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.
2. We Become Blameless by Submission (Body, Soul and Spirit)
To be blameless also requires submission. Without the work of God through Jesus Christ, we are still in our sins. Only through the blood of Jesus are our bodies, souls and spirits ready for His coming. But the purifying work done in our lives needs to become more evident the longer we are Christians. In other words it should show. But it should not just be a show.
When the Academy Awards are given, millions of people all over the country tune into their televisions to watch thousands of people gather to give gold statues to one another; honoring and praising them for... what? For pretending to be something that they are not.
That moment of recognition is granted to those who have done the best job of … pretending to be something that they are not. But that is not what God wants from us. His goal is that in every area of life, body, soul and spirit, we will commit ourselves to walk blameless in His sight.
That requires submission in every area of our lives. Notice that verse 23 says that our nature has three parts – body, soul and spirit. We are not just a two-part nature.
Body – Gr. Soma – That is the part of us that deals with the physical realm. This is the house in which we live. Scripture calls it a tabernacle or tent. It is very important. But it is just a temporary dwelling place while on this earth.
Soul – Gr. Psuche – This is the part of us which deals with the mental realm (psychology is the study of one's mind). So it is our intellect, sensibilities and will. This is the part of us that reasons and thinks.
Spirit – Gr. – Pneuma – wind. This is the part of us which deals with the spiritual realm. Its the part of us that can know God and relate to Him. It is the area that deals with faith, hope, reverence, prayer, and worship.
It is our spirit (scripture refers to it as the inward man, the hidden man of the heart) that becomes new in Christ. When we become a Christian it does not change the way we look. But it should change what we do and what we say.
Each part, body, soul and spirit, is important as we consider being blameless before God. Once again, we are weak in each of these areas. But it is God's purpose to preserve us blameless until Jesus returns. That requires submission on our part to the Will and the Word of God.
Sometimes it is the simple things that, if we pay attention to them, will make a difference in who we are in this world. Ed Skidmore, a Christian Church minister in Texas, told this about his brother-in-law, Bob, who works for the San Angelo school district.
Bob told him that one day a bunch of the staff were car-pooling from one place to another for a meeting. When he got in his truck, a guy he didn't even know jumped in the passenger seat and said, "I'm riding with you. You're the only one of these guys who doesn't complain about everything!"
Do you want to be blameless? Here is an area to work on. Philippians 2:14-15 says, "Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation in which you shine like stars in the universe." (NIV)
There is a lot of evidence that we live in a crooked, perverse, and depraved generation. But we are called to live in such a way that no one could put blame on us in areas of sin. Whether that be sins of the body, sins of the soul or mind, or sins of the spirit.
Submission brings with it a promise. James 4:7 tells us that if we submit to God and resist the devil, Satan will flee from us. It will put him on the run.
And Romans 12:1-2 tells us how to put body, mind and spirit in their proper place. It says, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
We have to settle the question once and for all; Who is the boss in our lives? As God's sanctified people, the more we submit to the Lordship of Jesus, the less blame anyone can make against us.
3. Blameless by Steadfastness (God's Faithfulness)
To be blameless until the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, we will need to be steadfast and trust in God's faithfulness. Verse 24 says, “He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.” In other words, the Lord doesn't just set us on this path alone. The Psalmist was right. No matter what we go through, the Lord is with us, helping us to be blameless.
Bill and Gloria Gaither wrote a song for children that could apply to adults as well. Here are the words:
He's still working on me, To make me what I need to be.
It took him just a week to make the moon and stars,
The sun and the earth and Jupiter and Mars.
How loving and patient He must be,
'Cause He's still workin' on me.
God calls us to be blameless, but says He will be at work, preserving and encouraging us as His people. When you feel that you can't make it, remember His promises. When you feel overwhelmed, remember His strength. When you feel defeated, remember His victory.
Instead of living by our feelings, we should be seeking God's direction and continuing our walk with Him by faith.
The fact is, the Christian life is a journey. Have you gone on a trip with a child? No matter how long the trip is, be it five minutes, five hours, or five days, you are bound to hear that wonderful question, “Are we there yet?” Have you ever asked that same question in terms of the Christian life?
As I already said, sanctification, holiness, being blameless, begins at salvation. It is the process of becoming more like Christ, and ends when we reach the other side. In the meantime, God is faithful.
That is just the type of God we serve. He is holy and just, but He is also full of mercy, compassion and grace…and He will never ever give up on us. We can trust His steadfastness. And our response should be to be faithful as well, and to be steadfast in our desire to follow Him in all areas of life.
If at times you get discouraged about the limited amount of “blamelessness” in your life, take heart and stay faithful.
You have probably heard about John Newton, who wrote the song, “Amazing Grace”. He had been a captain of slave ships and he invested in the slave trade. And even was for a time held as a slave himself. He admitted to have been a profane and debauched man. When he finally yielded to Christ, his life changed and he became a minister.
In the Church in London where Newton served for years, you can find the epitaph that he wrote himself. It says, "Sacred to the memory of John Newton, once a libertine and blasphemer and slave of slaves in Africa; but, renewed, purified, pardoned and appointed to preach the Gospel which he had labored to destroy!"
John Newton's focus was on what God had done in his life. And in those words Newton confidently establishes the fact that God had "purified" him! That Jesus had taken the blame for his sins when He went to the cross. That is what is available to any and all who come to Jesus for forgiveness of the things in life that should never have been done.
The apostle Paul closes his letter with three requests. The first is a request for prayer. He who called himself the chief of sinners knew how much he relied on the sanctifying work of God. And he wanted God's help as the Lord's servant.
The second request was for those who received his letter to show Christian love to each other with a holy kiss.
Some say today that such a greeting can be a very friendly handshake.
And the third request was that this letter that we call First Thessalonians be shared with all the brethren. That is the reason it is still available for us to read today.
And because of that, we can know that God is the only one who can sanctify us through and through.
And God is the only one who can keep our whole body, soul and spirit blameless until the coming of the Lord Jesus.
And we can be assured that God, who has called us, is faithful, and He will do everything He has promised.
God wants us to know that His goal for us as we wait for Jesus to return is to be blameless.
CLOSE:
Last year WFMZ-TV in Allentown, Pennsylvania interviewed Tony and Francis Toto who were celebrating 57 years of marriage. The story began with these words: “They say what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Such is the case for an Allentown couple, whose romance made headlines 40 years ago before hitting the silver screen.”
In the interview Tony said, “We have been blessed that we had all these years. There was that one time when we had a rough time”. When Tony says they had a rough time, he's putting it mildly.
The year was 1983. Tony and Frances had four kids and a pizza shop. But then Tony strayed from the marriage, and Frances found out. What happened next is like something out of a movie. Hollywood thought so, too, turning the Totos' troubles into a feature film called "I Love You to Death."
While not everything in the movie is accurate, Frances did hire teenage hit-men to help her try to kill Tony five times. Twice she arranged for assailants to beat him over the head with baseball bats. On one occasion she put a tripwire across the basement stairs in their house, hoping that he would trip over it and fall to his death.
Two times she arranged for him to be shot. The first time she drugged his chicken soup so he would sleep soundly. And he was shot in the head, but miraculously survived.
The second time he was shot in the chest, but only sustained minor injuries. After five days, the police found out about the plot and arrested Frances and the teenage hit-men. Tony spent 12 days in the hospital.
Even more miraculous than Tony’s survival was his attitude toward his wife once he found out she was responsible for all of this. The first thing he did when he was discharged from the hospital was to bail out Frances. Tony, a self confessed lady’s man himself, said that he held his wife blameless.
But Frances had to pay for what she did, spending four years in prison. Frances and Tony talked on the phone every day.
And he took their four children and visited her every week... every single week. Then when she was released from prison, she went back to their red brick home to resume her married life with Tony.
And in that interview last year, with his arm around her, Tony said, "We’re more in love now than ever before. I don’t understand why people break up over silly little things."
I think that most people would not think all of that amounted to a few “silly little things”. But, notice: Tony held her blameless.
And in spite of all the wrong, sinful things we have done, if we are in Christ, God sees us as blameless!
