Blameless in holiness

And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all, just as we do to you, 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. - 1 Thessalonians 3v12-13

‘Blameless in holiness’ is a beautiful phrase. Not only does it describe a holy life, but it is a holy life where no one can point the finger and cast blame. When we think of being blameless in holiness we might think of not having so and so sin, or being pure, and spotless. I am certain that is part of it.

But let us look at the context here. What is Paul talking about when he says, ‘that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness?’ Look in the same sentence. What comes just before that phrase? ‘May the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all…’

Doesn’t it look like we can’t be blameless in holiness if we are not first abounding in love to each other and to all? Can it really be that love is a precondition for practical blamelessness in holiness? Yes, we are holy in Christ at salvation, but we are talking about the outworking of the blamelessness that comes with true holiness.

Can we be blameless without love?