Lambs to the Slaughter
that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, Philippians 2:15 ESV
Without blemish – Are you ready to be sacrificed? Are you ready to climb onto the altar like Isaac? Are you ready to let your life be burned up in the fire in order to be a sweet smelling savor to YHVH? Oh, sorry. If you answered, “Yes,” to any of these questions, then I must quickly tell you that you do not qualify. Why? Because you are not amomos.
The Greek adjective is the equivalent of the Hebrew word for the requirement of cultic sacrifice. Such a sacrifice must be without blemish. Hauck points out that, “The NT adopts the term for the perfect piety to which believers are obligated by membership in the eschatological community.”[1] Did you catch the imperative in his remark? We are obligated to demonstrate amomos, perfect piety, a life without blemish. But how is this possible? Can you really stand up and declare that you are perfectly spotless before the judgment seat of the King? Is there any way in the world that you and I would ever qualify as sacrifices for His name’s sake? Given the standard of holiness, the answer must be, “No.” The standard is just too high.
Of course, Paul’s objective is not to make his readers throw up their hands in despair and throw in the towel of trying. This imperative is conditioned by Paul’s prior remarks. “Do all things without grumbling or disputing.” In fact, this entire section (Chapter 2) focuses on the imperative of service on behalf of others, not on personally attained holiness. According to Paul, we end up amomos when we work out our salvation with fear and trembling by doing whatever it takes to bring well-being into the lives of other people. According to Paul, the high moral standard is not so high after all. In fact, it is completely attainable, being found in unselfish acts, humble attitudes and servant behavior. Paul never even suggests that we must reach the measure of total holiness. He simply says, “make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose” as the model of the Messiah demonstrated. Can you do that? Of course you can! You can be amomos. Just put yourself on the line for another.
What a relief! I thought that I had to become sinlessly perfect in order to be saved from this crooked and perverse generation. And since I too am crooked, bent by my past life of sins, there would be little hope for me. But Paul straightens out my ethically impossible goal. The love of God is found in my acts toward others. I need to be like my Master, giving myself away so that someone else can thrive. The standard isn’t heavenly perfection. It is earthly compassion. Today you and I can make a difference to someone, and when we do, Paul will call us amomos—blameless. Wonderful! Now, go do it!
Topical Index: amomos, blameless, purity, holiness, Philippians 2:15
[1] Kittel, G., Friedrich, G., & Bromiley, G. W. (1985). Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (619). Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans.
Skip, this a great follow up to “It’s Not My Fault” yesterday’s T W.
I really appreciate the time and effort you put in to the thought provoking teaching you provide.
You are touching the lives of many people.
Our prayer is that YHWH will give you the courage and strength to keep on with this great work.
Amein.
Skip,
Your words shed ample light on why it’s called
the great commandment!
Go see the movie The Drop Box great example of anomos
The Last Question
~ Can you really stand up and declare that you are perfectly spotless before the judgment seat of the King? ~ Yes.
But how is this possible? – A wonderful “follow-up” question. Yes, How is this possible?
And the answer is.. – “NOT I, – Christ.” Don’t look at me, – look at Him. He must increase, “I” must decrease. It is Christ in me [and Christ in you] who is our (only) hope of glory. It is not in “trying,” – it is in “trusting”- not in running, but in resting.. Resting, my friends, in the finished work of Calvary.
Are you listening? (intentionally- intently?) Wonderful!- Listen again, (for the first time?) to His words.. (Hallelujah!) “There is therefore now [what?] “NO CONDEMNATION to those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8.1) Friend, our sins have been “paid for in full” by One who was crucified on a cruel Roman cross for us. Our sins (all of them), by and through the shed blood of the sinless, spotless Son of God, have been atoned for. An atoning, propitiating, cleansing Sacrifice was accomplished two millennia ago on an old rugged cross.
The Mission of The Messiah
~This is a faithful saying, and worthy of full acceptance by all, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief ~ (1 Timothy 1.15) Yes, I personally know this to be so, – “This Man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” (Luke 15.2)
A Call to Be Holy
…If [since] you [now] address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth; knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers,
– but with precious blood, as of a Lamb unblemished and spotless,
the blood of The Messiah.. (1 Peter 1.17-19)
Isaiah saw it. ~ I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist. Return to me, for I have redeemed you ~ (Isaiah 44:22)
A ransom has been paid for us. What was the price? and when did this occur?
David saw it. ~ Of David. A maskil. Blessed [how joyful] is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered ~ (Psalm 32.1)
~ You forgave the iniquity of your people and covered [atoned for] all their sins.
(Psalm 85.2)
The Last Question
~ Who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for Himself a people that are His very own, eager to do what is good? ~ (Titus 2.4)
And the answer is – “He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on Him, and by His wounds we are healed.” (Isaiah 53.5)
All glory and praise shall rest upon Him
– so willing to die in my place.
~ God forbid that I should glory, except in the cross of our LORD Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me and I unto the world ~ (Galatians 6.14)
~ For the message of the cross is foolishness to the lost, but to those of us who [now] have life it is the power of God ~ (1 Corinthians 1.18)
Whew!
I see how we are to lay our lives down.. ( being pruned daily ) allowing the Spirit to ” cut ” away and ” cast ” off the old man… our new nature is
to grow in its place by the disciplined obedience of our choosing….He does not force our growth…although it may surely seem it as on occasion the loving Father does reprove correct and instruct us for our waywardness..
But the ultimate purpose in this process of our presenting ourselves a living sacrifice is not the fact of bringing kindness and compassion to bless others as many unregenerate are able. But it is the sharing the truth of salvation in Christ only that we are ultimately encouraged to remain ” gentle and compassionate ” toward the fury and anger of the world that seeks to slaughter His children….
We must abide…in Him.
There is a maxim in the business world that goes “You are no better than your last deal”. You have to build on the previous step. What you did a year ago is long forgotten. You can take yourself down, and all that you built with you, with one careless step. The world is relentless and unforgiving. Only results (fruit) count.
Unfortunately, I think one of the most baleful results of years of ‘greasy grace’ theology seems to be that, out in the real world, I have found that Christians have a generally poor reputation, particularly in the business world. One of the most general little skits I have seen to exemplify this is where someone in business reacts to learning that the person they are doing business with is a Christian by crying in alarm “Oh, no!”, and grabbing for their wallet, while wailing “It’s already gone!”. I finally started looking for exemptions to this, only to conclude after years of experience, (we always had our own businesses, which I do even now) that, if the person you did business with identified themselves as a Christian, you could generally expect trouble! I had a “Christian” snow me beyond belief not too many years ago this way. It will take me several more years to recover. So far, to date, that makes it, I would say, well over 90% of the time I have had anything to do with a self-identified ‘Christian’ in the business world, anyway, end in being fleeced in some manner (sorry, all the REAL Christians out there!). They seem to have gotten used to skating by on their merits, or something.
The percentage of honesty, I will have to say, in my experience anyway, was quite a bit higher among the supposedly cutthroat crowd in the ‘underground’ world I found myself inhabiting in my early years. There, where you literally knew that if you were even a bit of a shade dishonest or ‘off’ in any way, you could disappear without a trace, people typically did business with just a word or a handshake. Trustworthiness, being faithful, is always going to be a risk, even in the best of circumstances. There will always be temptations on many, many subtle levels to put your own interests first in the places where someone has to trust you. But in a world where there was only one rule and regulation for business, that one rule being that you were no better than your last deal, and no one had to do business with you unless they wanted to, there was no limit to the efforts you were motivated to go to to demonstrate your trustworthiness. Even though that business was very dangerous, the trust factor was much, much higher. I am not exaggerating. The camaraderie that that trust engendered, along with the common sense of danger, also, I would say, fostered a community of brotherhood that, frankly, I thought more than a few times, any church would envy if they even had an inkling that it was possible. There is a platform, and I am going to say this, a platform for love where trust is extreme, that can be found no other place. Where trust is the only coin of the realm, love can flourish, and does. I saw risks taken for love in the dirtiest of places that would make me cry. Love is precious, but only in certain places can it show up. You can talk love all day long, but without trust, it is can be only one more attempt to take advantage. That was my conclusion, those years. I had to see it to know it.
Trustworthiness IS the bottom line in relationship. There is no other foundation upon which it can be laid. Unfortunately, we are a flavor and a showcase to the world, whether we ‘choose’ to be, or not. The world is going to be judging our King by what it sees in us, whether we like it or not. There is no ‘choosing’ to be a ‘true Christian’, like some warm fuzzy goal. Just identifying yourself as one automatically sets the world to looking. There can be only one correct thing someone who calls themselves a Follower of the Way can be, and that is a Follower of the Way. We cannot turn it on and off, depending on who we might or might not be around. If we are not practicing ‘hesed at all times with all people in all ways, then we are not following! Period! Lovingkindness and compassion IS the Way! How is that accomplished? By putting the best interests of others first ALWAYS, no matter what the circumstances or temptations! And what is the foundation of that Way? “Without faith (trustworthiness), no one can please Him”. I think the world would wholeheartedly agree!
YES! The first and foremost reflection of His Character that He wants expressed to the world He created in Love…is what He is..Love. That comes in so many ways…and the hardest are most probably the most important and most powerful. Forgiving…and say, serving the person who has hurt you the most in this world. Maybe a blessing for a clueless driver instead of a curse. Again…we can’t go running out to find someone or something to do because it sounds like a humbling servant kind of thing to do…what is He saying? Regress to the teaching a couple days ago – we pray and we listen..what is He saying to do? But when it comes to serving I am always reminded of David’s heart when he said, “I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God that cost me nothing.” II Sam. 24:24 Father! You are Holy Good!
“make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose” as the model of the Messiah demonstrated.” Yes, Amein!
It is the striving to be of the same mind/intent (same character in written Chinese)
that will lead to the unity of the spirit. Not so when one party is self-centred, with no concern for the other’s welfare. Should we stand for that? Would we be encouraging selfishness, when that person has placed himself so high above you to sound out a reproof?? You aren’t permitted to even open your mouth.
“I need to be like my Master, giving myself away so that someone else can thrive.” YES, for a good cause, but, if that promotes pride and ego, like one is ‘obligated’ to serve regardless of your situation, wouldn’t that be likened to slavery?
We would joyfully be bond-servants to our YHWH who is ever forgiving, full of chesed and rachamim. YHWH does not ‘know’/yada יָדַע the haughty and proud, but sees the lowly in spirit. Ps 138: 6
” It is earthly compassion” that has to work both ways, from those purportedly from the same ‘kingdom’. We need to walk away from being trampled! 🙁
Shalom.