CHRIST LOVED THE CHURCH – 5:25-27:
This discussion is set within the context of a discussion of the husband / wife relationship, which is an application of the command in verses 1-2 to: “be imitators of God” and to “walk in love:”
The Fact of the Love of Christ (vs 25):
Husbands are to “love” their wives just as Christ “loved” the church. How much did Christ love the church? Enough to “give Himself up” for her. Back in 5:2, Paul wrote that Jesus “loved us and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.” He repeats those two same ideas here: Christ “loved” and He “gave.” Love gives.
Theologically, Christ died for everyone. Hebrews 2:9 says Christ “tasted death for everyone.” No one is outside of the love of God in its reach to save mankind. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only unique Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). Theologically speaking, Christ died for everyone.
Practically speaking, Christ died for the church. Consider the message of the angel Gabriel to Joseph in Matthew 1:21: “(Mary) will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” Who are “His people”? It is obviously not everybody. But it will be every one who submits to the leadership of Jesus Christ.
When Paul spoke to the elders of the church from Ephesus as they met together in the town of Miletus, Acts 20:28, Paul told them: “Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.” Please observe here: first, Paul refers to “Jesus” as “God.” Jesus has a divine nature. Secondly, we see that “God the Son” purchased the “church” with His own blood. Yes, theologically speaking, Jesus died for everyone. Practically speaking, only those who submit to the headship of Christ and obey Him are forgiven through His blood and it is those who are “added to His church,” in the words of Luke from Acts 2:47.
Back to Ephesians 5… We saw the “fact” of the love of Christ in verse 25.
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The Purpose of the love of Christ (vs 26a):
Whenever you see the phrase “so that,” you should understand the writer to refer either to purpose or result. Here, I believe Paul means “purpose:” Christ loved the church and gave Himself for the church for the purpose “that He might sanctify her…”
The purpose for which Christ gave Himself for the church was to “separate” her from the world of sin, from the dominion of Satan, to set her (the church) into His “kingdom” (Col. 1:13). The verb translated “sanctify” is from the same word family as the word “saint.” In Ephesians, Paul refers to Christians as “saints” nine times. They became “saints” when Christ sanctified them. But how did Christ sanctify them? Take a closer look at verse 26:
The Method of the love of Christ (vs 26b):
“having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word…” Notice the participle: “having cleansed.” It is a past (aorist) participle, looking back at some point in time. How were they cleansed? “By the washing of water with the word.” Here is one of the many passages in the NT which connect salvation, or “sanctification” in the context, with baptism in water, immersion in water. It is the word of God that teaches us about baptism, the role of baptism, its connection with the sacrifice of Christ, its method, and its purpose.
What do we have so far? Christ “loved” the church. He “gave Himself” for the church so that He could “sanctify” the church by “baptizing” the church. If “sanctification” is the purpose of the love of Christ, then in verse 27 we have the result of the love of Christ, which we’ll consider tomorrow.
Paul Holland
