Blamelessness – The Gospel of Regeneration |
The Gospel By Promise (FINISHED IN THE PAST)
God tells you what He has done. How He walked. ~ Imputed Righteousness (Rom. 8:10, Eph. 2:8-9, 1 Cor. 6:11)~ 1) Blameless (unblameable, without blame & offence, unreprovable & without rebuke, faultless, sincere)
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The Gospel By Command (AT PRESENT)
God tells you what you must do, in Him & through Him. How you must walk, in Him & through Him. ~Works Righteousness (1 Cor. 6:9-10, Eph. 2:10)~ Walk: Col. 2:6, Gal. 5:16, 25, Eph. 4:17, 5:8, 1 Cor. 3:3, 1 John 2:6 1) Blameless (unblameable, without blame & offense, unreprovable & without rebuke, faultless, sincere)
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Initial Blamelessness
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love” (Eph. 1:3-4).
“Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the Day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by Whom ye were called unto the fellowship of His Son Jesus Christ our Lord” (1 Co. 1:8-9). |
According to the purpose of God in salvation, and according to predestination in God’s absolute sovereignty, God has chosen those who will be saved, and lo, they will be presented “holy and without blame before Him.” These are descriptive terms of those who will be presented and accepted before the Judgment Seat. If a studious disciple of the Lord searched the NT scriptures for an understanding about biblical blamelessness, the discoveries would be startling! “The Day of our Lord Jesus Christ”, as 1 Corinthians 1:8-9 holds it in view, is the constant burden which energizes the preaching, praying, and pursuit of every saint for personal and corporate blamelessness. The sheer number of times that the biblical pastors of inspired scripture are mindfully dominated about preparing for Judgment Day is shocking! We must understand that God’s eternal purpose for the elect is to present them “holy and without blame” before God (Eph. 1:3-4), that the promises of God do pointedly deliver from blamableness before God (1 Cor. 1:8-9); nevertheless, it is the responsibility of each saint to have faith, lay hold upon, and walk out in blamelessness before God. Initial blamelessness is instantaneous and immediate, but present progressive blamelessness is commanded; therefore God’s confirming grace makes a man blameless “UNTO THE END” when he appears before the Judgment at “the Day of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 1:8-9).
Present Progressive Blamelessness
Present Progressive Blamelessness
“And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath He reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in His sight: If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister” (Colossians 1:21-23).
“I have somewhat against thee” – Rev. 2:4 “I have a few things against thee” – Rev. 2:14 “I have a few things against thee” – Rev. 2:20 “I will give unto every one of you according to your works” – Rev. 2:23 “I have not found thy works perfect before God” – Rev. 3:2 |
We are initially blameless in Christ because of the imputed righteousness therein, but present progressive blamelessness is obtained by walking in the faith, to keep it, to be a man that does “continue in the faith grounded and settled”, and is “not moved away from the hope of the gospel” (Col. 1:21-23). Christ Jesus saves sinners “in the body of His flesh through death”, for what? “To present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in His sight” (Col. 1:21-23). However, notice the IF! “If ye continue in the faith”, Paul says! The NT writers continually press upon the memory of the saints the dangers of those who “draw back” (Heb. 10:38-39) from faith in the gospel. They are pressed to keep the faith steadfastly until “He that shall come will come” (Heb. 10:37), that is, Jesus Christ the Lord. If the saint maintains saving faith presently and progressively, then they will, as “the elders” of Hebrews 11 did, “obtain a good report” (Heb. 11:2, 39)…but what is a bad report? What does it mean for a man to be found in blame before God on that final Day? This is what is meant in the verses above cited from Revelation 2:4, 14, 20, 23, 3:2. At this time, Jesus Christ has something against you, some point to blame you on, proving by it that you have fallen from saving faith in the gospel of Christ. Each of these regenerate Churches who were found blamed were charged to repent or perish.
Faith is judged by indicating evidences, a man’s fruits, and if they be “in” them and “abounding” (as 2 Peter 1:5-14 taught), there is no blame before God. If a saint falls, he must get back up again and be revived, which is to believe in the gospel again, and with the reviving of their faith they are enabled to have a blameless repentance from however they fell into the damnable spiritual condition. Of course, this blameless repentance is judged by its fruits (2 Cor. 7:10-11). When such fruits are in the heart and deed of the man unto perfection (Lk. 8:14, Rev. 3:2), then salvation is maintained because they did, in this way, obtain a “clearing of themselves” (2 Cor. 7:11) from the manner in which they were blamed by God.
Faith is judged by indicating evidences, a man’s fruits, and if they be “in” them and “abounding” (as 2 Peter 1:5-14 taught), there is no blame before God. If a saint falls, he must get back up again and be revived, which is to believe in the gospel again, and with the reviving of their faith they are enabled to have a blameless repentance from however they fell into the damnable spiritual condition. Of course, this blameless repentance is judged by its fruits (2 Cor. 7:10-11). When such fruits are in the heart and deed of the man unto perfection (Lk. 8:14, Rev. 3:2), then salvation is maintained because they did, in this way, obtain a “clearing of themselves” (2 Cor. 7:11) from the manner in which they were blamed by God.
“Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy…” (Jude 1:24)
“Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.” (Gal. 6:1) |
What does it mean to be found at fault before God, rather than “faultless before the Presence of His glory” (Jude 1:24)? In Jude 1:24, faults are equated with the spiritual condition of one who has fallen. Is there a NT burden about saints “falling?” For a saint to fall, it is a falling from saving faith into a damnable condition (1 Cor. 10:12, 2 Peter 1:10-11, 3:17, Rom. 11:11-12, 1 Tim. 3:6, 6:9, James 5:12, 2 Thess. 2:3, Heb. 4:11). To be “overtaken in a fault”, or fallen, is a blind condition in danger of Judgment (Matt. 7:1-5), and at such a time a man needs to be recovered, but, lo, the man cannot see that he may, by his own graces, recover himself. Therefore he needs a “spiritual” man (Gal. 6:1) to help recover him, a man that can “see clearly” (Matt. 7:5) how to “restore” (Gal. 6:1) from the overtaking blindness. Paul rebuked the Corinthian Church, saying, “there is utterly a fault among you” (1 Cor. 6:6), and it was because there were no spiritual men (those who fit the description, “a wise man” [1 Cor. 6:5] or “ye which are spiritual” [Gal. 6:1]), who were rising to the task of judgment and reconciliation between the brethren as Galatians 6:1 and Matthew 7:1-5 reference, and as you know, dear reader, neither foolish men nor carnal men are heaven-bound. We must be wise and spiritual to be saved, for this is the gospel purchase! A very similar passage in James 5:19-20 gives the same charge for NT Christians to restore their brethren from fallen and damnable conditions, otherwise called faults or blame. Both prayer and preaching are the means of restoration for these fallen saints (James 5:16-20). The danger to be fought against is clear: “Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.” Do you think the biblical pastors and apostles did exhibit a different burden than this? Read of their burdens and see what ailed their souls, see what drove them to prayer and preaching!
Apostolic & Pastoral Burden
“And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the Day of Christ” (Php. 1:9-10). “Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure. Do all things without murmurings and disputings: That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the Day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain” (Php. 2:12-16). “Night and day praying exceedingly that we might see your face, and might perfect that which is lacking in your faith? Now God Himself and our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way unto you. And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you: To the end He may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints. Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more” (1Thess 3:10-4:1). |
Comparing Scripture
“That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Tim. 6:14). “Ephraim shall be desolate in the day of rebuke” (Hosea 5:9). “Rebuke me not in Thy wrath” (Psalm 38:1). “Thy sons have fainted, they lie at the head of all the streets, as a wild bull in a net: they are full of the fury of the LORD, the rebuke of thy God” (Isaiah 51:20). “The LORD shall send upon thee cursing, vexation, and rebuke, in all that thou settest thine hand unto for to do, until thou be destroyed, and until thou perish quickly; because of the wickedness of thy doings, whereby thou hast forsaken me” (Deuteronomy 28:20). “It is burned with fire, it is cut down: they perish at the rebuke of Thy countenance” (Psalm 80:16). “Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer” (1 Cor. 10:10). |
Saints who are under the wrath of God have become His enemies (James 4:4) or adversaries (Heb. 10:27), as was formerly addressed in detail. Such a state is a rebukable state (1 Tim. 6:14), which God seeks to prevent us from, that we might rather be the “sons of God without rebuke” (Php. 2:15). If God’s sons will be “without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation”, it will be that they are uncorrupted by the crookedness and perversion around them; but if they are corrupted, God saith: “They have corrupted themselves, their spot is not the spot of His children: they are a perverse and crooked generation” (Deut. 32:5). The rebuke of God is a mark indicating damnation (Hos. 5:9, Isa. 51:20, Psalm 80:16), of curse and destruction (Deut. 28:20); thus it is feared by the righteous who are cast off and backslidden (Psalms 38:1, 6:1). To be without rebuke is also to be “blameless and harmless” (Php. 2:15). My reader, renew your mind and understand, tremble and imagine the possibility, if haply, you stand before the Lord your Master suddenly to discover – not the joy of God, but His rebuke! And lo! It proceedeth out of His mouth with damnable force like as it was written of old, “they perish at the rebuke of Thy countenance” (Ps. 80:16)! My reader, you will be like all things which perished at the rebuke of God’s countenance in time past: “burned with fire” and “cut down” (Ps. 80:16).
As you can see, faults, blame, offense, rebukable, and insincerity are all damnable characteristics of those who fall from perfection. In Galatians 2:11-18, the word blame describes a damnable state of a regenerate man (the apostle Peter), and the apostle Paul was the spiritual man who interceded with judgment to stay the plague of carnality that was striking Peter and all those who followed him. 1 Thess. 3:10-4:1 & Philippians 1:9-19 do show the apostolic burden for blamelessness to be great – so great that there is ceaseless prayer for its maintenance, and how scarcely it is obtained?! The infamous sin of “murmurings and disputings” became infamous because it was one way men were reprobated from salvation in centuries past – the same men whose reprobation stands for our example that we should not follow them in it (1 Cor. 10:10-12). Therefore this sin is warned against as a matter of fear and trembling over our present progressive salvation and blamelessness, lest we are under the NT rebuke of God warned of in Php. 2:12-16! Are you a complainer?
As you can see, faults, blame, offense, rebukable, and insincerity are all damnable characteristics of those who fall from perfection. In Galatians 2:11-18, the word blame describes a damnable state of a regenerate man (the apostle Peter), and the apostle Paul was the spiritual man who interceded with judgment to stay the plague of carnality that was striking Peter and all those who followed him. 1 Thess. 3:10-4:1 & Philippians 1:9-19 do show the apostolic burden for blamelessness to be great – so great that there is ceaseless prayer for its maintenance, and how scarcely it is obtained?! The infamous sin of “murmurings and disputings” became infamous because it was one way men were reprobated from salvation in centuries past – the same men whose reprobation stands for our example that we should not follow them in it (1 Cor. 10:10-12). Therefore this sin is warned against as a matter of fear and trembling over our present progressive salvation and blamelessness, lest we are under the NT rebuke of God warned of in Php. 2:12-16! Are you a complainer?
“Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses. I give thee charge in the sight of God, Who quickeneth all things, and before Christ Jesus, Who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession; That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ: (1 Tim. 6:12-14)
“As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.” (Rev. 3:19) |
Even Timothy needed the fierce warnings of God to continue on, to lay hold upon eternal life! 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 and 1 Corinthians 1:8-9 show how the promises and calling of God for blamelessness is a gift of God, but like as eternal life, must be as 1 Timothy 6:12 states, laid hold upon, so also our blamelessness and unrebukableness must be laid hold upon (1 Tim. 6:14, Peter 3:14). Those who are in a rebukable and blamable state are confronted with the rebukes of Christ to repent or perish, and if a man understood the good mind of the Lord behind it, and that it was given in love to save their souls, then they would respond to the “rebuke” so as to clear themselves (2 Cor. 7:11) from it, being recovered into salvation’s final presentation – “unrebukeable until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Tim. 6:14).
“Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in His holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation. This is the generation of them that seek Him, that seek Thy face, O Jacob. Selah” (Psalm 24:3-6).
“And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the Mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having His Father's name written in their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps: And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth. These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb. And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the Throne of God” (Rev. 14:1-5). |
Duncan Campbell reported the wondrous Revival of the Isle of Lewis to the world via the internet. Today, these recordings are listened to across the world! Duncan argued that the work of reviving grace was an outpouring in fulfillment to one primary text’s conditions. He affirms that a similar revival can be experienced if indeed we meet these very same conditions outlined by his primary text. Namely, one must meet the conditions of Psalm 24:3-6. What I desire for my reader to see is: Though other fulfillments of this promise can be shadowed in time, the apex of this passage is finally fulfilled at the final salvation of God’s people, and, what is terrifying is that Duncan preached this as conditions for Revival, but he left the people unaware that these conditions are, biblically and contextually speaking, conditions for final salvation, so the people imagine a revival experience that is eternally insignificant for their own souls, and that it is only for the salvation of lost souls, but God is signifying that these conditions are for the final salvation of regenerate souls! And if the saints will obtain this final standing before God, it is because they have been initially and present-progressively standing with God on the holy mount of Zion (Heb. 12:22-23). How does one know if they are presently and progressively standing on Mount Zion? According to Psalm 24:3-6 & Revelation 14:1-5, you must have – “clean hands,” “a pure heart,” a denial of “vanity” and false swearing, “not defiled with women,” as “virgins,” as one that does “follow the Lamb withersoever He goeth,” having no “guile” in the mouth and “without fault” before the Throne. Are you one of those “who shall ascend the Hill of the LORD” so as to be finally saved? Then presently and progressively abide in such a character of blamelessness – personally for sure, and God willing, corporately!