Blameless and Holy

“But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua‬ ‭24‬:‭15‬ ‭

In the Old Testament, we see God tell both Noah and Abraham that He is God Almighty. As He identifies Himself as God Almighty, they are to live according to His commands. When we study these men in the Bible the word blameless is used to describe them. In the New Testament, we see Paul tell Christians that through Christ, we can be presented as holy and blameless before God the Father (Col 1:22). What does it mean to be blameless and holy before our Heavenly Father?

If we look in the last several chapters of Leviticus, we see God give instructions to Moses on how the Israelites should live, how to handle the sacrifices, and what is considered unclean versus what is clean. Over and over throughout these chapters, God says “I am the Lord”. Why does he keep reiterating this in the midst of his instructions to them? Leviticus 20:8 says, “keep my statutes and do them; I am the Lord, who sanctifies you.” The Lord reiterates this because He is the one who sanctifies us and who sets us apart. Just as Noah was set apart and blameless in his generation, we are also called to follow his example.

When the Bible refers to Noah as “blameless in his generation”, what did that mean? The Bible tells us that “Noah was a righteous man” and that he “walked with God”. Was he perfect, no, but did he have a relationship with God where he obeyed and lived according to what God wanted? Yes!

When the Lord appeared to Abram, God told him, “I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless, that I may make my covenant between me and you.” (Genesis 17:1-2). If we truly understand who God is when He says God Almighty, then it’s easier to understand why His instructions to His people include being “blameless” or “holy”.

God Almighty in Hebrew is El Shaddai. This name represents God's sovereignty, His faithfulness, His provision and His place as supreme authority above all else. He is blameless and holy and when a blameless and holy God wants to have a relationship with us, we should desire to be blameless and holy as He is.

As God continues to give Moses instructions on living and being set apart, it is important that He continues to remind them that the reason for these instructions is because He is the Lord. He is the One leading them, providing for them, and fulfilling the covenant with them that He already had in place. He wants to do this, but He cannot be where sin is, so in order to fulfill these things that He has promised, His people have to surrender to Him and live according to His ways. If not, He has to remain separated from them. We can’t live in a world where we expect Him to fulfill His side, yet we do not hold ourselves to the same standard of doing all He has asked us to do. 

In the New Testament, we see the same call to be holy and blameless, but now we are under the new covenant through Jesus’ blood. The Lord always keeps His word and the promises He made so long ago, yet the truth remains, He cannot be where sin is. John 14:6 says, “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me’”. To know and be united with God the Father, we have to know His Son, Jesus, the ultimate sacrifice for our sins. When we know Jesus, we receive His Holy Spirit, and our desire becomes a surrendered life to our Lord. With the help of the Holy Spirit, we can live a life blameless and holy before our holy God.

In Colossians 1:21-23, Paul puts it all together so well when he says, “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, if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.”

‭‭Does this mean we are perfect, again no, but it does mean our heart is pure in our desire to live righteous for Him? Yes! Once we have surrendered our lives to Christ, we will willingly desire the things He desires. We have two options in this world: to follow Christ or to deny Him. Joshua says it best when he says, “And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, … But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua‬ ‭24‬:‭15‬ ‭

Friends, if you question whether you have surrendered your life to the Lord and desire to walk blameless before Him, then I would encourage you to spend time with Him, seeking Him in prayer and through His word, working out your surrender and letting Him search your heart. You can pray Psalm 139:23-24, “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!”

If you have questions, please reach out, we would love to chat with you about these things.

-Rebecca