15. READ: EPHESIANS 5:22-32
d. How does Christ cleanse His church?
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).
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."