THE CHURCH
Eph. 5:25-27
INTRODUCTION:
In our contention for the church of Jesus Christ, in our defense of
precious truth on the subject, we have given not too much emphasis to
doctrinal accuracy, but too little emphasis to the spiritual side of the mat-
ter; too little emphasis to the deep devotion, purity of heart and life.
DISCUSSION:
I. Our Conception of the Church Will Greatly Influence Our Life.
A. The social idea:
1. "A social gospel."
2. 'The social program of Christ.'
3. Christ is many times 'socialized' out of His own church.
4. Such an idea is not conducive to spiritual worship.
B. The different bodies idea.
1. We never read in the New Testament about the bodies of Christ.
It is always spoken of as "one body."
2. With this idea, we will never be deeply concerned about our
Saviour's prayer, 'that they all may be one.'
C. Doctrinal Soundness Alone Idea.
1. 'I am doctrinaby sound. R makes not so much difference about
my life.'
2'. With this idea alone, a man will rob himself of the joy that
comes from daily communion with the Father and the Son. The
strongest preaching is the sermon of a godly life.
II. 'The Comparison Presented. (The comparison of Husband-Wife,
Christ-Church).
A. The nearness, tenderness of the union.
1. The conjugal union between husband and wife.
a. In plan and purpose, they are one.
b. In love they are one.
2. The spiritual unity between Christ and Christians.
a. He is head of the body.
b. Disloyalty to Him is a crime.
c. The church is His bride; he is the bridegroom. Honor Him.
Wear His Name.
B. Bringing about the relation:
1. The ceremony alone will not bind nor hold man and wife
together.
2. A man and woman stand before the proper official authority.
They are pronounced one.
3. Love, devotion, loyalty must be there.
4. On the other hand, love and loyalty may be there, but civilized
society would not allow them to live together as husband and
wife until the law has been complied with.
5. just so, I may lead a man into the water, and put him under the
water, but I cannot baptize him into Christ unless there is love
and loyalty in his heart.
6. But on the other hand, a man cannot say 'I love the Lord, there-
fore I am a Christian, saved" until he has carried out heaven's
order.
7. Analogy further traced. - Rom. 7:4; 2 Cor. 11:2; Rev. 19:7;
21:2,9,10.
III. Two Other Comparisons:
A. A House - the house of God. - I Tim. 3:14,15; Heb. 3:4-6.
1. Whose house are we.
2. See: I Pet. 2:5; Eph. 2:20-22.
3. The materials that go into this house are all tested. - I Cor.
3:10,11-15,16,17; I Pet. 4:12; 1:6,7.
B. A Body - the body of Christ.
1. Eph. 1:22,23; 4,:11,12; 5:30.
2. Col. 1:18,24; 2:19.
3. I Cor. 12:27. cf. vs. 13.
IV. 'That He might sanctify it.'
A. Then Christ's church is a sanctified church.
B. Scriptural references to sanctified person. (The church is com-
posed of sanctified persons.) - I Corinthians 1:1,2; Heb. 10:10,
14,29; 1 Cor. 6:11; II Thess. 2:13,14.
C. What, then, is sanctification, as applied to persons?
1. Under the Mosaic system, anything might be sanctified - a
house, a piece of land, first born male of all animals, etc.
2. Means 'set apart to a sacred use.'
3. In the New Testament ONLY, persons are said to be sanctified.
- 'Through His blood.' - Heb. 13:12.
D. Is sanctification the beginning or the end of a process? See I Cor.
1:1,2; also 3:lff.
V. "Having cleansed it.'
A. His church must be clean. We cannot afford to forget or neglect
this vital truth. Again, I say our conception of the church will in-
fluence our lives. - 'Having cleansed it."
B. By the washing of water with the word.
C. Scriptural light. - Titus 3:5. - What washing stands connected
with regeneration? Washing of water with the word. What con-
nection has water with cleansing the soul from guilt? With citi-
zenship in the kingdom? - John 3:5; Heb. 10:21,22; Acts 22:16.
D. 'With the word.' - All made clear in the light of Mark 16:16;
Acts 2:38.
E. The word required a complete surrender to Christ, a turning from
all sin, baptism into him, his death. In his death, he shed his
blood, and baptism brings into the benefits, all springing from the
heart.
VI. 'That He might present it (to himself)."
A. Meaning of parhistami (Greek word used here) - Various shades
of meaning. One is 'To present or show the qualities which the
person or thing possesses.' The thought is that here is a body,
an institution provided, arranged, at hand, for the purpose of ex-
hibiting the Christ life. Ye are the light of the world, the salt of
the earth.
B. "A glorious church.'
1. Meaning, held in good or in high esteem, illustrious, honored.
Have I always lived that my life as a church member has been
so that those around me would hold the church in honor?
2. Its origin, cost, head is glorious.
3. In manifesting God's wisdom, it is glorious. - Eph. 3:10. -
There will be no display of man's wisdom in the church.
4. It is glorious in what it does for us - brings into highest and
holiest fellowship and trains for heaven.
5. It is the institution in which God can be glorified. - Eph. 3:21.
C. 'Not having spot.'
1. Not a moral blemish. - James 1:27.
2. See also II Pet. 3:14.
D. 'Or wrinkle.' - Fold together from without.
E. 'Or any such thing.'
F. 'Should be holy." - Here is the Bible picture.
CONCLUSION:
Then, let us behold the church of today. Let us go back to God.
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