October 26

"Christ also loved the church, and gave himself up for it." Ephesians 5:25

The theme of this verse is not so much the coming of Christ to die for sinners as the giving of himself to them in love. John tells us how at the cross the soldiers came to examine Jesus. They found to their surprise that he was already dead, but they pierced his side and there flowed out blood and water. This suggests symbolically the two aspects of the work of Christ; namely, the shedding of blood to redeem us from our sins, and the flowing of the water of life.

To die for sins is one thing, but to die for love is more. Christ died for us in order to give himself to us. The vital issue of our new birth lies just here. It is not repentance which makes us a part of Christ, neither is confession of our sins, nor even our faith. It is the life of Christ imparted to us by a divine act, which alone makes us a part of the Church which he loved and gave himself up for.