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Paul’s command for husbands to love their wives is unique at that time in history. This was not taken from anyone’s culture, but given by Paul by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. The command to love God and neighbor is taught in the OT and cited by Jesus. Paul specifically instructs husbands to love their wives and defines that love as the self-sacrificing love that Christ has for the church. We discuss the implications of agape love as defined in the New Testament. The key is Christ’s laid down life for the church. This self-giving love should characterize Christian husbands. Paul introduces this instruction to husbands but then spends some verses explaining implications and demonstrations of Christ’s love the for church. He will return to husbands in verse 28. Paul uses the first of three purposes clauses to describe Christ’s laid down life describe how Christ laid down His life to bring about the sanctification and cleansing of the church.

We emphasize the promise of God that He will sanctify His church for the glory of His own name. Christ died for the church to set us apart from the world and to make us holy. Sanctification is about how God makes the church (holy) while cleansing is about the removal of defilement. We discuss the realities of positional and practical sanctification. The means of cleansing is by the Word. This sermon covers a number of passages where we are taught that the word of God cleanses believers from the inside out. The key for believers to walk in sanctification is to believe the promises of God. We end by showing from Ezekiel 36 how God promises cleansing and the impartation of a new heart by using seven “I will” statements.