Same Word/Different Word
even as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, for us to be holy and without blemish before Him in love, Ephesians 1:4 NASB
Without blemish – In Greek, negative word constructions are sometimes made up of two combined parts. It is something like our English “un” as in “unfit” or “ungrateful.” In Greek, just like English, we need to know what the root word means before we can understand its negative. The root word momos in Greek conveys the concept that something is wrong, that the subject is defective or impure and therefore unworthy of sacrificial offering. We could substitute the idea of being spotted, unholy or condemned. In this verse, Paul adds a single letter to the beginning of this Greek word, an alpha (a). It makes all the difference in the world because now the verse says that we are to be unblemished, un-spotted and un-condemned (do you remember amomous?)
How is it possible for us to suddenly become pure? After all, it takes very little reflection on our lives to see how far from the mark of holiness we have wandered. If there were ever a case of something unworthy of sacrifice, it would be us. We are about as unfit as anything could be. Most of us have spent years covering or uncovering our past “spots.” But here is Paul, affirming that even before the foundation of the world God planned for us to be without blemish. There can be only one answer to this question. God must have made a way for us to take on the perfection that we so clearly lack. This can only mean that God has to do whatever needs to be done. After all, you cannot get holy from unholy anymore than you can create something from nothing. For the Greek audience of Paul’s day, this idea was just as startling as it should be to us. Think of the last time you wanted to mix some paint. How can you get pure white from any combination of other colors? No matter how many colors you mix together, the result just keeps getting darker and darker. The only way to get pure white is to take all the other colors out. So it is with our lives. We might start innocent, but very soon we are mixing up some pretty big doses of “dark” into our base color. And the result is a muddy mess. Only God can remove all of those polluting colors and give us back the pure white start.
Paul says that this is exactly what God planned to do before He created the world. All along God intended that we should be made pure again, that we should be un-condemned and be without blame. He had it all figured out before we started our first finger painting. How? Paul tells us in Romans 8 – there is no condemnation for those who are found in Yeshua HaMashiach.
When you go about painting your day today, remember to take out the colors that don’t contribute to pure white.
Topical Index: momos, blemish, pure, holiness, Ephesians 1:4
~ For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that makes an atonement for the soul ~ (Leviticus 17.11)
~ tHis blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live; and when I see the blood I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt ~ (Exodus 12.13)
But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) He entered once for all into the holy place, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of His own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to G-d, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living G-d. (Hebrews 9.11-14)
~ For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of the Messiah, like that of a lamb without blemish or defect ~ (1 Peter 1.18,19)
~ and in a loud voice they sang: “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!” ~ (Revelation 5.12)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7DMXBzVH74
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0HgauiEQo0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u07ekuy_T6s
What a wonderful description of what He has done for us! It makes my heart rejoice to read this! Thanks, Skip!
~ “Come now, let’s settle this,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool. ~ (Isaiah 1.18)
~ Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the LORD, and He will have mercy on him, and to our G-d, for He will freely pardon. ~ (Isaiah 55.7)
~ Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?” I answered, “Sir, you know.” And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. ~ (Revelation 7.13,14)
~ Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood He entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. ~ (Hebrews 9.12)
Yes, from the foundations of the earth Y’shua was prepared for us.
As Y’shua is without blemish, we are to be spotless and without blemish as well, obeying ALL of YAHuWah’s commandments, IF we say we truly love HIM, and walking in HIS ways of righteousness/
uprightness, humility, and forgiveness.
Rom 8 says there is no condemnation to those who are in Messiah, .
Shalom.