Spotless

Greek Word Pronunciation: AH-spi-los
Strong’s Number: 784
Goodrich/Kohlenberger Number: 834
Key Verse: “… be diligent to be found by Him in peace spotless and blameless.” -- 2 Peter 3:14

Aspilos is an adjective, derived from the word spilos, meaning “spot” and the privative “a”, signifying “without.” Thus, the most basic meaning is “free from spot, unblemished, or pure.” In 1 Peter 1:19, the reference is to the blood of Christ, “… as of a lamb unblemished and spotless.” In this verse “unblemished” is amomos, used metaphorically to indicate the absence of internal blemish, and aspilos, that of external spot. Old Testament saints sacrificed lambs to atone for their sins, but New Testament believers have had their sins expunged. In the Old Testament, the sins were covered, awaiting the actual payment and satisfaction that only the Son of God and Son of Man could make via His payment on the cross. Though very man, He remained pure in Himself (“without blemish”), and uninfected by any impression of sin from without (“without spot”), which would have unfitted Him for being our atoning Redeemer.

In 1 Timothy 6:14, Paul tells says to “keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ.” The sense is, that he would discharge his ministerial function with all faithfulness and purity; that he would sincerely, and without any adulteration, preach the pure Gospel of Christ; and that he would so behave in his life and conversation, that his ministry might not be justly blamed by men, or he be rebuked by the church here, or by Christ hereafter.

By the Church‘s union with Christ, James 1:27 says that we are to keep ourselves “unstained by the world.” We are to keep ourselves unpolluted, in contrast with moral filth (1:21). The world’s trials and temptations will not topple one who is anchored in God’s truth and is applying that truth to his life. True faith means nothing if we are contaminated with the world’s values.

Finally, in 2 PETER 3:14, we are told to “be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless …” False teachers are blots (spilos) and blemishes, but believers are to make it their business to be morally clean, like Christ the spotless One. This is the practical result of the implantation of the divine nature in the members of God’s family. It is the ringing encore to the symphony of grace described in 1:5-7.