And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach—if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister.
— Colossians 1:21-23
As the One who reconciles all things to Himself, Christ is also the One who will present us holy, without blemish, and without reproach before Him (1:22). If I wanted to present one of you to myself, I could only do so according to my capacity. I can only raise up someone to a level that I myself have attained.
Christ works with us according to His unlimited capacity. In order for Him to operate in us in His unlimitedness, however, we have to continue in the faith and be grounded and steadfast in Christ, with Christ, and unto Christ, who is the hope of the gospel (1:23). Hopefully we all would tell the Lord, “In the church life, I would like to focus on nothing besides You, Lord. You must have the preeminence among us as we practice the church life.”
Adapted from Oneness and the One Accord, page 79.
Tomorrow: “Four Factors for the Oneness”