Those Whose Walk is Blameless

THOSE WHOSE WALK IS BLAMELESS

For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless. (Psalm 84:11)

“Those whose walk is blameless.” Is it possible to have a blameless walk with Christ? It most certainly is, just as it was under the Law of Moses.

Somehow there has crept into Christian thinking that no one can live perfectly before God. You will hear Christians say, “As long as we are in the world, we must sin.” Where do they get this idea — that we must sin while we are in the world, that it is impossible to have a blameless walk? Even under the Law of Moses it was possible to please God perfectly:

In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. Both of them were upright in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commandments and regulations blamelessly. (Luke 1:5,6)

Consider the passage above: Zechariah and Elizabeth were living under the Law of Moses. Were they blameless before God? If they were, if they satisfied the requirements of Psalm 84:11, then how can we say that it is impossible to live without sin? If Zechariah and Elizabeth were under the Law of Moses, observing all the Lord’s commandments and regulations blamelessly, then what could be true of us under a vastly superior covenant?

But you might say, “They kept the Law perfectly, but they themselves still were not as perfect as Christ.” That certainly is true. But God does not require that we live perfectly beyond what He is requiring of us at any given time. This may be true for eternity, as far as I know. All that God requires is that we be perfect for the day — that is, that we are obeying Him right now in all He is asking of us. To go beyond that is spiritual ambition and has no place in the Kingdom of God. As far as God was concerned, Zechariah and Elizabeth were perfect because they were doing all that God required of them. He was not asking that they be perfect according to some standard as yet unknown to them.

I believe this is an important understanding for each one of us to have. Many Christians, it seems to me, have embraced the teaching that “as long as we are in the world, we must sin.” They appear to be assuming that once they die and go to Heaven, they will be perfect — sinlessly perfect. But they have no passage of Scripture that supports the idea that dying will make us perfect. They never have the satisfaction of knowing that, as far as God is concerned, they are blameless. I know we are taught the unscriptural belief that “God sees us through Christ, and so even though we are living sinful lives, we are considered blameless.”

In this article, I am not referring to that kind of blamelessness — imputed blamelessness. Rather, I am speaking of living in victory over sin, of living a victorious Christian life. After all, the promise of walking in white as a member of the royal priesthood is given to the overcomer, not to the one who is blameless by imputation.

Let’s see what Paul had to say:

Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation — but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, (Romans 8:12,13)

We are taught today that we have an obligation to our sinful nature, that we are obligated to sin while we are in the world. But the Apostle Paul has written that we do not have an obligation to our sinful nature. We do not need to sin if we choose not to.

I believe it is very important for Christians to understand they don’t need to sin while they are in the world, or in the spirit-world either. To sin or not to sin is a choice we make. Satan was in the spirit-world when he chose to sin; so dying and entering the spirit-world is not the solution to the problem of sinful behavior.

The current emphasis is that the only freedom from sin we can have is by imputation, by a guiltlessness assigned to us because we say we believe in Christ. Its implication is that Christ can only forgive us, but not actually deliver us from the bondages of sin. We can see at once that this teaching is not based in the Scriptures.

But let us see further what Paul said:

For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, (Romans 8:13)

If we as a Christian live according to our sinful nature, we will die spiritually.

If there ever was a truth that needs to be emphasized in America in the present hour, it is this: If you, as a believing Christian, continue to obey your sinful nature, you will die spiritually — even if you are trusting in imputed righteousness. Paul certainly was addressing believers who believed in imputed righteousness!

Now how can it be that we are under the Passover blood, believing in the Lord Jesus Christ for freedom from condemnation, and yet will die spiritually if we continue to yield to our sinful nature? Even though at first glance it appears contradictory, it nevertheless is the truth. If we, who are under the blood atonement, trusting in Christ for freedom from condemnation, continue to commit adultery, fornicate, lie, steal, refuse to forgive someone, then we shall die; we shall not inherit the Kingdom of God.

But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law. The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. (Galatians 5:18-21)

Did the Apostle Paul actually write this to Christian people who were trusting in Jesus Christ for salvation? Yes, he certainly did! You see, the atoning blood of Christ is a protective covering over us to keep us free from condemnation, only as long as we are following the Spirit of God into victory over sin.

Forgiveness is one matter. But the Kingdom of God is not in forgiveness but in actual removal of the bondages of sin.

We can see instantly that the current Christian thinking concerning imputed righteousness as an eternal waiving of guilt, no matter how we behave, is dreadfully destructive of the spiritual life. God’s people who are not pursuing the life of victory in Christ are dying spiritually and shall not inherit the Kingdom of God, unless they confess their sins and turn away from them.

We had a powerful prophecy in church this morning (September 9, 2012) concerning speaking to the bones in the valley that they are to come to life. (You can hear prophecy 31 at: www.wor.org/audio.)

It appears there are two powerful forces at work today. One is the demonstration of Satan’s work in the rebellions that are rising up everywhere. They eventually will bring chaos to our country.

The second powerful force is the bringing to life of the “dry bones.” The dry bones refer to both the remnant of Israel, and the members of the Body of Christ. Both are dry and dead in the present hour. Israel is dry and dead because they have no prophet and are trusting in the United Nations to save them. The members of the Body of Christ are dry and dead because of the warping of the Apostle Paul’s doctrine of imputed righteousness.

The 37th chapter of Ezekiel represents a convergence of the remnant of the Jewish people and a remnant of the Christian people. They shall be a mighty army that will be raised up while the people of the world, including the United States, are in the throes of rebellion.

We are without condemnation by means of imputed righteousness. How then can we enter the Kingdom of God, a kingdom in which the practice of sin has been overcome?

For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, (Romans 8:13)

As sons of God, we are to be led by the Spirit of God. The Spirit of God continually points out to us the sins of thought, word, or deed, we are committing. But how do we put these bondages of sin to death?

As the Spirit of God points them out to you, you must confess them clearly, naming them specifically. “I am lying.” “I am committing adultery.” “I am fornicating.” “I am stealing.” “I am not forgiving someone.” “I am jealous of some person.” “I am given to fits of rage.” “I idolize some individual.” And so forth. These must be named to God clearly. Sometimes it helps to get an older Christian of the same sex to pray with you, but not one who will gossip. Gossip itself is a sin of which multitudes of church people are guilty. Those who gossip are worthy of death, according to the Apostle Paul (Romans 1:20).

Numerous American Christians are dying spiritually because of these deeds of their sinful nature. God is telling us to prophesy life to the bones. In order to come to strong, spiritual life and become part of God’s army, they must confess these sins.

After you have confessed your sins, you are to denounce them as wickedness, and renounce them, saying with all your might, “I will have nothing to do with you for eternity. You do not belong in the Kingdom of God.” If you confess specifically and clearly, and renounce sin emphatically, the Lord Jesus Christ will assist you. You see, the Judgment Seat of Christ has begun. If you are not sure of this, ask the Lord Jesus about it.

There absolutely is no reason you and I cannot live a blameless life before Jesus. Remember, He asks only that you be perfect for the day. This means as far as you know, you are obeying everything He is requiring of you. You are not to go back to the past and bring up some sin that already has been forgiven and is under the blood. You do not need to strive to see into the future about sins you might commit at that time. In fact, you and I might discover, after we are ruling on the new earth, some area in which we are not perfect. Why not? Are we going to be created in the image of God overnight?

All you need concern yourself with right this moment is what the Spirit is dealing with you about. If you can look up to God and your spiritual “sky” is clear, then go on your way rejoicing. You are blameless in the sight of God.

Tomorrow may bring a new challenge. Then confess the area of concern; denounce it as evil; renounce it saying you never again will yield to it; and then draw near to Christ. He will assist you gladly. Remember, right now you are being made manifest at His Judgment Seat. It is an eternal judgment. The bondage never will be mentioned to you again, if you will take the steps I have outlined with the utmost sincerity and determination.

It never is God’s will that you be under condemnation. So obey the Spirit of God, hold up your head, and prepare yourself for the mighty victory that is just ahead of us, as the remnant of Jews and Gentiles march forward, bearing testimony to every nation of the soon coming of the Kingdom of God to the earth.

The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, take a stick of wood and write on it, ‘Belonging to Judah and the Israelites associated with him. Then take another stick of wood, and write on it, ‘Ephraim’s stick, belonging to Joseph and all the house of Israel associated with him.’ Join them together into one stick so that they will become one in your hand.’” (Ezekiel 37:15-17)

Judah stands for the remnant of Jews. Ephraim’s stick stands for the remnant of Gentiles, because Ephraim had a Gentile mother. The two sticks shall be one stick in Christ’s hand and He shall be King over them both for eternity.

(“Those Whose Walk is Blameless”, 3352-1, proofed 20211015)