If you have understood that Jesus loves you sacrificially, then you know how you are called to live your life. If you have seen this sacrificial love of Jesus, you know that it is the beginning of real intimacy with you and Him. "I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me" (John 17:23).
We are called to live in love, giving ourselves up for others, not gratifying our flesh at the expense of others.
One of the reasons Jesus went to the cross was to remove the sin that prevented our intimacy with God. And it is one of the reasons God gave us His Spirit so that by the Spirit we could put to death all forms of impurity and begin to enjoy real and true intimacy in our lives.
As long as we are turning to fake intimacy in pornography, self-gratification and sexual impurity, we will never enjoy real intimacy. So through His Spirit, Jesus is still removing the sin that prevents intimacy between God and us, and between other people and us. This is a lifetime endeavor as the Spirit applies the work of Christ to our hearts, works with us to crucify lust and all impurity and frees us from it so that we can begin to experience and enjoy real intimacy.
Let’s continue in Ephesians 5 so that we can see the truth that we are saved for intimacy:
Ephesians 5:25-33 ESV Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, (26) that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, (27) so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. (28) In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. (29) For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, (30) because we are members of his body. (31) “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” (32) This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. (33) However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.
Question 2. According to Ephesians 5:25-27, what is the purpose that Christ gave Himself up for us?
Yes, Jesus died to remove your sin, to "sanctify and cleanse you,” to make you “holy and without blemish.” Wash at the Cross, seeing His blood washing away all your sin, cleansing you from every stain, removing every blemish. You are now, because of the cross, flawless and faultless before God.
Notice that Jesus cleansed us like this for a reason: to “present us to Himself in splendor” (verse 27). This is the language of marriage: a radiant bride prepared for her loving husband, now joining in union and intimacy.
Jesus gave Himself up for you to present you to Himself in marriage, where you might begin to experience real love and true intimacy with Him. He died to remove your sin, and He clothed you in His righteousness, that He might present you to Himself in radiant splendor.
My friend, think of this: if you are a believer you have no sin, nothing defiles you, no impurity, no spiritual spots or blemishes for Jesus has washed you and clothed you. In this way, through Christ washing away your sin and removing that which prevented real intimacy, you can begin to experience unity and oneness, closeness and genuine intimacy with Him.
Question 3. How do we see intimacy described in Ephesians 5:28-29?