The Purpose of Election - Blamelessness - A Human Impossibility

Ephesians 1:4

4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, 

A second purpose of election is that we should stand “blameless” before Him at the time of Judgment.   Of course, this is related to the prior phrase in concept.  There, we saw that God's purpose in Election was to present His children Holy before Him at the time of the end and that that referred to the holiness that is secured by the work of Jesus Christ imputed to the account of His children by grace through faith.

“Without Blame” is a translation of a Greek word that refers to being faultless, or without blemish.  The word represents the Old-Testament phrase for absence of physical defect.  In Exodus 12:5, speaking of the Passover Lamb, we read: “Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year…”.  The (representing the coming Christ) had to be perfect physically, with no discernable blemish or physical failing.  Leviticus 22:18-20 enlarges on the concept with regard to all offerings: ¹⁸“Speak to Aaron and his sons, and to all the children of Israel, and say to them: 'Whatever man of the house of Israel, or of the strangers in Israel, who offers his sacrifice for any of his vows or for any of his freewill offerings, which they offer to the LORD as a burnt offering-¹⁹you shall offer of your own free will a male without blemish from the cattle, from the sheep, or from the goats. ²⁰Whatever has a defect, you shall not offer, for it shall not be acceptable on your behalf.”  The defect made the offering unacceptable to god as a means of fulfilling the obligation they had to yield to Him their best.  This too pointed to Christ as the perfect sacrifice for sin.  In the New Testament we read in Hebrews 9:14, though ti does not use this particular word, says this: “¹⁴how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?”.  Christ was the fulfillment of all of these OT instructions, and was the larger intent of those instructions to Israel regarding their offerings.

It is used 3 times in the New Testament.  First, it is translated “blameless” in 2 Pet 3:14:  ¹⁴Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless...” Peter exhorts us to be sure that we examine ourselves to see that we are in a position where we are found to be in acceptable condition before God.

It is rendered rebuke in Phil 2:14-15: "14 Do all things without murmurings and disputings: 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;". Note that the word in question is translated "without rebuke" and refers to the quality of being found to be without cause for judgement, there regarding the practical matters of how we live in the world as Christians.

The related word translated "without blemish" in Phil 2:15 refers to being pure and fully functional. There is no fault in the make-up. This is the idea that our actions show our true inner state. If our our actions are such that we are not blameless, it points to a fault or a blemish in the inner person.

What is required by God is the pure and unspotted character that will yield perfect behavior. Anything less is unacceptable and yields condemnation and not blessing at His hand.

That degree of perfection is available only in the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. Men cannot achieve it. They are not capable either of the degree of perfection or of the extent of perfection required. They must secure it by means of the imputation of Christ's righteousness. There is no other source.