noted that the Greek word translated "without blemish,"
"without fault," (_amomos_) is never used of God's people on earth. It is
used once of the Lamb "without blemish and without spot" (1 Pet. i. 19).
Elsewhere of the saints.

In Rev. xiv. 5, "Without fault before the throne of God."

In Jude 24, "Before the presence of His glory without blemish."

In Eph. v. 27, "That it should be holy and without blemish," when in
the sweet by-and-by He will "present the Church to Himself."

In Eph. i. 4, "Even as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the
world, that we should be holy and without blemish before Him in
love;" chosen in the past eternity that we should be "holy and
without blemish" in the coming eternity, not here, but there; not
now, but then; for the word translated "before" is the same Greek
word (_katenopion_), translated in Jude 24 "before the presence of."

In Col. i. 22, "To present you holy and without blemish, and
unreprovable before Him." Here he is speaking again of our future
standing, for the word translated "before" is the same as in Eph.
i. 4.

"Without blemish" then is sinlessness, having no sin. "And if we say (here
on earth) we have no sin (are sinless--blemishless--faultless--flawless),
we deceive ourselves (but no one else!), and the truth is not in us" (1
John i. 8). He that has the truth in him knows only too well that he has
sin in him, though "cleansed from all sin" by the blood, and though
"cleansed from all unrighteousness" by the might of the uttermost Saviour.
It is most instructive and humbling to notice how the Spirit of truth has
placed that "If we say we have (present tense) no sin, we deceive
ourselves," in between His two statements about the "cleansing from all
sin" and the "cleansing from all unrighteousness."

But though we will never be able on earth to say with the truth in us
that "we have no sin,"--that we are without blemish, yet the whole Bible
teaches us that we may, in this life, be saved "from our sins." (Note the
difference between "sin" and "sins.") We may be saved from sinning.
"These things write we unto you, that ye sin not" (1 John ii. 1); and
this is the condition described as "blameless," "unreprovable," "without
reproach."

See 1 Cor. i. 8; 1 Tim. iii. 10; Tit. i. 6, 7; where the Greek word
_anegkletos_ (unreprovable) is used.

Also 1 Tim. iii. 2; 1 Tim. v. 7; where the Greek word is _