“… to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word,”

Ephesians 5:26

 A week or so ago, we were at the beach with friends, our son, and our young grandsons.  The younger grand was afraid of the waves coming in so I held him as we watched the white foamed water rushing into the shore.  What he called “bubbles” in the water was really a strong current of water that came in and out as orchestrated by our Creator who set the rhythm of the tide in place.  The current of the ocean was so strong that it washed away the sand and dirt from my feet and legs, leaving sand-free legs and clear water.  It was in the fierceness of the movement of the wave that I was reminded of the above passage of scripture. 

While in a Roman prison, Paul wrote this letter to the church in Ephesus, admonishing and encouraging them to persevere in the hope of the Gospel.  Paul reminded them of the peace of God and how the grace, love, and mercy of Christ affects every part of our life—even our relationships.  It was in the section of Paul’s teaching how wives and husbands are to love one another that we find this truth on cleansing.   

I love music.  While growing up in church I always geared my focus more towards the singing portion of the service, especially since I love to sing.  So as a worship leader, it was always important to me to share the gospel in song.   But, as necessary as worship is to a service, music does not and cannot take the place of the Word.

In verse 25, Paul explains that Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.  Christ sacrificed his life for our sins and shed his blood so that we can be forgiven of our sins, cleaned up, and set apart.    

While the initial act of cleansing in our hearts is vital, the fact remains that we still live in a sin-cursed world that began when Adam and Eve sinned in the garden. Because of that, no matter how good we try to live our lives or how much we want to please our Heavenly Father, the effects of this sinful world can still corrupt our minds and hearts. We need a daily cleansing that comes from the washing with the Word of God.  It is only by the power and authority of the Word that the filth of this world can be displaced and we can maintain a clean and pure heart. 

That day at the beach I watched the rushing in of the water stir up the sand and everything in it.  But even though the waves came in disrupting the shore, when the water went back out it took all the “stuff” with it leaving the water clear to see the bottom.

 Daily cleansing only comes by ingesting the Word of God.  We must allow it to wash us and penetrate our hearts ridding us of everything that is not like Jesus.  And isn’t that the goal – to be like Jesus?  I don’t know about you, but I say “Wash me, clean Lord, wash me clean.  Don’t let me stay as I am. Cleanse me with the power of Your Word. Amen. ”