The Cleansing of the Church at Ephesus

How was the church at Ephesus cleansed from sin? To be cleansed from sin is to be saved. I think most in Christendom are well aware of the famous Ephesian passage found in chapter two, verses eight and nine, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast.” (NAS) Many, many passages of the New Testament teach that salvation is a matter of God’s grace (Acts 15:11, Rom. 3:24, Gal. 2:21, 5:4, Eph. 1:7, 2:5, 2 Thess. 2:16, 2 Tim. 1:9, Titus 2:11, Titus 3:7, 1 Peter 1:10, 1 Peter 1:13). I have listed most of them here so the reader will know I am well aware of them.

I am thankful it is that way. If salvation were by works, a person might well come up short; the Bible teaches he would (Rom. 3:23). That is exactly what happened to the Jewish people under the Law of Moses. None was able to keep it. “Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.” (Gal. 3:10 NKJV) I think we are all glad salvation is a matter of God’s grace, versus works, for works demanded perfection.

God’s grace, which gives us salvation, is granted to us as a result of faith we possess. “Therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand.” (Rom. 5:1-2 NAS) “For by grace you have been saved through faith.” (Eph. 2:8 NAS) There are many other passages teaching that we are saved by faith. Here are quite a number of them: John 3:14-16, John 8:24, John 11:25-26, John 20:31, Acts 16:31, Rom. 10:9, 1 Cor. 1:21, Gal. 3:22, 1 Tim. 1:16, Heb. 11:6, 1 John 5:13, Rom. 3:26, 28, 30, 5:1, 11:20, Gal. 2:16, 3:24, 26, Eph. 2:8, Philippians 3:9, 1 Peter 1:9. These were again listed that the reader might know I am fully aware of them.

The question that arises, however, is what is this faith that justifies, that gives us God’s grace? I am not asking what the object of the faith is, for we know that. I am asking what the nature of this faith is. Many, perhaps most, are persuaded today (and have been since the Reformation) that it is merely a state of the mind regarding a belief one has in Jesus, who he is, and what he has accomplished for us. It is mental assent to the teachings of the scriptures about him. This is the faith that it is said saves. I certainly agree with that as far as it goes, but it stops short, too short.

One must not only believe what the scriptures teach about Jesus--who he was, what he accomplished--but faith also commits us to believe the man himself, believe what he said, and act on it. If faith does not lead to action, it is dead faith (James 2:17). James says it is “useless.” (James 2:20 NAS) Even in this world, as regards worldly matters, how can we say we have faith in a man when we will not take the man at his word?

The faith the Ephesians had that resulted in their cleansing from sin was the faith they had in what Jesus taught them through his inspired representatives. Paul was an inspired man, but the Holy Spirit, whether speaking through Paul or through any other apostle or first-century prophet, did not speak on his own initiative. “He will not speak on his own initiative, but whatever he hears, he will speak…he shall take of mine, and shall disclose it to you.” (John 16:13-14 NAS--the words of Jesus referring to the Holy Spirit) Thus, the Holy Spirit spoke the words of Jesus, and Jesus was thus their teacher.

Paul said later in the book of Ephesians that Jesus cleansed the church, “by the washing of water with the word.” (Eph. 5:26 NAS) “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her; that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word.” (Eph. 5:25-26 NAS)

Who was cleansed that way? Those Paul said earlier that had been saved by grace through faith (Eph. 2:8). The washing of water with the word is clearly a reference to baptism. What did Jesus teach about baptism? “He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved.” (Mark 16:16 NAS) “Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” (John 3:5 NAS)

John 3:5 and Eph. 5:26 teach the same thing. The Spirit gave the word. The Spirit working through the word works on our spirit, if we will allow it to do so, changing our thinking, our attitudes, our desires, and our will, bringing us to the point where we are ready to put the old man to death and be baptized to arise in “newness of life.” (Rom. 6:4 NAS) To be cleansed by the washing of water by the word (Eph. 5:26) is the same as to be born of water and the Spirit (John 3:5).

Furthermore, in scripture, the church (Eph. 5:25-26) and the kingdom (John 3:5), generally, not always but generally, are interchangeable terms. Peter was given the keys of the kingdom. When he used those keys, by preaching the gospel on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2, and people believed and obeyed, they were added to the church, one and the same as the kingdom that Peter was opening with his keys.

Were the Ephesians saved by grace through faith “before” they were cleansed? What was the church, the church being the members, cleansed of, if not sin? Can you be saved without first being cleansed of sin? They were saved by grace through faith when cleansed of sin by the washing of water with the word. That washing was done by “the obedience of faith.” (Rom. 1:5 NAS) Paul said he had received grace and apostleship, “to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles.” (Rom. 1:5 NAS)

Paul himself, obviously a church member, was told at his own conversion, “Why do you delay? Arise, and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on his name.” (Acts 22:16 NAS) Paul had experienced the same washing and for the same reason the church had at Ephesus. No, water itself cannot wash away sins, but it can if God has made the decision that that is the time and place where he will act in response to a person’s faith. Some have said baptism is a test of faith, and I do not argue with them.

Naaman, in the Old Testament, “became furious” (2 Kings 5:11 NKJV) when told he needed to go wash in the Jordan seven times to be healed of his leprosy. He did not want to do it that way. His faith had brought him thus far to Elisha, and he felt that should be good enough. Elisha should just come out and “stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place, and heal the leprosy.” (2 Kings 5:11 NKJV) Obedience of faith had no place in his thinking. One is reminded of today.

No, the water of the Jordan had no magical power to heal Naaman, but faith in what God told Naaman to do, a faith strong enough to get him to act simply because God said to do it, was the faith that made the difference. Naaman is an excellent example of a man who experienced two types of faith. The first failed him in obtaining his objective. Why? Because it was based on his preconceived ideas of how God should do things.

When told to go wash in the Jordan seven times, "Naaman became furious, and went away and said, 'Indeed, I said to myself, 'He (reference to Elisha, God's prophet—DS) will surely come out to me, and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place, and heal the leprosy.''" (2 Kings 5:11 NKJV) Naaman's faith that failed was faith in his own idea of how God should act. Naaman admits as much when he says, "I said to myself."

His later faith that brought Naaman healing was based not on Naaman's personal thinking but on what God said—"Go and wash in the Jordan seven times." (2 Kings 5:10 NKJV) This was the faith that brought healing when his faith became strong enough to become obedient to God's word.

This illustrates man's faith today in the spiritual realm with regard to baptism. There are two types of faith in what is commonly referred to as Christendom, as it relates to our salvation. The one says we will stop here (at the point of faith--mental assent) and do it this way. We have gone far enough; let God do the rest. The other faith says God said to do it (be baptized) for this reason (the remission of sins--Acts 2:38), I believe him, and I will do what he says because I believe. Both have what men generally call faith, but clearly, the faith is not the same.

There is also a question that needs to be asked. If Paul did not consider baptism to be salvation by works, why should we consider it to be salvation by works today? I have never heard a direct answer to that question. Paul tells the Ephesians they have been saved by grace through faith (Eph. 2:8) and then tells them at the same time they have been cleansed by the washing of water through the word (Eph. 5:26). He doesn’t miss a beat, doesn’t seem in the least to feel he has contradicted himself, so why should we feel that the two passages are contradictory? Why do we feel we have to try and devise a way to explain away the obvious meaning of the phrase "the washing of water?"

But there is much more in proof of the point I am making. In Eph. 1:7, Paul says, “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace.” (NAS) In him is a reference, obviously, to Jesus who shed his blood for us. How does one get into him, into Jesus Christ? Gal. 3:27 says we were “baptized into Christ” (NAS) and so does Rom. 6:3, “do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus.” (NAS) I know of no passage in the New Testament anywhere that tells one how to get into Christ other than through baptism.

If you were to start through the book of Ephesians and start marking every passage you come to that talks about different things that are found “in him,” “in Christ,” “in the Beloved,” here is some of what you would come up with: (1) every spiritual blessing--Eph. 1:3, (2) grace--Eph. 1:6, (3) redemption--Eph. 1:7, (4) an inheritance--Eph. 1:10-11, (5) sealed with the Holy Spirit--Eph. 1:13, (6) seated us in heavenly places--Eph. 2:6, (7) kindness toward us--Eph. 2:7, (8) his workmanship--Eph. 2:10, (9) brought near by the blood of Christ--Eph. 2:13, (10) partakers of the promise--Eph. 3:6. But one must note that all of these blessings are in, not outside of, but in Christ. “For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.” (Gal. 3:27 NAS) How does one enter Christ? By baptism. If one is clothed with Christ, he is in Christ.

Paul says elsewhere in the book of Ephesians, “we are members of his body.” (Eph. 5:30 NAS) But, then Paul tells us in 1 Cor. 12:13 how we get into that body, “For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body.” (NAS) What is Christ the Savior of according to Paul in Ephesians? “For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, he himself being the Savior of the body.” (Eph. 5: 23 NAS) This is the same body we are baptized into, that is, if we are in it, for that is the only way the scriptures give of entering into it--not by baptism alone but by the obedience of faith that results in baptism. The body of Christ, being the church (Eph. 1:22-23), is that which was cleansed "with the washing of water by the word." (Eph. 5:26 NKJV)

Where is grace found? The Bible tells us, “Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.” (2 Tim. 2:1 NAS) Paul tells the Ephesians that this grace is “bestowed on us in the Beloved.” (Eph. 1:6 NAS) Again, how does one get into Christ, the Beloved, according to the scriptures? We have already answered that. When one is led by faith to believe Jesus and obey him in baptism for the remission of sins, he enters into Christ, into the realm of grace by which he is saved.

In the book of Acts, chapter 19, Paul comes to Ephesus and finds 12 men there who are disciples. He asks them this question: “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” (Acts 19:2 NAS) They respond no, they had not even heard of the Holy Spirit. Paul then says, “Into what then were you baptized?” (Acts 19:3 NAS) Please note this one thing--Paul takes it for granted that if they were Christians, they had been baptized. He doesn’t ask them if they had been baptized. Why not? Paul doesn’t ask them because he knows what it takes to become a Christian and be saved. “Why tarriest thou? Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins.” (Acts 22:16 KJV, Ananias speaking to Saul, a believer, before Saul’s baptism)

One also ought to note the first thing Paul did with these 12 men, after learning their situation, was to have them “baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.” (Acts 19:5 NAS) Yes, Paul taught baptism at Ephesus. Paul stayed in Ephesus at least two years (see Acts 19:10) after this event, so when Paul said later in Ephesians that the church was cleansed by the washing of water with the word, there is no doubt he knew from personal experience all about baptism at Ephesus. There is no such thing as an unbaptized Christian, for Jesus commanded in the Great Commission (Matt. 28:19) that all disciples be baptized. Paul either baptized them personally or saw to it that they were baptized by one or more of those who helped with the work. Either that or he disobeyed Christ, for which disciple was it that Christ said need not be baptized?

Faith is not just something to be believed but also obeyed. One must obey the gospel to be saved (2 Thess. 1:7-8). In a sense, the gospel is the faith (Jude 3); it is that body of doctrine that is to be believed, but within that body of doctrine that constitutes the faith, there are things that must be obeyed as well as believed. In addition to mental assent to the truth about Jesus as revealed in the scripture one must repent of sins (Acts 17:30), one must confess with the mouth the Lord Jesus (Rom. 10:9-10), and one must be baptized into Christ, baptized for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38, Gal. 3:27). Faith, the faith that saves, is not a dead faith but an active one. It is by faith that a man does these things, by faith because he heard the words of God and believed them enough to take them to heart and obey them.

Do not allow yourself to be misled. A person does not believe Jesus who believes the doctrine that says, “he who has believed and has not been baptized shall be saved,” for that is not what Jesus said. Jesus said just the opposite.

I have asked this question before, but have never gotten an answer. If Jesus wanted man to know that baptism was essential to the remission of sins, the cleansing from sin, how would he say it in a way to get man to understand it? He could not say “repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins” (Acts 2:38 KJV) for he already said that via the Holy Spirit speaking through Peter, and men will not accept it.

How would he say it to make it plain and simple enough so all could understand it? No one has yet answered that question. The truth is, Jesus has stated it as clearly as it can be stated by mere words alone. Men will either accept it or reject it and thereby be judged.

Have you been cleansed with the washing of water by the word? Will you be one with those saints in Ephesus Paul wrote to, or are you going to be another kind of Christian unknown to the church at Ephesus?

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Misunderstanding the Grace of God

Several years ago I submitted an article to an online site that said it was a Christian article directory. It was a short article entitled "Receiving the Gospel.” It was deemed to be unfit for a Christian article directory. The editor of the directory said to me in an e-mail that he believed man was saved by grace without baptism which in the context of the article submitted meant without obeying Peter's directive on the Day of Pentecost as found in Acts 2:38.

His position was not uncommon. Millions of people have read Paul's statement in Eph. 2:8-9, "for by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast" (NKJV) and said okay, that is it, no need for further study.

I want to say first of all this is a poor approach to God's word to isolate and elevate part of his word over and above the rest of his word. That approach makes you and me judge over the word; we make ourselves God and decide what is vital in the word and what is not. Jesus when tempted by the devil said that "man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God." (Matt. 4:4 NKJV) That’s "by every word … of God," not just by the words of one's choosing.

In the second place, it needs to be pointed out that I think every single person who claims to be a Christian believes salvation is by grace through faith including myself. Is there a person on earth who thinks he has always done the right thing and never sinned? I can name many of my sins. Some of them have been an embarrassment to me, all of them of which I am aware have lowered my self-esteem, some have hurt others, all have hurt my relationship with God. I will never be the person I could have been due to the sin in my life. How about you, if you are honest how about you? Yes, we are saved by grace for we are undeserving of salvation.

Grace is often defined as unmerited favor, the unmerited favor of God toward man, and that hits the mark pretty close to dead center. When one knows he is a sinner he knows that on his own merits, he does not deserve salvation. I have often thought I needed to be punished, could almost wish I could do it myself. There is no thought of deserving anything other than that—punishment.

Grace encompasses all the good things God has done for us in bringing us salvation. When God sent Jesus into the world was that not an act of grace? When Jesus went to the cross for us shedding his blood for our salvation was that not God's grace?

When God gave us his word was that not an act of grace? When God confirmed his word by signs and wonders in the first century allowing us to know that it was God giving the word was that not an act of grace?

There is a passage in Rom. 2:4 that bears on the thing I am trying to get at. It says, "Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?" (Rom 2:4 NKJV) Is this not God's grace? Is not his goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering toward us that we might repent of our sins God's grace?

Peter says, "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance." (2 Peter 3:9 NKJV) Is this not grace? Just God giving us time to get our life in order is that not grace? Yes, we are saved by God's grace working in so many different ways for our salvation without which we could not be saved, none of us.

But here is my problem with those in the denominational world on the subject of grace. Their idea is that one is essentially saved by God's grace alone without man being under any obligation to do anything. They see grace as unconditional, dependent only upon faith.

They reject baptism as essential to salvation. I see it as another aspect of God's grace. If God tells me to do something to have my sins forgiven ("repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins"--Acts 2:38 KJV) he was under absolutely no obligation whatsoever to give me that option whereby my sins could be forgiven. I was shown grace by him telling me what to do and giving me a promise that upon doing it my sins will be forgiven--that to me is an act of grace on his part.

Denominationalists argue that it is not, that it’s works. Their idea is that there is nothing you can do for salvation other than depend on God's grace with the idea being that it is a kind of a one-time packaged deal given to you at the point of belief by which you are then and there saved without any further action on your part period. Lest anyone misunderstand I am talking about initial salvation.

That thinking reminds me of a Christmas gift I received in the past. I received as a gift a gift card. To use it I had to get in the car, drive a distance, take up my time and make an effort, find what I wanted, drag it up to checkout, haul it out to the car, drive home, and unload it. Nevertheless, I saw the gift card as an act of grace on the part of the giver. I never once said, "This is work, not a gift." In fact, I will take all of the gift cards you want to give me and praise you for your grace towards me despite the fact I will have to put forth a little effort to get the benefit of them.

Jesus said, "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven." (Matt. 7:21 NKJV) When Peter said, "repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins" (Acts 2:38 KJV), when Ananias told Saul, "arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins" (Acts 22:16 NKJV) I wonder was that the will of the Father in heaven? Was that grace? What do you think? Can you be saved without doing the will of the Father? Jesus says no, most denominational people say in the case of baptism yes.

But, let me talk a little about salvation by grace through faith versus salvation by works. Paul talks at length about this in the book of Romans and in Galatians. Under the Law of Moses, a man was required to keep perfectly the law to be saved. None could do so thus obviously none could be saved on that basis.

This was true of the Law of Moses but it is just as true of any law that a perfect God might give to mankind. Paul says, "For if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law." (Gal. 3:21b NKJV) John says much the same to us for in speaking to Christians he says, "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." (1John 1:8 NKJV) Sin is a transgression of the law of God, "Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law." (1 John 3:4 KJV)

God has a law today. He has always had a law. Today's law is the law of Christ (Gal. 6:2, 1 Cor. 9:21). But, no matter how much we might desire to do so and despite our best efforts, we cannot keep the law of Christ perfectly any more than the children of Israel could keep the Law of Moses perfectly thus if there is to be salvation it must be by grace which it is.

Does this then mean that man can ignore Jesus' commands and disbelieve the things he said whether directly or indirectly (through the inspired writers of the New Testament)? If grace comes through faith what kind of faith is it that will not believe that which has been spoken or written? If the Lord speaks and I claim to be a man of faith will I not believe his words? Grace comes through faith (Eph. 2:8) but does it come through a faith that disbelieves those things plainly written? The language the inspired writers used about baptism is too clear for misunderstanding as to its purpose.

Let us take a closer look at Paul who wrote a great deal about salvation by grace and faith. (We act as though that is all he wrote on the subject of salvation.) The very same man that wrote Eph. 2:8 ("for by grace you have been saved through faith") also wrote Gal. 3:26-27, "(26) For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. (27) For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ." (NKJV) Many, perhaps even most in denominational churches, taking the smorgasbord approach, will take verse 26 and leave off verse 27. That cannot be done by a man of genuine faith. The man of faith believes all God has said on a subject. The denominationalist says you put on Christ at the point of faith. Paul says not so. Paul says by grace I have been saved through faith and then tells me I put on Christ in baptism, not before baptism. Will I believe all Paul said or just what I want?

But, here is the clincher that destroys all arguments that attempt to separate baptism from grace. Paul, who remember said "by grace you have been saved" (Eph. 2:8 NKJV), writes in 2 Tim. 2:1, "You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus." (NKJV) Where is saving grace found? In Christ Jesus. Okay, how does Paul say we get into Christ Jesus? He says, "Do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?" (Rom 6:3 NKJV) And he makes the same statement in Gal. 3:27 when he says, "as many of you as were baptized into Christ." (NKJV) Anyone who can put two and two together can add the same here.

Paul said the same thing earlier in the book of Romans when he said that we are "justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus." (Rom 3:24 NKJV) A person thus seeking to be saved by the grace of God ought to get into Christ Jesus where redemption is found, there and there only will he find grace and salvation. The New Testament tells us too clearly to misunderstand how to get into Christ.

In Christ, there is salvation (2 Tim. 2:10), eternal life (Rom. 6:23), a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17), every spiritual blessing (Eph. 1:3), forgiveness (Eph. 4:32), the promise of life (2 Tim. 1:1), redemption (Rom. 3:24), being alive to God (Rom 6:11), and grace (2 Tim. 2:1). When we are baptized we are baptized into the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:13). One who has not been baptized is outside the body of Christ and thus outside all of the blessings that are found only in Christ. All good things are found in Christ, not out of him. That includes grace as clearly shown for all who will accept 2 Timothy 2:1.

Bible faith by which God's grace comes is a faith that believes what God has said so strongly that he does not question it but if God has said it the matter with him is settled. The true man of faith does not need to hear a passage on baptism but once and whatever is said on that topic he immediately believes and is ready to obey if he has not already done so.

Yes, it may take some study to see how all of the things by which God has said we are saved work together in a harmonious whole but if it is said by God or one of his inspired messengers that we are saved by baptism (1 Peter 3:31), or receive forgiveness of sins in baptism (Acts 2:38), or put on Christ in baptism (Gal. 3:27) then a genuine man of faith says immediately "it is so." They do not argue about how it is not so.

Paul himself was saved by grace as we all are yet he was not saved before baptism by grace alone. Hear his personal story. On his way to Damascus to persecute Christians, as one who did not believe, the Lord confronted him and he was made a true believer and repented of his sins. Luke tells us when confronted by the Lord that Saul (Paul) trembled and was astonished. (Acts 9:6) He was told by the Lord himself to "go into the city, and you will be told what you must do." (Acts 9:6 NKJV)

Denominational doctrine almost across the board, meaning no matter what group you are talking about, has him now saved. He believes and has repented and "by grace are ye saved through faith" (Eph. 2:8 KJV) so they see him as saved. The trouble of it is, is that Jesus told him he had to go into the city where it would be told him "what you must do." (Acts 9:6) So, whatever he must do has not yet been told him at the point of faith and repentance.

Then we see that for the next 3 days this saved man (?) is living in misery rather than rejoicing in his salvation. Luke says, he "neither ate nor drank" (Acts 9:9 NKJV) during that whole time; why not? Is it not because he does not yet know what it is he "must do?" (Acts 9:6) I might add the thing he must do, whatever it was to be, was related to having his sins forgiven. How do I know?

Saul already knew what the future held for him for in Acts 26:16-18 he says Jesus told him when he appeared to him on the road to Damascus. He knew he would be God's servant and sent to the Gentiles to preach even before entering the city of Damascus. (Acts 26:16-18) That was not going to be the thing he was going to be told he must do when he entered the city of Damascus for that he already knew.

What was it he was told he must do? Ananias told him, "And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord." (Acts 22:16 NKJV) He was told to be baptized to wash away his sins. That was what he must do. So here we have a man saved by grace and we know exactly how he was saved. He had faith, he had repented of his sins, and he was baptized to wash away his sins.

Was he saved by grace? Yes! When he obeyed he was saved by God's grace for he was then in Christ where salvation is found. His sins had been washed away by the grace of God for he had believed and obeyed God.

Do you want to be saved by grace? You can try it the denominational way if you so desire but my advice to you would be that I would try it the Bible way by doing what Paul did. You can not go wrong doing that.

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