At times, believers tend to get at odds with other believers. Instead, we should be thankful for our fellow believers and the benefits they bring to the body.
It is very important that the saint recognize that he is blameless in Christ at this very moment in time because of Christ’s sacrifice upon the cross. Yet, the Bible warns of one’s condition when the Lord Jesus Christ returns for His own. Thankfully, the scriptures also clearly address this event. According to 1 Corinthians 1:8, the Lord Jesus Christ “shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.” The same truth is expressed in 1 Thessalonians 3:13 when the Bible says that the Lord desires to stablish the believers’ “hearts unblameable in holiness before God . . . at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.” How is this accomplished? 1 Thessalonians 5:23 offers the answer when it mentions being “preserved blameless.” This preservation is not through man’s efforts but only through the work of Christ. He preserves the Christian positionally blameless.
Unsurprisingly, much of the world’s amusement seems to be driven by demeaning, mocking, or humiliating others. In other words, one man’s pain is another man’s pleasure. Samson had been a thorn in the flesh of the Philistines for quite some time, but now he was a sightless, weak prisoner. As the Philistines gathered to celebrate his capture and humiliation, they called for Samson so that they could take pleasure in his suffering. One would think that it takes a heartless people to find satisfaction in the humiliation of others, but unfortunately far too many people take pleasure in such events. Far too frequently, men receive the greatest satisfaction when others are abused for their enjoyment. This ought not so to be!
Every choice in life can yield eternal consequences, some vastly significant, some of lesser importance. No clearer demonstration exists than the many decisions surrounding Christ’s crucifixion. The Jews had unjustly delivered Jesus to the governor. As a gesture to the people at the Roman feast, Pilate frequently released to them a prisoner. In this instance, he gave the Jews a choice between two prisoners—a vile man or the innocent Son of God. Barabbas was justly imprisoned as a robber (John 18:40) and murderer (Mark 15:7). This simple decision turned quite complex for the Jews. The people rejected the sinless Son of God and chose to release a guilty man. With evil hearts and wicked intentions, they cried out for the release of Barabbas. Making matters worse, they demanded that Jesus be crucified though He had done nothing worthy of death. The people became pawns of Satan though they were unaware that Jesus was born to die. He was brought to this point to bear the very sin they just committed, along with the sins of the whole world.
