilt, shame, or condemnation. He wants them free and thriving in the gospel of grace. Paul emphasizes where believers presently stand before God:
Colossians 1:21–23- “And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister.”
Believers do not occupy this position because of their works, effort, or toil. They stand there because of Jesus’ work, Jesus’ effort, and Jesus’ toil.
Pastor Leonard says that believers should regularly “check their meter.” This spiritual meter measures guilt, shame, and condemnation. For someone who understands the gospel of grace, its needle should be pinned at zero. There should be no reading of guilt, shame, or condemnation. He compares the reading to a doctor examining someone who has died and seeing that the monitor has flatlined. The believer’s old man has died. Consequently, the old program and former mindset should also be regarded as flatlined.
Qualified to Share in the Inheritance
Pastor Leonard then places the central passage into its surrounding context by directing attention to Colossians 1:12–14. Pastor Lori reads the passage, which explains what the Father has already done for believers:
Colossians 1:12–14- “Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins.”
Pastor Leonard responds to the passage with repeated expressions of amazement. Paul tells believers to give thanks to the Father because the Father has made them able to participate in the inheritance belonging to the saints in light. This is a great inheritance belonging to every believer. They share in what Jesus Christ has provided. God has qualified them to participate in it.
They do not have to ready themselves before receiving from God. They do not have to perform some additional work to make things right between themselves and the Father. God has already reconciled them. The truths work together:
Colossians 1:12–14- “Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins.”
Colossians 1:21–23- “And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister.”
God reconciled believers. God made them holy. God made them blameless. God enabled them to stand before Him without fault. It is all because of Christ and His work, not because of work that believers still need to perform.
Delivered from Darkness and Transferred into the Kingdom
The Father did more than qualify believers for an inheritance. He also delivered them from the power of darkness and translated them into the kingdom of His dear Son.
Colossians 1:12–14- “Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins.”
Pastor Leonard declares that believers are kingdom dwellers. Their rightful place is the kingdom of God because God rescued them from the domain of darkness and transferred them into the kingdom of the Son of His love. He then recalls the prayer Jesus taught:
Matthew 6:10- “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.”
Pastor Leonard explains that this prayer is answered as believers understand that God has enabled them to share in the great inheritance Jesus Christ provided. God has allowed them and made them able to participate in that inheritance. They can live as kingdom dwellers because God has already placed them in His Son’s kingdom. Redemption and forgiveness belong to them through Christ.
Colossians 1:12–14- “Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins.”
The believer’s rightful place is no longer the realm of darkness. God has delivered the believer, transferred the believer, redeemed the believer, forgiven the believer, and qualified the believer to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.
The Old Man Has Flatlined
Returning to the illustration of the meter, Pastor Leonard says the old man, along with his old programming and mindset, has flatlined. That former identity is dead. Now Christ has come, and believers have been raised with Him from death to new life. This new life tells them that they can participate in the great inheritance God has stored for them. They have been transferred into the kingdom of God’s dear Son:
Colossians 1:12–14- “Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins.”
Pastor Leonard asks why believers can share in this inheritance. The answer is that Jesus did it. Jesus paid the price. God reconciled believers. God made them holy. God made them blameless. God made them forever faultless in His sight.
Colossians 1:21–23- “And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister.”
The believer’s new life is therefore not a continuation of the old life under a different religious program. It is life in Christ, grounded in what Jesus completed.
Continue to Believe and Stand Firm
Pastor Leonard then asks Pastor Lori to return to the crucial instruction in the central passage. Believers must continue in faith, remain grounded and settled, and refuse to move away from the hope of the gospel.
Colossians 1:21–23- “And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister.”
Pastor Leonard emphasizes the word “believe.” Believers must continue to believe and stand firmly in the truth that they are holy, blameless, and without fault before God.
They are fully qualified for the great things God has stored for them. These blessings are theirs through faith in Jesus Christ. Their responsibility is not to earn them through toil but to believe what Christ has accomplished. The gospel has already announced their reconciliation and standing before God. They must not drift away from that assurance or allow legalism, religious mixture, guilt, shame, or condemnation to move them from it.
Keep Hearing the Truth
Pastor Lori tells the audience to keep hearing this message. She and Pastor Leonard have been learning, discussing, and reminding one another of these truths daily for approximately twelve to fifteen years. She explains that believers cannot hear the truth too often. Pastor Leonard is constantly reminding her, and they are continually returning to the Word together.
The instruction remains:
Colossians 1:21–23- “And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister.”
Stand firm in who you are. Do not allow anyone to place guilt, shame, or condemnation upon you. God wants you free and thriving in the gospel of grace. Believers should continue hearing and believing that God has reconciled them, made them holy, made them blameless, and given them a faultless position before Him through Jesus Christ.
Thanks for Supporting the Ministry
Pastors Leonard and Lori close by expressing their love and gratitude to everyone who supports the ministry through gifts and offerings. Pastor Leonard explains that the ministry could not continue without that support.
The summer had been challenging because many people were traveling and taking vacations, which affected giving. The ministry consequently found itself in a difficult financial situation.
Pastor Leonard thanks those whom God has led to bless the ministry. He explains that people who want to give can visit the ministry’s website and use the “Giving” option in the drop-down menu. The website explains the various convenient ways people can contribute.
Pastor Lori thanks the supporters for being God’s hand extended. Together, the pastors thank everyone in advance, express their love, and encourage the audience to have a wonderful rest of the day. They close by saying they hope to see everyone again very soon.
We hope this article blessed you and strengthened your confidence in the completed work of Jesus Christ. Please share this teaching with others so they, too, can understand that God has reconciled them, qualified them, and called them to stand firmly in the freedom of His grace.