Holy and Without Blame

Holy and Without Blame

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….

Ephesians 1:4

There is a practical result to what we may consider to be a ‘high doctrine.’ Yesterday, we considered the electing purpose of God, wherein He has ‘chosen us (in Christ) before the foundation of the world.’ Following that strongly doctrinal remark, the Apostle Paul, writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, says that the result of this choosing is, ‘that we should be holy and without blame before him in love.’ Let us consider, please, the association between the doctrine of election and the practical effect of it in real holiness. If God has ‘chosen us (in Christ) before, the foundation of the world,’ then He has ordained, with that, both the ways and the means whereby we shall become all that He intends for us to be. We are, in fact, ‘blameless’ in a legal way, because of the imputed righteousness of Christ in justification. We are also regarded in a legal way as ‘Holy.’ Having said that, because God will always finish what He starts, we are daily experiencing the ongoing work of sanctification wherein God is imparting to us that righteousness which is conforming us more into the Image of Christ. There will come the day, in glory, when our imparted righteousness will match our imputed righteousness. This is the practical end result of what started with being ‘chosen in Him before the foundation of the world.’ Overall, the news is very good; God will always finish what He starts.

Our Holy and Our Righteous God,
we praise You this day,
that You shall bring to a glorious conclusion all that You began,
that You perform the thing that is appointed for us,
and many such things are with You.

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning