THE SECOND CRISIS IN CHRISTIAN EXPERIENCE
29 -- WITHOUT SPOT AND BLAMELESS -- 2 Pet. 3:14
To be without spot has to do with character; to be blameless
has to do with conduct; the one is purity of heart; the other is purity in
practice; the first a work divinely inwrought; the other the moral obligation
of the individual.
It may be well to remind ourselves at the very beginning of
this article that the commandments and requirements of God are never larger
than are His promises, and the provisions of His grace; hence it is possible
for weak mortals, by His grace, to be and do all that He requires. To doubt
this would be to charge God with tyranny "This is the love of God, that we
keep His commandments, and his commandments are not grievous. (I. John 5:3.)
In Eph. 5:25-27, we read that, "Christ also loved the
church and gave Himself for it, that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the
washing of water by the word, that He might present it to Himself a glorious
church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be
holy and without blemish." Thus we see that provision has been made
whereby we may become spotless; and that the process or experience by which we
are made spotless is that of entire sanctification.
We desire to speak more especially of being
"blameless," as the necessary accompaniment of being "without
spot." However, it is well to observe that the Bible always places
character before conduct; being before doing; seeing it is character that
graduates conduct. "Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else
make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt." "A good tree cannot
bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good
fruit."
Since motive determines the morality of every act, it is
absolutely necessary and essential that a person have a pure heart, and an eye
single to the glory of God, in all they say and do, in order to be blameless
before God. A person may do the right thing with a wrong motive, and so stand
approved by men, and yet be far from blameless before God. "For the Lord
seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord
looketh on the heart." (I. Sam. 16:7.)
On the other hand it is well to remember that it is
impossible to live blameless in the eyes of men; that although our blessed Lord
lived the blameless life, the world, and even the church constantly criticised,
accused, and finally condemned him to die the death of a criminal. "And
all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." Hence
we may ever expect to be misunderstood and misjudged by men, however blameless
we may live before God. A blameless life is a continual rebuke and reproof to
the disobedient, and therefore, will awaken their animosity and resentment. Not
only so, but seeing men cannot know the motive, they are liable to
misunderstand and misjudge even though they had no thought of so doing.
Nevertheless, we should exercise constant care lest we
excuse our inconsistencies, indiscretions and sins for which we are to blame, and
of which we need to repent.
The call of God to every believer is "that we should be
holy and without blame before Him." (Eph. 1:4.) In order to measure up to
this standard the individual must experience the blessing of entire
sanctification -- which is "that act of divine grace whereby we are made
holy" and then walk in constant obedience, in all the light that God
gives. This is living the blameless life.
That such a life is gloriously possible, is evident from the
fact that others have lived it. We read in Luke 1:6, concerning Zacharias and
his wife, Elizabeth, 'They were both righteous before God, walking in all the
commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless." Especially is this the
oft-repeated requirement concerning preachers, I. Tim. 3:2; 10; 5:7; Titus 1:6,
7. All believers may be sanctified wholly, and then the "whole spirit and
soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus
Christ." (I.Thess. 5:23.)
