Who shall also confirm you unto the end, [that ye may be]
blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.Note 6 at 1 Cor.
1:8:The word "confirm" was translated from the Greek word "bebaioo"
meaning "to stabilize." It was translated "establish" in Hebrews
13:9; "Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For
it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not
with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied
therein."Paul is speaking about the gifts of the Holy Spirit. These
spiritual gifts (1 Cor. 12) were given by God to stabilize and
establish the body of Christ. Many people today teach just the
opposite. They say that the gifts of the Holy Spirit are used by
only immature believers and that they are divisive.It is true that
these believers at Corinth were immature and divided (1 Cor.
3:1-3), but it wasn't because of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. It
was in spite of them. The gifts do not guarantee instant maturity.
Therefore, many people who operate in the gifts of the Spirit are
immature and they often offend others, turning them away from the
baptism of the Holy Spirit and the accompanying gifts.However, the
gifts of the Holy Spirit are powerful gifts that, when administered
correctly, confirm the believers. We need all the stability that
God has to give us. Therefore, we need the gifts of the Spirit.Note
7 at 1 Cor. 1:8:There is a difference between being "blameless" and
"sinless." No Christian will ever reach a place where he doesn't
sin (1 Jn. 1:8,10). But we can reach a place where we are
blameless. That happens when we are walking in all the light that
we have (1 Jn. 1:7) and confessing any sin that we are aware of (1
Jn. 1:9-seenote 2 at Lk. 1:6, p. 38).
