Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word; that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy, and without blemish (Ephesians 5:25-27).
In this passage, the apostle, by the Spirit, directs husbands and wives in their duties to one another; and for a pattern, he points them to the heavenly bridegroom and bride – Christ and his Church. Now, we are to observe three things today: (1) Christ's love for his Church. (2) Christ's purpose with the Church in time. (3) Christ's purpose with the Church in eternity.
1. Christ's love for his Church
The object of his love is the Church. It is true, he willeth that all men be saved. You remember how he shed tears over perishing sinners; you remember how he sent apostles to teach them his willingness to save them; from this you see how he loved them. Yet the peculiar object of his love is the Church; and that is all that are chosen or given to him of the Father – all who are washed in the fountain opened for sin and uncleanness – all who are clothed in the wedding garment – all who shall stand upon Mount Zion with golden harps. Jesus loved them in a past eternity. He loved to look into futurity, and see their names written in the book of life; he would say, 'They shall walk with me in white, for they shall be worthy' (Revelation 3:4). Oh, I have no doubt but Jesus looks upon this town and says, 'I have much people in this city, though they know me not.' He loved the Church. When they come to him he lets out all the love of his heart to them. Oh, yes, when a soul comes to Jesus it feels there is an eye that looks tenderly upon it. Jesus loves Scotland better than other lands; for his Church is in Scotland. He loves some towns and streets better than others; for more of his people are there. He loves some houses better than others. He loves some rooms in a house better than others; for his name is often called upon there. Sometimes he shows himself through the lattice. Sometimes they are asleep, but he says, 'Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled' (Song of Solomon 5:2). Ah, you see how he loved the Church. Observe, farther, what was the state of the Church when he found her:
(a) It was lying under the curse of God. He loved it and then gave himself for it, even when God was frowning on it. Ah, many a one marries an uncomely bride for the sake of her dowry; but Jesus got an ill dowry with his bride – he got nothing but the wrath of God with the Church.
(b) It was impure and unholy. Observe the order – he loved it, and then gave himself for it. I could understand him making it holy and then loving it – but he first loved it. Ah! brethren, Jesus loved me in the pit of corruption; his love looked into the pit, and then took us from the fearful pit. Ah, there is nothing to draw the love of Jesus to us. We love for something fair or attractive, but such is not the love of Jesus; he loved his Father, for all was glory in him, but in the Church all was impure. Oh, then, learn the free love of Jesus. He did not love pain or suffering more than you or I; yet he gave himself for the Church. He loves us before we love him: Thou wast east out into the open field... And when I passed by thee, and saw thee polluted in thine own blood, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live; yea, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live (Ezekiel 16:5-6). He looked upon us, 'and the time was a time of love'. Oh, then, look back, dear believer, to the time when Jesus first loved you; look to your heart at that time; what a black soul thou wast when Jesus loved you! Oh, learn the love of Jesus! I have chosen thee, but thou hast not chosen me. 'I have chosen thee, and refined thee, but not with silver' (Isaiah 48:10). Now, if ye do not understand that Jesus justifies the ungodly, ye are yet in your sins.
(c) The greatness of his love. We can measure a man's love by the sacrifices he will make. Some will not lay down a sixpence for Christ, nor give up a friend for Christ, nor give up a party for Christ; but Jesus gave himself. What can a man give more than himself? 'Greater love hath no man than this.' O think today of the greatness of the love of Christ! If he had created ten thousand angels and given them for the Church, this would have been condescending love; but, ah! Jesus gave himself, even while we were enemies. Oh, brethren, he bore guilt for us! I would rather bear sorrow, or suffering, or affliction, than guilt for you, but Jesus gave his holy soul an offering for sin. Oh, yes, he said, 'Mine iniquities' – he called them his own- 'have taken such a hold of me, I cannot lift up my head' (Psalm 40:12). Oh! if you knew how he hated sin, ye would know what he felt. 'I gave my back to the smiters' (Isaiah 50:6). And then he gave himself to bear wrath. Oh! the holy soul of Jesus did not love wrath; but he bare the wrath of God. If you would ask an angel to leave his seat in bliss, and to bear the wrath of God, it would be hell to leave for a moment the love of God; yet Jesus gave himself up freely to death. Now, he knew more infinite love than the angels; yet he lost the love, and took the wrath. O never was love like this! 'Behold what manner of love!' So you see, he loved the Church, and gave himself for it.
2. Christ's purpose with the Church in time
When the soul is brought to Jesus, and washed in his blood, its sanctification is just begun – it is the first dawn of an eternal day. Jesus is the author of sanctification; but there are many looking to the wrong airt for it. Now, all comes from the same hand that was nailed to the cross; look to him for sanctification – his name is Jesus, for he saves from sin. Oh, do any feel faint and weary? Lean on him, the Beloved; all comes from Jesus. You may as well try to hold up the sun in its course, as to hold up your own goings. Go, then, to Jesus for all you need. Learn the means of sanctification – the Word. No holiness without the Bible! I believe God could sanctify without the Word. He made the angels holy without it, and he made Adam holy without it; but he will not do it. 'Sanctify them through thy troth, thy word is math' (John 17:17). Just like a mother nourishing a child, Jesus takes a soul and nourishes it with the milk of the Word. No life without a Bible! It is just the breathings of God's heart – of his affectionate bosom. Oh, yes, if you would walk much with Jesus, you would become like him. Oh, you would get the heart and likeness of Jesus. There are some believers, and you may know them by their breath that they have been with Emmanuel, the lovely Rose of Sharon.
Learn, then, that there is no other means of sanctification, and without holiness no man shall see the Lord. Unless you love your Bibles, and feed upon them, you will never stand with the Lamb upon Mount Zion, with the golden harps.
Learn the certainty of sanctification. Rutherford said, 'Blessed be God, Christ is a whole Saviour – he not only justifies, but he sanctities too.' Oh, no, he will not lose the end for which he died – to make you not of this world, while you are in the world. He came to this miserable world, and took stones to polish for his Father's palace. Do you thinkhe will leave you unholy? This is the will of the Father, even your sanctification. Jesus died, and the Spirit is sent as the sanctifier. There is much sin between you and God – many temptations – yet you shall be made holy.
3. Christ's purpose with the Church in eternity
This is the day when the Lord Jesus is sanctifying his Church; but a day is coming when it shall be a holy Church. Dear believer, the day is coming when you and I shall be holy. Here nothing is perfect but Christ's righteousness. Often have we to mourn over a body of sin and death. This is a world of imperfection. We are here as in the furnace; but we shall come out pure. Ah, yes, there is a glorious bridal day coming, when the king's daughter shall be all glorious within. Oh, our Church this day is spotted – many have not got the wedding garment, and many who are God's people have got a sinful, unholy heart. But the day is coming, when we shall be all glorious, with his righteousness on us, and his holiness in us. Learn the certainty of your sanctification.
But there are some who, after all, fear they may be cast away. When you feel the power of temptation – when you feel the old heart within you – oh, do not fear; God is the sanctifier: 'Whom he called, them he also justified; and whom he justified, them he also glorified' (Romans 8:30). Ah, that is a golden chain that all the devils in hell cannot break. It is a golden chain. Oh, if you have one of those links, you are sure of them all – you are one of the glorious Church.
Learn what he will do in that day. He will present it to himself. Ah, yes! it is too dear to him to give it to another. Oh, do you know what this intimates? It is that you and he shall never be parted again. Here you are often saying, 'Saw ye him whom my soul loveth?' Oh, then, there will be no more mountains of Bether. You shall see the King in his beauty. Like the disciples, you shall talk with him, and lean on his bosom. There shall be no veil between you then. You shall see eye to eye. He shall talk with you of the decease he accomplished at Jerusalem. What can you have more? Ye shall be his eternally holy ones. May this be the portion of you all, and may God bless his own word, and to him be the glory. Amen.
Action Sermon,*