Lesson 20 Washing at the Cross: Intimacy with Christ
Questions 1 and 2
Hello and welcome friend. It’s nice to see you back, and we do hope you are enjoying this study and finding it helpful.
Today, we will continue our study of Ephesians 5 and the intimacy it describes between Christ and believers, and then we will see a beautiful illustration of this.
We will be looking at ways to apply the teaching so that we can learn to enjoy real intimacy as protection against turning back to the false intimacy of pornography and sexual impurity.
Ephesians 5:25-27 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.
Question 1. According to Ephesians 5:26, why did Jesus give Himself up for us?
Jesus gave Himself up for us to sanctify us—that is to set us apart from our sins, that He might present us to Himself in radiant splendor. For this reason, you should have real hope of being free from sins that might have taken you captive for years. Jesus died to sanctify you, to free you and release you. He took your sins on Himself and "became sin for you" (2 Corinthians 5:21), thereby removing them from you to sanctify you.
Notice the words “sanctify,” “cleansed,” “washed,” “splendor,” “without spot or wrinkle or any such thing,” “holy and without blemish.” Think of what grace and love this is, for Him to wash your stains and make them white as snow! As the old song says, “sin had left a crimson stain. He washed it white as snow.” I hope you can see His love for you in this!
Question 2. What are your thoughts as you consider each of the quoted words listed in the above paragraph?
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