Purification of the Bride
A Sermon on Ephesians 5:25-27
Originally preached Feb. 28, 1960
Scripture
25Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 26That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 27That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or …
Sermon Description
Sanctification is an essential and inevitable part of life for all who are truly regenerate and saved. In this sermon on Ephesians 5:25–27 titled “Purification of the Bride,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones describes it is a lifelong process by which the believer is conformed to the image of Christ and grown in love and knowledge of God the Savior. It is the outworking of the justification and forgiveness of sin that all Christians receive at salvation by becoming partakers of the gospel of Christ Jesus. The word of God is essential to sanctification. However, this is not the belief that Christians are to “let go and let God,” but rather it is the recognition that the word of God is the means that the Holy Spirit uses to grow Christians in knowledge and love of Christ. Another erroneous view of sanctification and salvation is that of baptismal regeneration. This is the view that at baptism Christians are cleansed of original guilt and the stain of sin. Biblically, baptism is a sign of the transformation and new life that one has in Christ, not the means of acquiring it. Another essential aspect of sanctification is the conviction of sin by the Holy Spirit. The word of God, particularly the Ten Commandments, can be used to further sanctify and bring Christians closer to God.
Sermon Breakdown
- The sermon examines Ephesians 5:25-27 which discusses Christ's love for the church.
- The relationship between a husband and wife should mirror Christ's relationship with the church. A husband should love his wife the way Christ loves the church.
- Christ's love for the church is practical, not theoretical. We see this through Christ's actions.
- Christ gave himself up for the church. He sacrificed himself for the church.
- Christ continues to do things for the church, not just sacrificing himself once. He sanctifies and cleanses the church.
- To sanctify means to set apart. Christ set the church apart for himself. The church is his special possession.
- To cleanse means to purify. Christ purifies the church from the guilt, power, and pollution of sin. This is a continuous process.
- Christ cleanses the church through the "washing of water by the word." This refers to baptism which represents purification and the Holy Spirit's work. But the real work is done through the word of God.
- The word of God is the instrument the Holy Spirit uses to cleanse us. The operations of the Holy Spirit are generally through the word.
- We must be careful not to separate the Holy Spirit from the word. Doing so has led to error and departure from the faith.
- The word that sanctifies us is the whole Bible, all of God's truth. It teaches us about God, sin, redemption, Christ's work, the Holy Spirit, the church, the second coming, and more.
- The word first teaches us about God - his nature, character, and attributes. Knowing God promotes sanctification.
- The word teaches us about human sinfulness and its consequences. This shows us our need for sanctification.
- The word teaches us about God's purpose of redemption and Christ's work. Christ's work on the cross powerfully promotes sanctification.
- Exhortations in the word urge us to sanctification and holiness in light of these doctrines.
- Sanctification is a work of God through the Spirit using the word. We must start with God, not ourselves or our problems. The word humbles us and leads to sanctification.
Sermon Q&A
How Does Christ Cleanse the Church According to Lloyd-Jones?
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones say is the main point of Ephesians 5:25-27?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, these verses reveal that the relationship between a husband and wife should mirror Christ's relationship with the church. The husband is to love his wife "with the same type, the same kind of love" that Christ has for the church. This passage shows both the highest peak of Paul's teaching about the church and practical instruction for husbands about their duties toward their wives.
What does the term "sanctify" mean in this passage according to Lloyd-Jones?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that "sanctify" here means "setting apart." Christ has set the church apart for Himself as "his peculiar people, a people for his own, a peculiar and special possession." Just as a bridegroom chooses one woman from among all others, Christ has chosen the church as the special object of His concern.
How does Lloyd-Jones explain the cleansing process mentioned in Ephesians 5:26?
Lloyd-Jones explains that this cleansing is more than just washing away the guilt of sin. It's a continuous process that includes three aspects: 1. Cleansing from the guilt of sin 2. Cleansing from the power of sin 3. Cleansing from the pollution of sin
He emphasizes that the most terrible thing about the fall is that it has polluted our nature, which makes sin powerful within us.
What does "washing of water by the word" refer to according to Lloyd-Jones?
Lloyd-Jones explains that while this phrase has a reference to baptism as a symbol, the actual cleansing is done through "the word." Baptism is merely a "dramatic representation" of what Christ does in sanctification. The real cleansing work is done by the Holy Spirit using the word as His instrument. As Lloyd-Jones says, "The real work of sanctification is done by the word, through the word, and the Holy Spirit does this work in us by means of this word."
What error does Lloyd-Jones identify regarding the interpretation of baptism?
Lloyd-Jones identifies the error of "baptismal regeneration" - the idea that baptism itself cleanses us from sin. He calls this "utterly artificial" and says it was introduced "in the interests of the power of the church." He rejects the notion that baptism has any "magical action" or that it's the formula used in baptism that accomplishes cleansing. Instead, baptism is merely symbolic of the cleansing work done by the Holy Spirit.
What does Lloyd-Jones say is dangerous about separating the Holy Spirit from the Word?
Lloyd-Jones warns that separating the Holy Spirit from the Word has led to "grievous successes." He cites the Quakers who emphasized the "inner light" while ignoring the Word, leading them to be "more or less detached from New Testament doctrine." He also mentions others who emphasize experiences and feelings to the neglect of instruction, which can lead to "shipwreck of their faith" and even "gross immorality." He insists that the Word and Spirit generally go together, and anything we think is the Spirit's work must be tested by the Word.
According to Lloyd-Jones, what is the "word" that sanctifies believers?
Lloyd-Jones emphatically states that the "word" that sanctifies is not just some formula or special teaching about sanctification. It is "the whole Bible, the whole of the truth that you find in the Bible." He rejects approaches that narrow sanctification to a simple formula like "trust and obey" or "let go." Instead, he says sanctification comes through: 1. Understanding the doctrine of God 2. Understanding our state in sin 3. Knowing God's hatred of sin and the Ten Commandments 4. Understanding God's plan of redemption 5. Knowing the person and work of Christ 6. Understanding the Holy Spirit and the second coming
Why does Lloyd-Jones say we must start with God rather than ourselves in sanctification?
Lloyd-Jones criticizes approaches to sanctification that start with human problems: "Are you unhappy? Are you being got down by something?" Instead, he insists we must start by "looking into the face of God." He says, "Do you know why we are as we are, my friends? Do you know why there is so much failure in our lives and so much sin? The whole of the answer is there, we just don't know God." He argues that true sanctification begins with understanding God's character, holiness, and attributes.
How does Lloyd-Jones connect the doctrine of the second coming to sanctification?
Lloyd-Jones notes that the purpose of sanctification is that Christ "might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle." He argues that understanding Christ's purpose for us in "that glorious day" is what "urges me to seek sanctification." He quotes 1 John 3, saying that "every man that hath his hope in him purifyeth himself even as he is pure." For Lloyd-Jones, the doctrine of the second coming directly promotes sanctification and purification.
The Book of Ephesians
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.