Church (2) Holy part 1
| ... Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. Ephesians5:25-26 |
To be justified is to be brought to a place where justice has been satisfied. Paul explains that this is what Jesus did for us: He loved us and gave himself as a sin offering to make us holy. This means that regardless of our practical and daily failures there is an event that balances the scales. In spite of our brokenness and sin, there is a game-changing moment that took place. The justice that our sin deserved was handled on the cross.
When God looks at us from a justice point of view He sees us in the light of the Good Friday event. He sees us "without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless."
This means that the church is not a showcase for saints, but a hospital for sinners who get to stand behind a wonderful Saviour.
The great hymn "It is well with my soul" by Horatio Spafford puts it well:
My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
Thank You Lord Jesus for making us holy - We know it came at great cost. Amen.
