A Glorious Church

Ephesians 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
27 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.

I know all the husbands get excited when reading Ephesians 5 and it says, "Wives submit yourselves unto your own husbands as unto the Lord." Then, we take a step back and are floored (hopefully) when we read, "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church..." That is, in the way that Christ loved the church, so ought we to love our wives! Ok, I've got work to do.

But, as I was thinking on the verses following, a new perspective became strong in my mind. Why did Christ love the church and give Himself for it? So that He could sanctify and cleanse it - to make the church pure and holy, clean. Husbands, we ought to love our wives, by soaking them in the word (washing of water by the word). Which will cleanse them, make them holy (Psalm 119:9, John 15:3).

And the reason that we want to soak them in the word, and make them holy and without blemish - vs. 27 - that we can present them as glorious! Christ did it so that "he might present to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish." Husbands, as we love our wives and desire to have a sanctified and clean bride through the word, then what we are doing is making her glorious. She looks wonderful; she is admired; she is praised by those that see her.

Husbands, love your wives.

Of course, this post doesn't apply to me, because my wife is already as glorious as can be!

Just a thought...