When I hear the word blameless I think of someone who is innocent. It also comes with the presumed idea that someone who is blameless is perfect. However, we as Christians know we are far from perfect, so what is the Biblical view of being blameless and how do we apply it to our lives?
What is the biblical definition of blameless? Being blameless in the Bible means to be innocent of wrongdoing and without guilt. It means that the person who is blameless is without blame. When the word blameless is mentioned in scripture it is always a result of someone following God. We see this in Genesis 17:1, Psalms 15:1-3, Colossians 1:22, and Philippians 2:15.
Reading this definition can feel heavy to many because we still feel the weight of our sin. This is not where we’re meant to live. We must educate ourselves on what God says blameless means, and how He wants us to apply it to our lives. To begin this continue reading this article.
Biblical Definition Of Blameless
Being blameless means to be innocent of wrongdoing and to be without guilt. This word is an easy one to simplify, but it must not be overlooked.
In Hebrew the root for blameless is Tamim. According to Biblhub tamim means complete or finished. Though we can relate this to a task, that’s not what this root means. This is referring to the state of a person.
That within Christ we are complete. When we are separate from Him we are missing a piece of ourselves.
We are incomplete, but when we come to Christ He makes us complete.
In greek blameless translates to meaning spotless and unblemished. This focuses on the fact that Christ’s blood washes away all of our sins. Because of this, we are left spotless once we accept Him into our lives and repent of our sins.
This term is cannot be used for everyone. Being blameless is something that we can only call ourselves after coming to Christ. It’s not something that we have earned or could ever earn, but something that we’re given.
Blameless Examples From The Bible
The word blameless is mentioned in the Bible approximately 99 times. Depending on the context the meaning can vary.
Here are three different instances that stood out to me.
Each of these accounts is within a different context and addressed to a different person or group of persons.
Though these verses were not written to us, they still apply to us.
We should look into these verses and read them as though they are written to us. We need to use them to help us understand what being blameless really means.
Genesis 17:1
Genesis 17:1 is an account of the promise God made to Abraham. This is often referred to as the Abrahamic covenant. Abraham is an earlier descendant of Adam and was one of God’s chosen people.
When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty; walk before me faithfully and be blameless. Then I will make my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers.”
Genesis 17:1-2
Here we see that being blameless is conditional. This is a result of the fall. Because of sin nature, we are not blameless since we commit sin. In order for Abraham to become blameless, He had to walk in obedience to God.
As a result of Him being faithful and choosing to follow Christ, He was made blameless.
In this context since it was pre crucifixion the word blameless had the same meaning but was earned just through following God.
We can also assume that it was a temporary thing. It would have had to be continuously earned through a sacrifice since Christ had not yet died on the cross.
Psalm 15
Most of the chapters in the book of Psalms were written by King David. David was incredibly open and honest with God.
David would pour out His heart to God. The Psalms are a model of how our prayers should be. We should be vulnerable with God and not hide anything from Him.
In this Psalm, David appears to be discussing with God how one might enter into a relationship with Him.
Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent? Who may live on your holy mountain?
The one whose walk is blameless, who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from their heart;
whose tongue utters no slander, who does no wrong to a neighbor, and casts no slur on others.
Psalm 15:1-3
In this Psalm, David uses the word blameless as a description of someone’s walk. He’s using this word figuratively. He’s using the word walk to describe the way someone lives their life.
He’s saying that their walk, the way they live, must be blameless. This means that they are not guilty of wrongdoing and that they are innocent. They have not committed anything with ill intent.
They walk resisting temptation so that they can be spotless and clean. They deny the cravings of their flesh and choose to lean into God for their strength instead.
Colossians 1:22
Colossians 1:22 was most likely written from 60-61 A.D 30 years after Christ’s death and resurrection. This letter was written to the church of Colossae.
“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,”
Colossians 1:22
In this letter, Paul was reminding the church of the power of Jesus Christ and all that He had done for them. They had recently been influenced by false teachers who were minimizing the importance of Jesus Christ.
They lied to the Colossians and tried to force them to believe their false doctrine. Paul tells them that through Christ’s sacrifice they had been made a new creation. One that is holy and blameless.
Because of Christ, they were counted as clean and the task had been finished. They were now without blemish and made pure.
Philippians 2:15
Around the same time that Colossians was written, Paul wrote another prison epistle. This time it was written to the church of Philippi.
Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.”Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain.
Philippians 2:14-16
In this verse, we notice that blameless is something that is conditional. This time it is something that someone receives after resisting from grumbling and arguing.
This is a sign that they are following the spirit and bearing His fruit. Once one bears His fruit and they walk in His ways, they are also blameless.
We can also tell from this verse that becoming like Christ is a process. The first one will refrain from complaining and arguments. Then they become blameless and pure. Resulting in them shining like stars.
this process is different for everyone, but it’s one that is remarkable. It’s a blessing that we get to say, as children of God that we are blameless.
Why This Word Matters
Blameless means so much more to believers than those who have yet come to the faith. The word blameless to us is a reminder of Christ’s sacrifice and that without Him we would drown in the guilt of our sin.
Being blameless is something that unbelievers are incapable of achieving. Not because they are evil, but because of sin. We were once unable to call ourselves blameless before Christ.
We are blessed to be given the title of blameless, but we must not be prideful about it. It was freely given to us. We are guilty of the sins we’ve committed. However, Christ took our blame upon Himself.
What a blessing that is. We must not overlook this or take it for granted. There are many times that I have done this personally. I look back at my sin and let it define me. I look in the mirror and see a sinner.
When I do this I’m saying that what Christ did on the cross does not apply to me, but that is not true. Instead of seeing myself as a sinner, I need to instead view myself as a saint.
He calls us blameless so that we can walk boldly in this new identity that we’ve been gifted.
Believing we’re blameless is a process. It’s connected to believing that we are fully forgiven, redeemed, and made new.
Accepting that we are blameless in the eyes of God is hard because we know in the eyes of society and people we’ve harmed we’re considered guilty. We must fight the lies that we should care about how the world views us.
We can accept that though we may be guilty in those terms that we are innocent in the eyes of Christ. His view of us is the only one that matters. He is the only one we should be trying to please.
He wants us to walk in our blamelessness and to share our testimony with others. He wants us to share our story of how we came to be blameless with those who are still considered guilty.
Not to cast shame, but to show them that they can receive the same title. That Christ will make them blameless along with many other things.
Beloved, if you are struggling with accepting that you are blameless know that you’re not alone. We’ve all been there. Seek your Heavenly Father with accepting this truth. Ask for His help and go to Him. Then walk in your new identity and use it for His glory.