The Bride of Christ
A Sermon on Ephesians 5:25-27
Originally preached Feb. 21, 1960
Scripture
25Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 26That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 27That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or …
Sermon Description
Many in society have a flippant view of love. It may be seen when a couple confesses their undying love to one another and soon are no longer together. Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones reminds how this is also seen in many songs and poems. But all of this is in stark contrast to how God’s word presents love in general, as well as His love for Christians and the church. This love is one that prompted Him to send His only begotten Son to die a painful death as an atoning sacrifice for those who were His enemies. This is a sanctifying love that transforms and renews. In this sermon on Ephesians 5:25–27 titled “The Bride of Christ,” Dr. Lloyd-Jones states that it is the love that puts others before oneself. This is the love that was demonstrated on the cross and is to be demonstrated in marriage. Just as Christ loved His church and gave Himself up for it, so also must the husband love his wife even as he loves his very own flesh. This is the great calling upon all husbands: to love their wives just as Christ loves His church in a pure and sacrificial love that is unblemished by sin and is without the taint of self service. This is the bountiful picture of love that God gives in Christ.
Sermon Breakdown
- Love is practical, not theoretical. It is shown through actions, not words.
- Christ loved the church and gave himself for it. His love for the church is eternal and unchanging.
- Christ's love for the church is shown through his sacrificial death on the cross. He died to redeem the church from sin and condemnation.
- Christ did not consider himself or his own needs. He humbled himself and sacrificed for the good of the church. Husbands should have this same self-sacrificial mindset towards their wives.
- Christ died for the church while it was still sinful and unworthy. Husbands should love their wives unconditionally despite their faults and shortcomings.
- Christ's death on the cross is the foundation for the church. Without it, there would be no church.
- Christ's death on the cross is not just for our initial salvation. It is the basis for our ongoing sanctification and growth in holiness. We can never move on from the cross.
- Sanctification is not something we choose to do. It is something Christ does to us. He sanctifies us to make us holy and without blemish.
- To sanctify means to set apart for God's use and purpose. Christ has set the church apart from the world to be his own special possession.
- As Christians, we no longer belong to the world. We have been called out of the world and belong to Christ. We are strangers and pilgrims on earth.
- If Christ has truly died for us, we will know that we have been sanctified and set apart for him. We will no longer feel at home in the world. Our citizenship is in heaven.
The Book of Ephesians
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.