10 July 2020 – 1 Corinthians 1:8 (NIV)

Reflection

What does it mean to be “blameless”? Typically, it means that no one can blame you for any wrongdoing, even God who knows our hearts and thoughts. And in this passage, Paul is writing that God will keep us “blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.” How is that possible?? We are sinners. We struggle with a wide array of sins – some explicit, others of the heart (like greed, envy, unforgiveness, pride, and self-centeredness). Let’s be honest, none of us are blameless. Indeed, Paul makes this point in other letters – most famously he wrote in Romans that “for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” Paul also described himself as “the chief of sinners.”

So, what does it mean to be blameless?

One of the central truths of the gospel message is that our righteousness is not a product of what we do, but of what Christ has done. Jesus took our sins upon Himself on the cross so that we can be seen as blameless. We are then given the “cloak of righteousness,” which illustrates that God sees us through the work of Christ and not as people who have fallen short.

So, when Paul prays that God “will keep you firm to the end,” it is really about our relationship with Christ – that our faith in and love for Jesus will endure to the end, so that one day, when we are in the presence of God for judgment, we will be seen as blameless. And this is not because of our supposed piety on earth, but because Jesus took our blame on the cross.

Thoughts for the day