Be Without Blame Before Him

This transcript was generated automatically. Its accuracy may vary

Short Summary
The discourse emphasizes that being holy and without blemish is part of God’s design for the Church, chosen before the world’s foundation to be presented blameless in His presence. It highlights the ongoing Christian journey of maintaining purity and righteousness through God’s grace, the cleansing power of His word, and personal faithfulness despite human imperfection. Ultimately, the faithful Church will be presented as a glorious bride to Christ, reflecting God’s mercy and love, and will be vindicated and honored before all.

Long Summary
Detailed Summary of the Discourse on Being Holy and Blameless in God’s Presence

Introduction and Context:
– The discourse builds on Brother Mark’s opening and centers on a key scriptural concept: Christians are treated by God as holy and without blame.
– This condition is not accidental but part of God the Father’s eternal design, chosen “before the foundation of the world.”
– The speaker references the Weymouth translation of Ephesians 1:4, highlighting that God’s choice of the Church is “in His love” and “in His presence,” emphasizing the importance of God’s love and the ultimate goal of being in His presence.

Meaning of Key Terms:
– “Without blame” is unpacked using Webster’s definitions: to be free from censure, disapproval, or fault-finding.
– “Without blemish” refers to being free from marks of deformity or injury, including moral defects or tarnished reputation.
– These terms describe the spiritual condition God desires for His people.

Scriptural Support for the Church as God’s Own:
– The Church is described as God’s own possession (Titus 2:14; 1 Peter 2:9), a “peculiar people,” chosen and owned by Christ (John 13).
– The “holy and without blemish” condition is to be the family characteristic of God’s chosen people.
– “In His presence” is understood as the ultimate goal of faithful Christians—to stand blameless before God after this life.

The Present and Future Reality of Being Holy and Blameless:
– Colossians 1:22 states believers are reconciled through Christ’s death “to present you holy and blameless and without reproach.”
– Romans 8:1 declares “no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus who walk after the Spirit,” illustrating the present experience of justification.
– 2 Corinthians 5:21 reveals the profound exchange: Christ, sinless, became sin for us so we might become the righteousness of God.
– Colossians 1:23 stresses the need to continue steadfast in faith to maintain this condition.

Maintaining the Condition – The Christian Walk:
– Jude 1:24-25 promises God’s ability to keep believers “without blemish” to stand before His glory.
– A critical distinction is made between being “blameless” and “faultless”:
– Christians are blameless when living according to their light and ability, though not perfect or faultless.
– The Christian’s “robe” (symbolizing righteousness and character) may be marred but can be cleansed through repentance and God’s grace.
– Philippians 2:12-13 exhorts believers to “work out your salvation with fear and trembling,” recognizing God works in us both the will and the doing of His good pleasure.
– The world’s challenges, including negative influences like social media, make maintaining a spotless “robe” a significant but beautiful task.

Patience and Growth in Holiness:
– 2 Peter 3:11-14 encourages believers to live “holy and godly lives” in view of the coming new heavens and earth.
– Christians should strive to be found “at peace without spot or blemish,” understanding the Lord’s patience as a means of salvation.
– 2 Peter 3:18 urges growth “in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,” highlighting ongoing spiritual development.
– The speaker emphasizes the importance of being a “brother of the Head and the heart,” combining understanding with loving devotion.

Love as a Motivating Force:
– 1 Thessalonians 3:12-13 prays for love to abound among believers, strengthening hearts in holiness so they may be blameless.
– Love is described as a life-long study and application, especially challenging when dealing with enemies.
– The discourse highlights that true love “burns against sin” (hatred of sin), while still loving sinners.
– Reprint 4662 uses the metaphor of a cistern filling with pure water to describe the continual increase of love overflowing into every aspect of life, glorifying God.

The Bride of Christ and Sanctification:
– Ephesians 5:25-27 pictures Christ as the bridegroom who sanctifies and cleanses the Church, the bride, “to present her holy and blameless, without spot or wrinkle.”
– The immersion/baptism imagery portrays Christians as helpless but trusting candidates under Christ’s supervision.
– The process of sanctification involves the “washing of water by the Word” (truth) and God’s active work in the believer.
– Psalm 45:13 describes the bride’s inner glory and clothing “interwoven with gold,” symbolizing the divine embroidery of character and righteousness.
– The completed Church is not simply forgiven but transformed and adorned for presentation to Christ and the Father.

Final Presentation and Eternal Rewards:
– Jude 1:24-25 again affirms God’s power to keep believers from falling and present them with rejoicing in His presence.
– The presentation is twofold: first to Christ who supervises the work, then to the Father in glory (Ephesians 1:4).
– Reprint 5862 emphasizes the Church’s unique status as Christ’s beloved Bride—His companion, confidant, and treasure.
– Isaiah 25:8 and Psalm 37:5-6 promise God will remove all reproach and fully vindicate His people.
– Isaiah 62:3 depicts the Church as a “crown of beauty” and “royal diadem” displayed openly by God, symbolizing the visible holiness and honor of His faithful people in the new creation.

Conclusion:
– The discourse closes with an encouragement to maintain holiness and blamelessness, trusting God’s grace and power.
– The task is challenging but glorious—being prepared as the Bride of Christ and standing spotless before God.
– The ultimate goal is not only personal salvation but to be a testimony of God’s mercy and power and to share eternal joy and glory with Christ.

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Key Bible Verses Mentioned:

Ephesians 1:3-4: God chose the Church in love before the world’s foundation to be holy and without blemish in His presence.
Colossians 1:22,23: Reconciled to present holy and blameless if continuing in faith.
Romans 8:1,4: No condemnation for those in Christ who walk by the Spirit; law fulfilled in us.
2 Corinthians 5:21: Christ became sin for us so we become God’s righteousness.
Jude 1:24-25: God keeps us without blemish in His presence with rejoicing.
Philippians 2:12-13: Work out salvation with God working in us.
2 Peter 3:11-14,18: Live holy lives while awaiting new heavens and earth; grow in grace and knowledge.
1 Thessalonians 3:12-13: Increase in love and be strengthened in holiness to be blameless.
Ephesians 5:25-27: Christ sanctifies the Church to present her holy and blameless.
Psalm 45:13: Bride all glorious within, clothed with gold embroidery.
Isaiah 25:8: God removes reproach and wipes away tears.
Psalm 37:5-6: God vindicates His people.
Isaiah 62:3: Church is a crown of beauty and royal diadem in God’s hand.

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This discourse emphasizes that being holy and blameless is both a present reality and a future hope, maintained by God’s grace and our faithful growth, culminating in the glorious presentation of the Church as the spotless Bride of Christ before God’s presence.

Transcript

So, friends, we wanted to start. We appreciate Brother Mark’s opening for us and the text. Again, I think the important part in verse three is really this is of our Father’s design. If you have difficulty with a concept that the Lord treats Christians as holy and without blame, keep in mind this is of his design. Now, I’m quoting the Weymouth here, which is a little different translation.

It starts within his love. It seems to be an emphasis on God’s love. In his plan, he chose the Church as his own in Christ, before the creation of the world. That we might be holy and without blemish is the way Waymoth translates it, and then instead of in him, use a phrase in his presence, which I think is important, as we hope to show you.

Now, this is a dress that is embroidered in gold, dear friends, and this verse four, we’re going to emphasize the without blemish. What does that mean? There’s really two parts to this assignment, the without blame and in him, in our portion of this assignment.

Now, blame in Webster’s means to censure, to express disapproval or dislike, to find fault with. It’s the opposite of praising or commending. I don’t know about you, brethren, but censure, disapproval, dislike, I find those difficult to deal with. Praising and commending is much easier. A blemish is a mark of deformity.

It’s an injury or something that is impaired, which is well formed or excellent, to mar or make defective, and that’s either in body or in mind. Blemish can also mean to tarnish a reputation or to defame. Now, Ephesians 1:4 also has this phrase in his presence, and we might read verse four differently, but I believe he refers to God here, the One who blessed us, the Church, to sit in heavenly places, which we found in verse three.

And it’s interesting. It mentions, he chose us as his own. You know, brethren, we’re also scripturally Christ owned. You know, he said in John 13, at the beginning of the Passover, he said that he loved his own to the end, referring to the church. But we have several scriptures that refer to the church.

You know it as people for a peculiar people. That phrase is also a people for his own possession. That’s new American standard from Titus 2:14, and that phrase is used also in 1st Peter 2. 9, that the royal priesthood, holy nation are also God’s own people.

So just to confirm this point, that God has chosen the church as his own. We might say family members, and and in doing so, I Mean this was his design before the foundation of the world, as mentioned earlier. But to be part of that family, brethren, the family characteristics are holiness, and instead of saying without blemish, I’m going to say without disapproval or without disfavor.

And this in his presence, brethren, we believe is a reference to the end result when we are in his presence, if we’re faithful, when we’re in his presence on the other side. Now, this phrase, holy and without blame, it’s surprising. It occurs in Scriptures in several places, and in some places it’s referring to the present Life and Colossians 1:22. He has now reconciled you in his fleshly body through death, in order to present you before him holy and blameless, without reproach.

Now, brethren, I’ll just quote briefly here, reprint 5907. Oh, the blessedness of this thought. Can we be blameless? If we reach the kingdom, dear brethren, we shall indeed be blameless. Meantime, our characters are to be blameless here.

God would never blame us for things we could not help, but only for things we could help, and he’s made an arrangement whereby if we have made mistakes, we can go to the fountain of cleansing. You know, brethren, this picture here is of really a white robe that we have to maintain from the time that the consecration is accepted. The Lord looks at the new creature. He sees that white robe.

He doesn’t see blemishes, he doesn’t see unholiness, except as we might allow that garment to get bedraggled or wrinkled or in whatever way we might allow it to be marred. Romans 8:1:4 is so beautiful. Brethren, we have a brother in the Wilmington class that loves this passage because he felt so condemned before. Romans 8:1 says, There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus who walk after the Spirit and not after the flesh, and verse four is remarkable.

In order that the requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who did not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. Isn’t that amazing? Brethren, you think about how the Jewish people, the Orthodox, try to keep 613 commandments of the law, and here we have a scripture that says the requirements of the law are fulfilled in the church. Well, at 2 Corinthians 5:21, brethren, this is something, I think, that will bring all of us to our knees.

For our sake. He made him to be a sin offering who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. That is amazing. You know, Brother Mark asked about what’s Our motivation for, you know, in the end, what we’re doing in our service to the Lord, what’s our motivation to be on the other side? I think what’s really beautiful from God’s standpoint is that the faithful church will be an everlasting testimony of God’s mercy that he can reach so low and his power that he could lift so high from those who were in sin.

But this arrangement of being holy and blameless, now maintaining it, realizing on the other side, is critical for us. Colossians 1:23 carries that thought further. If indeed you continue in the faith, firmly established and steadfast and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you’ve heard. Brethren, I love the breastplate and the picture of the armor because it covers the heart, and to me it’s saying that righteousness, really, that we gain through the atonement that Christ has accomplished, that should be the closest thing to our heart.

And this hope of the gospel that you’ve heard being firmly established and steadfast, we want to keep that realization of what Christ has done for us fresh every day in our hearts.

Jude 1:24,25 also has this thought of without blemish, and to him who is able to keep you from falling, to make you stand without blemish in the presence of his glory with rejoicing. Now I’m going to quote here. This is a selected quote from reprint 1115. This is not Brother Russell’s thoughts, but ones that he selected.

And it’s interesting because I think the distinction here is the faithful church is blameless, but it’s not faultless. Again, think about that. Blameless, but not faultless. No Christian is or can be faultless before the Lord. Blameless all may and ought to be.

The child that does its needlework faithfully is commended, though not a stitch is perfect. The child is blameless, but the work is not faultless. The Christian who lives up to his light and ability is blameless, but in God’s sight faulty. He is not always conscious of his defects. His eyes are not as sharp as God’s.

His best efforts are like the needlework of the little girl, well done for her, but so defective, in fact, that every stitch must be removed and done again by a more experienced hand. Saints sometimes judge themselves perfect because they are not conscious of sin. They may be innocent, but surely not perfect. That’s another interesting distinction. Innocent, but not perfect.

With more light and culture they would discern defects. Others of more experience observe them now, but they see not because not sufficiently Educated or advanced in wisdom, Jesus keeps his trusting sheep blameless, and step by step leads them up to higher culture, richer wisdom, purer tastes, until finally he gives them his likeness in glory. Now, friends, what is remarkable to me about that, and I think any of you who’ve been in the way a long time know this, keeping your robe is more and more challenging. You know, I know I was very idealistic when I consecrated, and, you know, we need rounding out experiences, and I think that’s what this higher culture and so forth is really discussing here, that we need more and more challenging experiences for the new creature to be rounded out.

And a major part of that is keeping that robe spotless, going to the Lord when we do fail, when we recognize those defects and challenges that we have.

Philippians 2:12. I’ll do 13, 12 and 13. Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and do his good pleasure, and it goes on to mention, do all things without murmuring and arguing, so that you may be blameless and innocent children of God without blemish in this world. It really underscores, you know, how many challenges do we have from the world, the atmosphere in the world.

Brother Brett was talking about social media and all the crazy things you can bring in to your mind, and we have to be faithful in this kind of generation. Without blemish.

It’s quite a task, brethren, but it’s a beautiful task. Second Peter 3:14, 15. This is interesting. This is in the context of the day of the Lord, the old heavens and the old earth passing away, the new heavens and the new earth coming in, and it says, therefore, beloved, while you are waiting for these things, strive to be found by him at peace without spot or blemish, and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation.

This is a big part of keeping our garments and maintaining this holy and blameless condition. Now, there’s a negative reason, brethren. It’s interesting and a positive reason. In the context in second Peter 3:11, talking about the old heavens and old earth. It says, since all these things are to be destroyed, what sort of person ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness?

Don’t just go along with what you see in the world, brethren, because it’s prevalent, but realize this world is passing away. But then, 2 Peter 3:13, the positive reason says, according to his promise, we are looking for new heavens and a new earth in which dwells righteousness, and then he says, therefore, beloved, while you’re waiting for these things Strive be found in peace without spot or blemish, and so forth, and we believe, friends, this regard, the patience of our Lord as salvation. It’s talking about, are you in this experience as a Christian?

Are you taking all your experiences, however much the Lord sees you need? Do you take them with patience? Do you recognize them as part of the all things that he permits for us? You think of all that Jesus patiently experienced, brethren. That’s our example to follow.

Second Peter 3:18 ends the chapter. Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I believe this is a reference to the process that we go through, friends, as we progress in our consecrations. It’s a step of grace and it’s a step of knowledge. Are you faithful to the understanding you’re gaining as you learn truth, as you see higher principles, as you see defects in in your character?

Are you willing to face that? Do you accept the Lord’s grace and help in his providences and the cleansing experiences that he permits us? You know, brethren, we heard one time, I’m sorry, this is an aside, but sometimes we might ask, are you a brother of the Head or the heart? And sometimes I think we might ask the wrong question. It’s good to stop and say, what question should we ask?

The question really is, what would God have us to be? And brethren, shouldn’t we be a brother of the Head and the heart? Shouldn’t we strive to understand the Lord’s will as best as we can and to apply those truths with a loving devotion? That motivation of serving God, loving His people, loving His Word, all of that is critical. Don’t fall into the trap of either or.

Any question that gives you an either or, stop a minute and ask, is that the right question? And what would the Lord have us be? What do the Scriptures say on the topic?

First Thessalonians 3, 13, 12, 13. This is kind of interesting, brethren. It says, may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another for all, just as we abound in love for you. You know, friends, this is interesting. Do you think of love as a life study?

Do you think of it as a life application? Do you realize how much you need the Lord’s help to learn that agape love, especially when you have enemies? You know, we don’t all start out with enemy experience, as some of the brethren do. But it is quite a work, and I love this phrase in verse 13. May he so strengthen your hearts in holiness that you may be blameless.

That’s another expression of our walk as Christians, the strengthening of our hearts and the desire for right. You know, love Brethren, an aspect that we don’t often talk about is that love burns against sin. Now, love doesn’t burn against sinners. It looks longs to recover sinners, but love burns about against all sin. Do you hate the sins you see in yourself?

Well, you have the greatest motivation to fight and overcome and correct those sins. But we mentioned this love burns against sin because it’s not enough to love righteousness. We also have to hate iniquity. There are both aspects here. Again, we don’t want to be, pardon me for saying it this way, partial Christians, where we take things that we like and we ignore things that are difficult in the Scriptures.

Here I’d like to quote from reprint 4662 this point about Strengthen your heart in holiness. It is as though a cistern were being filled more and more with pure water from hidden springs until increasing and increasing it overflows with its abundance. Thus the Lord’s people are to increase in love continually until the love abounds or overflows in all the thoughts and words and conducts of life, not only carrying blessings to their own refreshment, but to the refreshment of all with whom they come in contact, but above all redounding to the glory and praise of God from whom the blessing derived.

Brother, we were really fascinated. I don’t know if the class, when you chose the program, if you realize I was really struck Ephesians 5, 25 and really through 27, it’s going to get into holy and blameless again, and it’s kind of an amazing picture because it’s talking about husbands loving your wives. As Christ loved the church, so it’s putting this holy and blameless in the context of, of this marriage relationship, and I don’t know, brethren, I like the idea of immersion because it helps in understanding our relationship with our head, the captain of our salvation.

In that picture, he is shown as the one doing the immersing. The baptismal candidate presents himself or herself for immersion, and you look at the picture, the candidate is helpless in the water. You know, candidates don’t lower themselves in the water. They put themselves in the hand of the immerser who lays them backwards, which is about the most helpless position you could be in, and then, you know, you could hold them down for a while, I guess.

But we know you bring them up. But you have to trust the one that is doing this, and brethren, that’s Christ is in charge. He. He is supervising our experiences you know, brethren, you look at this kind of picture, and it goes on to say that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word.

Here is the truth. Coming to understand the high principles of what Christian life is and applying those and wanting to know about our Father’s plan to have the necessary inspiration to. To do this cleansing work. Dear brethren, well, when you think about this, going back to the marriage context, verse 27 says, it goes on to say so as to present the church to himself in splendor without a spot or wrinkle or anything of the kind. Yes, so that she may be holy and without blemish.

Here’s the finished picture, brethren. This is why we have the washing of the water of the Word, and he is supervising that process. Now, I looked at this, brethren, and I’m thinking, you know, in our culture, what groom helps his bride get ready for the wedding? You know, the bride does everything with the dress, and you don’t see her until right before the wedding.

That’s the way most do this, and I love this, that he presents the church to himself in glory, and he desires these characteristics. The church in the finished picture is beautiful. To our Master and friends, I apologize for the picture because I think it’s difficult to picture the presentation of the church to Jesus. But we hope in some small way, this thought of the presentation of a bride on her wedding day gives some idea of the groom’s joy in the bride and their anticipation of their life and works together.

Now, we might get the idea from these texts that all the work is God’s, that he works in us and so forth, and Jesus is supervising the work. But we have this beautiful picture in Psalm 45:13 of the King’s daughter, and we believe this picture is of the completed church just at the time ready to enter into the marriage, and the glorious inner beauty is referred to here in verse 13. She’s all glorious within.

Then it goes on to say, her clothing is interwoven with gold. It implies that there has been this embroidery work that has gone on, that this white robe of righteousness that we’re giving at the beginning. The experiences, the character that has been developed, that those that are faithful, it is like embroidering with divinity, like with gold, brethren, and this is such a miracle that in this condition we live in now, in this flesh, the Lord can only treat us holy and blameless. We can progress on until that is full at heart and we are fit fully to come into the presence of our Father and of his son.

Jude 1:24:25 Again, it emphasizes without blemish to make you stand without blemish in the presence of his glory with rejoicing, and brethren, we believe here that the him who is able to keep you from falling. We can read this differently, but I believe this is talking about Jesus who’s been supervising our experience, but presenting in the presence of his glory with rejoicing. I believe that’s talking about the Father’s glory, and it ties back, I believe, to the Ephesians 1:4 that we are holy and without blemish in God’s presence. I believe there’s a presentation with Christ that He receives us first and then there’s a presentation to the Heavenly Father.

Now, I don’t know many Brethren love reprint 5862. It is a reference to treasures in heaven, and there is one of the most beautiful quotes about the position of the Church with Christ quoting, nor will any other creatures, either in heaven or in earth, receives such marks of special favor as are and ever will be the portion of the beloved Bride of Christ. Although the whole family in heaven and earth we bless through Him. His wife, cooperating with him in his work, will alone be his companion, his confidant, his treasure.

Now really think about that. The church is being prepared to be the most fit companion for Jesus for eternity, for any work that he is to enter into. We’d encourage you to go there’s much more to the quote, but to me that is just the beautiful part of the key of this quote. His companion, his confidant, his treasure, Brethren, it’s interesting. All the texts we’ve looked at so far emphasize the holy and without blemish which we see in heaven in the finished picture.

But there’s a scripture I don’t know that we talk about too much. Isaiah 25:8 you recognize death being swallowed up, wiping tears away from all faces. But verse 8 in Isaiah 25 adds, he will remove the reproach of his people from all the earth. Remember when we defined blame, we included disapproval and disfavor and dislike. Well, brethren, you’ve all experienced that out in the work world there are ones that, you know, wanted to give us a hard time.

We had trouble with the Lord’s going to remove all that. It’s not only the church will be holy and without blemish, but he’s going to remove the rebuke, the reproach, the dislike, the disfavor from the church, and Psalm 37:5,6 points out to those who fully committed their way to the Lord and trust him, help bring forth their righteousness as the light as the noonday sun. Some translations say, so the Lord will fully vindicate the Father will fully vindicate his people, and lastly, dear brethren, Isaiah 62, 3, speaking of the church, the Christ, I should say, you shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord and a royal diadem in the hand of your God.

God will show the world fully demonstrate just who his people are, his true children and their absolute beauty of holiness. Now, brethren, how many of you would go around carrying a crown? Wouldn’t you put it on your head and wear it. Well, you know, the point is, you put it in your hand, you’re showing it off, brethren, you’re showing it to others. So for those who are faithful in this process of maintaining faithfully this justification, this holiness, and who are able to overcome at heart all the troubles of life and not receive any blemishes in that way, this is probably one of the highest promises we have, that he’ll show us as jewels in the crown.

May the Lord add his blessing.

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