Vindicate me, O LORD, for I have led a blameless life; I have trusted in the LORD without wavering. Test me, O LORD, and try me, examine my heart and my mind, for your love is ever before me, and I walk continually in your truth.
I do not sit with deceitful men, nor do I consort with hypocrites; I abhor the assembly of evildoers and refuse to sit with the wicked. I wash my hands in innocence, and go about your altar, O LORD, proclaiming aloud your praise and telling of all your wonderful deeds. I love the house where you live, O LORD, the place where your glory dwells.
Do not take away my soul along with sinners, my life with bloodthirsty men, in whose hands are wicked schemes, whose right hands are full of bribes. But I lead a blameless life; redeem me and be merciful to me. My feet stand on level ground; in the great assembly I will praise the LORD.
Wow! How would you like to be able to make that kind of claim for yourself? Funny thing is, I’m convinced that back then there were folks who could honestly describe themselves that way. I’m not sure how many could today, what with the encroachment of all the “news” and entertainment media into our lives. Not to mention the stress of living, the growing general rudeness of the population and the pervasive secularism of our society.
I’d lay odds that those believers who rightly see themselves as the best of us in our time would have a hard time competing with the average Israelite of King David’s day, where blameless behavior is concerned. 3000 years ago, there were much fewer distractions, and it was a lot easier to get away from the ones they had. Of course, no matter how good they were, it wasn’t enough to meet God’s standards.
Thank God for what He’s done for us to correct our deficiencies. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come. All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. (2 Cor 5:17-19)
Because of the cross, and God’s freedom from the constraints of time, He doesn’t see us the way we are, but the way we will have become when we’re perfected. So even now we can enter the Throne Room with freedom and confidence, as Paul put it. (Ephes. 3:12)
Here’s the way I imagine it. When we approach the Throne of God, our Lord Jesus steps between us and our Father. As God turns His gaze upon us, He looks through the image of His Son and sees only that portion of us that conforms to it, the perfect part. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. (Rom.8:29) As one commentator has said, “He looks at us through Christ colored glasses.”
While David had only his past to commend him, we have our future as well. We never have to fear losing our position with Him. The work at the cross was sufficient. When we slip, we confess and are forgiven (1 John 1:9) and purified once again from all unrighteousness.
So you see, you can claim a blameless life, just like David. For God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.(2 Cor 5:21) Have a perfect day.