What are some of the benefits of being saved? (continued…)
Ephesians 1:3-14
- He gives us holiness and removes our blame (4).
To describe holiness, I usually tell people to look down at the carpet. Do you notice the dark colors? Do you notice the random patterns? Do you notice the course textures? The colors, the patterns, and the textures are all designed and engineered into the carpet to embrace dirt so you don’t have to see it. Have you ever shampooed your carpet and seen the black water that came out? The carpets do a really good job of hiding the dirt that gets trampled in.
God is not a carpet. He is quite the opposite. God is holy. The dirt of sin does not blend in with God’s absolutely perfect character. In order for us to have a relationship with God, we must be cleansed from ALL the filthiness of sin in our lives. He will not tolerate our presence with even the slightest hint of sin. This is what salvation is all about. We take our sins to Jesus and are cleansed from ALL of our unrighteousness in His blood. (cf. Is 1:18; 1 Cor 6:11).
When we get saved, Jesus removes the filth of our every sin and makes us holy and clean. This cleanness is also the idea behind the Greek word (a[mwmo~, amōmŏs) in verse 4 translated “without blame” or “”without blemish.” This word is usually used to describe the absence of defects, especially in sacrificial animals. Only animals of the best quality were to be sacrificed. The blind, lame, or blemished were not fit for God.
A wonderful blessing of salvation is what God does to us by removing our sins. With our sins cleansed and taken away, we can be holy, like Him, and without blemish, for Him (Rom 12:1).