"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" (Eph. 5:25-27).

We have here the love of Christ to the Church set forth as the model to be followed by the
Christian husband in his love to his wife. The love of Christ that is shown us here is considered
from first to last, as one unbroken whole. It is well to remember it in married life:the love that
was true before the tie was formed is a love that abides when it is formed, and that should grow
unto the end.

He "loved the Church, and gave Himself for it." This is a past thing_the fruit of His love being
His death for us, His giving Himself for the Church. This is followed by that which is going on
all the time of the Church’s existence upon the earth_the sanctifying and cleansing that goes on
continually. But how is it wrought? It is by "the washing of water by the Word." This shows us
the immense importance of the Word of God. How important it is for every child of God to value
that Word and to seek to grow in acquaintance with God through it_to increase in the knowledge
of God! So far from our belonging to the Church, or rather to Christ, being the sum and substance
of all we have to learn, it is only the foundation; and it is after we know this that there follows all
the sanctifying and cleansing by the washing of water by the Word.

Christ will never cease to love, nor will He trifle with sin or allow us to trifle with it. He keeps
us always resting on His blood. But, then, supposing one is guilty of sin after receiving remission
of sins, what is to be done? Let us go and spread it out before God. The veil is not set up again
because you have acted foolishly outside it. You are entitled to draw near and spread out your
failure before God _to come to Him on the very ground that you are washed in the blood of
Christ. What is the effect of this? and what is this the effect of? It is because Christ is sanctifying
and cleansing, keeping up the washing of water by the Word. Christ is always acting in the
presence of God on behalf of the Church; and the consequence is the needed reproof and
chastening. A man is brought to feel what he has done. Some word of God, either in his own
meditation, or through others, flashes upon his soul. He is convinced of his folly; the will has
ceased to act; the Word of God is brought home with power by the Holy Spirit; the man bows
under it to the Lord.

We are never free to sin. We are always inexcusable when we do sin. But, we are told, "If any
man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous" (1 John 2:1). Christ is
carrying on His blessed action of love, and the effect is that there is in the Word of God that
which applies to our fault. So the sanctifying spoken of here is the practical setting us apart
according to our proper calling as God’s assembly_the making it good in our souls by the Word
of God. This is done by the revelation of Christ, and of Christ as He now is in the presence of
God. This is what is referred to in 2 Cor. 3 where it is said, "We all, with open face beholding
as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as
by the Spirit of the Lord." We find that the Holy Spirit, revealing Christ as He is glorified now

before God, separates us from the world which knows nothing of His glory, but is bent upon its
own glory connected with present things. God reveals to us Christ on high, and the effect is that
we are weaned from the false gutter of this evil age.

Now since this is the complete account of what Christ does, there is the cleansing as well as the
sanctifying of the Church. All defilement requires to be removed, and in both cases it is the
washing of water by the Word which God uses. But there is a third and future fruit of His love:
"That He might present it to Himself a glorious Church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such
thing." Here we have clearly the complete blessing of the Church when there will be no question
of cleansing it any more, when all the love of Christ will have its perfect effect, and when the
Church will be glorious according to His own likeness. Thus we have the full, divine account of
the love of Christ. But mark, it is not introduced merely in a doctrinal form, but in a most
practical way, for the purpose of illustrating the place of the Christian husband towards his wife.
The husband can only act properly towards his wife when the relationship is regarded on higher
ground than a natural one. A Christian must act upon heavenly principles in order to act well in
a natural relationship. Our marriages will be strengthened by the constant reminding of our souls
how Christ feels and carries Himself toward the Church. There is always blessing and power in
believing the Word of God. If not using the Word, we shall not have His strength in the natural
relationship of this life.

(From Lectures on the Epistle to the Ephesians.)