Blamelessness

It is outright significant that Christians live a blameless life. Whether or not they are is not under discussion now, but it is absolutely necessary if they wish to claim Jesus, the Most High God, as their Savior, Leader, Shepherd, Guide and King. Our blamelessness comes from our Savior who shed His unblemished blood for our sins. It begins at our salvation and must continue to the end. In everything we say or do we are called to be blameless, though we sometimes falter. Still, because we recover through forgiveness received in His blood, we ought to live blameless. Followers of Christ maintain blamelessness. They suffer, lose and sacrifice for it. It becomes their pivotal goal and occupation of life. While to others it may seem overly stretching and unprofitable, to the followers it is not a question of how people view it, but a matter of serious subjection to Christ.

It is in our blamelessness we serve the Almighty God regardless of our occupation. It is the beginning of proclaiming or reflecting the perfect image of Christ. Through many stages we come to sustain a blameless life and throughout those stages Christ makes use of every event for culminating feeble life to compose a blameless one. So, in serving Christ in any capacity we are blameless. We now even have the audacity to claim blamelessness. As we can see from the following – “While Paul said in his own defense, ‘I have committed no offense either against the Law of the Jews or against the temple or against Caesar’” (Acts 25:8). As a follower of Christ the chief law to uphold is obeying God and keeping His commandments. Only then do we become complete to do no offense against anyone or anything. We come to the point of becoming whatever we should be for a given instance while being in the law of Christ. The chief law gives us the accurate wisdom for it. It is for the lack of it that many often commit offenses against people and authorities to the insult of Christ.

In all proclamation of Christ our conscience must remain blameless. To maintain a stance like Paul is not easy. It doesn’t come quickly. It takes a certain way of living for Christ. It is not as easy to attain as we are made to see through various communication means. Many approve and prove blamelessness with knowledge, intelligence and works. They do it by the wisdom of the world. Rather than steering their conscience with the chief law they sear it with the world’s wisdom. It only begets dust and ashes. The Spirit aptly questions “Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?” (1 Cor. 1:20). There is not a wise man, scribe or a debater who can make his or her way to blamelessness. It takes a follower of Christ for it. Our speech and actions must reflect our conscience seared with Christ. It is a highly difficult task given that the times are not as conducive as we wish them to be. Still, it is achievable. Serious consideration of Christ’s words that opine on becoming enemies of the world gives us enough thought to prepare for it – if we wish to follow Jesus, the task becomes highly difficult.

To achieve the task the chief law should not be dampened. The first step toward it is the following. “Therefore, laying aside falsehood, SPEAK TRUTH EACH ONE of you WITH HIS NEIGHBOR, for we are members of one another” (Eph. 4:25). We ought not to damage ourselves. To speak lies is of the old nature and it showcases our horrific state as believers. But the more we are Christ minded and with Christ the easy it is for us to avoid lies. We can even perceive them and avoid falling for them. Often it is the feeling of what people might think that leads men to restrain from speaking the truth. Refraining to speak the truth about Christ and compromising His principles to avoid inconvenience is also falsehood. It primarily comes from fear of dogma, selfishness, prejudice and lack of perception. Once we keep the command of speaking the truth commandments become easy. The wisdom in them lightens any burden present.

The second step is not losing focus on who we actually serve and live for. “But to which of the angels has He ever said, ‘SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND, UNTIL I MAKE YOUR ENEMIES A FOOTSTOOL FOR YOUR FEET?’” (Heb. 1:13). This statement is an irrevocable guarantee for victory in any and every situation. When we are of Christ, every enemy of ours is His. The Father fights for the Son so that His kingdom (we) triumphs and is safe and secure. While the form of blamelessness is the work of pure conscience, its true quality is trusting in the power of Almighty God. We maintain blamelessness with the conviction that God keeps us from the consequences of opposing sin and its power.

An integral part of obeying God is attending to the guidance of the Spirit. It is the third step. Such guidance does not appear without the conscience being seared with Christ. The Spirit must identify with Christ in our conscience to guide us. Compromising Christ’s principles will only restrain the Spirit from interfering for our well-being. “He who has an ear let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, to him I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and a new name written on the stone which no one knows but he who receives it” (Rev. 2:17). Many are deluded into thinking that it is the Spirit that alone suffices. It is further from the truth. Unless their conscience is marked with Christ, they are misled. As we are accustomed to the Spirit, we overcome. The hidden manna, the white stone and a new name are all rewards of the works of a pure conscience guided by the Spirit.

The fourth step is to understand that which God specifically required from us and keeping it without blemish. Paul encouraged Timothy by saying, “that you keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Tim. 6:14). To each one God gives a purpose and concerning it He lays down the principle. The principle is His commandment and when our entire focus is on fulfilling it, and not soil it, we keep everything of the Lord, whether commandments or principles, to safeguard it. Regardless of our occupation the Lord chooses us to serve Him in the capacity He knows He can achieve through us.

The final step is to realize that once we begin following Jesus we are governed by a higher law, though there are many laws. Righteousness and justice comes from God’s law. “Or do you not know, brethren (for I am speaking to those who know the law), that the law has jurisdiction over a person as long as he lives?” (Rom. 7:1). Paul in writing this insists that God’s righteousness and justice can be compared to none. The earthly laws may make provision for certain odd things, events, situations and premises owing to sin or limited wisdom in men, but the law of God is ultimate leaving no room for loose ends. Once we are under His law we are governed by it, sustained by it and triumph by it. God owns us as long as we live and will not let any sin or harm perpetually overtake us.

Posted in 2017, Archives, RECENT ARTICLES.