“Thus the Lord has done for me in the days in which he looked with favor to take away my reproach (oneidos | ὄνειδος) among people.” Luke 1:25.
Today your LORD (יהוה) God says:
When you are Mine, I take care of your reputation. There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Romans 8:1. I have taken your ill repute out of the way, adopted you, and gave you My Name. Ephesians 3:14-15, Romans 8:16, Colossians 2:14.
No weapon that is formed against you will prosper; and every tongue that accuses you in judgment you will condemn. This is the heritage of My children, and their vindication (righteousness) is from Me. Isaiah 54:17. You may have had a bad reputation, or evil reports may be spread about you, your character may have been assassinated, but whether true or false (defamation and slander), My Son takes care of that before Me. He took your evil reputation, He was counted among the wicked, but He had done no violence nor was any deceit found in His mouth. He rendered Himself as your guilt offering and carried away all your shame. He gave you My righteousness and clothed you in the garments of salvation and the robe of righteousness. He put an everlasting crown on your head and gave you beauty for your ashes. He gave you a good reputation and He took your evil one. “Fear not, for you will not be put to shame; and do not feel humiliated, for you will not be disgraced. But you will forget the shame of your youth, and the reproach of your widowhood you will remember no more. For your husband is your Maker, whose name is the LORD of hosts; and your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel, who is called the God of all the earth.” Isaiah 54:4-5. In Christ, by the Blood of His Cross, I have made you holy, blameless and beyond reproach.
But now, you are to walk in a manner worthy of your reputation so that your deeds match up with your nobility. And you do that by walking in the Spirit and not in the flesh, i.e. living by My Word and My Spirit in you equipping you for every good work. I will complete the good work I began in you if only you will be willing to follow My Spirit in you and on you. And He will always lead you to My Word, which will sanctify you.
The is what Paul prayed for you by the Holy Spirit, “To this end also we pray for you always, that our God will make you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.” 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12. And Paul also prays that, “you would walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into His own Kingdom and glory.” 1 Thessalonians 2:12. And Paul also prayed your hearts would be enlightened to know the hope of My calling. Ephesians 1:18. He knew it would change the way you walked.
Paul was always reminding you of your high calling in Me and how I was faithful and true to work in you the willing and the doing so you could fulfill your calling. It is I who give you the grace to bear good fruit on the branch of your life, but you must draw from your source of that grace to walk in it. And your branch will only bear the fruit you want to give others and eat yourself if you attach by faith to the true vine, Jesus, My Word, as your source of grace and provision. For you are My workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which I prepared beforehand so that you would walk in them and enjoy your life. Ephesians 2:10. And this will continue for all eternity, as I lavish more and more grace upon you, which is My divine eternal life in you.
Paul prayed in the Spirit, “For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 1so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light.” Colossians 1:9-12.
You will notice that Paul based your walking worthy on you growing in your knowledge of Me. Peter did also. He wrote by the Holy Spirit, “Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.” 2 Peter 1:2-3.
Elizabeth, the wife of Zechariah, made a beautiful declaration in her faithful trust in My power to put the things right in her life that were her reproach, her disgrace among men. When her prayer for a son was answered after so many years of waiting in disgrace for the son she so wanted, she responded not with questioning or fear that it would not be possible at her age or not come to pass in a healthy delivery and perfect baby, she did not fear her disgrace would continue. Unlike her doubting husband, she declared, “Thus to me has done the Lord in the day which He looked upon me to take away my disgrace among men.” Luke 1:25. The word in Greek that is translated “disgrace” is “oneidos,” which means reproach, disgrace, defamation, personal disgrace, reproved, censure, blame, and loss of reputation. It is from the root “oneidizo,” which means to up braid, revile, like showing one’s teeth at you, to disgrace, insult, mock, curse, cast blame, create shame, view someone as culpably guilty and therefore deserving of punishment, and it can be based on fact (Matthew 11:20) or incorrect assumptions (Matthew 5:11).
In Jesus, it is the favorable time, I have looked upon you to take away your disgrace among men. You once were no people, trapped in sin and offenses, but now you are My people, filled with My goodness, righteousness, love, peace, and light. Children of Light.
I have qualified you to share the inheritance of the saints in Light, and have translated you from the realm of darkness to the Kingdom of My beloved Son, in whom you have redemption by His blood, the forgiveness of your sins. And you are each called by My calling to do the good works I gave YOU to do. It is My gift to you in Christ Jesus your Lord.
Once the Jews asked of My Son, “What shall we do, so that we may work the works of God?” Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.” John 6:28-29. And when you believe in Him you are justified and saved. And what are the works that come out of believing? Let Jesus Himself tell you, “Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves. Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father. Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.” John 14:11-14. And then He told you that when you love Him, you will keep His Word, and then He can obtain the Promise of the Spirit from Me and pour out My gift of the Holy Spirit on and into you. John 14:15-17; Acts 2:33. The Holy Spirit is My gift to those who obey Me by taking Jesus as Lord. Acts 5:32.
I love you. I have given you My Name, My Son’s Name, and My reputation and His reputation. You are a new creation in Christ, so walk in newness of life leaving the old man of sin behind, that is no longer who you are in Christ.