“So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall also confirm you unto the end, [that ye may be] blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1Co 1:7-8 AV)
That last phrase is so amazing. For those who struggle with sin; and we all do; the promise of eternal perfection is one of our greatest hopes. The promise of blamelessness is further bolstered by the words, ‘come behind in no gift’. During the Christmas season, my parents were very conscious of how they purchased and distributed gifts. They made sure their purchases were the same in both value and number. Each child received the same number of gifts but also received the same value in gifts. When the gifts were passed out, however, they were not always passed out evenly. You might sit for a bit before your name was called. You would watch your siblings get presents, and you would be passed by. We knew the extent our parents went to be sure that all was fair. We were okay with sitting for a bit because we knew in the end, we would all have the same. This tradition continued with my wife and me. The same funds are allocated equally. But also, the number of gifts is also the same. No one would come behind in the gifts. In the same manner, it matters not what our abilities are or our track record was. With perfect Christlikeness, no one will be left behind!
Note also the relationship between the confirmation and the state of being blameless. This passage teaches that the purpose for eternal security is so that Jesus Christ can and will permanently change us. Why save us with a plan to permanently change us only to lose us in the process? Imagine you bought a car as a project for full restoration. You had the funds. You had the skill. It was a simple matter of time and effort. You took the car to a shop, got a price, paid the invoice, and on your way out, parked it on a hill with no brakes or stops to prevent it from rolling down the hill into an ocean. You wouldn’t do that. You would lock up the car. You would protect it against the elements. You would park it and secure it from further damage or theft. This is the understanding of the phrase ‘confirm you unto the end’. We are saved by the grace of God. We are kept by the grace of God. The end does not mean we are lost. Rather, the end is the end of the purpose. That purpose is Christlikeness. Once transformed into the perfect image of Christ, there remains no more hypothetical situation whereby we might be lost by and effort of our own. None.
These verses rejoice the heart of the saved. It is the LORD Jesus Christ who saves us and keeps us. Not merely to escape eternal wrath, but to change us. This blessed blamelessness is the hope of all who desire to please the Father. We spend pillow-soaked nights confessing our sins and failures. We feel so horrible that we yield to the flesh. Our souls crave to be completely and wholly perfect so that our heavenly Father will be pleased. We know He loves us unconditionally. We know He is quick to forgive and reconcile. It is our hearts that condemn us. We are the ones who will not get ourselves off the ceiling. We put ourselves in a prison of disappointment and shame. It is not the Father nor the Holy Spirit. We know that God deserves much better. He deserves it all. The only hope we have of giving to the Father that which He deserves is to transform into the perfection of Christ. It is promised! It will happen. It is the perfect will of the Father for all who have trusted Christ. It is merely a matter of time and we will all come in the fulness and knowledge of the LORD Jesus Christ!
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