1 Thes 3:17
Posted: Mon Feb 13, 2023 9:01 am
May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones.
I'm curious what your thoughts are on this passage. If we are to be seen as blameless in the presence of God due to his atoning work alone, then what is Paul getting at here? Certainly in James and elsewhere we are told to work out our salvation and are reminded that our works are evidence of the faith that causes us to be blameless, but here Paul seems to clearly be stating that our actions (or at least the state of our hearts) relate to our "blameworthiness" on the day of judgment. Not just our positional relationship with Jesus and our faith in him and his work or our submission to him and so forth, but something beyond that.
I'm curious what your thoughts are on this passage. If we are to be seen as blameless in the presence of God due to his atoning work alone, then what is Paul getting at here? Certainly in James and elsewhere we are told to work out our salvation and are reminded that our works are evidence of the faith that causes us to be blameless, but here Paul seems to clearly be stating that our actions (or at least the state of our hearts) relate to our "blameworthiness" on the day of judgment. Not just our positional relationship with Jesus and our faith in him and his work or our submission to him and so forth, but something beyond that.