Spotless and Blameless

 

DEVOTION

THE 2^ND LETTER OF PETER

SPOTLESS AND BLAMELESS

2 Peter 3:14-16

14 So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. 15 Bear in mind that our Lord's patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. 16 He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.

NIV

This ‘so then’ refers back to the fact the heaven and earth will be destroyed by fire and that we are looking forward to a new heaven and new earth the home of righteousness.

2 Peter 3:13

13 But in keeping with his promise, we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.

NIV

Although we consider this looking forward, it still gives us reason to ponder just what this new heaven and earth will look like. All the clues, although it looks more like a revelation, are given to us in the last portion of that revelation that was given to John. So often we hear people call it revelations in referring to that last book of the Bible. Yet it was a singular revelation given to John. Nevertheless, we have this revelation that tells us what this new earth will look like in some fashion, at least a vivid description of the new city of Jerusalem, and that gives us the clues as to the environment and size of this new earth. But, the point being, this world is not our home, we are just passing through, our treasures are laid up beyond the blue, the angels beckon us from heavens open door, and we can’t feel at home in this world anymore. So then since we are looking forward to this, we are told to make every effort to be found spotless, blameless, and at peace with him. Hold on, is that up to us? How can we make every effort to be spotless, blameless, and at peace with Him? That seems it is all on us. In seeking through the Greek, we can see a slightly clearer meaning here. This making every effort can also be used to be diligent or to make haste to use the influence of grace in our lives. It is by grace we have salvation, and it is by grace we are influenced to live. Only through the power of Christ and being in Him are we spotless and blameless. Jesus is the one who will keep us blameless until the day of God. Still, we cannot live in any manner we want, as we are to be diligent to live by grace, that is make every effort to live under the influence of the Spirit. This is not living under the influence of man devised ordinances, or rules and regulations, but as the Spirit leads us and He leads us into all truth. Peter has been warning about those false teachers, those who want the traditions of man, the laws, as a means to righteousness. The only way we can truly be spotless is being found in Jesus. In our flesh, our human condition we will always have some stain, some sin to cause a stain, but through the blood of Jesus, we have been cleansed and are spotless. When it comes to blameless, we cannot claim that either, for we will always have something to be blamed for, as we cannot ever be free of blame for that which stains our heart. But through the blood of Jesus, he presents us to himself blameless.

Eph 5:27-28

27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.

NIV

And who else can bring peace between God and us other than himself through the blood of Jesus? We have to remember apart from him we can do nothing, we cannot make ourselves spotless, blameless, or at peace with God. Only as we remain in Christ are we able to be such things. This is what Peter is saying. Do not pay attention to those who teach something else, stay connected to God, stay in Christ, run the race, keep on keeping on, don’t get distracted by those who teach works, or what being a “good Christian” is by the number of good deeds, and the most number of don’ts we refrain from, for all that is then a judgment based on works, and not by grace. No, we must remain in Christ, being led by the Spirit and not by men. Then we can be assured that Jesus will present us spotless and blameless, and we are at peace with God.