Blameless!!

Alba 2-28-2024

BLAMELESS!!

I Thessalonians 5:23-28

In a Peanuts cartoon, Lucy approaches Charlie Brown with a pen and paper and says, “Here, sign this. It absolves me from all blame”. Then she goes to Schroeder with the same paper and says, “Here, sign this. It absolves me from all blame”.

Finally she comes to Linus: “Here, sign this. It absolves me from all blame”. As she walks away, Linus says, “Well..., that must be a nice document to have”.

Blame has been around since the beginning of time. It has been said concerning Adam and Eve that, “The man blamed the woman, the woman blamed the serpent, and the serpent didn’t have a leg to stand on.”

Wouldn't it be great to be blame-less? Considering all of the things that we have done in our life, it would not be likely that we could claim that title. Still, if there would be a way, why not at least check into it.

As some would say, it would take an act of God to make that happen. And in this case, that is the truth! And isn't that the way we want to be when this life is over and we meet Jesus face to face? So lets do look into it.

As the apostle Paul closes his first letter to the church in Thessalonica, which is an area in northern Greece, he gives us the key to understand how we who are sinners can be made blameless.

It is in I Thessalonians 5:23-28. There it says, “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.

“Brethren, pray for us. Greet all the brethren with a holy kiss. I charge you by the Lord that this epistle be read to all the holy brethren. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.”

1. We Become Blameless by Sanctification (Made Holy)

The first thing necessary for us to be blameless is for the God of peace to sanctify us, to make us holy. Only a holy God is able to do that. And a high price was paid to make it possible.

The penalty for our sins needed to be paid. Our holy God is a loving God. But He is also a just God. His laws are not to be tampered with.

Romans 6:23 says that the wages of sin is death. That penalty had to be paid. And when Jesus went to the cross, He died there in our place and, Praise God!, the Heavenly Father accepted the death of His perfect Son in our place!

Romans 3:21-23 says, “But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

We are sanctified, made holy, by the shed blood of Jesus Christ. And when we come in faith, repent and are baptized, we are in Christ and are dressed in His righteousness. Which is a good thing, because scripture says that our righteousness is no more than filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6).

But when we are in Christ, God does not see our sins. He sees Jesus. It is then that we will be seen to be blameless. Because we have been made holy by God Himself. And we then are made part of His family, the church.

And Ephesians 5:25-27 tells us,“Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.”

Hebrews 12:14 states clearly that without holiness, no one will see the Lord. The only way we can be blameless before God is that if He does His work to sanctify us. Because no one is ever pure enough to go to heaven.

There are three things to consider with this matter of sanctification (being made holy):

First there is initial sanctification. When we come to Jesus in faith and are baptized for the forgiveness of our sins and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, we are set apart for God and made holy.

Secondly there is practical sanctification. Daily dealing with our sins, and growing more like Jesus in our walk with Him. It is a process of continual change – for the better.

And third, there is perfect sanctification. This is when Christ comes and we become eternally like Him. The first two need to be in place to be assured of the third one.