Christ's Sanctifying Love
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Intro
Intro
Sermon Text - Ephesians 5.25-27
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her,
26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word,
27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.
Sermon Title - Christ’s Sanctifying Love
Human attempt to holy living
asceticism - the practice of voluntary abstention from the satisfaction of bodily and social need, including food, drink, sexual activity, sleep, clothes, wealth and social interaction.
The Lexham Cultural Ontology Glossary Asceticism
A lifestyle characterized by few possessions or luxuries. It is an attempt to focus one's life on religious or spiritual matters and to not be distracted by things of the world.
monasticism - the practice of living apart from the society to spend time in prayer, worship, silence and contemplation of God.
colony - the practice of establishing a community composed entirely of members of the faith to be self-sufficient and isolated from the society
Word study
sanctify - to make holy, set apart
grk. HAGIAZO, from HAGIOS, holy (one)
sanctification - the state or condition of being set apart
The Main Idea
God’s love did not stop on the cross
God’s love is not only expressed in His care and affection for His people.
God’s love is does not only discipline
5 And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: “My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him;
6 For whom the Lord loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives.”
7 If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten?
God’s love is working in the church in ways that we may not be aware - Christ’s love is sanctifying the church!
Sermon Points
Sermon Points
Sanctifying Love - He gave Himself for the Church
Sanctifying Love - He gave Himself for the Church
19 And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth.
First, Jesus Set Himself Apart for our sakes
15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.
Then, He gave Himself
Jesus gave His all on the cross
the greatest sacrifice is not all His possessions, but all of Himself
By giving Himself, He provided the precious blood that separate sin from God’s children
But His love did not stop on the cross!
The Cross was just the beginning of love’s action!
Sanctifying Love - He is sanctifying and cleansing the Church
Sanctifying Love - He is sanctifying and cleansing the Church
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her,
26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word,
He gave Himself for her on the Cross so that He might Sanctify her today!
1 For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect.
2 For then would they not have ceased to be offered? For the worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins.
3 But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year.
4 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins.
Paul sees the limitation of animal sacrifice
5 Therefore, when He came into the world, He said: “Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, But a body You have prepared for Me.
6 In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You had no pleasure.
7 Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come— In the volume of the book it is written of Me— To do Your will, O God.’ ”
8 Previously saying, “Sacrifice and offering, burnt offerings, and offerings for sin You did not desire, nor had pleasure in them” (which are offered according to the law),
9 then He said, “Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God.” He takes away the first that He may establish the second.
10 By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
Paul sees Christ coming to satisfy God’s justice by His sacrifice
Christ’s offering of Himself initiates the sanctifying work
Christ’s offering of Himself is the basis of our being sanctified
12 Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered outside the gate.
11 And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.
12 But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God,
13 from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool.
14 For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.
Paul sees the suffeciency of Christ’s sacrifice for those who are to be sanctified
15 But the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us; for after He had said before,
16 “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,”
17 then He adds, “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”
18 Now where there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin.
Paul sees the Holy Spirit’s presence as confirming the sufficient work of Christ on the Cross
repetitive sacrifice is no longer needed - but the sanctifying work has just begun!
Christ’s sanctifying love applies the Word in the believer’s life
26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word,
God’s Word is not only a source of truths to be believed in
God’s Word is also a cleansing agent!
Christ’s sanctifying love “cleanses” (see Eph 5.26)
Sanctified means “cleansed” (not only setting you apart)
Grk. KATHARIZO, to purge of evil
14 who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.
7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
to remove the “consciousness of sin”
2 For then would they not have ceased to be offered? For the worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins.
Christ’s sanctifying love is work of the Holy Spirit
13 But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth,
WHAT’S THE POINT?
Sanctification is Christ’s love in action
Sanctification is Christ purifying His beloved Church/Bride
SANCTIFICATION IS CHRIST TO HIS CHURCH “I LOVE YOU MY BRIDE!”
SANCTIFICATION IS EXPERIENCING THE CLEASING POWER OF CHRIST’S LOVE TODAY
TO LOVE CHRIST IS TO SUBMIT TO HIS SANCTIFYING WORK
Sanctifying Love has a goal in mind - a glorious church
Sanctifying Love has a goal in mind - a glorious church
27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.
A glorious church is a church that HOLY and WITHOUT BLEMISH
holy - sanctified, complete sanctification
without blemish
Grk. AMOMOS, unblemished, free from physical or moral defects
without spot or wrinkle
4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love,
elective love - God chose us in love
the goal of God’s elective love is to produce a people that is “holy and without blame”
21 And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled
22 in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight—
Christ died to produce a people that is “holy and blameless”
plus “above reproach” - Grk. ANENKLETOS, unaccusable
Note - Christ must Himself be “blameless” in order to produce a blameless church
14 how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
18 knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers,
19 but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.
WHAT’S THE POINT?
The sanctifying of the church is not an end in itself, but a means to greater purpose - one that goes back to the mind of God!
ONLY THE SANCTIFIED CHURCH WILL MOVE ON TO BECOME THE GLORIOUS CHURCH
23 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
How can we properly respond to Christ’s sanctifying love?
Submit to the
Embrace Christ’s sanctifying love!
Eph 5.24 - “just as the Church is subject to Christ...”
Let Him cleanse you with His Word!
Let Him cleanse you from all sin and unrighteousness
1 John 1.7, 9
Let Him separate your life from the things of the world -
entertainment, friendship, vices, etc.
ambitions, pride, materialism,
self-centered living
Let him become the center of your life!
Love Him back!
take pride in your sanctified life!
display the beauty of God’s holiness!
24 Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, And to present you faultless Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,
25 To God our Savior, Who alone is wise, Be glory and majesty, Dominion and power, Both now and forever. Amen.
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