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“Christ also loved the church, and gave Himself for it; that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word” (Ephesians 5:25-26).
I grew up on a farm, and I and my brothers often went barefoot during the summer. As you can imagine, we usually got our feet dirty, and my mother made us wash them before we came into the house. The same thing happens to us in a different way, when we walk through this world as Christians. We come in contact with sin, and we see and hear things that defile us, just like dirt on our feet. Then we need what we have in our verse for today — the “washing of water by the Word.” The Bible is like water to a believer; it washes away the dirt of sin with which we come in contact in the world around us.
The Lord Jesus not only died for us, but He wants to set us apart from this world. That is what the word “sanctify” means — to set apart. For this reason it is important to read our Bibles every day. It is good also to have your own Bible, and to read it for yourself. You may not always understand everything you read, but it will have the effect of cleansing you from the sinful things you see and hear in your Christian walk through this world day by day.
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