Christ's treatment of his Church.
St. Paul describes Christ's treatment of his Church as an illustration of the way in which husbands should behave to their wives. But that vision of the spiritual world which is the ideal of earthly marriage is so attractive that it arrests the apostle's attention on its own account. It may well do the same with us.
I. WHAT CHRIST HAS DONE FOR THE CHURCH. We are first directed to Christ's work for the Church in the past. He loved it and gave himself up for it.
1. Christ loved the Church. He loved the whole world, but he had a peculiar love for those who trusted and obeyed him—a love like that which is between him and God, a love of sympathy and confidence which could not be given to the world that did not trust and obey him and was loved only with the love of mercy.
2. Christ loved the Church before the Church was worthy of his love. His love begins the process of the purification of the Church. He does not love because his people are holy, but he makes them holy because he loves them.
3. Christ's love to his Church led him to give himself up for it. His love was not an idle sentiment. It inspired his sacrifice of himself. That sacrifice, then, is the great proof of his love. By all that he suffers he confirms his love to the Church. The language of St. Paul may seem to imply that Christ did not die for the whole world, but only for the Church. On the other hand, however, it is to be observed that St. Paul taught that Christ would ultimately gather the whole world into his Church (Ephesians 1:10).
II. WHAT CHRIST IS DOING TO THE CHURCH.
1. He is purifying it. The spiritual baptism of the Word, i.e. the teaching of Christian truth, is the method. But Christ is in the truth, and he is actively purging the souls of his people. Therefore note
2. Christ is nourishing and cherishing his Church (Ephesians 5:29). He feeds his people with the bread that is his body. He watches over them and deals gently and kindly with them, and by his grace strengthens and advances their spiritual life. Thus Christ has not accomplished a finished work and sacrifice. He is now carrying on the double process of cleansing and nourishing the Church.
III. WHAT CHRIST WILL DO WITH THE CHURCH.
1. He will make it glorious. Christians are not to receive bare deliverance, but joy and glory. The Church is not only to have blessings bestowed upon her; she is to be raised herself in holiness and glory. She is to be
2. Christ will present the Church to himself. He is preparing his bride for the great marriage of the Lamb. The end of all is that, being first redeemed by Christ and then purified and strengthened, Christians may be ultimately; united to him in eternal blessedness.—W.F.A.
Ephesians
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