“THE PURIFYING EFFECTS OF GOD’S WORD”

Pastor Dawn Marie Berry, Washington

 

            EPHESIANS 5: 25-27  Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

 

¨        THE TWO PROCESSED OF CLEANSING  AND SANCTIFYING ARE CLOSELY JOINED TOGETHER.

¨        ONE MAIN PURPOSE CHRIST REDEEMED THE CHURCH, IS THAT HE MIGHTY SANCTIFY AND CLEANSE IT. V26

¨        SO, CHRIST’S ATONING DEATH FOR THE CHURCH AS A WHOLE, AND

            FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL CHRISTIAN, IN PARTICULAR,

 

IS NOT FULFILLED UNTIL THOSE WHO ARE REDEEMED BY HIS DEATH HAVE GONE THROUGH A PROCESS OF CLEANSING AND SANCTIFYING.

 

THE APOSTLE PAUL  [WHO WROTE EPHESIANS, BY THE HOLY SPIRIT] MAKES IT PLAIN THAT ONLY THOSE CHRISTIANS WHO HAVE GONE THROUGH THIS PROCESS OF CLEANSING AND SANCTIFYING, WILL BE IN THE CONDITION NECESSARY FOR THEIR FINAL PRESENTATION TO CHRIST AS HIS BRIDE, AND THE CONDITION WHICH HE SPECIFIES IS THAT OF A GLORIOUS CHURCH ‘NOT HAVING SPOT OR  WRINKLE OR ANY SUCH THING, HOLY AND WITHOUT BLEMISH. V27.

 

WHAT MEANS DOES CHRIST USE TO CLEANSE AND TO SANCTIFY THE CHURCH?

§        THE WASHING OF WATER BY THE WORD V26.

 

THE WORK OF GOD’S WORD FOR US IS  COMPARED TO THE WASHING OF PURE WATER.

 

EVEN BEFORE CHRIST’S ATONING DEATH ON THE CROSS, HE ASSURED HIS DISCIPLES OF THE CLEANSING POWER OF HIS WORD.

 

JOHN 15: 3: Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.

 

THE WORD OF GOD IS A DIVINE AGENT OF SPIRITUAL CLEANSING

ANOTHER GREAT AGENT OF CLEANSING SPIRITUALLY IS SPOKEN OF BY JOHN.

 

I JOHN 1: 7: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

 

HERE JOHN SPEAKS OF THE CLEANSING POWER OF CHRIST’S BLOOD, SHED UPON THE CROSS, TO REDEEM US FROM SIN.

 

GOD’S PROVISION FOR SPIRITUAL CLEANSING ALWAYS INCLUDES THESE TWO [DIVINE] AGENTS

            1.  THE BLOOD OF CHRIST

            2.  THE WASHING WITH WATER BY HIS WORD

            THESE TWO WORK TOGETHER.

 

CHRIST REDEEMED US BY HIS BLOOD SO THAT....HE MIGHT CLEANSE AND SANCTIFY US BY HIS WORD

 

I JOHN 5: 6: This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth.

 

JOHN SAYS THAT CHRIST IS NOT ONLY THE GREAT TEACHER WHO CAME TO TELL GOD’S TRUTH TO MEN,

 

HE IS ALSO THE GREAT SAVIOR WHO CAME TO SHED HIS BLOOD TO REDEEM MEN FROM THEIR SIN.

[REDEEM] = TO SET FREE; RESCUE, AS FROM SIN

[REDEEMER]= A PERSON WHO REDEEMS,  THE REDEEMER, JESUS CHRIST

 

IN EACH CASE, CHRIST AS TEACHER OR SAVIOR, IT IS THE HOLY SPIRIT WHO BEARS TESTIMONY TO CHRIST’S WORK

            1.  TO THE TRUTH AND AUTHORITY OF HIS WORD

            2.  AND TO THE MERITS AND THE POWER OF HIS BLOOD

 

WE MUST NEVER SEPARATE THE TEACHER FROM THE SAVIOUR, NOR THE SAVIOR FROM THE TEACHER

 

IT IS NOT ENOUGH TO ACCEPT CHRIST’S TEACHING THROUGH THE WORD, WITHOUT ALSO ACCEPTING AND EXPERIENCING THE POWER OF HIS BLOOD TO REDEEM AND CLEANSE US FROM SIN.

 

AND, THOSE WHO CLAIM REDEMPTION THROUGH CHRIST’S BLOOD, MUST ALSO SUBMIT THEMSELVES TO THE REGULAR, INWARD WASHING OF HIS WORD.

 

AN OLD TESTAMENT EXAMPLE:

THE SACRIFICES AS A [TYPE] SHOW THE CLOSE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN THE

            1. CLEANSING BY CHRIST’S BLOOD AND THE

            2.  CLEANSING BY HIS WORD

 

IN THE ORDINANCES OF THE TABERNACLE OF MOSES, GOD ORDAINED THAT THE LAVER OF BRONZE CONTAINING CLEAN WATER

 

WAS TO BE PLACED CLOSE TO THE SACRIFICIAL ALTAR OF BRONZE, AND USED IN CONNECTION WITH IT.

 

EXODUS 30: 17-21: And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Thou shalt also make a laver of brass, and his foot also of brass, to wash withal: and thou shalt put it between the tabernacle of the congregation and the altar, and thou shalt put water therein.  For Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet thereat:  When they go into the tabernacle of the congregation, they shall wash with water, that they die not; or when they come near to the altar to minister, to burn offering made by fire unto the LORD: So they shall wash their hands and their feet, that they die not: and it shall be a statute for ever to them, even to him and to his seed throughout their generations.

 

APPLY THIS PICTURE TO THE NEW TESTAMENT

THE SACRIFICE ON THE BRONZE ALTAR SPEAKS OF CHRIST’S BLOOD,

SHED ON THE CROSS, FOR REDEMPTION FROM SIN.

 

THE WATER IN THE LAVER SPEAKS OF THE REGULAR [SPIRITUAL] CLEANSING WHICH WE CAN RECEIVE ONLY THROUGH GOD’S WORD.

EACH ALIKE IS ESSENTIAL TO THE ETERNAL WELFARE OF OUR SOULS

 

LIKE AARON AND HIS SONS, WE MUST REGULARLY RECEIVE THE BENEFITS OF BOTH, ‘LEST WE DIE.’

 

BE SURE AND GO TO CHURCH THIS WEEK.

MAY GOD RICHLY BLESS YOUR LIFE!

Pastor Dawn Marie Berry