Answer: Christ loved (and loves) the church, and gave
Himself up for her, to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing
with water through the Word, (verses 25-26).
MORE INFORMATION AND/OR OTHER SCRIPTURE REFERENCES:
By God's Word, and the washing with water, Christ
cleanses His church. There is a purity that comes with
pardon, and a cleansing that comes with conversion. None can
be separated from the other. By the Word, we are made aware
that we are dead in sin. By the Word, we are convicted of our
guilt in that state of sin, and we repent of those sins. By
the Word, we know that we must confess our sins to God and believe
in Jesus Christ. By the Word, we are directed to that
"washing with water," baptism in the Name of the
Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit FOR (for the purpose of
receiving, obtaining, getting, possessing) forgiveness of
sins--a cleansing, a pardon, a purification, and a conversion
from sin to a life in God, living by His Word. By His Word,
we learn to live faithfully until death, to receive an ever deeper
cleansing from sin by constantly recognizing the desires of the
flesh, and putting them away for the sincere desire to do all that
is pleasing to God. The blood of Christ, first contacted in
baptism, continues to cleanse us from all sin as we walk in THE
WAY, which is Christ, Who is THE WORD:
John 3:3-7: "In reply Jesus
declared, 'I tell you the Truth, no one can see the kingdom
of God unless he is born again.' 'How can a man
be born when he is old?' Nicodemus asked. 'Surely he
cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be
born!' Jesus answered, 'I tell you the Truth, no
one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the
Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives
birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at My saying,
"You must be born again."'"
Acts 22:14-16: "Then he [Ananias]
said [to Saul]: 'The God of our fathers has chosen you
to know His Will and to see the Righteous One and to hear Words
from His mouth. You will be His witness to all men of what
you have seen and heard. And now what are you waiting for?
Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on His
Name.'"
Ephesians 1:13-14: "And you also
were included in Christ when you heard the Word of Truth, the
Gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in Him
with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, Who is a deposit
guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are
God's possession--to the praise of His glory."
Ephesians 6:17: "Take the helmet of
salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of
God."
Titus 3:4-7: "But when the kindness
and love of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of
righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He saved us
through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, Whom
He poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so
that, having been justified by His grace, we might become heirs
having the hope of eternal life."
Hebrews 9:14: "How much more, then,
will the blood of Christ, Who through the eternal Spirit offered
Himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that
lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!"
1 Peter 1:22-25: "Now that you have
purified yourselves by obeying the Truth so that you have sincere
love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the
heart. For you have been born again, not of perishable seed,
but of imperishable, through the living and enduring Word of
God. For, 'All men are like grass, and all their glory
is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers
fall, but the Word of the Lord stands forever.' And
this is the Word that was preached to you."
1 Peter 3:21-22: "and this water
symbolizes baptism that now saves you also--not the removal of
dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God.
It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, Who has gone into
heaven and is at God's right hand--with angels, authorities
and powers in submission to Him."
1 John 1:5 through 1 John 2:6:
"This is the message we have heard from Him and declare to
you: God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all. If we
claim to have fellowship with Him yet walk in the darkness, we lie
and do not live by the Truth. But if we walk in the light, as
He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the
blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin. If we
claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the Truth is not
in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and
will forgive us our sins and purify us from all
unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make Him
out to be a liar and His Word has no place in our lives. My
dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if
anybody does sin, we have One Who speaks to the Father in our
defense--Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the
atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for
the sins of the whole world. We know that we have come to
know Him if we obey His commands. The man who says, 'I know
Him,' but does not do what He commands is a liar, and the
Truth is not in Him. But if anyone obeys His Word, God's love
is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in
Him: Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus
did."
1 John 5:6-12: "This is the One Who
came by water and blood--Jesus Christ. He did not come by
water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit Who
testifies, because the Spirit is the Truth. For there are
three that testify: the Spirit, the water and the blood; and
the three are in agreement. We accept man's testimony, but
God's testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God,
which He has given about His Son. Anyone who believes in the
Son of God has this testimony in his heart. Anyone who does not
believe God has made Him out to be a liar, because he has not
believed the testimony God has given about His Son. And this
is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is
in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have
the Son of God does not have life."
