Insightful Musings on the Scriptures
by
Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67
Good evening on the 4th, dear ones..
It’s been a full day. I was at the mural frame in Molalla just after 6am to install the metal roofing. The evening before, we successfully used the crane truck to set the roof assembly in place in one piece. I worked through the morning while Becki took the grandkids to the parade.
Our neighbors graciously had us over for a picnic and BBQ. Good time. There’s more action out there…so I better get.
Blessings on what’s left of this day. Love, Dad/Ray.
Think of it! By God doing His part (love and grace) and you doing your part (faith and obedience), you can actually come through this dirty, dark, dangerous, disturbing, and deceptive world BLAMELESS! Now is that good news or what? This is not to say that there will be no bumps and bruises or no frustrations and failures. It does mean that IF, through it all, we learn to prioritize pleasing God and appropriating His Word, we will be able to remove from ourselves the universal cause for man standing guilty and condemned before a Holy God, and be abundantly ready when Christ returns for His “glorious Church, without spot or wrinkle,” absolutely blame-free. (Read again Rom. 8:1-2)
Let’s take a moment here to look again at verse 23 in its entirety: “May the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Please understand that half conversion (if that is possible) and luke-warmness are not adequate antidotes to the wrath of God (see again verse 9). If we are at all concerned with being right and repaired and ready before God, we MUST understand the high importance of our striving to be sanctified completely—“through and through” (see 2 Corinthians 7:1) to the point that our entire “spirit, soul and body” are made and maintained BLAMELESS. I judge that this is a reasonable and attainable pursuit for one with A HEART AFTER GOD, but impossible for anyone else.