Introduction: The Problem of Blame

Weaver opens with the human tendency to shift blame, using examples from family life and the fall of Adam and Eve to illustrate that we are responsible for our own sins.

God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Let me ask you if you've ever heard a conversation that went something like this. If you have more than one child, you usually have. And sometimes husbands and wives engage in a conversation like this as well. So the question is, "Why did you do that?" And the response is, "Well, you made me do that." And then, "No, I did not make you do that." "Yes, you did. It's all your fault." "No, it's not my fault. It's all your fault." And so the title of this message is, "Are You Blameless?" And that is indeed a very legitimate question and an appropriate question, simply because we are at blame for many things. I've often joked about marriage and saying that one good thing about marriage is you always have someone on which to blame things. It's her fault. And she can say it's my fault. So the truth is that we are often responsible for the things that happen to us, whether they're faults or failures or sins. And usually we always seek someone else or something else on which to blame and to shift the blame. Blame shifting, of course, is the result of our depravity.

If you remember that Adam and Eve in the garden, Adam blamed Eve and Eve blamed the serpent. In fact, when our Lord asked Adam, "Where art thou? What hast thou done?" And after he told him he had hidden himself because he was naked, and the Lord said, "Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree?" And Adam said, "The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat." In other words, "Lord, you're really responsible for all this because you made the woman, and had you not made her and given her to me, I would have never eaten." "Well, Eve, what have you done?" "Well, the serpent beguiled me, and I did eat." So, "Lord, it's still indirectly your fault because had you not made the serpent, I would have never been beguiled and I would have never eaten as well."

So obviously I think, and I believe I'm correct in saying this, the three hardest words in the English language are "I have sinned" or "I am wrong." Very few people want to admit their sins and very few want to admit that they are wrong. We fail to take responsibility for our actions. And usually when we fail to take responsibility, we are blame shifting. We're blaming someone else or we're blaming something else or denying our responsibilities. In fact, probably the most frequently spoken words in the English language are, "It's not my fault." You know, "It's not my fault." Well, I want you to pause with me just for a moment and think about the sins and the failures and the faults and the episodes in your life of which you are now absolutely ashamed. So here's the question: Were those sins, and were those faults and failures and episodes, were they your fault, or someone else's fault? Well, you see, it's easier to blame others than to accept responsibility for your own desires and conduct. But here's an interesting truth.

The Hardest Words: 'I Have Sinned'

He argues that admitting fault is difficult, and even when others contribute to our sin, we are still accountable because we fail to keep our hearts.

Even if someone else began the problem, assisted in the fault, or even encouraged us in the fault or in the sin, the sin is still ours. How in the world could it be ours if someone encouraged us or assisted us? And the answer is because we fail to keep our hearts. Proverbs 4, verse 23, the scripture says,

So when we fail to keep our heart, we're the ones that have sinned. So it does not really matter what someone else does, whether they encourage us, whether they begin something. We are still responsible to keep our hearts and do that which is right before God.

So here's a good question. Since we are to blame for all the evil in our lives and all the sin in our lives, how are we to be blameless? I want you to look again in your Bibles, 1 Corinthians chapter 1. Notice, if you would please, what the word of God says in verse 8: "Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ." Well, if we're responsible for all of our sins and faults and failures, how in the world are we to be blameless? Now, we're the blame for all the evil in our lives.

God's Choice and Command to Be Blameless

Weaver cites Ephesians 1:4 and Philippians 2:15-16 to show that God chose believers to be blameless and commands them to be blameless, defining the Greek terms *amōmos* and *amemptos*.

Let me show you something. I want you to turn in your Bibles, hold 1 Corinthians 1, but look in your Bibles to the book of Ephesians chapter 1 and verse 4. Ephesians 1 and verse 4. Here's a very interesting scripture. The Word of God says, talking about God the Father,

So God then has chosen us in Christ that we should be holy and without blame before him in love. Now, the Greek word, of course, is *amōmos*, and it means to be without rebuke. It means to be without blame. It means to be unblameable. It means to be without spot or blemish.

This is one of the words that was used in reference to the sacrifices that were used. They had to be spotless. They had to be without blemish. So we're told now that God the Father has chosen us in Jesus Christ before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him in love.

Now, here's a good question. How in the world is that a fact? And how can that be true in the sense that we are the blame for all of our sins and all of our faults and all of our failures and all of our rebellion? God not only chose us to be blameless, He commands us to be blameless. So if you would turn right over in your Bibles to the book of Philippians—Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians—and look in Philippians chapter 2, if you would please, at verses 15 and 16. Philippians 2 verses 15 and 16. The Word of God says,

But note verse 15:

Now, very obviously we have the word "blameless." It is the Greek word *amemptos*, and it means to be blameless, to be faultless. It means one that does not deserve censure whatsoever. It also means to be free from defects. But if you look in this same verse in verse 15, he tells us that we're not going to be blameless, but we are to be harmless. Now, when we hear the word "harmless," we think of someone that is nonviolent, someone that does not want to hurt another. That is not what this word means at all. *Akeraios* is the Greek word, and it means one that is unmixed, one that is pure, such as being unmixed in regard to wine, or metals. So if I took a glass of wine, and fill the glass half full, and then filled it full of water, it's not pure, because it's now mixed with water. Or if I took gold and mixed it with tin, or copper, it's no longer pure, because now it's been mixed. So the word "harmless" here actually means that we are free from mixture. We're free from evil.

We're free from that which would be considered guile and deceit. So we are to be innocent in that sense. So he tells us then that we should be blameless and harmless, the sons of God. Let me give you another one. If you look in your Bibles, turn on over to 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 and look at verse 23. It's astounding how many times the word "blameless" actually comes up in scripture. So here we go. Are you blameless? Look at this. 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 and verse 23: "And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

blameless" here, once again, is the same exact Greek word that is used in Philippians 2 in verse 15. So the question has to be asked: Are you blameless?

Blamelessness Required for All Believers

He references 1 Thessalonians 5:23, 1 Timothy 3, Titus 1, and 2 Peter 3:14 to demonstrate that blamelessness is expected of pastors, deacons, widows, and all Christians.

Are you sanctified in spirit, soul, and body? In other words, that is what, according to this scripture, makes us blameless through sanctification. So we're talking about being blameless. I want you to hold on with me just a little longer, and let me show you a few more passages. So if you would turn right over a few pages, to 1 Timothy chapter 3, 1 Timothy chapter 3, and look at verses 1 and 2. 1 Timothy chapter 3, verses 1 and 2.

Now, before I go any farther, let me just point out the fact he says a bishop must be blameless. An elder, a bishop, and a pastor are all one man. They're just simply three descriptions of the individual and or of his work. So when he's referred to as an elder, a *presbyteros*, in fact, the Hebrew word is *zaqen*, and it literally means a bearded one. It means someone who is of age. That's why they're called elders. That's why the scripture says, "Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil." So the elder is the man. The bishop is his office. And the word pastor is actually the word from shepherd. That is the description of his work. So actually, they're one and the same. So you have one describing the man, one describing his office, and one then describing his work. But note, the bishop, the elder, the pastor must be blameless. Now, if you would skip down to verse 10, because now we're talking about deacons, not just pastors, but deacons. He said,

Wow. Now, if you will turn over to 1 Timothy chapter 5 and verse 7, and this is in regard to widows. It's in regard to rebuking not an elder. It is in regard to entreating elder women as mothers and younger women as sisters. It's in regard to honoring widows that are widows indeed. And when you skip down to verse 7: "And these things give in charge, that they may be blameless."

That is those who are in the church. The words he's giving direction. And he says, "I want you to be blameless. So you must do what I'm telling you in these things, that you may be blameless."

Now if you would turn right on over, just another page or two, to the book of Titus. Titus chapter 1, and look if you would please at verses 6 and 7. Titus 1 verses 6 and 7. The word of God says, well let's begin reading with verse 5:

—notice this is the same qualification of the bishop—

—there it is—

So he talks about an elder, he talks about the bishop in the same breath, because they're one and the same, but they must be blameless.

Now, here's my question, and I'd like you to answer it. Do you know personally of any pastors or any deacons that are blameless? Well, I'm just asking, do you know of one? I would really love to be able to say that I am blameless. But if I said that, I would be lying. There's absolutely no pastor or any deacon that happens to be blameless. We all have error, we all have faults, we all have sins, and we've all failed either in our profession, our ministry, or in our actions, conduct, or words. Now there are a few who erroneously, and I would also say heretically, think that they are blameless and that they are sinless.

The Apostle Paul, remember in Philippians chapter 3, was giving his pedigree. And he said this, "Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more: circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless." Of course, he also talked about persecuting the church, but touching the righteousness in the law, blameless. Now, was the Apostle Paul blameless? And the answer is, of course not. He was consenting to the death of Stephen. He persecuted the church. He hauled men and women and threw them into dungeons. Well, how then could the Apostle Paul say he was blameless? Well, because he said he was a Pharisee of the Pharisees. And all the Pharisees did was look at the external, never the internal. And the Pharisees believed if they had not taken a knife and actually plunged into a man's heart, then they were not guilty of murder. So they were saying that we haven't done these things physically, so therefore we are blameless. They were discounting the spiritual application of the law of God, and Paul teaches that in Romans chapter 7. But Paul certainly was not blameless, not by any stretch of the imagination.

Now, when you get to the life of Zacharias and Elizabeth, who happened to be the parents of John the Baptist, the Bible tells you in the book of Luke chapter 1 in verse 6, "And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless." Now, were they blameless? No, you've got to look at the context. They were sinners like everyone else. But you must remember that Zechariah was a priest. And so Zechariah knew the ordinances. He knew the commandments concerning the ordinances. And he and Elizabeth kept those ordinances the way they should be kept. But that does not mean that he was perfect. Neither does it mean that he had no sin. He was sinful. He was, and much blame placed upon him because of his sins. But as far as the ordinances were concerned, he kept them the way they should be kept. That is for sure. Now.

I want you to note in your Bibles, if you would be pleased to turn there to 2 Peter chapter 3 with me, 2 Peter chapter 3, because I want you to see it is not just pastors or deacons that God commands to be blameless. It is every Christian. And so the Bible tells you in 2 Peter chapter 3 and verse 14. Look at this. The Bible says, "Wherefore, beloved..."

So we're talking to Christians. "Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things"—that is the dissolution of the old world and a new heaven and a new earth—he said, "Seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless." Wow. Without spot and blameless. Now, I've showed you scripture after scripture where we're all to be blameless. I've showed you scripture after scripture where God chose us to be blameless in Christ before the foundation of the world. God has commanded us to be blameless over and over in the scripture. So.

The Paradox: We Are Blameworthy

Weaver acknowledges that no one, including Paul or Zechariah, is truly blameless in themselves; all have sinned and deserve censure.

All right, let's look in 1 Corinthians chapter 1, beginning there with verse 1, and I want us to read then through verse 9. 1 Corinthians chapter 1, verse 1:

God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Let me ask you if you've ever heard a conversation that went something like this. If you have more than one child, you usually have. And sometimes husbands and wives engage in a conversation like this as well. So the question is, "Why did you do that?" And the response is, "Well, you made me do that." And then, "No, I did not make you do that." "Yes, you did. It's all your fault." "No, it's not my fault. It's all your fault." And so the title of this message is, "Are You Blameless?" And that is indeed a very legitimate question and an appropriate question, simply because we are at blame for many things. I've often joked about marriage and saying that one good thing about marriage is you always have someone on which to blame things. It's her fault. And she can say it's my fault. So the truth is that we are often responsible for the things that happen to us, whether they're faults or failures or sins. And usually we always seek someone else or something else on which to blame and to shift the blame. Blame shifting, of course, is the result of our depravity.

If you remember that Adam and Eve in the garden, Adam blamed Eve and Eve blamed the serpent. In fact, when our Lord asked Adam, "Where art thou? What hast thou done?" And after he told him he had hidden himself because he was naked, and the Lord said, "Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree?" And Adam said, "The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat." In other words, "Lord, you're really responsible for all this because you made the woman, and had you not made her and given her to me, I would have never eaten." "Well, Eve, what have you done?" "Well, the serpent beguiled me, and I did eat." So, "Lord, it's still indirectly your fault because had you not made the serpent, I would have never been beguiled and I would have never eaten as well."

So obviously I think, and I believe I'm correct in saying this, the three hardest words in the English language are "I have sinned" or "I am wrong." Very few people want to admit their sins and very few want to admit that they are wrong. We fail to take responsibility for our actions. And usually when we fail to take responsibility, we are blame shifting. We're blaming someone else or we're blaming something else or denying our responsibilities. In fact, probably the most frequently spoken words in the English language are, "It's not my fault." You know, "It's not my fault." Well, I want you to pause with me just for a moment and think about the sins and the failures and the faults and the episodes in your life of which you are now absolutely ashamed. So here's the question: Were those sins, and were those faults and failures and episodes, were they your fault, or someone else's fault? Well, you see, it's easier to blame others than to accept responsibility for your own desires and conduct. But here's an interesting truth.

Even if someone else began the problem, assisted in the fault, or even encouraged us in the fault or in the sin, the sin is still ours. How in the world could it be ours if someone encouraged us or assisted us? And the answer is because we fail to keep our hearts. Proverbs 4, verse 23, the scripture says,

So when we fail to keep our heart, we're the ones that have sinned. So it does not really matter what someone else does, whether they encourage us, whether they begin something. We are still responsible to keep our hearts and do that which is right before God.

So here's a good question. Since we are to blame for all the evil in our lives and all the sin in our lives, how are we to be blameless? I want you to look again in your Bibles, 1 Corinthians chapter 1. Notice, if you would please, what the word of God says in verse 8: "Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ." Well, if we're responsible for all of our sins and faults and failures, how in the world are we to be blameless? Now, we're the blame for all the evil in our lives. Let me show you something. I want you to turn in your Bibles, hold 1 Corinthians 1, but look in your Bibles to the book of Ephesians chapter 1 and verse 4. Ephesians 1 and verse 4. Here's a very interesting scripture. The Word of God says, talking about God the Father,

So God then has chosen us in Christ that we should be holy and without blame before him in love. Now, the Greek word, of course, is *amōmos*, and it means to be without rebuke. It means to be without blame. It means to be unblameable. It means to be without spot or blemish.

This is one of the words that was used in reference to the sacrifices that were used. They had to be spotless. They had to be without blemish. So we're told now that God the Father has chosen us in Jesus Christ before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him in love.

Now, here's a good question. How in the world is that a fact? And how can that be true in the sense that we are the blame for all of our sins and all of our faults and all of our failures and all of our rebellion? God not only chose us to be blameless, He commands us to be blameless. So if you would turn right over in your Bibles to the book of Philippians—Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians—and look in Philippians chapter 2, if you would please, at verses 15 and 16. Philippians 2 verses 15 and 16. The Word of God says,

But note verse 15:

Now, very obviously we have the word "blameless." It is the Greek word *amemptos*, and it means to be blameless, to be faultless. It means one that does not deserve censure whatsoever. It also means to be free from defects. But if you look in this same verse in verse 15, he tells us that we're not going to be blameless, but we are to be harmless. Now, when we hear the word "harmless," we think of someone that is nonviolent, someone that does not want to hurt another. That is not what this word means at all. *Akeraios* is the Greek word, and it means one that is unmixed, one that is pure, such as being unmixed in regard to wine, or metals. So if I took a glass of wine, and fill the glass half full, and then filled it full of water, it's not pure, because it's now mixed with water. Or if I took gold and mixed it with tin, or copper, it's no longer pure, because now it's been mixed. So the word "harmless" here actually means that we are free from mixture. We're free from evil.

We're free from that which would be considered guile and deceit. So we are to be innocent in that sense. So he tells us then that we should be blameless and harmless, the sons of God. Let me give you another one. If you look in your Bibles, turn on over to 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 and look at verse 23. It's astounding how many times the word "blameless" actually comes up in scripture. So here we go. Are you blameless? Look at this. 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 and verse 23: "And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

blameless" here, once again, is the same exact Greek word that is used in Philippians 2 in verse 15. So the question has to be asked: Are you blameless?

Are you sanctified in spirit, soul, and body? In other words, that is what, according to this scripture, makes us blameless through sanctification. So we're talking about being blameless. I want you to hold on with me just a little longer, and let me show you a few more passages. So if you would turn right over a few pages, to 1 Timothy chapter 3, 1 Timothy chapter 3, and look at verses 1 and 2. 1 Timothy chapter 3, verses 1 and 2.

Now, before I go any farther, let me just point out the fact he says a bishop must be blameless. An elder, a bishop, and a pastor are all one man. They're just simply three descriptions of the individual and or of his work. So when he's referred to as an elder, a *presbyteros*, in fact, the Hebrew word is *zaqen*, and it literally means a bearded one. It means someone who is of age. That's why they're called elders. That's why the scripture says, "Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil." So the elder is the man. The bishop is his office. And the word pastor is actually the word from shepherd. That is the description of his work. So actually, they're one and the same. So you have one describing the man, one describing his office, and one then describing his work. But note, the bishop, the elder, the pastor must be blameless. Now, if you would skip down to verse 10, because now we're talking about deacons, not just pastors, but deacons. He said,

Wow. Now, if you will turn over to 1 Timothy chapter 5 and verse 7, and this is in regard to widows. It's in regard to rebuking not an elder. It is in regard to entreating elder women as mothers and younger women as sisters. It's in regard to honoring widows that are widows indeed. And when you skip down to verse 7: "And these things give in charge, that they may be blameless."

That is those who are in the church. The words he's giving direction. And he says, "I want you to be blameless. So you must do what I'm telling you in these things, that you may be blameless."

Now if you would turn right on over, just another page or two, to the book of Titus. Titus chapter 1, and look if you would please at verses 6 and 7. Titus 1 verses 6 and 7. The word of God says, well let's begin reading with verse 5:

—notice this is the same qualification of the bishop—

—there it is—

So he talks about an elder, he talks about the bishop in the same breath, because they're one and the same, but they must be blameless.

Now, here's my question, and I'd like you to answer it. Do you know personally of any pastors or any deacons that are blameless? Well, I'm just asking, do you know of one? I would really love to be able to say that I am blameless. But if I said that, I would be lying. There's absolutely no pastor or any deacon that happens to be blameless. We all have error, we all have faults, we all have sins, and we've all failed either in our profession, our ministry, or in our actions, conduct, or words. Now there are a few who erroneously, and I would also say heretically, think that they are blameless and that they are sinless.

The Apostle Paul, remember in Philippians chapter 3, was giving his pedigree. And he said this, "Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more: circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless." Of course, he also talked about persecuting the church, but touching the righteousness in the law, blameless. Now, was the Apostle Paul blameless? And the answer is, of course not. He was consenting to the death of Stephen. He persecuted the church. He hauled men and women and threw them into dungeons. Well, how then could the Apostle Paul say he was blameless? Well, because he said he was a Pharisee of the Pharisees. And all the Pharisees did was look at the external, never the internal. And the Pharisees believed if they had not taken a knife and actually plunged into a man's heart, then they were not guilty of murder. So they were saying that we haven't done these things physically, so therefore we are blameless. They were discounting the spiritual application of the law of God, and Paul teaches that in Romans chapter 7. But Paul certainly was not blameless, not by any stretch of the imagination.

Now, when you get to the life of Zacharias and Elizabeth, who happened to be the parents of John the Baptist, the Bible tells you in the book of Luke chapter 1 in verse 6, "And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless." Now, were they blameless? No, you've got to look at the context. They were sinners like everyone else. But you must remember that Zechariah was a priest. And so Zechariah knew the ordinances. He knew the commandments concerning the ordinances. And he and Elizabeth kept those ordinances the way they should be kept. But that does not mean that he was perfect. Neither does it mean that he had no sin. He was sinful. He was, and much blame placed upon him because of his sins. But as far as the ordinances were concerned, he kept them the way they should be kept. That is for sure. Now.

I want you to note in your Bibles, if you would be pleased to turn there to 2 Peter chapter 3 with me, 2 Peter chapter 3, because I want you to see it is not just pastors or deacons that God commands to be blameless. It is every Christian. And so the Bible tells you in 2 Peter chapter 3 and verse 14. Look at this. The Bible says, "Wherefore, beloved..."

So we're talking to Christians. "Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things"—that is the dissolution of the old world and a new heaven and a new earth—he said, "Seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless." Wow. Without spot and blameless. Now, I've showed you scripture after scripture where we're all to be blameless. I've showed you scripture after scripture where God chose us to be blameless in Christ before the foundation of the world. God has commanded us to be blameless over and over in the scripture. So.

Let me give you my problem. And let me give you your problem. God has chosen us to be blameless. God has commanded us to be blameless. But here's my question: Are you blameless? Are there sins in your life? Are there things in your life of which you're guilty? Have you done things in times past that are worthy of censure, worthy of rebuke, worthy of being reprimanded? And the answer, of course, is yes. So the question is, how in the world then do we get to be blameless as God has chosen us to be and has commanded us to be?

Now I want you to turn back in your Bibles to 1 Corinthians chapter 1. And I want you to look beginning there with verse 4, where the Apostle Paul is thanking God for these Corinthians and thanking God for his grace that was given to them. He says, "I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ." So the grace of God has been given to them by and through Jesus Christ. Then he says in verse 5, "That in everything ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge." So the truth is, and the Apostle Paul is announcing and enunciating this truth, that everything that we have and everything that we are are only by the grace of God that has been given to us in and through and by his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. So he says, we've been enriched in all utterance and all knowledge. Everything we have is by the grace of God through Jesus Christ. Now, that is why in Ephesians 1 and verse 3, the Bible says this.

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ." So everything that we have, we now have in the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, there's another thing that we have in the Lord Jesus Christ that you have probably never thought about. What else do we have? We have in Jesus Christ, he is the depository of our confirmation. I want you to look in your Bibles, if you would, to verses 6 through 9. I'm just going to read this. I'm going to come back and pick out each verse. Look in verse 6: "Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you: so that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ: 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."

Now, have you ever heard of confirmation? And you're going to probably say, "Yes, I've heard of confirmation. I like to confirm things. I like to confirm my business deals. I like to confirm gossip. I like to confirm dates. I like to confirm meetings." That's wonderful. But that is not the confirmation that I'm talking about. When you and I hear the word "confirmation" and it is used in a religious context, it is used of a rite or ordinance or ceremony that is performed either in the Roman Catholic Church or the Lutheran Church. They have what is known as a confirmation service. It is something that is done by the church. It's nothing more than a ceremony or an ordinance or a rite.

I want you to listen. I'm going to read to you very quickly, the confirmation ceremony in the Roman Catholic Church, and then the confirmation ceremony in the Lutheran Church, and then after I show you the religious doctrine of confirmation, I'm going to show you the biblical doctrine of confirmation. So here's what the Roman Catholic Church teaches. I'm reading: "In the Roman Catholic Church, Confirmation is a sacrament of initiation that completes the sacrament of baptism." "It is a public profession of faith and a sealing of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. The sacrament of confirmation is typically administered by a bishop and involves the laying on of hands and the anointing of the forehead with the oil of chrism. The recipient must be a baptized person at least seven years of age." So this then is just a ceremony that is performed by a bishop and is called confirmation.

OK, now here it is in the Lutheran Church, and in the Lutheran Church it differs slightly. "Lutheran confirmation is a significant rite of passage in the Lutheran Church marking a young person's transition from childhood to adulthood. It is a public profession of faith where the individual affirms the promises made by their parents and sponsors at their baptism." So they were baptized as a baby and their parents made promises for the child and someone sponsored the child at baptism and now this confirmation is to affirm these promises made by the parents. I'm continuing: "Confirmation is a time of preparation, education, and spiritual growth culminating in a public ceremony where the individual publicly affirms their faith and commitment to live as a Christian. The preparation for confirmation typically begins in the seventh or eighth grade and involves a two-year program of study, discussion, and spiritual growth. During this time, young people learn about the Christian faith, the Lutheran catechism, and the Bible."

"They also participate in worship services, small group activities, and community service projects. The confirmation ceremony"—there's the word—"the confirmation ceremony is a public event where the individual publicly affirms their faith and commitment to living as a Christian. The ceremony typically involves a sermon, prayer, and the recitation of the Apostle's Creed. The individual is also given a Bible verse or a special blessing from the church." So in the Roman Catholic Church and in the Lutheran Church, confirmation then happens to be a rite, a ceremony, if you want to call it an ordinance. But it's something that the church does and places their approval upon the one who goes through that confirmation service. And they're saying that they are agreeing to live as a Christian. But of course, you can't live as a Christian unless you are a Christian. So this is viewed then as a religious ceremony. Now I want you to look in 1 Corinthians chapter 1 and verse 6. Look at this, because here is the biblical doctrine of confirmation. The Bible says, "Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you." Confirmation is not something done by

the church. It is not something done by a bishop or a preacher. It is something that is done by God, the Holy Spirit, even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you. First of all, the word "confirmed" is the Greek word *bebaioō*. And it means to confirm, to establish, and establish. Secondly, this word is an aorist passive indicative. An aorist means it happened one time. The passive means that the passive voice represents the subject as being the recipient of the action. He's not doing the action. And of course, the indicative means it's a fact and it is true. So here's what we're talking about in the passive voice. We could say, "The boy was hit by a ball." Well, the boy was passive. He was just standing there and the ball hit him. He was the recipient of the action.

And so here you have in verse 6, "Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you." So we Christians were the recipients of the action: God the Holy Spirit confirming the testimony of Christ in us. Let me show you. Look in your Bibles, hold 1 Corinthians, but look in the book of Ephesians chapter 1 and verses 13 and 14. In this passage you have the work of God the Father in salvation, you have the work of God the Son in salvation, and you have the work of God the Holy Spirit in salvation. And so, in Ephesians 1 and verse 13, the Bible says,

"Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory." Now hold that just for a moment. And let me go back to 1 Corinthians 1 in verse 6: "Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you." Who is it that confirms the testimony of Jesus Christ in us? It's the Holy Spirit. How does he confirm the testimony of Christ? He seals us. He is the earnest of our redemption. We know that our Lord is going to return and receive us to himself because he's given us of his Spirit. And so clearly then, it is the Holy Spirit who does the confirmation. It is not man.

It is not the church. So go back, if you would, now look in 1 Corinthians chapter 1 and verse 6. He says, "Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you." Now, watch verse 7. Here's a testimony to that: "So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." So the Holy Spirit's confirmation in us completes us that no believer is behind in any gift.

Now, that does not mean that everyone has all of the gifts. No, not at all. But it does mean that each one does indeed have a gift. Now, the words in our Bibles "come behind" is actually from the Greek word *hystereō*, which means to fall behind, to lack, to come short, to be inferior, to be devoid, or to be wanting. So, what he says is that you have not come behind, you've not fallen behind, you're not deficient in any gift, waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. So, it is the Holy Spirit who sovereignly gives us the gifts that he ordains that we should have.

Now, when you read through the writings of the Apostle Paul, the Apostle Paul will say something like this, "But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way." Then he goes on to show that love is the greatest gift as well. But notice, if you would, there's nothing wrong with desiring the best gift. But the truth of the matter is the gifts do not come to us through desire. If you will turn in your Bibles very quickly, to 1 Corinthians chapter 12, 1 Corinthians chapter 12. And as you turn there, I'm going to tell you that personally, I believe that these gifts are no longer in service. When I say that, that does not mean I'm tying God's hands. God can do whatever he wants to do. But these gifts initially were given for the confirmation of the truth that the apostles were preaching. Now we have the completed word of God.

We did not have that at that particular time. So just to show you that we're talking about the gifts, he said, in verse 4, "Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all."

Now he said, "But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal." Now he lists some of the gifts. He says, "For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit." Now I realize that there are people today who claim to have the gifts of healing. I want to tell you something, if I had the gift of healing, there would not be a patient in the hospitals. I'd go to every hospital I could get to and clean them out. No, he said, that was just one of the gifts, which I believe is gone by the wayside now, has been fulfilled not only in Christ, but in the word of God as well. Now, let's skip down. He says in verse 10, "To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy," etc. Here's what I want you to get in verse 11.

"But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will." So the Holy Spirit is God. He's the third person of the Godhead. And he divides the gifts severally to every person as he will. So my gift is not necessarily my choice. It's not necessarily my desire. My gift is whatever the Holy Spirit of God sovereignly decides to give me. Now, hang on. The word "severally" in verse 11 is the little Greek word *idios*.

It has nothing to do with being an idiot. It has nothing to do with idiocy. It is a very special word. It means peculiar to a person, belonging to a person, it means something that is personal. For instance, I could say that Alice is my personal, my peculiar wife, and she is because she's the only one I've got. So she is my wife. I am her husband.

She is peculiarly and privately mine. I'm peculiarly and privately hers. That's all this means. So when he divides, to every man privately, personally, as he wills. So that means, therefore, that whatever gift you have, the Holy Spirit gave it to you sovereignly to fit you. I never woke up one morning and thought, "Well, you know, I'd like to preach. I think I'd like to spend my life teaching." No, it didn't happen like that. I mean, God gave me the gift and the ability to preach and teach, but that was his particular. I don't have any other gift. I'm just simply pointing out the fact our confirmation is not a simple ceremony.

It is not a religious rite. It is initiated by God, the Holy Spirit, and it's carried forward by God, the Holy Spirit. And when he seals us, when he confirms the testimony of Jesus Christ in us, he severally, that is individually, gives us the gift that he sovereignly ordains for us so that we are not falling short. We're not coming behind anyone else. I may not have what Gary has. Gary may not have what Steve has. Steve may not have what I have.

But the truth of the matter is this: We're not behind each other. We have whatever God has sovereignly given to us. You can't be short when God gives you something. You can't be behind when God ordains something for you. Now, I want you to go back to 1 Corinthians chapter 1. I want you to follow this through. So look at this, if you would. Let's go back to verse 6. 1 Corinthians 1 verse 6: "Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you." So we have the confirmation, the Holy Spirit sealed us. Notice, if you would, "so that ye come behind in no gift." We're not behind. We have what God has ordained, waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, so we can exercise these gifts until our Lord returns. Now watch. Verse 8.

"Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ." Oh, wait a minute. "Who shall confirm you unto the end." Now, let me explain it like this. Our confirmation is something that has happened, is happening, and will continue to happen. So when you look at it in verse 6, it's an aorist passive. When you look at it in verse 8, it's a future active indicative, which means it is a continuation until a certain point in time or in the future. Look at it: "Who shall also confirm you unto the end?" The word "end" is the word *telos*, which means the end or termination point by which something is finished or completed. So how long will the Holy Spirit indeed continue our confirmation? Until everything is completed, until everything is totally full and fulfilled. He will continue unto the end. Now look at it again in verse 8: "Who shall also confirm you unto the end." Why will he confirm us to the end?

"That ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ." Okay, I'm going to repeat something I said earlier. Here's my problem. Here's your problem. God has chosen us to be blameless. God has commanded us to be blameless. And yet when you and I are absolutely honest with ourselves and with each other, we are blameworthy. There are things in our lives that deserve censure and rebuke and correction and even chastisement. So how in the world then can we be preserved blameless? Wow.

Well, let me tell you. Here's the truth that I saw that basically thrills my soul. Here is the fulfillment of our earnest expectation. You must remember that I told you the Greek word actually means blameless, means that which cannot be called into account. It means that of which no accusation can be laid against. It means that we are unreprovable. That is, we do not deserve or merit reproof or rebuke or censure.

Now, look at verse 8. Look at verse 8 again. "Who shall also confirm you unto the end?" Why is he doing that? "That ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ." So our confirmation will issue forth into blamelessness. We will not be reproachable. We will not be blameworthy. We will not stand accused. We will be blameless before our heavenly Father and before his law. Now I want you to hold 1 Corinthians 1, but flip back just a few pages to Romans chapter 8. And look if you would please in verses 33 and 34. Look at this. Verse 33, Romans chapter 8.

"Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect?" You see that? That's a good question. "It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth?" No one, since God justifies us. "It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us." So who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? Well now, if we were blameworthy as we stood before God, there could be charges laid against us. But if we are blameless, there's no one that can bring a charge against us. I want you to turn right over in your Bibles to the book of Colossians chapter 1. Colossians chapter 1. Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians. And look in Colossians 1 and verse 22, you'll see this again. Colossians 1 verse 22. Look at this. Colossians 1 verse 22: "In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight." Look what our Lord has done: "In the body of his flesh through death,

Now, the word "unblameable" in Colossians 1 and verse 22 is exactly the same Greek word that you find in Ephesians 1 in verse 4: "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." Wow. So "without blame" is the Greek word *amōmos*, which means to be without rebuke, to be without blame, unblameable, to be without spot or to be without fault. Now, I want you to hold 1 Corinthians 1, but I want you to turn back to the book of Ephesians chapter 5. And Gary, I wish you'd pay attention to this for me, because I did not look at the Greek on this, but I want you to look at this. I don't know if the words are the same or not without checking.

But I just thought of this passage, and I think it would be interesting. So in Ephesians 5 and verse 25, God says,

"Without blemish" is the word *amōmos*. All right, but notice it's the same exact truth. So God then is saying that we are going to be without blame. The word "unreproveable" in Colossians 1 and verse 22 is exactly the same word that we find in our text, 1 Corinthians 1 in verse 8: "Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ." We're going to be blameless. We cannot be reproved. We cannot be censured.

Now here is what I want you to think about. I want you to consider the biblical doctrine of confirmation. It is indeed a biblical doctrine. It is absolutely sure. It is absolutely certain. And we're going to be confirmed, he said, until the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. That is, until the time of judgment. And when the judgment comes, our confirmation will issue us forth into absolute blamelessness.

We will be without blame, without fault, without censure, without rebuke. Why? Well, the answer is because we're going to be standing in the absolute perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ, who propitiated our sins, who expiated our sins, who kept the law of God perfectly and gave us, therefore, a robe of absolute righteousness. We are standing in him. We have nothing in and of ourselves. We have nothing by ourselves. The fact of the matter is we are sinners, we are disobedient, we are recalcitrant. But in Jesus Christ, we are perfect. That's why the Apostle Paul said in Philippians 3 and verse 9,

Now, let me give you what I'm going to call the grand finale. OK, I want you to go back to 1 Corinthians chapter 1. I want you to look at verse 8. And then we're going to read verse 9. So here we go, verse 8: "Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ." Watch this. "God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord." I don't know if you see what I just saw. I don't know if you understood what I just read. Who is going to guarantee our blamelessness? Well, watch this again. "Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ? God is faithful." Look at it. "By whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord." In other words, the same God who called us unto the fellowship of Jesus Christ is going to be faithful to make sure that we are confirmed until the end and our confirmation will issue forth in blamelessness.

Let me say this again. The very faithfulness of God is at stake. If you and I are not issued forth in blamelessness, then God is unfaithful. If God is unfaithful, then God is not God. You see that? God, the Father, guarantees that we will issue forth in blamelessness. You remember that passage in Philippians 1 in verse 6? What's it say?

Being confident. Why are we confident? Because God is faithful. What God has started, God is going to finish. And since he chose us in Jesus Christ before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love, and since he's commanded us to be blameless, God in His faithfulness through the person and work of Jesus Christ is going to guarantee our blamelessness in the day of judgment. Wow. Let that sink in. Of all the sins that you've committed, of all the censure that you deserve, of all the rebuke that you deserve, yet God is going to have you standing before him blameless, without rebuke.

That should motivate us for two things. Number one, it should motivate us for the day when we will indeed be blameless. When you stop and think about your sins and the very fact that you have a sinful nature, it grieves me at times that I'm a sinner. But one day we will not be sinners. And the second thing is this: God has chosen us to be blameless. If God has commanded us to be blameless, it ought to motivate us to be as blameless as we can while we can by the grace of God. That we should be holy and without blame before Him in love. Everything may be our fault. And we may be full of blame and censure, but the confirmation of God the Father, of God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit is going to issue our lives forth before Him in blamelessness. We will stand before him in righteousness and the very faithfulness of God guarantees this. "But who shall 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." Our blamelessness is because of the faithfulness of God in the end as we stand before him.

"Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect?" No one. Because we will stand before him in the absolute righteousness of Jesus Christ. Father, we bow to thee this day. We thank you for your word. We thank you for your truth. And Father, we thank you for the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is our propitiation, who expiated our sins. And we're thankful for the work of the Holy Spirit, who confirms us and seals us and works in us and through us and by us. And we're thankful, Father, for your faithfulness to guarantee that you, who began a good work in us, will perform it until the day of the Lord Jesus Christ. We give thee praise and we give thee honor in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

so so

The Biblical Doctrine of Confirmation

He contrasts Roman Catholic and Lutheran confirmation rites with the biblical confirmation: the Holy Spirit's one-time, passive work of sealing believers and giving gifts, ensuring they lack nothing.

I want you to listen. I'm going to read to you very quickly, the confirmation ceremony in the Roman Catholic Church, and then the confirmation ceremony in the Lutheran Church, and then after I show you the religious doctrine of confirmation, I'm going to show you the biblical doctrine of confirmation. So here's what the Roman Catholic Church teaches. I'm reading: "In the Roman Catholic Church, Confirmation is a sacrament of initiation that completes the sacrament of baptism." "It is a public profession of faith and a sealing of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. The sacrament of confirmation is typically administered by a bishop and involves the laying on of hands and the anointing of the forehead with the oil of chrism. The recipient must be a baptized person at least seven years of age." So this then is just a ceremony that is performed by a bishop and is called confirmation.

OK, now here it is in the Lutheran Church, and in the Lutheran Church it differs slightly. "Lutheran confirmation is a significant rite of passage in the Lutheran Church marking a young person's transition from childhood to adulthood. It is a public profession of faith where the individual affirms the promises made by their parents and sponsors at their baptism." So they were baptized as a baby and their parents made promises for the child and someone sponsored the child at baptism and now this confirmation is to affirm these promises made by the parents. I'm continuing: "Confirmation is a time of preparation, education, and spiritual growth culminating in a public ceremony where the individual publicly affirms their faith and commitment to live as a Christian. The preparation for confirmation typically begins in the seventh or eighth grade and involves a two-year program of study, discussion, and spiritual growth. During this time, young people learn about the Christian faith, the Lutheran catechism, and the Bible."

"They also participate in worship services, small group activities, and community service projects. The confirmation ceremony"—there's the word—"the confirmation ceremony is a public event where the individual publicly affirms their faith and commitment to living as a Christian. The ceremony typically involves a sermon, prayer, and the recitation of the Apostle's Creed. The individual is also given a Bible verse or a special blessing from the church." So in the Roman Catholic Church and in the Lutheran Church, confirmation then happens to be a rite, a ceremony, if you want to call it an ordinance. But it's something that the church does and places their approval upon the one who goes through that confirmation service. And they're saying that they are agreeing to live as a Christian. But of course, you can't live as a Christian unless you are a Christian. So this is viewed then as a religious ceremony. Now I want you to look in 1 Corinthians chapter 1 and verse 6. Look at this, because here is the biblical doctrine of confirmation. The Bible says, "Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you." Confirmation is not something done by

the church. It is not something done by a bishop or a preacher. It is something that is done by God, the Holy Spirit, even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you. First of all, the word "confirmed" is the Greek word *bebaioō*. And it means to confirm, to establish, and establish. Secondly, this word is an aorist passive indicative. An aorist means it happened one time. The passive means that the passive voice represents the subject as being the recipient of the action. He's not doing the action. And of course, the indicative means it's a fact and it is true. So here's what we're talking about in the passive voice. We could say, "The boy was hit by a ball." Well, the boy was passive. He was just standing there and the ball hit him. He was the recipient of the action.

And so here you have in verse 6, "Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you." So we Christians were the recipients of the action: God the Holy Spirit confirming the testimony of Christ in us. Let me show you. Look in your Bibles, hold 1 Corinthians, but look in the book of Ephesians chapter 1 and verses 13 and 14. In this passage you have the work of God the Father in salvation, you have the work of God the Son in salvation, and you have the work of God the Holy Spirit in salvation. And so, in Ephesians 1 and verse 13, the Bible says,

"Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory." Now hold that just for a moment. And let me go back to 1 Corinthians 1 in verse 6: "Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you." Who is it that confirms the testimony of Jesus Christ in us? It's the Holy Spirit. How does he confirm the testimony of Christ? He seals us. He is the earnest of our redemption. We know that our Lord is going to return and receive us to himself because he's given us of his Spirit. And so clearly then, it is the Holy Spirit who does the confirmation. It is not man.

It is not the church. So go back, if you would, now look in 1 Corinthians chapter 1 and verse 6. He says, "Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you." Now, watch verse 7. Here's a testimony to that: "So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." So the Holy Spirit's confirmation in us completes us that no believer is behind in any gift.

Now, that does not mean that everyone has all of the gifts. No, not at all. But it does mean that each one does indeed have a gift. Now, the words in our Bibles "come behind" is actually from the Greek word *hystereō*, which means to fall behind, to lack, to come short, to be inferior, to be devoid, or to be wanting. So, what he says is that you have not come behind, you've not fallen behind, you're not deficient in any gift, waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. So, it is the Holy Spirit who sovereignly gives us the gifts that he ordains that we should have.

Now, when you read through the writings of the Apostle Paul, the Apostle Paul will say something like this, "But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way." Then he goes on to show that love is the greatest gift as well. But notice, if you would, there's nothing wrong with desiring the best gift. But the truth of the matter is the gifts do not come to us through desire. If you will turn in your Bibles very quickly, to 1 Corinthians chapter 12, 1 Corinthians chapter 12. And as you turn there, I'm going to tell you that personally, I believe that these gifts are no longer in service. When I say that, that does not mean I'm tying God's hands. God can do whatever he wants to do. But these gifts initially were given for the confirmation of the truth that the apostles were preaching. Now we have the completed word of God.

We did not have that at that particular time. So just to show you that we're talking about the gifts, he said, in verse 4, "Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all."

Now he said, "But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal." Now he lists some of the gifts. He says, "For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit." Now I realize that there are people today who claim to have the gifts of healing. I want to tell you something, if I had the gift of healing, there would not be a patient in the hospitals. I'd go to every hospital I could get to and clean them out. No, he said, that was just one of the gifts, which I believe is gone by the wayside now, has been fulfilled not only in Christ, but in the word of God as well. Now, let's skip down. He says in verse 10, "To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy," etc. Here's what I want you to get in verse 11.

"But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will." So the Holy Spirit is God. He's the third person of the Godhead. And he divides the gifts severally to every person as he will. So my gift is not necessarily my choice. It's not necessarily my desire. My gift is whatever the Holy Spirit of God sovereignly decides to give me. Now, hang on. The word "severally" in verse 11 is the little Greek word *idios*.

It has nothing to do with being an idiot. It has nothing to do with idiocy. It is a very special word. It means peculiar to a person, belonging to a person, it means something that is personal. For instance, I could say that Alice is my personal, my peculiar wife, and she is because she's the only one I've got. So she is my wife. I am her husband.

She is peculiarly and privately mine. I'm peculiarly and privately hers. That's all this means. So when he divides, to every man privately, personally, as he wills. So that means, therefore, that whatever gift you have, the Holy Spirit gave it to you sovereignly to fit you. I never woke up one morning and thought, "Well, you know, I'd like to preach. I think I'd like to spend my life teaching." No, it didn't happen like that. I mean, God gave me the gift and the ability to preach and teach, but that was his particular. I don't have any other gift. I'm just simply pointing out the fact our confirmation is not a simple ceremony.

It is not a religious rite. It is initiated by God, the Holy Spirit, and it's carried forward by God, the Holy Spirit. And when he seals us, when he confirms the testimony of Jesus Christ in us, he severally, that is individually, gives us the gift that he sovereignly ordains for us so that we are not falling short. We're not coming behind anyone else. I may not have what Gary has. Gary may not have what Steve has. Steve may not have what I have.

But the truth of the matter is this: We're not behind each other. We have whatever God has sovereignly given to us. You can't be short when God gives you something. You can't be behind when God ordains something for you. Now, I want you to go back to 1 Corinthians chapter 1. I want you to follow this through. So look at this, if you would. Let's go back to verse 6. 1 Corinthians 1 verse 6: "Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you." So we have the confirmation, the Holy Spirit sealed us. Notice, if you would, "so that ye come behind in no gift." We're not behind. We have what God has ordained, waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, so we can exercise these gifts until our Lord returns. Now watch. Verse 8.

Confirmation Leads to Blamelessness

Weaver explains that the Spirit's ongoing confirmation will result in believers being blameless on the day of Christ, as they stand in Christ's righteousness, not their own.

"Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ." Oh, wait a minute. "Who shall confirm you unto the end." Now, let me explain it like this. Our confirmation is something that has happened, is happening, and will continue to happen. So when you look at it in verse 6, it's an aorist passive. When you look at it in verse 8, it's a future active indicative, which means it is a continuation until a certain point in time or in the future. Look at it: "Who shall also confirm you unto the end?" The word "end" is the word *telos*, which means the end or termination point by which something is finished or completed. So how long will the Holy Spirit indeed continue our confirmation? Until everything is completed, until everything is totally full and fulfilled. He will continue unto the end. Now look at it again in verse 8: "Who shall also confirm you unto the end." Why will he confirm us to the end?

"That ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ." Okay, I'm going to repeat something I said earlier. Here's my problem. Here's your problem. God has chosen us to be blameless. God has commanded us to be blameless. And yet when you and I are absolutely honest with ourselves and with each other, we are blameworthy. There are things in our lives that deserve censure and rebuke and correction and even chastisement. So how in the world then can we be preserved blameless? Wow.

Well, let me tell you. Here's the truth that I saw that basically thrills my soul. Here is the fulfillment of our earnest expectation. You must remember that I told you the Greek word actually means blameless, means that which cannot be called into account. It means that of which no accusation can be laid against. It means that we are unreprovable. That is, we do not deserve or merit reproof or rebuke or censure.

Now, look at verse 8. Look at verse 8 again. "Who shall also confirm you unto the end?" Why is he doing that? "That ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ." So our confirmation will issue forth into blamelessness. We will not be reproachable. We will not be blameworthy. We will not stand accused. We will be blameless before our heavenly Father and before his law. Now I want you to hold 1 Corinthians 1, but flip back just a few pages to Romans chapter 8. And look if you would please in verses 33 and 34. Look at this. Verse 33, Romans chapter 8.

"Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect?" You see that? That's a good question. "It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth?" No one, since God justifies us. "It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us." So who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? Well now, if we were blameworthy as we stood before God, there could be charges laid against us. But if we are blameless, there's no one that can bring a charge against us. I want you to turn right over in your Bibles to the book of Colossians chapter 1. Colossians chapter 1. Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians. And look in Colossians 1 and verse 22, you'll see this again. Colossians 1 verse 22. Look at this. Colossians 1 verse 22: "In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight." Look what our Lord has done: "In the body of his flesh through death,

God's Faithfulness Guarantees Blamelessness

He concludes that God's faithfulness is the guarantee; the same God who called believers will confirm them to the end, making them blameless and motivating holy living.

Now, let me give you what I'm going to call the grand finale. OK, I want you to go back to 1 Corinthians chapter 1. I want you to look at verse 8. And then we're going to read verse 9. So here we go, verse 8: "Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ." Watch this. "God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord." I don't know if you see what I just saw. I don't know if you understood what I just read. Who is going to guarantee our blamelessness? Well, watch this again. "Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ? God is faithful." Look at it. "By whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord." In other words, the same God who called us unto the fellowship of Jesus Christ is going to be faithful to make sure that we are confirmed until the end and our confirmation will issue forth in blamelessness.

Let me say this again. The very faithfulness of God is at stake. If you and I are not issued forth in blamelessness, then God is unfaithful. If God is unfaithful, then God is not God. You see that? God, the Father, guarantees that we will issue forth in blamelessness. You remember that passage in Philippians 1 in verse 6? What's it say?

Being confident. Why are we confident? Because God is faithful. What God has started, God is going to finish. And since he chose us in Jesus Christ before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love, and since he's commanded us to be blameless, God in His faithfulness through the person and work of Jesus Christ is going to guarantee our blamelessness in the day of judgment. Wow. Let that sink in. Of all the sins that you've committed, of all the censure that you deserve, of all the rebuke that you deserve, yet God is going to have you standing before him blameless, without rebuke.

That should motivate us for two things. Number one, it should motivate us for the day when we will indeed be blameless. When you stop and think about your sins and the very fact that you have a sinful nature, it grieves me at times that I'm a sinner. But one day we will not be sinners. And the second thing is this: God has chosen us to be blameless. If God has commanded us to be blameless, it ought to motivate us to be as blameless as we can while we can by the grace of God. That we should be holy and without blame before Him in love. Everything may be our fault. And we may be full of blame and censure, but the confirmation of God the Father, of God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit is going to issue our lives forth before Him in blamelessness. We will stand before him in righteousness and the very faithfulness of God guarantees this. "But who shall 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." Our blamelessness is because of the faithfulness of God in the end as we stand before him.