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Several years ago I wrote a column called Weightlifting or Carrying Baggage. The main question is first: How do we look more like the Father? The second question is: How can we be blameless?

One thing to remember is that being blameless in God's eyes is not at all the same as being sinless. We are blameless because Jesus stepped in to take the wrath of God onto Himself rather than us having to endure it all because we believe God, believe in His Son, and understand that we are sinners in desparate need of God's grace.

Let's look at one passage which is indicative of how Christians resemble their Daddy. 1 Corinthians 13

4Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant,
5 does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered,
6 does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth;
7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Here’s another: Ephesians 4:32 And be kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.

Here’s another Romans 12:10 Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; 11not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; 12rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; 13distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.
14Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. 16Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion.
17Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. 18If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. 19Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. 20Therefore
“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
If he is thirsty, give him a drink;
For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.”

God gives us our wants and desires the closer we get to Him. The deeper we get to know Him, the more we look like Him...but we will never be Him. We should look like our Daddy but we are not God.

Ephesians 5:26-27 so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word,
27 that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless.

You see, it is through no works of ours that we are clean or that we have no spot or wrinkle. Our works do not make us holy or sinless. However, with the right attitude, we are blameless. Since we are blameless before God, how can any one Christian possibly pick up a stone and cast it at any other? Tripping over God’s law makes us unworthy for that. Whoever judges, by the same measure will also be judged. (I always hate it when a person misquotes that verse. It is our right to judge teachings like the Bereans, but no one knows a man’s heart, only the Father searches and knows that.)

This is what No Stones, means. This is what Freedom of the Cross means. We are incapable of living the Christian life perfectly, but our intense desire to live with the mind of Christ and to please Him is what God searches the heart and finds. That indefinable thing is put there by Him so all the work is His and all the glory is His. We must participate!! Yes, for nothing can happen unless the heart is willing and we must go to school everyday...but the work is God's.

Some stones we carry: worry which causes stress which can cause illness; sin habits that grow familiar and comfortable; anger; bitterness; jealousy; impatience; anxiety; infidelity—not necessarily adultery, but emotional infidelity; dishonesty with God and fellow Christians; time miser; selfishness; withdrawing from church family.

What causes that withdrawal from church family? Secret sin? Does the church cause folks to withdraw when she condemns the before-conversion behavior or even when a sibling in Christ stumbles and falls flat, does the Church turn her back in a shunning? Does she judge? Turn a cold shoulder? Are these stones the church carries or can they even be carried corporately?

"Word from Scotland" from Sandy Shaw

How Does God Refill My Emotionally Drained Empty Tank?