1 Corinthians 1:8, “He will keep you strong to the end so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
As I reflect on what it means to be blameless, I think about Jesus.
The dictionary describes blameless as innocent of wrongdoing. Some other words described are:
Exemplary
Perfect
Virtuous
Pure
Faultless
and Squeaky Clean
I’d like to focus on the word exemplary, which means serving as a desirable model and representing the best of its kind.
In this world we see many images of what might seem to look like a perfect life, some of which is having a job we love, dating and marrying a great guy before turning 25, having children before 30, living in our dream home with a white picket fence, having a knock out body and the list goes on. But when we look at the Word of God, Jesus’ life did not describe any of this. Ephesians 5:1-2 says, “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.”
I’d like to point out three things these verses reflect:
1. Walk in love (John 13:34)
2. Offer your life to God daily (Matthew 16:24)
3. Smell like Jesus (2 Corinthians 2:15)
First, we must walk in love. John 13:34 says, “ A new commandment I give you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you. “Yes, that means even those difficult people God allows in our lives to mold love in us. Yes, it means that person God has been nudging us to forgive. But how can I walk in love? This brings us to our next point...
By offering our lives daily to Christ. Matthew 16:24 says, “Then Jesus said to his disciples, if anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself daily, and take up his cross and follow me.” It takes daily surrender on our part. Every single day we will encounter something that will test our faith and bring us to our knees and these challenges prove to us that we cannot do it on our own strength. We need Jesus! We need His Holy Spirit to guide our every step.
And lastly, we need to smell like Jesus. What does that mean? Have you ever sprayed yourself with perfume or body splash (my favorite is Love Spell by Victoria’s Secret) and when you walk into a room you get compliments on that great scent? It should be the same with our spiritual lives. Whenever we walk into a room, people should smell love, grace, patience, a heart for sinners to be saved. They should smell God all over us. 2 Corinthians 2:15 says, “for we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.” What do others smell when they’re around us? Is it a bad attitude? Unforgiveness? Is it a foul scent spiritually? Or do they smell the sweet aroma of Christ in us? Only we can examine our hearts and answer this. The great thing is that God can turn things around for us when we give ourselves to Him. Lamentations 3:40, says, “Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord.”
To lead a blameless life is to be the example Jesus was in love, in the denial of his life to serve others and with the impact (fragrance) He left when He walked into a room.
I challenge you to lead a blameless life not by trying to be perfect or holier than thou, but just ask Jesus daily, “God, make me more like you. I want more of you and less of me.”
I assure you, my dear sisters, that when you purpose in your hearts to live totally surrendered to God, everything else will fall right into place, according to his good, pleasing, and perfect will.
Romans 12:2 “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
Prayer:
Lord, forgive us for trying to do things on our own strength. We surrender our lives to you. Make us more like Jesus so that we can love and forgive as He did and lead an exemplary life where we can serve as His desirable representatives and reflect the best of His kind.
In Jesus name, Amen.
Blessings,
Jeanette Mercado