Monday

Related Verses
Eph. 5:25-27
25 Husbands, love your wives even as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her
26 That He might sanctify her, cleansing her by the washing of the water in the word,
27 That He might present the church to Himself glorious, not having spot or wrinkle or any such things, but that she would be holy and without blemish.

1 Thes. 4:3
3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from fornication;

1 Thes. 5:23-24
23 And the God of peace Himself sanctify you wholly, and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
24 Faithful is He who calls you, who also will do it.

1 Pet. 1:15-16
15 But according to the Holy One who called you, you yourselves also be holy in all your manner of life;
16 Because it is written, “You shall be holy because I am holy.”

Eph. 1:4-5
4 Even as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world to be holy and without blemish before Him in love,
5 Predestinating us unto sonship through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,

Related Reading
Ephesians 5:25 through 27 is actually one long sentence. In these verses Paul is saying that husbands should love their wives as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her. He did this that He might sanctify her, cleansing her by the washing of water in the word, in order that He might present the church to Himself glorious, without spot, wrinkle, or any such things. Christ’s purpose in loving the church and in giving Himself up for the church was to sanctify her by the washing of the water in the word. Sanctifying is by cleansing, cleansing is by washing, washing is by water, and water is in the word. (Life-study of Ephesians, p. 442) 

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In the past, Christ as the Redeemer gave Himself up for the church for redemption and the impartation of life (John 19:34); in the present, He as the life-giving Spirit is sanctifying the church through separation, saturation, transformation, growth, and building up; and in the future, He as the Bridegroom will present the church to Himself as His counterpart for His satisfaction. Therefore, Christ’s loving the church is to separate and sanctify her, and His separating and sanctifying the church are to present her to Himself. 

Blood and water came out of the Lord’s pierced side. The blood was for redemption, and the water was for the impartation of life so that the church might come into existence. In Ephesians 5:25 we have the church coming into existence through Christ’s loving her and giving Himself up for her. 

After the church has come into existence, the church needs the sanctifying. The process of sanctification includes saturation, transformation, growth, and building up…The church needs to be saturated with all that Christ is. Saturation is accompanied by transformation, growth, and building. Through such a process of sanctification with all these aspects, the church becomes complete and perfect, the reality of what is typified by Eve in Genesis 2. 

After Eve had been prepared for Adam by being built out of Adam’s rib, she was presented to Adam, the source from which she came. In like manner, the church will be presented to Christ, who is her source…Ephesians 5:27 says that Christ will present the church to Himself glorious. Hence, He will be both the presenter and the receiver. 

Without separation, saturation, transformation, growth, and building, the church cannot be perfected and grow into the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. Only through an all-inclusive process of sanctification can the church become complete and attain to the measure of the stature of Christ’s fullness so that Christ can present a perfect church to Himself. 

First, the church is brought into existence. Second, the church is sanctified and thereby perfected and completed. Finally, the church is presented to Christ as a glorious church without spot, wrinkle, or any such things. It is presented to Him holy and without blemish. We are presently in the second stage of the production of the church, the stage of sanctification. When this stage is complete, we will be presented to Christ as a glorious church. 

[Transformation] comes through the nourishing and the cherishing. If you faithfully come to the meetings to be nourished and cherished, spontaneously you will be separated from the world and saturated with the riches of Christ. Then with you there will be growth, transformation, and building…Eventually, the bride will be complete, perfect, and grown to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. Then the Lord Jesus will come and present this prepared bride to Himself. (Life-study of Ephesians, pp. 442-445) 

Further Reading: Life-study of Ephesians, msg. 53