Blamelessness: Faith, Sanctification, and God's Faithfulness

Devotional

Day 1: The Dual Nature of Blamelessness

Blamelessness in Christ is a profound concept that encompasses both an imputed and a practical aspect. Through faith in Christ, His righteousness is imputed to us, making us blameless before God. This is not a contradiction but a harmonious truth that reflects the depth of God's work in us. As we grow in holiness through the process of sanctification, our practical blamelessness confirms the righteousness imputed to us. This duality assures us of our standing before God while calling us to a life of holiness. [01:06]

1 Thessalonians 3:12-13 (ESV): "And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints."

Reflection: In what ways can you actively pursue holiness today, knowing that your blamelessness in Christ is both a gift and a calling?

Day 2: Foundation in Christ's Sacrifice

The death of Christ is the cornerstone of our reconciliation with God. Through His sacrifice, the wrath of God is removed, our sins are forgiven, and His righteousness is imputed to us, making us perfect in Christ. This reconciliation is not the end but the beginning of a transformative journey. It is the starting point of our sanctification, where we are called to grow in holiness and love, confirming our blamelessness in Christ. [09:26]

Colossians 1:21-22 (ESV): "And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him."

Reflection: How does understanding Christ's sacrifice as the foundation of your faith change the way you approach your daily walk with God?

Day 3: Sanctification as a Process

Sanctification is the practical outworking of our faith, involving growth in love and holiness. It is a process that requires us to hate sin, strive for obedience, and fight the fight of faith. This growth in holiness is essential for confirming our blamelessness in Christ and is a necessary part of our spiritual journey. As we abound more in love, we are led to a life that is pure and blameless for the day of Christ. [05:30]

2 Peter 3:18 (ESV): "But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen."

Reflection: What specific steps can you take today to grow in holiness and love, reflecting the sanctification process in your life?

Day 4: God's Sustaining Work

God's faithfulness ensures that we are sustained in our faith and holiness. He keeps us believing and growing, confirming our blamelessness in Christ and assuring us of our standing before Him. This sustaining work of God is a glorious assurance that combines the certainty of our justification with the necessity of our sanctification. It is a reminder that we are not alone in this journey, as God is actively working in us to will and to act according to His good purpose. [07:35]

Philippians 1:6 (ESV): "And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ."

Reflection: In what areas of your life do you need to rely more on God's sustaining power, trusting that He will complete the work He has begun in you?

Day 5: Assurance and Holiness

The assurance of our justification in Christ is harmoniously combined with the call to holiness. This dual aspect provides a balanced understanding of our spiritual journey, emphasizing both assurance and the necessity of sanctification. As we grow in holiness, we confirm our blamelessness in Christ, reflecting the depth of God's work in us. This assurance is not a license to sin but a call to live a life worthy of the gospel, abounding in love and holiness. [08:40]

Hebrews 12:14 (ESV): "Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord."

Reflection: How can you balance the assurance of your salvation with the call to pursue holiness in your daily life? What changes might this require in your attitudes or actions?

Sermon Summary

In this session on 1 Thessalonians 5:23-28, we delve into the profound mystery of being kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The passage presents a dual aspect of blamelessness: one that is imputed through our faith in Christ and another that is developed through the process of sanctification. The challenge lies in understanding how we can be considered blameless when we are not yet fully sanctified. This duality is not a contradiction but a harmonious truth that reflects the depth of God's work in us.

Firstly, Christ's death is the foundation of our blamelessness. Through His sacrifice, we are reconciled to God, and His righteousness is imputed to us. This reconciliation removes the wrath of God and forgives our sins, making us perfect in Christ. However, this is not the end but the beginning of a transformative journey. The Holy Spirit brings us to faith, and through this faith, we enter into a relationship with God that initiates the process of sanctification.

Sanctification is the practical outworking of our faith, where we grow in holiness and love. It is a process that involves hating sin, striving for obedience, and fighting the fight of faith. This growth in holiness is not optional but essential, as it confirms our blamelessness in Christ. Paul emphasizes that our love must abound more and more, leading to a life that is pure and blameless for the day of Christ.

God's faithfulness ensures that we are sustained and kept in this journey. He keeps us believing and growing in holiness, confirming our blamelessness in Christ. This dual aspect of blamelessness—imputed and practical—assures us of our standing before God while calling us to a life of holiness. It is a glorious assurance that combines the certainty of our justification with the necessity of our sanctification.

Key Takeaways

1. Dual Nature of Blamelessness: Blamelessness in Christ is both imputed through faith and developed through sanctification. While we are counted righteous in Christ, our growing holiness confirms this righteousness, reflecting the depth of God's work in us. [01:06]
2. Foundation in Christ's Sacrifice: The death of Christ is the foundation of our reconciliation with God. It removes wrath, forgives sin, and imputes righteousness, making us perfect in Christ. This reconciliation is the starting point of our sanctification journey. [09:26]
3. Sanctification as a Process: Sanctification is the practical outworking of our faith, involving growth in love and holiness. It is essential for confirming our blamelessness in Christ and is a necessary part of our spiritual journey. [05:30]
4. God's Sustaining Work: God's faithfulness ensures that we are sustained in our faith and holiness. He keeps us believing and growing, confirming our blamelessness in Christ and assuring us of our standing before Him. [07:35]
5. Assurance and Holiness: The assurance of our justification in Christ is harmoniously combined with the call to holiness. This dual aspect provides a balanced understanding of our spiritual journey, emphasizing both assurance and the necessity of sanctification. [08:40]
** [08:40]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:15] - Introduction and Prayer
[01:06] - Understanding Blamelessness
[02:02] - The Role of Sanctification
[03:10] - Paul's Example of Blamelessness
[03:43] - Love and Holiness
[04:53] - God's Keeping Power
[06:20] - Reconciliation and Justification
[07:35] - Sustaining Work of God
[08:07] - Two Kinds of Blamelessness
[09:10] - Steps to Being Kept Blameless
[10:14] - The Process of Sanctification
[11:21] - Confirmed by Holiness
[12:04] - God's Faithful Keeping
[12:52] - Conclusion and Encouragement

Bible Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide: 1 Thessalonians 5:23-28

Bible Reading:

1 Thessalonians 5:23-28
Philippians 1:9-10
Colossians 1:21-23

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Observation Questions:

What does Paul mean when he prays for the Thessalonians to be "kept blameless" at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ? How does this relate to the concept of sanctification? [01:06]
In 1 Thessalonians 5:23, Paul mentions the sanctification of the whole spirit, soul, and body. How does this comprehensive sanctification reflect the dual nature of blamelessness discussed in the sermon? [01:26]
How does Paul describe his own conduct towards the Thessalonians in 1 Thessalonians 2:10, and what does this reveal about his understanding of blamelessness? [02:55]
According to the sermon, what role does God's faithfulness play in sustaining believers in their journey towards holiness? [07:35]

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Interpretation Questions:

How does the dual nature of blamelessness—imputed through faith and developed through sanctification—provide a balanced understanding of our spiritual journey? [08:40]
In what ways does the process of sanctification confirm our blamelessness in Christ, and why is this process essential for believers? [05:30]
How does the assurance of our justification in Christ coexist with the call to holiness, and what implications does this have for our daily lives? [09:10]
How does Paul's prayer in Philippians 1:9-10 for love to abound relate to the concept of being pure and blameless for the day of Christ? [05:30]

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Application Questions:

Reflect on your own life: In what areas do you feel you need to grow in holiness to confirm your blamelessness in Christ? What practical steps can you take this week to pursue this growth? [05:30]
Consider the role of God's faithfulness in your spiritual journey. How can you remind yourself daily of His sustaining power, especially during times of struggle or doubt? [07:35]
The sermon emphasizes the importance of love in the process of sanctification. Identify one relationship in your life where you can intentionally increase and abound in love. What specific actions will you take to do this? [03:43]
How does understanding the dual nature of blamelessness affect your view of sin and obedience? Are there specific sins you need to address in light of this understanding? [02:02]
Reflect on the assurance of your justification in Christ. How does this assurance motivate you to live a life of holiness, and what changes can you make to align your actions with this motivation? [08:40]
In what ways can you actively participate in the process of sanctification in your community or church? Consider one specific way you can encourage others in their journey towards holiness this week. [10:14]
How can you practically apply the concept of being "kept blameless" in your daily routine? Identify one habit or practice you can implement to help maintain your focus on Christ's coming. [12:04]

Sermon Clips

Now may the God of Peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole Spirit soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. When you read kept blameless it sounds like well in some sense we are blameless because of our relation to Christ and he's asking that God would keep us that way so that we are found that way at the coming of the Lord Jesus. [00:58:08]

How does God keep us make us fit us to be blameless so that when the Lord Jesus comes we will not be found with a damning blame in our lives, and this sanctifying them completely seems to be and I'll show that in fact is a part of the process by which this happens so that you can't reduce keep them blameless you can't reduce that to imputed righteousness through justification. [02:04:34]

May the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and for all as we do for you so that so this increase and abounding is the means by which this effect is brought about what effect so that he may establish your heart's blameless in Holiness before our God and Father at the coming of Our Lord so this blamelessness is not merely the imputation of Christ's blamelessness to us because it's made the product of a growing love for believers. [03:43:00]

Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling so he God is able to keep you from stumbling stumbling into unbelief and a life of sin and thus to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy so this presentation before God of us as blameless is affected by his keeping us from stumbling this is not merely imputation this is somehow practical keeping from a life of stumbling that enables him to present us blameless. [04:35:40]

And it is my prayer that your love your love may abound so he's praying for practical increases of love more and more with knowledge and all discernment so that here's the love that's gonna have this effect so that you may approve what is excellent and so by that love that abounding so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ. [05:27:36]

You he has now reconciled in his body of Flesh by his death so the death of Christ did what needed to be done for our sins to be forgiven for the wrath of God to be taken away and sinners are now by faith in the death of Jesus reconciled we are done with guilt we are done with wrath we are at home with the father we are in the family we are reconciled to God in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him. [06:17:58]

Who will sustain you he will sustain you to the end there's a sustaining work a confirming work Guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ God is faithful by whom you were called into the fellowship of his son he's faithful and the faithfulness of God means this sustaining and keeping is going to happen and therefore we are going to be found Guiltless blameless at the day of the Lord Jesus Christ. [07:31:00]

Christ does I'm going to number these These are My Steps the meaning of being kept blameless at the day of Crisis is my attempt to understand what we just saw one Christ died for us praised God that's the foundation of everything if he had not died then there could be no hope whatsoever that we would be found acceptable and blameless at the day of Christ but he did die for us. [09:10:00]

Through that faith we are reconciled to God so the reconciliation is purchased here it's experienced here and we are in it and this reconciliation means wrath is removed, sin is Forgiven righteousness is imputed and we are perfect in Christ we are all that Christ is for us as we are united to him by faith that unleashes forth the process of becoming what we are sanctification actually becoming holy in practice hating sin putting it to death fighting the fight of Faith pursuing obedience striving. [09:43:38]

Thus we are blameless in two senses we are we'll call this a counted righteous in Christ because of this reconciliation and we are counted righteous in Christ and confirmed in that righteousness in Christ by Holiness of Life by growing Holiness of Life call that uh B so two senses of blameless one in Christ we are counted perfect. [10:51:59]

God keeps us so right now when I think of being kept by God I believe I wake up in the morning a Believer because God is keeping me I believe I get some victory over Temptation during the day because God is keeping me and I don't play I don't claim to have perfect faith and I don't claim to have perfect Holiness but it's real and it's real and it's owing to God keeping me. [11:54:00]

I am blameless in two senses I am in Christ by faith and thus reconciled to God with the blamelessness of Christ count in his mind and I am being Sanctified completely which is a necessary confirmation of being in Christ and thus we will be safe at the coming of our Lord Jesus. [13:05:76]

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Blamelessness: Faith, Sanctification, and God's Faithfulness

Devotional

Day 1: The Dual Nature of Blamelessness

Day 2: Foundation in Christ's Sacrifice

Day 3: Sanctification as a Process

Day 4: God's Sustaining Work

Day 5: Assurance and Holiness

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Chatbot

Blamelessness: Faith, Sanctification, and God's Faithfulness

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