“I will sing of
your love and justice; to you, O Lord, I will sing praise. I will be careful to lead a blameless life – when
will you come to me?” Psalm 101:1-2
A former mentor of mine used to speak of what he called the “I Must, But I Can’t” scenario. It occurs when one is expected to accomplish something, but lacks the resources – whether time, ability, personnel, or money – to do so. Have you been there? It’s a frustrating place to live, isn’t it?
I think we would readily agree that David’s “I will be careful to lead a blameless life” commitment fits neatly into the “I Must, But I Can’t” category! David said it, but he couldn’t do it. Neither could any who came before him, nor any who would come after him ... which includes you and me.
Except one. Jesus led a blameless life. Jesus was “tempted in every way, just as we are – yet was without sin (Hebrews 4:15).” He is “the author and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2).” Faced with “I Must,” Jesus “Could”! Greater still, faced with “I Must,” Jesus "Did”!
And this Jesus, this blameless one, this perfecter of our faith – he lives in all who believe in him. As Paul wrote, “I no longer live, but Christ lives in me (Philippians 2:19).” So this blameless one is blamelessness for us. This perfecter has become perfection for us. This Jesus has become life itself in us. With Christ in us, we are free from the burden of “I Must, But I Can't.”
And here’s the rest of the story. With Christ living in us, we are also empowered to walk blameless paths ... not of our own strength, certainly, but through our relinquishment. Listen to Paul: “Do not yield your members to sin as instruments of wickedness, but yield yourselves to God as men who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments of righteousness (Romans 6:13 RSV).”
There’s nothing in our flesh that wants to yield to God; and there's nothing in “Christ in me” that wants to yield to wickedness. Ours is to discern the voice of the Spirit and submit ourselves to him.
The burden of blamelessness is gone; Christ is our blamelessness. The power of blamelessness is ours; it is “Christ in you, the hope of glory.”
Yielding to Christ in us, we “Can.”
A former mentor of mine used to speak of what he called the “I Must, But I Can’t” scenario. It occurs when one is expected to accomplish something, but lacks the resources – whether time, ability, personnel, or money – to do so. Have you been there? It’s a frustrating place to live, isn’t it?
I think we would readily agree that David’s “I will be careful to lead a blameless life” commitment fits neatly into the “I Must, But I Can’t” category! David said it, but he couldn’t do it. Neither could any who came before him, nor any who would come after him ... which includes you and me.
Except one. Jesus led a blameless life. Jesus was “tempted in every way, just as we are – yet was without sin (Hebrews 4:15).” He is “the author and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2).” Faced with “I Must,” Jesus “Could”! Greater still, faced with “I Must,” Jesus "Did”!
And this Jesus, this blameless one, this perfecter of our faith – he lives in all who believe in him. As Paul wrote, “I no longer live, but Christ lives in me (Philippians 2:19).” So this blameless one is blamelessness for us. This perfecter has become perfection for us. This Jesus has become life itself in us. With Christ in us, we are free from the burden of “I Must, But I Can't.”
And here’s the rest of the story. With Christ living in us, we are also empowered to walk blameless paths ... not of our own strength, certainly, but through our relinquishment. Listen to Paul: “Do not yield your members to sin as instruments of wickedness, but yield yourselves to God as men who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments of righteousness (Romans 6:13 RSV).”
There’s nothing in our flesh that wants to yield to God; and there's nothing in “Christ in me” that wants to yield to wickedness. Ours is to discern the voice of the Spirit and submit ourselves to him.
The burden of blamelessness is gone; Christ is our blamelessness. The power of blamelessness is ours; it is “Christ in you, the hope of glory.”
Yielding to Christ in us, we “Can.”
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