Hi eggi,
What do you suppose Paul meant when he said that he was as "touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless"?
Did he actually mean that he kept the Law without fault? Obviously not.
I've been told today that this refers to the Oral Law that the Pharisees had created, and not to the Torah. So when Paul says that a righteousness has been made known APART from the law the law in question is in fact the ORAL law, and not the Torah.
1Th 5:23 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Col 1:19 For in Him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell,
v. 20 and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of His cross.
v. 21 And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds,
v. 22 He has now reconciled in His body of flesh by His death, in order to present you holy and
blameless and above reproach before Him,
v. 23 if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.
It is only through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ that only His blood will wash us clean of our sins. Though He will help us to overcome in this life so that sin will not have dominion over us (Rom 6:14), as long as we are in the flesh we will still be weak to the flesh. It is only through the Spirit indwelling (that only came because of Christ's sacrifice) that the elect are "blameless."
1Th 3:11 Now may our God and Father Himself, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way to you.
v. 12 And may
the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all, just as we do to you,
v. 13 so that
He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints.
mercy, peace and love
Kat