In the Old Testament the Bible states that Noah and Job were blameless; and, in the New Testament that Zechariah & Elizabeth, and Simeon were blameless. Moreover, David is portrayed as having only one season of sin in his whole life. David paints himself as sinful at birth (Psalms 51:5) but in First Kings 15:5 God writes of David, “For David had done what was right in the eyes of the LORD and had not failed to keep any of the LORD’s commands all the days of his life, except in case of Uriah the Hittite. And Jesus surely seems to approve of David having eaten consecrated bread, which was lawful only for the priests to do (Matthew 12:4, Mark 2:26, Luke 6:4)
Understanding So…, how might we understand blameless, mature and/or perfect? Does our view of these characteristics differ from what the Bible teaches? In James 4:17 we read, “Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.” But Jesus did not count David’s eating of the consecrated bread as a sin. And First Kings 15:5 (among other verses) counts David as sinless for his whole life—except for the Uriah (Bathsheba) incident.
Deep Digging from years of reading the Bible through from cover to cover has brought to light the following list of verse that relate to blameless, mature and/or perfect. NOTE: in the following chart, NIV refers to the New International Version of the Bible and KJV refers to the King James Version of the Bible.
Bible verses that support: Blamelessness, Christian Maturity/Perfection, Entire Sanctification, Full Surrender & Obedience, Holiness, and/or Righteousness
| Reference | NIV | KJV |
| Genesis 6:9(a) | Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people… | just man and perfect in his generations |
| Genesis 17:1 | …(God to Abram): walk before me and be blameless | …walk before me, and be thou perfect |
| Deut. 30:10-11 | obeying God, keeping his law with all your heart is not difficult | obey His voice, not mysterious for you |
| 1 Samuel 12:3-5 | Samuel in presence of God & man is found without any wrong | they found not ought in Samuel’s hand |
| 2 Samuel 22:22-25 | David: personal righteousness, faithfulness, blamelessness | kept God’s statutes, stayed upright |
| 1 Kings 15:5 & more | David: right in God’s eyes, kept all His law always except once | good always except for Uriah the Hittite |
| 2 Chronicles 33:8 | …be careful to do everything I commanded…through Moses | …do all that I have commanded |
| Job 1:1 | Job…was blameless and upright…feared God…shunned evil | …perfect and upright…eschewed evil |
| Job 12:4 (b) | I…[am] a laughingstock…though righteous and blameless | a just upright man is laughed to scorn |
| Job 33:9 | I am pure and without sin; clean and free from guilt | I am clean without transgression |
| Psalm 37:37 | Consider the blameless, observe the upright; there is a future | Mark the perfect man…the upright |
| Psalm 73:13 | Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure…in innocence | …I have cleansed my heart |
| Psalm 84:11 | …Lord bestows favor…for those whose walk is blameless | …LORD [for] them that walk uprightly |
| Psalms 106:3 | Blessed are they…who constantly do what is right | …doeth righteousness at all times |
| Psalms 107:42 | The upright see and rejoice… | The righteous shall see it… |
| Proverbs 2:7 | …victory for the upright, …to those whose walk is blameless | …for the righteous…that walk uprightly |
| Proverbs 11:20 | LORD…delights in those whose ways are blameless | …upright…are his delight |
| Ezekiel 18:24 | But if a righteous man turns from his righteousness…sins | …when a righteous man turns |
| Daniel 12:10 | Many will be purified, made spotless and refined | Many shall be purified…made white |
| Hosea 12:10 | Sow for yourselves righteousness…fruit of unfailing love | …yourselves in righteousness |
| Malachi 2:6 | …nothing false on his lips…walked in peace and uprightness | …iniquity was not found in his lips |
| Matthew 5:48 | Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. | Be ye therefore perfect…. |
| Mattew 27:52 | …bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. | …many bodies of the saints…. |
| Luke 1:5-6 | Zechariah & Elizabeth…both were upright …blameless | …righteous before God…blameless |
| Luke 2:25 | …Simeon, who was righteous and devout | …Simeon…was just and devout |
| 1 Corinthians 2:6 | We speak…wisdom among the mature (God’s secret wisdom) | …wisdom to those who are perfect |
| Ephesians 3:5 | …revealed…to God’s holy apostles and prophets | …unto his holy apostles and prophets |
| Colossians 4:12 | …Epaphras…prayer for you…(to be) mature and fully assured | …Epaphras…ye may stand perfect |
| Philippians 3:15 | All of us who are mature [same Gk. word as in 3:12, perfect] | …many as be perfect (Greek teleios) |
| 1 Thes. 2:10 | …how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you | …holily, justly and unblameably we… |
| 2 Thes. 3:9 | …make ourselves a model for you to follow | …make ourselves an ensample |
| 2 Timothy 2:21 | If a man cleanses himself…for noble purposes, made holy | …purge himself…for the master’s use |
| Titus 1:6-7 | Elder must be blameless…[again] must be blameless | …bishop must be blameless |
| Hebrews 3:1, 12 | Therefore, holy brothers…none of you has a sinful…heart | …holy brethren…partakers |
| James 5:17 | Elijah was a man just like us…prayed…heavens gave rain | …Elias a man…prayed earnestly |
| 1 Peter 4:1-2 | …he who has suffered is done with sin…rest of his life | …he that suffered in the flesh |
| 1 John 2:1 | I write this so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin | …write that ye sin not |
| 1 John 3:6 | No one who lives in him keeps on sinning | …abideth in him sinneth not |
Reasoned conclusion Blameless, Mature and/or Perfect lifestyles are surely required by many Scriptures. The items bolded in the above chart are generally interchangeable and all reflect Godly living. Some critics deride their theme as “holier than thou.” But some of these same critics often live a sloppy agape’ lifestyle, even to the point of what has been described a Christian hedonism.
Such concluding can be helped by using the following definition of sin: any intentional wrongdoing that is against Scripture. A suggestion, in closing, would be for the reader to use the chart on a daily basis until all the verses have been prayerfully examined in context—and then draw one’s own conclusion. Also, having one or more prayer partners would be “submissively” helpful.