For in their mouth was found no deceit, for they are without fault before the throne of God.
(Revelation 14:5)
In the description of the 144,000 standing with Jesus on Mount Zion we find two vivid characteristics of a true worshiper; no deceit was in their mouth and they are without fault before God.
The Greek word used for deceit in this passage means misrepresentation or deception. To misrepresent something is to give false information that makes it appear to be something it isn’t; which is deception. For years used car salesmen have been given a bad reputation for hiding the facts about a particular vehicle in order to sell it. Often defective vehicles are made to look good on the outside so as to deceive the potential buyer. One good biblical example of misrepresentation and deception happened early in the history of mankind, in the Garden of Eden.
God commanded Adam saying, Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die. (Genesis 2:16-17) Later, Satan in the form of a serpent tempts Eve to eat of the fruit. Eve tells the serpent of God’s command to which the serpent replies, You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil. (Genesis 3:4-5) Satan misrepresented what God had said and deceived Eve. As a result the whole of mankind was plunged into sin. Maybe this is one reason God despises a deceitful tongue.
I believe King David speaks the heart of God in Psalm 101:7 when he says, He who works deceit shall not dwell within my house; he who tells lies shall not continue in my presence. David reiterates this point on two other occasions in the book of Psalms.
Lord, who may abide in your tabernacle? Who may dwell in your holy hill? He who walks uprightly, and works righteousness, and speaks the truth in his heart.
(Psalm 15:1-2)
Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, nor sworn deceitfully.
(Psalm 24:3-4)
A deceitful tongue can be traced to a deceitful heart. Jesus taught that out of the heart the mouth speaks. God will not allow deceitful hearts to come into his presence. They will not be allowed to worship. True worshipers keep themselves from a deceitful heart. They worship in spirit and truth.
The second characteristic of the 144,000 and of true worshipers is that they are without fault before the throne of God. The Greek word used in Revelation 14:5 for fault means unblemished, without blame, blemish, spot or fault, or faultless. The true worshiper has been cleansed from his fault by the blood of Jesus Christ.
When a person comes to Christ he is made a new creation, old things are passed away. He has been justified. Jesus accomplished this through the blood of his cross. The Apostle Paul wrote to the Colossians, And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now he has reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in his sight… (Colossians 1:21-22)
Jesus not only died to make us blameless before God, but God himself is working in us so that we might be blameless. Paul wrote this to the early believers, Who [God] will also confirm you to the end, that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 1:8) 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 you hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints. (1 Thessalonians 3:12-13)
A true worshiper lives a life of holiness and keeps himself unblemished and unspotted from the world. Without holiness no one will see God or dwell in his presence (Hebrews 12:14). We look to Paul again who instructed the early church on how to be blameless.
Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world.
(Philippians 2:14-15)
Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. I urge you in the sight of God who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus who witnessed the good confession before Pontius Pilate that you keep this commandment without spot, blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ’s appearing.
(1 Timothy 6:11-14)
The Apostle Peter encouraged his readers to be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless (2 Peter 3:14). For someone to be diligent in a matter they must put forth an effort. The 144,000 had been washed in the blood of the Lamb and had been diligent in the things of God. Their reward was the opportunity to stand in the place of worship [Mount Zion] with the Lamb. This is the life of a true worshiper.