LAVER - What is the NT equivalent to the washing with water?
Eph 5:25-27
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.
The blood cleansed guilt/ conscience.
The water cleanses spots/wrinkles that disfigure us spiritually (i.e. acne on the face).
- jealously - temper
- coveting, etc.
God doesn’t forgive bad character, He wants to get rid of those characteristics.
There are 2 types of cleansing, one is not enough: - wrath of God - the blood = guilt/ conscience
- wreckage of sin - the water = defects of character
The water shows our need to rid of these defiling characteristics and the importance of
how we live which should reflect God’s glory! We are to live as a people saved from
the power of the wreckage of sin. HOW IS THIS CLEANSING DONE? By the WORD OF GOD!
Matt 15:16-20
16 And Jesus said, Are ye also yet without understanding?
17 Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the
belly, and is cast out into the draught?
18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from
the heart; and they defile the man.
19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts,
false witness, blasphemies:
20 These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a
man.
Physical water cleanses only the skin, not the heart.
The word of God cleanses the heart. The blood cleanses the conscience.
John 1:29 "Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world."
John 1:31 " He (Jesus) baptizes with the Holy Spirit."
Only God would do both cleansings.
Titus 3:3-6
3 For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers
lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.
4 But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,
5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to
his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration (blood), and renewing of the Holy Ghost;(water)
6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;
regeneration = newbirth, new life, new nature = radical cleansing by
Christ,
not by trying to become a Christian or trying to live as one
We must first receive the very life of Christ and receive this new nature = double cleansing
John 3:5-6
5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of
the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is
spirit.
1 Pet 1:22-23
22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through
the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a
pure heart fervently:
23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of
incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
John 6:63
63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the
flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you,
they are spirit, and they are life.
1:22-3 Born again by the word of God
6:63 Spirit gives life and the word of God is spirit and life. Do not excuse temper ,
jealousy, etc. Confess it and let HS convict me of the sin, repent of it and the HS will
create new life and a new nature in me.
John 13:5-10
After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to
wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded. Then cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter
saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet? Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do
thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter. Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt
never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with
me.Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head. Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet,
but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all.
2 cleansings: (These determine our fitness to enter the presence of God)
1. hearts sprinkled from evil conscience - blood
2. bodies bathed from defilement - pure water of the word
Heb 10:17-19
17 And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.
18 Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.
19 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by
the blood of Jesus,
The newbirth and cleansing of the word allow us to enter God’s presence today!
The OT parallel is in Exodus 28-9, when the priest was inducted he was washed all over
one time only. He then had to wash daily to remove any defilement before entering
God’s service in the tabernacle.
Ps 139:23-24Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
