By John Thiel, mp3

We are in need of preparation for entrance into the heavenly Canaan. As we have been singing the hymn – Shall You Shall I, where will you and I stand when the great final decision is made when Jesus comes? The serious question of shall you or I is applicable as someone will be on one side or the other. We need to be prepared as we would like to be on the right side.  The song shall you, shall I, deals with the blamelessness that we need to open our hearts to.

2 Peter 3:13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. 14 Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.

It is our consideration is to be found of him. Jesus shed his precious blood, he is the one that we are to trust so we will be found of him. Do we look at Gods grace or do we look at our perspective?  Are we oppressed by sin?  Sin is a terrible thing. It appears pleasurable at the time but once you’ve done it there is a ugly condemnatory finger pointing thing. It leaves us with depression and a state of despair. It is a difficult thing when convinced of ungodliness to trust my case is safe with the Lord. No man will see God unless he is holy. If we will not be able to see God unless we are holy, and the coming of Jesus is very imminent, and we look at ourselves and we see what a sham of a condition we are in, then the coming of Jesus is nothing for us to look forward to. Can you face Jesus with a condition that you are at right now? Look at the way your life is in all honesty, can you face him? Or will the coming of Jesus be what is written in Amos? Christians say I want Jesus to come and someone actually said to me I want him to come this year. If he were to come this year, are you ready?

Amos 5:18 Woe unto you that desire the day of the LORD! to what end [is] it for you? the day of the LORD [is] darkness, and not light. 19 As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him; or went into the house, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him. 20 [Shall] not the day of the LORD [be] darkness, and not light? even very dark, and no brightness in it?

If Jesus was to come, if the day of the Lord was to take place within a few months from here, would it be a day of joy to you? Because of such a statement as this, it is imperative that our preparation for his coming is our special attention just now. Our mediation at this moment is the attention to personal sanctity. How is your attitude? Is it holy? Is it blameless as we read in 2nd Peter? We are to be found without spot blameless. We are to be diligent that I may be found like that. This is our focus.

What Is A Thus Said the Lord?

To be diligent in this matter, to be found of him without spot and blameless, did you notice there is something I must attend to in order to be found of him without spot? It is imperative if I am going to be found of him in that time it is imperative to understand and comprehend what he means. We so easily slide over those words and take it as what we comprehend and don’t often understand what is meant by that. To comprehend his view of what it is without spot and blameless. We must be found of him. It is not what you think of yourself it is what he thinks of you. Without a clear understanding of Gods meaning on this subject, the believer would be in desperate despair. When Gods people see Jesus coming their faces gather paleness because even at that time they don’t quite understand the way that he means. This is what we need to comprehend, not to go into despair when we see the way we see things.

David

Remember when David had to face what he did wrong. God gave him opportunity to fall into the hands of man or God. Which did he choose? He chose to fall into Gods hands. If he fell into mans judging of the matter he would have been absolutely destroyed. He would not have been able to lift his head at all. That is what man does to each other. They destroy each other.

Examine What God Means

Appreciate an important point of what I must do to be diligent.

Jude 1:24 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present [you] faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,

This is the most important guideline as we come to the preparation as need to be found of him blameless without spot. It says he is able to present us faultless and he is able to keep us from falling.  When he comes we are to be found of him. What is connected here? We are to understand that he wants me to be saved and he is able to present me faultless. He is able to present me blameless so he will find me without spot and blameless. God is able, do you believe that? No matter how decrepit and sinful you are and have been, if you only trust him, he is able to present you absolutely faultless. This is so hard to believe. I know a great number of us are having great trouble believing it especially for our brother. We often look at the other person and say hhmmpph. We like to think highly of ourselves that we will make it but he won’t. Or there are others forever putting themselves down who say I am never going to make it. What are we saying? We are saying God is not able. We are not honouring him.

Fear God and Give Him the Glory

God is able to present the veriest sinner faultless no matter what he has done and no matter how wicked he is.  Think of the most wicked thing that you can think of and God can present that person who has done that wicked thing faultless. Do you believe it? Some have problems with that. Appreciate what this blamelessness and spotlessness is encompassing.

James 1:4 But let patience have [her] perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

What is without spot? Entire wanting nothing and God is able to present us like that at his coming if we will believe it. What must we do diligently in preparation to that end? It says we must be diligent. If God can present me like that, and I must not dishonour to suggest that he can’t by saying no I’m never going to get there, I must understand what my diligence is to understand my equation. I can’t, I am sinful, I can’t find anything about me that is perfect, nothing. As I look at my brother’s and sister’s faults I dismay, who is going to make it? We need to understand something here. We need to understand it form Gods perspective. As I speak it now do not suggest I am telling you my opinion. What I am going to suggest will cut across some people’s minds and I want you to listen carefully to him.

To Present Us Blameless – Two Factors

There are two factors involved for God to present us blameless.

Romans 3:20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law [is] the knowledge of sin.

What has the law shown you about yourself and about your brother? Sinner, evil. That is what the law shows. Here is the word but the law reveals I am a very unjust person, I have no righteousness, how can I stand before God?

Romans 3:21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; 22 Even the righteousness of God [which is] by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: 23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

There is no difference. If I think I am more just than another person, there is no difference. If someone else does something really bad and I say I haven’t, sorry, there is no difference. All have sinned including you and me. We have come short of the glory of God.

But Look!

Romans 3:24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 25 Whom God hath set forth [to be] a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;

What is it? The remission of sins that are past. How dare I bring up the sins of the past. How dare you think that your past sins are hanging around your neck if God has remitted them.

Romans 3:26 To declare, [I say], at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.

Can we boast? Of course not!

Romans 3:27 Where [is] boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. 28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.

I can’t accept this I hear people say. If a sin has been committed and that person is condemned. Yes you are right but what did we just read? The sin that the person has committed has been transferred onto Jesus Christ. That sin that has been transferred onto Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ died with that. Now the law says you are free because the law observes that the sin that it has condemned in you and your brother and sister. That sin according to the law has been erased. It has been paid for but not by money.  Someone had to suffer the consequence of that and that person was Jesus Christ. That being the case we are justified. What does that mean? Just as if we had never sinned. Do you believe that? If you don’t, you are condemned by the law.

The Law of Faith

Romans 3:27 Where [is] boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.

Did you notice that faith is a law? We who want to hail the law, the law, the law and condemn others who have broken that law, there is another part of the law, it is just as important and powerful, it is the law of faith. What is that law of faith? It is the faith of Jesus Christ.   That law is in harmony with the Ten Commandments. It is a law that says you must be destroyed for sin and Jesus was destroyed for sin in your place, free. Oh to believe. When we are to come before the Lord to meet him, and be diligent so that we will meet him in peace, without spot and blameless, if I don’t believe this, I won’t stand before him without spot and blameless. My diligence is to believe it and that is hard but I must be diligent in the law of faith.

We have no righteousness of our own with which to meet the claims of the law of God. But Christ has made a way of escape for us. He lived on earth amid trials and temptations such as we have to meet. He lived a sinless life. He died for us, and now He offers to take our sins and give us His righteousness. If you give yourself to Him, and accept Him as your Saviour, then, sinful as your life may have been, for His sake you are accounted righteous. Christ’s character stands in place of your character, and you are accepted before God just as if you had not sinned. {SC 62.2}

Is this my opinion? I tell you brethren and sisters, that unless you take this law you will not be found by him in peace when he comes. If you do not forgive your fellow brethren on the same basis, we will not be found without spot and blameless.

Philippians 3:9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

This is the attitude of God that he wants to find you and me in when he comes. To be found in the law of faith. That is the first factor in this equation.

The Second Factor – Diligence

Philippians 2:12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of [his] good pleasure. 14 Do all things without murmurings and disputing: 15 That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;

This is the second part that we are to stand in daily life in such a communication with God that we will be so diligent in working out our own salvation with fear and trembling because of what? It is God working in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. You are already in an existent state as though you had never sinned. As we go on from there, we are to permit God, we are to be diligent. Instead of forgetting God in the equation we are to be diligent as he is working inside of me to do his good pleasure. As he is working in me provoking and promoting me, I am to do everything he says without murmuring or complaining. Just do as he says as he is working in me. We are to be sons of God in a perverse and crooked nation and because of justification we are as if we had never sinned.

More than this, Christ changes the heart. He abides in your heart by faith. You are to maintain this connection with Christ by faith and the continual surrender of your will to Him; and so long as you do this, He will work in you to will and to do according to His good pleasure. So you may say, “The life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me.” Galatians 2:20. So Jesus said to His disciples, “It is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.” Matthew 10:20. Then with Christ working in you, you will manifest the same spirit and do the same good works –works of righteousness, obedience. {SC 62.3}

Did you pick up our diligent effort? What is it? The first part of the equation is to be diligent in the law of faith. I am to believe I am without sin but not because I can boast about it but because of the law of faith because of Christ’s righteousness imputed to me.

So we have nothing in ourselves of which to boast. We have no ground for self-exaltation. Our only ground of hope is in the righteousness of Christ imputed to us, and in that wrought by His Spirit working in and through us. {SC 63.1}

There are two parts. One is the imputation so that I am no longer to be under the pall of condemnation. It is finished as there is no condemnation to those who by faith take hold of Jesus. We are here in this church because every single one of us had made that decision. I know that is why I baptised some of you. I know that you made that decision. Now the question is, do I still believe it? Or have I lost faith? Do I still believe that God is working within me? If I do believe that, I will be diligent in holding on to that. Before God said he is able to keep us from falling, he said something else;

Jude 1:21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

When Jesus comes we must be found of him without spot, blameless to have eternal life so keep yourself in the love of God. Do you need mercy? Does your brother need mercy? Everyone of us needs of mercy. Why? We are criminals, we are evil, we have sinned, we are doomed to death. I don’t know if some of us keep on remembering that. Without the mercy of Jesus we are dead men ready to pay for our sins, everyone of us. Keep yourselves in the love of God. Look for the mercy. What is our grave danger in reference to the love of God that we must keep ourselves in? What is the grave danger?

Matthew 24:12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.

When iniquity abounds around you, and you suffer the consequences of someone else’s sin, what happens in your heart? You will lose your love. Iniquity abounds in today’s society but if we look back at it, we will lose our love for the one who has done things in the past. Because I have been hurt by sin and people around you are hurting you all the time, and because this abounds the love of many grows cold.

Matthew 24:13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

We must endure being hurt and still love. To be hurt by someone close to me and then still love them, can you do it? By the law of faith you can. The law of the love of God loves the sinner so much that he was prepared to give his own eternal life. All heaven was jeopardized by our sins. This is our danger. We are in danger of not keeping ourselves in love.

The Ephesians

What does Jesus say to the Ephesians? I have something against you. What did he have against them? They were very faithful. Are you very faithful? Are you fastidious in everything you do? Yet have this problem? Do you work hard? Do you labour to do what is right? Can you bear people that are evil? You can’t can you.

Revelation 2:1 Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks; 2 I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: 3 And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name’s sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted. 4 Nevertheless I have [somewhat] against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.

The Ephesians were ever so faithful labouring so much and hating evil. Yes I hate those who are evil, oops, those that do evil, that is what they hate. But the repentant ones? The love of God. That is what he had against the Ephesians church. It applies to us because iniquity abounds love grows cold. Because you are dead you can’t stir up love. Is that right? But God is able to present me with love. What is it that has brought me to this place in the first place? Did we not see ourselves lost and condemned? Look back as you first came across this message, where were you?

Sin is Trash

Each one of us were attached to trash weren’t we? Where did we come from? Trash. That’s where we came from. As we saw ourselves trash, and we saw there a church that was beautiful, I wanted to be there did you? That’s why you are here. You have let go of the trash, because Gods love warmed your heart. I was eternally damned and his love warmed my heart from its cold, harsh outlook. What was it that did it? The atonement was it? Oh what love, the atonement, how it made such an impact in our life. What was that whole thing? Let us reflect on what brought us here.

Jesus has said, “I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto Me.” John 12:32. Christ must be revealed to the sinner as the Saviour dying for the sins of the world; and as we behold the Lamb of God upon the cross of Calvary, the mystery of redemption begins to unfold to our minds and the goodness of God leads us to repentance. In dying for sinners, Christ manifested a love that is incomprehensible; and as the sinner beholds this love, it softens the heart, impresses the mind, and inspires contrition in the soul. {SC 26.4}

That is what started us of right? Have you lost some of that since?

And as Christ draws them to look upon His cross, to behold Him whom their sins have pierced, the commandment comes home to the conscience. The wickedness of their life, the deep-seated sin of the soul, is revealed to them. They begin to comprehend something of the righteousness of Christ, and exclaim, “What is sin, that it should require such a sacrifice for the redemption of its victim? Was all this love, all this suffering, all this humiliation, demanded, that we might not perish, but have everlasting life?” {SC 27.1}

Can you remember that experience, that conscience working within you? What did you do? Did you resist that love? You didn’t because you are here now.

The sinner may resist this love, may refuse to be drawn to Christ; but if he does not resist he will be drawn to Jesus; a knowledge of the plan of salvation will lead him to the foot of the cross in repentance for his sins, which have caused the sufferings of God’s dear Son. {SC 27.2}

That was the love that brought us here. What does Jesus say? I have something against you. You have lost that first love. Have you experienced the first love but now have lost it awhile? What does the word of God say we should do? Go back to where you last saw the light. Go back. Gaze upon this wonderful love of God and let it percolate into your life as you are cold as a stone. God is able to restore that first love so let it break.

We Are Laodiceans

As a Laodicean we are told that we have a smugness and if you retain that you will not be saved. You not be found in peace. Why? You do not see yourself. You say I am rich and increased with goods needing nothing. I am alright, I’ve not done anything wrong. Do you know the parable of the man who had been forgiven? He was forgiven a huge amount but he didn’t forgive another so he was indebted again.

How to Regain an Appreciation of this Wonderful Love

It is the province of the law to condemn, but there is in it no power to pardon or to redeem. {FLB 104.2}

Without Christ the law of itself was only condemnation and death to the transgressor. It has no saving quality and no power to shield the transgressor from its penalty.

The transgression of God’s law made the death of Christ essential to save man and yet maintain the dignity and honor of the law. Christ took upon Himself the condemnation of sin. He opened His bosom to the woes of man. He who knew no sin became sin for us. {FLB 104.4}

Doesn’t that touch your heart? Didn’t it touch your heart when you came to the Lord and said thank you, you have saved me?

As man’s substitute and surety, the iniquity of men was laid upon Christ; He was counted a transgressor that He might redeem them from the curse of the law. . . . He, the Sin-Bearer, endures judicial punishment for iniquity and becomes sin itself for man. {FLB 104.5}

What has the Lord done in the past? He has become sin itself for your and my sin. What love. Look at that again and as we hold onto our sins and the sins of our brother or sister, what is happening? I can’t see the love. He became sin itself it says.

Look At Jesus on The Cross

God permits His Son to be delivered up for our offenses. He Himself assumes toward the Sin-Bearer the character of a judge, divesting Himself of the endearing qualities of a father. {FLB 104.7}

It was his Son that was suffering and he stole himself against the feelings of his Son. The endearing sense of the father over the son, he divested himself of that. Do you need to judge anybody? If he judged your sin of the past and this moment, as he took the vengeance of his own son, do you have to put vengeance of another? It doesn’t make sense does it? Here is the love of God. We can only be fit for heaven if the love of God for the veriest sinner is displayed by me. Every struggling brother or sister in the church who is struggling with their character defects. As they suffer, the struggling brother or sister touches my heart with compassion when I see Jesus die.

Do You Want To Stand Triumphant At Last?

The grace of Christ must mold the entire being, and its triumph will not be complete until the heavenly universe shall witness habitual tenderness of feeling, Christlike love, and holy deeds in the deportment of the children of God. {AG 235.2}

When heaven sees this characteristic then we will stand before him in peace and blameless. Then the church will be triumphant.

Christ as we treat His children; for He is represented in the person of His saints. The truth of God must sanctify the soul, refine and elevate the character, and we must obtain the heavenly mold, before we shall be fitted for the courts above. {RC 206.2}

Will we manifest the love of Jesus to our erring bro and sister?

Zephaniah 2:1 Gather yourselves together, yea, gather together, O nation not desired; 2 Before the decree bring forth, [before] the day pass as the chaff, before the fierce anger of the LORD come upon you, before the day of the LORD’S anger come upon you. 3 Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD’S anger.

Keep yourself in love and mercy. Only if we have his meekness, his love can we appreciate his mercy. Can we appreciate his mercy on others around us? Perfection and blamelessness is ours alone in Jesus Christ and my diligence is to hold onto Jesus. My diligence is to keep myself in that love and when he comes the story of my focus upon that love is the story that is going to destroy the wicked and if I have lost my love and haven’t gained it again the following will happen.

The Great Sacrifice of Jesus Spurned

Isaiah 63:1 Who [is] this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this [that is] glorious in his apparel, traveling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save. 2 Wherefore [art thou] red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the wine fat? 3 I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people [there was] none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment. 4 For the day of vengeance [is] in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come.

What a wonderful combination. Gethsemane, the love of God and destruction a love spurned. Only those who have kept themselves in the love of God are part of the year of the redeemed.

Isaiah 63:5 And I looked, and [there was] none to help; and I wondered that [there was] none to uphold: therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto me; and my fury, it upheld me.

This description is extremely close. We can already see it happening. Prepare diligently to be found of him in peace according to what we have gained here in this study. To be without spot and blameless is to keep myself in the love of God.

Amen.