The Trousers And The Socks

God . . . has blessed us with every spiritual blessing . . . because we are united with Christ.   Ephesians 1:3

All of the blessings of salvation come to us in Jesus Christ, and none of them come to us apart from him. Forgiveness is found in him, eternal life is found in him, holiness is found in him, and victory over sin is found in him. These gifts are all joined together inseparably in him. If you are in him, all of these blessings are yours. If you are not in him, none of them are yours.

Consider the difference between a pair of socks and a pair of trousers. When you put a pair of socks in the wash, one of them can get lost. The problem, of course, is that there is nothing that unites them together. But trousers are different. Over the years, I’ve put plenty of pants in the wash, but I’ve never once had a pair come out with one leg missing. They are joined together; they’re intrinsically one!

Some people have the idea that the blessings of God are like socks. They think of God sending out isolated blessings, like forgiveness or everlasting life, from heaven. But God’s blessings do not come to us like that. He has chosen to unite all the blessings of salvation together in one, and he offers us one blessing: Jesus Christ.

Paul was writing to Christian believers, and he said, “Don’t you know? You’ve been baptized into Christ’s death and resurrection. Don’t you see? Being a Christian is much more than a decision to believe and a passport to heaven” (see Romans 6:3-5). All of the blessings of salvation come to us in Jesus Christ, and none of them come to us apart from him.

Forgiveness and everlasting life are wonderful gifts, but they come to you because you are “united with Christ,” and that means the person you used to be has truly ceased to exist. God has brought a whole new person into being by the power of his Spirit, and the purpose of your new life is to live for the glory of God.

For further reading, see Ephesians 1